Our Path to Providing Excellence in Health Care - Olympic Medical ...

upgrade existing services, maintain a
highly qualified workforce and provide
care for those in our community who
may not have insurance or the ability
to pay.
“We want to say ‘thank you’ to the
community for their trust,” says Lewis.
“The affirmative vote gives us the ability
to provide great care, and it shows that
our neighbors put a premium on a high
quality of life.”
The initial distribution of funds will
be wide-ranging, from improvements
in the emergency department and
hospital services to the acquisition
of leading-edge technology and
physician recruitment.
“Given our pledge to provide the
best care for our community, we have
to go after the best and brightest
doctors available,” says Smith. “To
attract those physicians, we must have
a top-tier facility outfitted with the
best medical equipment. That way,
our friends and neighbors won’t have
to drive almost 100 miles to Seattle for
certain services.”
4 | Our Path to Providing
Excellence in Health Care
Olympic Medical refuses to rest on
its many accomplishments. Given the
immense demonstration of trust by
the community recently, we have
developed an ambitious three-year
strategic plan aimed at improving
system-wide service.
“After much thought and
consideration we felt confident that the
52 goals laid out in the strategic plan
will result in a medical center that is
undeniably one of the nation’s best,”
says Smith. “Many of the items will
transpire in 2009, although financial
realities and other constraints make
it impossible to tackle everything at
once.”
The plan’s goals are broken into
three main priority areas:
• Quality, patient safety
and satisfaction
• OMC and community relationships
• Organizational performance
“In 2009, we will have a continued
focus on quality measures and patient
satisfaction with an added emphasis
on physician recruiting,” says Lewis.
In addition to receiving soothing healing inside Olympic Medical Center, patients are treated
to relaxing views outside, as healing involves both advanced medicine and a centered mind.
“We also want to put additional focus
on strengthening bonds with the
community. They have given us so
much, and we want to show them that
we are here for them.”
5 | Rallying for Reform
Olympic Medical continues to be
a vigorous advocate for health care
reform. Since a sizeable portion of
the American population is either
uninsured or underinsured, and
with medical expenses constantly
ballooning, it’s obvious that there is
much room for improvement within
the health care system.
“It’s staggering to look at the
numbers,” says Smith. “The United
States pays over $7,000 per year per
person for health services. Yet, when
you look at quality, the U.S. ranks 37th
in the international community. While
there is no perfect system, there are
some better ones whose principles we
could borrow.”
Representatives from Olympic
Medical continually lobby state and
federal lawmakers to help remedy the
flawed system.
“The crisis will not get any better
unless something is done soon,” says
Smith. “As it stands, our current system
is not sustainable, and we want to be
part of the solution.”
One such measure being taken
at Olympic Medical is the planned
implementation of an electronic
medical records system, providing
medical caregivers improved access
to a patient’s health records to
enhance care. Olympic Medical’s
foresight falls in line with the recent
federally proposed health care
initiative to computerize the nation’s
medical records.
To review Olympic Medical Center’s
2009-2011 Strategic Plan, visit
www.olympicmedical.org.
Excellence in Health Care
As the health care system
nationwide faces turbulent times,
we at Olympic Medical are doing
everything possible to tend to your
present and future health. We are
grateful to our community for
continued support and pledge that
we will constantly strive to provide
you and your loved ones with
excellent health care.
www.olympicmedical.org 5