Annual Report 2009 - St James Mercy Hospital

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CEO/BO ARD CHAIR ME SSAGE As a health care team, we experienced numerous challenges and triumphs during 2009. The economic climate forced us to make difficult decisions, some that impacted our colleagues and services. However, there were many accomplishments that we are proud to share and celebrate with you – our community and avid supporters. We have made significant progress improving patient safety through our focus on quality of care delivery, and we continue to pursue opportunities that will position us for the future and health care reform. Our accomplishments clearly reflect the Mission upon which we were founded – to minister to those who need us most, in particular, the poor, underserved and disadvantaged. Many of the clinical and operational improvements were targeted around the following key imperatives: •Improving quality of care and patient safety; • Addressing chronic disease and access to care; and •Positioning St. James Mercy Hospital to meet the future health care needs of our community. Quality of Care and Patient Safety SJMH remains committed to improving the health care outcomes of the community. Throughout all our facilities – hospital, nursing home, outpatient clinics, and sites – we demonstrated an aggressive commitment to improving patient, resident, and client outcomes. Here are a few of the highlights: •We embarked on a “continuum of care” model, which more effectively connects health care providers and community services to provide better care to individuals throughout their lives. With our aging population and the rise in the incidence of certain chronic diseases, we need better processes to manage care over the course of a person’s life. Technology plays a critical role in this model, coupled with services that prevent illness and manage chronic disease. In essence, the continuum of care model promotes healthy living to minimize the need for medical care. In turn, patients and their families will make more informed decisions about their care, and engage in programs that support their holistic and spiritual needs. St. James Mercy Hospital is in the development stage of the continuum of care model and will progress into several other phases in the years to come. •To support our physician recruitment efforts, we pursued and were awarded grants from the “Doctors Across New York” program to assist in the recruitment of key specialists (general surgeon, orthopedic surgeon, gastroenterologist, and psychiatrist). The program was established to assist hospitals in attracting specialists to underserved areas in New York State. We have identified two candidates who meet the grant qualifications and are working to secure a final agreement with the New York State Department of Health. •We announced the appointments of Bradley Truax, MD as Chief Medical Officer/SVP for Medical Affairs and Trish Uldrich, RN as Chief Nursing Officer/SVP for Person-Centered Care. Both have worked diligently with our staff to identify and implement significant patient care and safety improvements. Raja Rao, MD rejoined SJMH as Chief of Psychiatry. Dr. Rao has worked in the Southern Tier for a number of years and understands the local mental health needs and services. We announced a new partnership with The Exigence Group, a Buffalo-based company that provides highly-trained physicians and clinical staff. With its priority on improving patient satisfaction, The Exigence Group staffs the Emergency Department and Hospitalist program with top-quality providers such as Nancy Ebling, DO, our newest Hospitalist, and Maria Gentry, DO, a new provider in the Emergency Department. We also announced that Irvin C. Oh, MD would be joining SJMH as an Orthopedic Surgeon in 2010. •We completed the implementation of Barcode Medication Verification (BMV) in all inpatient areas. BMV is designed to prevent medication errors by ensuring that patients get the right medicine, at the right time, in the right dosage. SJMH is the only hospital in our region with BMV. •Our emphasis on patient safety culminated in a major initiative called “No Shortcut to Safety”. This new practice eliminates the use of “dangerous” abbreviations when writing patient care orders and progress notes. “No Shortcut to Safety” helps prevent medical errors by using a comprehensive list of abbreviations from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP). The ISMP list is much more rigorous than what is used in most hospitals, and SJMH takes pride in having adopted the highest national standards. •In light of the H1N1 flu and seasonal flu and the potential impact on patients, visitors and staff, SJMH created a full-scale plan called “Code Flu”. The plan focuses on being prepared and in the event of a flu emergency, to open off-site locations to evaluate and treat persons with flu symptoms, minimizing unnecessary exposure to patients and staff. Fortunately, we did not need to implement the Code Flu plan, but we remain prepared in the event the flu or other pandemic situation arises. •We launched a “Fast Track” process in the Emergency Department. During peak hours, individuals are promptly evaluated and assigned to the appropriate level of care, based upon the severity of their condition. Patients that go through the Fast Track process generally can be seen more quickly, resulting in reduced wait times and higher patient satisfaction. •We opened an After Hours Clinic to expand access to primary care services. Located at 460 Canisteo St. in Hornell, this convenient walk-in clinic caters to individuals who cannot get to their doctor during the day or who need routine treatment of nonemergency conditions. Chronic Disease and Access to Care SJMH participated in a large Community Health Assessment with the Steuben County Public Health Department and other regional hospitals and health care agencies to evaluate and prioritize local health care needs. Hundreds of citizens responded to a survey, providing valuable input which identified two key priorities for Steuben County: access to care and managing chronic disease. For SJMH, “access to care” includes a number of issues: •Growing number of under-insured and uninsured patients as a result of job loss and economic issues, resulting in a delay or avoidance of treatment. •Lack of assisted living and similar services to help bridge the gap between living at home and entering a nursing home. •Shortage of specialists, requiring patients to travel long distances for specialized care. •Configuration of aging facilities and distance between services within and outside of the hospital campus. •Need for outreach to make cancer screening services more available to low-income and uninsured women, particularly for mammograms. True to our Mission, SJMH developed a host of financial counseling services to address the increasing number of persons who are uninsured or under-insured. With the recent downsizing in local industries, we accelerated our efforts to reach the needy in our area. Through our partnership with MedAssist, SJMH is now helping more individuals and their families get assistance through county, state and federal programs, as well as facilitating access to resources (continued)
CEO/BO ARD CHAIR ME SSAGE (CONT.) for food, shelter, education, and related needs. The need for these types of services will continue to grow, and we are fully committed to serving the growing population of indigent persons and families in our area. The priority of “managing chronic disease” locally is underscored by: •A higher incidence of chronic conditions in our area compared to the rest of the state. •Significantly greater death rates in Steuben County due to lung cancer, cerebrovascular disease, and breast cancer than the statewide rate. •A significantly higher proportion of adults in Steuben County who smoke compared to the state average. •A greater percentage of Steuben County residents who are obese compared to the state rate. •A greater proportion of local residents who assess their own health as “poor” compared to state and national benchmarks. SJMH remains committed to the development of an Ambulatory Care Center, or ACC, which will address access to care and chronic disease. The ACC will house a number of outpatient services and clinics under one roof in a modern, easily-accessible facility. Such co-location of services will facilitate care coordination of outpatient services, reduce costly hospitalizations and Emergency Department visits by providing better access to primary care, and facilitate outreach and educational programs for at-risk populations and those with chronic disease. Completion of the ACC project was delayed due to the economic downturn and the need to reconfigure facility design. We remain hopeful that the economic climate will improve, allowing us to move forward with our project in the near future. To address the need for chronic disease management, SJMH is developing a Certified Diabetes Program. We have launched a series of free diabetes education seminars and are offering expanded services for diabetic patients and their families. For cancer prevention, we are partnering with Corning Hospital to provide outreach services for low-income, underinsured patients and to make screening services more readily available. SJMH is also expanding services for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and other chronic pulmonary conditions. Additionally, we have increased smoking cessation efforts with patients and are working more closely with school districts to address obesity and wellness concerns. Positioning for the Future Notwithstanding the unknowns of healthcare reform, economic recovery, and enormous state and national issues, SJMH will continue to position the hospital for the future. We recognize that “going solo” is not a strategy that will work in the new environment. Partnerships and collaborations are essential for health care organizations to be strongly positioned for reform and to be able to address community needs adequately. This is the primary reason that SJMH approached Guthrie Health System to explore an affiliation. Based in Sayre, Pa., Guthrie Health System has successfully built a strong, high quality, long-term presence in a rural health care environment. At the time of this writing, SJMH is in an exploratory stage with Guthrie Health System. The ultimate goal of the potential partnership is to preserve and enhance the availability of quality health care services to the communities we serve, now and for years to come. We anticipate that the exploratory phase or due diligence efforts will progress throughout the summer. Once a model for collaboration is identified, SJMH is committed to sharing that with all of you. Despite the challenges of today, we are optimistic about the future. We value the optimism and enthusiasm of our dedicated employees, medical staff members, and volunteers. We honor the dedication and guidance of our Sponsor, the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, New York, Pennsylvania, and Pacific West Community, and the support of Catholic Health East. We trust that you – our patients, donors and community supporters – appreciate and embrace the potential future of SJMH. We thank you for entrusting us with your care and appreciate your support. Sincerely, Mary Fran Wegman, RSM Chair, Board of Directors Mary E. LaRowe President & CEO
Page 1: Annual Report 2009 Well Done
Page 5 and 6: 2009 DON O RS (CONT.) PRESIDENT’S
Page 7: MISSIO N MISSION Faithful to our sp

Annual Report 2009 - St James Mercy Hospital

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