Community Report 2008
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Transcript of Community Report 2008
Community Report 2008
Over the last year, Wise Regional Health System has made significant changes to the
hospital to provide Wise County and our surrounding communities with the very best in
medical care.
Our $55 million, 176,000-square foot expansion of the hospital has provided for
advanced technology, an emergency room that has quadrupled in size, an
intensive care unit that has doubled in size and a labor and delivery unit that has also
doubled in size and features fully-equipped delivery suites where moms stay during
labor, delivery and post-delivery. We also have a growing and diversified physician staff
and many new services.
No longer do residents of Wise County and beyond need to travel to the Metroplex for major medical care or specialized procedures. With our new facility, advanced health
care services are now available close to home.
Wise Regional Health System now operates 148 acute care beds in two facilities and
provides a wide range of inpatient and outpatient services to Wise and our surrounding
counties.
The new main hospital, or East Campus, features 99 private patient rooms with the most
advanced acute care equipment available. In addition, we have the ability to grow to a
250-bed hospital by adding two patient towers in the future.
The newly renovated West Campus operates inpatient rehabilitation and behavioral
health facilities, sleep studies, our WorkSTEPS program and the Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Center.
In February, we executed a formal affiliation agreement with Baylor Health Care System for an initial term of five years. This agreement maximizes the delivery of health care in
Wise County and provides residents with access to a full range of top quality health care
services.
The agreement specifically provides for continuing education for physicians, nurses and other clinical personnel; consulting by senior managers at Baylor Health Care System to
provide counsel on matters including quality improvement efforts and strategic planning;
assistance in physician recruiting and access to Baylor Health Care System’s group purchasing abilities, which provides significant savings for Wise Regional.
The agreement is a significant milestone in the history of Wise Regional as it formalizes
years of informal cooperation and mutual support with Baylor Health Care System. The affiliation ensures that 21st century health care will be a reality for years to come in our
region.
The Joint Commission on Accreditation Hospital Organizations has “Accredited” our
hospital since 1982. Once again, Wise Regional Health System received the Joint
Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval by the premium hospital accreditation agency in
the nation as meeting or exceeding established health care standards. We are especially
pleased as this marks our 25th consecutive year of achieving such a high honor.
This year we have seen a 30% growth in admissions, a 13% growth in Emergency Room visits and 4% increase in surgeries. And, these increases have been met with the same
commitment to patient care that has been a hallmark of Wise Regional from day one.
For example, our “Fast Track” clinic allows us to quickly assess and treat patients with
less urgent conditions and relieve unnecessary traffic in the department. The national
average length of stay in an Emergency Department, from triage to discharge, is 180
minutes. At WRHS, our average length of stay is 60 minutes less than the national
average.
This year also provided groundbreaking progress for WRHS. On October 9, Dr. John
Kuhn performed the first Coronary Artery Bypass Graft surgery in Wise County. This surgery is performed for patients that have significant narrowing and blockages of the
heart arteries.
The addition of our new physicians and specialized staff to the Cardiovascular Services
program has opened the doors to life-saving surgeries for Wise County residents.
The Intensive Care Unit is dedicated to providing high quality critical care to a wide range of cardiac, medical and surgical patients. Total patient care is provided 24 hours a
day by RN’s trained in critical care and a 2 to 1 patient/ nurse ratio is maintained. Each
room is private and equipped with an advanced cardiac monitoring system, full bathroom/ shower and a flat screen TV. The patients are monitored by the nurse from a
“POD” area between the two rooms that allows for optimal observation of the cardiac
monitor. Each patient will enjoy the focused attention of the nurse caring for them.
From pediatric to geriatric and everywhere in between, the Medical Surgical Unit at
WRHS offers compassionate, total patient care in a family-orientated setting. The health
care team is comprised of nurses, therapists and physicians who work together to
coordinate care.
This year, the hospital entered into a lease agreement to offer the latest in digital
mammography services. While funds are still being secured to purchase the equipment, through fundraising efforts, the hospital is able to provide our community with the most
powerful equipment that provides high-resolution screening images. These images are
unmatched in clarity, resolution and quality and provide diagnostic information that is far
superior to screen-film technology.
The new system allows for screening, diagnosis and biopsy to be performed on a single
unit. Unlike standard film x-rays, the digital mammography system transfers images to a
computer to be electronically enhanced, so a physician can zoom in, magnify and
optimize different parts of the breast tissue. The new high resolution imagery enables our
physicians to better pinpoint disease and plan treatment.
Diagnostic Imaging at Wise Regional encompasses several locations and modalities and
provides emergent, inpatient and outpatient services in the following modalities: X-Ray,
Fluoroscopy (surgical and diagnosis), Ultrasound, Echocardiography, Nuclear Medicine and CT. Wise Regional MRI provides our patients with the highest quality Magnetic
Resonance Imaging service available today.
The Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit is a 15-bed facility providing care for patients with a
variety of both neurological and physical conditions. Patients in the program are cared
for in a positive, safe and nurturing environment, so that they can achieve the highest
level of independence through the use of combined physical, occupational, speech and/or
recreational therapy.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, every year, one in five
adults suffers from mental illness. The Behavioral Health Services Unit is a 20-bed inpatient facility that provides services for adults and senior adults that are experiencing
emotional or behavioral problems and works to help each patient return to the highest
quality of life possible in a secure, comfortable and therapeutic environment. Gary B.
Watts, MD is the medical director for the program.
In an effort to expand our service area, Fit-N-Wise Physical Therapy recently acquired a
satellite facility in Justin. Located inside Fieldhouse Fitness on FM 156, the 1,000 sq.ft. facility offers a variety of treatment services for sports injuries, post-surgical conditions,
chronic pain, women’s health issues and more. Patients also have access to the 10,000
sq. ft. fitness facility for rehabilitation services.
Wise Regional Health System has established a rapidly expanding Chronic Kidney
Disease care and Hemodialysis program that is of the highest quality and convenient to the citizens of Wise County. Our medical director, Dr. Aamir Zuberi, is a board
certified Nephrologist and is trained to provide the full continuum of Chronic Kidney
Disease Care.
Fit-N-Wise Bariatric Solutions has expanded its services to include not only Lap-Band® and Gastric Bypass weight loss surgeries, but a medically-supervised weight loss
program as well. All of the programs offer extensive patient education, personalized diet
and exercise programs, use of the Fit-N-Wise fitness and aquatic facility and support group services. Scott Stowers, M.D., ACOS, ASMBS, is the medical director of the
Bariatric Program.
Our partnership with LifeStar Emergency Transport Service to be the on-site provider of immediate patient transportation to our facility and other facilities has also seen new
changes.
Earlier this year, LifeStar brought in a bigger and faster helicopter to serve our region.
The new helicopter has a widened cabin for patient and care provider comfort, and the
possibility to transport a patient’s family member. It also offers a computerized system to
better monitor and regulate speed and weather conditions and a more advanced patient
monitoring system.
Patient satisfaction is always of utmost concern for Wise Regional. This year, we rolled out a new room service program that allows our patients to order what they want – when
they want it. The TrulyTexas program provides each patient with a restaurant-style menu
based on their individualized diet order and patients can order their selections by phone
when they are hungry.
Our employees now number more than 700, and we’re continuing to grow. Our hospital,
as the largest employer in Wise County, continues to positively impact the regional
economy and serves as a great source of career potential in Wise and surrounding counties.
In addition to the expansion of our staff we have significantly increased the number of physicians affiliated with the hospital. These physicians’ specialties include adult internal
medicine, pediatrics, cardiothoracic surgery, anesthesiology, physical medicine and
rehabilitation, cardiology and orthopedic and spine surgery.
In addition to all of the positive changes, one thing has remained constant: the
outstanding, compassionate care provided by our nursing staff. The nursing department
at Wise Regional Health System is recognized by the Texas Nurses Association as a “Nurse Friendly Hospital.” This distinction celebrates the excellence in nursing that we
provide to our patients.
Wise Regional recently partnered with a national firm to conduct and analyze our
inpatient satisfaction surveys. Press Ganey currently partners with over 7,000 health care
facilities and assists them in collecting and using patient, resident, employee, and physician evaluations in their quality improvement initiatives.
As a non-profit, community hospital, we are accountable to you, the community, and
know that it is our duty and mission to provide for the medical needs of you and your
loved ones.
We take great pride in providing increased access to the very best medical care in our
region.Our laboratory quadrupled in size with the expansion and features a chemistry analyzer to substantially enhance processing of results and includes an advanced blood
work inventory and management system.
Our community outreach efforts were numerous in 2007, including a health fair and education programs that were free to the public offering a variety of educational and
screening services.
On November 8, the hospital will host a Community Health Forum at the Decatur Civic
Center to provide an opportunity for the community to learn about the latest equipment,
technology and services available through Wise Regional. The event will feature Wise
Regional physicians Dr. Jeff Gladden of Cardiovascular Services, Dr. Scott Stowers of
Bariatric Solutions and Dr. Edward Middleman of Medical Oncology. The forum series
will continue into next year and feature a variety of services.
2007 was also an award-winning year for Wise Regional. The hospital received a Telly
Award, a premier award honoring outstanding local and regional video and film
productions, for our Foundation Gala video. The video showcased our new facility and
the people we serve. This was the third Telly Award in a row that Wise Regional has
received.
This year, Wise Regional honored Bill Wiley for his service to the community by naming
our imaging facility, the “Wiley Imaging Center.” Mr. Wiley served on the Hospital Authority Board for 32 years, before retiring last year. Mr. Wiley has been a tremendous
supporter in the growth of health care services in our region.
The Wise Regional Health Foundation which was developed to raise funds on behalf of
WRHS, hosted two major fundraising events including a New Year’s Eve Gala and a
Team Wellness Challenge.
The use of the funds raised varies from facility renovation to the purchase of medical
equipment and beyond. This year, the Foundation focused on raising money for new digital mammography equipment for the hospital and fundraising and marketing for
Mary’s Gift, a Foundation-sponsored program that helps to provide screening
mammograms to underserved women in Wise County.
In July, the Foundation launched a Planned Giving Society to support Wise Regional
Health System in providing quality health care to our communities for years to come.
The Foundation accepts gifts of all sizes and are tax deductible as allowable by law. As a
donor you may designate your donation towards a specific program or purpose. Our
most common form of gifts that we receive are in memory and in honor donations.
Donors have the option of giving gifts in any of the following forms: cash donations, pledges, bequest, real estate, bypass trusts, charitable remainder trusts, life insurance and
corporate sponsorships.
The Hospital Volunteer Auxiliary members are an integral part of the hospital team who
volunteer thousands of hours each year to assist in the delivery of quality care and
customer service. With more than 60 members, the volunteers also help raise money for
hospital equipment and for our expanding services.
As this year comes to an end, we look forward to continuing to serve you and thank you
for your support of and partnership in our efforts at Wise Regional Health System.
Additional Items included:
Joint Commission Accreditation
WRHS is proud to announce its continued accreditation with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
Joint Commission standards deal with organizational quality of care issues and the
safety of the environment in which care is provided. Anyone believing that he or she has
pertinent and valid information about such matters may request a public information
interview with the Joint Commission’s field representatives at the time of the survey
Information presented at the interview will be carefully evaluated for relevance to the
accreditation process. Requests for a public information interview must be made in writing and should be sent tot he Joint Commission. The request must also indicate the
nature of the information to be provided at the interview. Such requests should be
addressed to:
Division of Accreditation Operations
Accreditation Service Specialist
Joint Commission on Accreditation of
Health Care Organizations
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 800-994-6610
The Joint Commission will acknowledge such requests in writing or by telephone and will inform the organization of the request for any interview. The organization will, in
turn, notify the interviewee of the date, time and place of the meeting.
Wise Regional Health System Board of Directors
Robert Isham, President
Stephen Wren, Esq., Vice President
Jeanine Eaton, Secretary/Treasurer Christopher Forbis, Esq.
Loraine Burton
Loyd Jackson Jon Walker, M.D.
Jay Bearden
Bobby Wilson
James Wood
Wise Regional Foundation Board of Directors
Jay Bearden
Wynona Branson
Kerry Clower
Denny Deady
Mark Duncum
Jim Eaton Patti Gage
Kevin Haney
Marianne Henderson
Beverly Lindsey
Mickey McMaster
Jerhea Nail
Andrew Rottner
Andrew Sandford Lonnie L. Seipp
Brian Stephens
Steve Summers Colleen Walker
Judy Wilson
Jason Wren
To learn more about the Foundation,
please call 940.626.1384.