IASIS Healthcare


 


IASIS has good reason to celebrate
as we enter a new fiscal year.

Each New Year is an important marker in time, a moment to take stock of what has transpired over the past 12 months and to prepare for what lies ahead. As IASIS marks the beginning of a new fiscal year October 1, our fifth year of operations, we can ask of our company what we often ask of ourselves on that other New Year—Are we better off now than we were a year ago?

The answer is a resounding—Yes!

IASIS finishes Fiscal Year 2003 with robust increases in volume and revenues. And, we have reinvested earnings into every one of the communities we serve. Facility expansions and renovations, new technology and equipment, more and better services—yes, we are better off than a year ago and so are our communities.

We’ve resolved to continue improving our systems and facilities in FY 2004, emphasizing the use of technology to support clinical functions and enhance quality initiatives. We’ll follow through on efforts to improve emergency departments and customer service, nurse and employee retention, physician recruitment and relationships, and to introduce or expand high-quality services appropriate to each hospital.

IASIS has good reason to celebrate as we turn another page in the company’s calendar. Look forward to great things to come in the year ahead as we continue to grow and prosper.

2003 Major Investments at IASIS Hospitals

Here’s a look back at some of the most significant accomplishments at IASIS hospitals in FY 2003:

ARIZONA

HealthChoice
Enrolled 29,000 new members in Arizona’s Medicaid plan; expanded to six additional counties under a new five-year contract.

Mesa General Hospital
Expanded cardiology program, including upgraded equipment; installed robotic surgery system.

St. Luke’s Medical Center
Installed first 16-slice CT scanner in the market; added a new MRI; installed a robotic surgery system; expanded the wound care center with hyperbaric oxygen; renovated floor for long-term acute care.

Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital
Launched significant expansion project that includes the ER, surgery services, outpatient services and lab; opened a bariatric surgery program; and reestablished OB services.

FLORIDA

Memorial Hospital of Tampa
Began surgery consolidation and expansion project.

Palms of Pasadena Hospital
Added new, centralized telemetry equipment.

Town and Country Hospital
Added new CT Scanner; upgraded Cath lab; and made plans to add new MRI in October 2003.

TEXAS
Announced and began work on The Medical Center of Southeast Texas, a new 210-bed hospital in Port Arthur.

Mid-Jefferson Hospital
Purchased and installed new 24/7 MRI.

Odessa Regional Medical Center
Launched emergency department expansion and renovation; purchased new CT scanner.

Park Place Medical Center
Expanded cardiology program; renovated floor for long-term acute care; added new telemetry monitors; installed robotic surgery system.

Southwest General Hospital
Renovating long-term acute care floor; made plans for ER expansion; added new telemetry monitors.

UTAH

Davis Hospital and Medical Center
Underwent major renovation, expanding the ER, OB department, lab, surgery areas, diagnostic areas; added a second Cath lab and a new CT scanner.

Jordan Valley Medical Center
Began major expansion that adds 28 beds and expands ICU, women’s services, and med/surg.

Pioneer Valley Hospital
Broke ground on a major renovation that will expand women’s services, ER, and surgery areas; added a cardiac cath lab, nuclear medicine camera, and new endoscopy equipment.

Salt Lake Regional Medical Center
Renovated space for long-term acute care; began system and cosmetic upgrades; installed robotic surgery system.

 

It is the highest honor an IASIS employee can receive. Each year, the Chairman’s Awards are presented to an exceptional group of employees, with one winner selected from each facility. Though their individual stories vary, this year’s recipients share an uncommon passion for serving others.

They will be honored at the IASIS leadership meeting in Orlando with a special awards dinner in their honor. Each recipient will receive a bronze statue of a boy holding a starfish. The statues were made to reflect the story of the starfish, in which a young boy finds hundreds of starfish washed ashore after a storm. He begins to pick up the starfish and throw them back to the sea. When a man walks by and tells the boy there are too many starfish and he can’t possibly make a difference, the boy looks at the starfish he is holding and replies, “I can make a difference for this one.”

In honor of each recipient, IASIS will also make a $1,000 contribution to the charity of his or her choice.

Sam Fair
Electrical Engineer, Davis Hospital
Sam volunteers his time building and repairing chapels nationwide. He’s also traveled to Puerto Rico to help rebuild after a hurricane and to New York City eight times to assist in cleanup after 9/11.

Mike Uchrin
IS Manager, HealthChoice Arizona
Mike organized a golf event that raised over $20,000 for local shelters for abused spouses and children. He also held a toiletry collection drive for needy families, and added information on Shaken Baby Syndrome to new mother kits given out by HealthChoice Arizona.

Carolyn Hein
ER Unit Clerk, Jordan Valley
Carolyn arranged care for the 7-year-old daughter of a critically ill patient who had to be admitted to the hospital but had no child care options.

Sharon Barnett
Director of the Cardiovascular Center,
Memorial of Tampa
Sharon helped form Kids Living with AIDS, a group that holds a holiday party for children who have AIDS. She also coordinates the hospital’s participation in the annual Heart Walk in Tampa/St. Petersburg.

Mary Allen
RN, Mesa General
Mary has helped build three homes for Habitat for Humanity. She is also a mentor for high school students interested in careers in healthcare and is active with the United Way and Race for the Cure.

Wanda Luke
Administrative Assistant, Mid-Jefferson
Wanda volunteers in fundraisers to buy clothing and school supplies for less fortunate children. In her 37 years at Mid-Jefferson, she has implemented the patient representative program and a student scholarship program.

Mary Yee
Director of Dietary Services, Odessa Regional
Mary oversees preparation of more than 2,500 meals each week for Meals on Wheels. She also makes hats for chemotherapy patients, volunteers for Walk for Diabetes and provides food for a “Christmas in April” group, which tackles home improvement projects for the needy.

Dennis Cataldo
RN, Palms of Pasadena
Dennis is a CPR instructor and volunteers at first aid stations for various community events. He also takes part in Relay for Life, an annual fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.

Theo Victor
Chief Engineer, Park Place
Theo assisted in starting 32 active chapters of a club to help over 200 boys in building self-esteem. He also donates school supplies to needy families, brings fruit baskets to nursing homes, visits the sick and shut-ins and provides transportation for elderly people.

Cindy Pekar
RRT, Pioneer Valley
Cindy and her dog, Robin, donate over 600 hours each year to a pet therapy program for patients who need long-term care. She also lectures to school groups on animal safety and volunteers 400 hours per year helping children learn to read.

Paul Anderson
Scrub Tech, Salt Lake Regional
Paul teaches people how to use computers at the public library. He also volunteers 20 hours each week with Meals on Wheels and donates time with the local animal shelter. He volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and the Salvation Army Emergency Shelter.

Wilma Ramirez
RN, Southwest General
Wilma volunteers and organizes community diabetes education programs and screenings. She also trains diabetes educators living in hard-to-reach communities and coordinates health fairs. She’s in charge of the Walk San Antonio monthly fitness program for hospital employees.

Connie Southward
Director of Marketing, St. Luke’s Behavioral
Connie has run marathons to raise money for research into AIDS, Alzheimer’s and several cancer organizations. She encourages the community to get involved in fundraising events, and speaks about the importance of being involved in charitable causes.

Teresa Rojas
RN, St. Luke’s Medical
On her days off, Teresa teaches bilingual education classes for nursing assistants at Gateway Community College. She also plans and participates in community health fairs.

Deborah Austin-Brunette
RN, Tempe St. Luke’s
For the past five years, Deborah has volunteered for the Special Olympics. She helps the hospital coordinate Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society, and works to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer research.

Mariann Calta
Director of SNF, Town & Country
Mariann raises funds for breast cancer awareness and research through a golf tournament, the Susan Komen Race for the Cure 5K run, and an annual sale of used wedding dresses.





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LESSONS I'VE LEARNED

More than One Million Served

Recently at a meeting with our Business Office Directors, I came across a very interesting and somewhat startling statistic. By the end of our fiscal year (September 30) we had registered over 1,000,000 patients, which represents a record for our hospitals as a group. As that statistic began to sink in I felt both a sense of pride and a sense of great humility.

I am proud to be a part of a growing company. It is gratifying to see a vision taking shape and to see the efforts of everyone in our company rewarded. This growth is taking place when other companies have experienced stagnation and even downturns, and while I suspect those situations are only temporary, we do seem to be enjoying industry-leading growth as it relates to patient volumes. We continue to invest in our hospitals in the form of technology and new and remodeled facilities, and patients and physicians are responding positively.

But as I write these words, I am also mindful that this milestone marks not only accomplishment, but accountability as well. The fact that I am accountable to 8,000 employees, plus physicians, plus investors, is never far from my thinking, but when I think about 1,000,000 patients as well, I am truly humbled.

As we plan and execute strategies to continue our growth, we must never forget that we will grow by one patient at a time and in that patient’s mind, he or she is the most important one that we will ever treat whether they are number one or number 1,000,001, and that it takes a team of people committed and accountable to one another to accomplish this awesome task.

I am proud we have reached this milestone together, and look forward to many more.

 

Military Update

The following IASIS employees were on military duty and have returned home. Welcome back!
From Tempe St. Luke's Hospital:
Kevin Mayberry returned Aug. 31
Paul Villavicencio returned Sept. 4
From Jordan Valley Medical Center:
Jeremy Evans has been temporarily cancelled for active duty.

 

Work Today, Get Paid Tonight

Immediate Pay proving popular with IASIS employees

Why wait until payday? A new pilot program at some IASIS hospitals pays a nurse at the end of a shift, making that day’s pay immediately available.*

“It’s great, because if you need the money for anything, you’ve got it once you finish work,” says Kimberly Alvarez, LPN at Town & Country Hospital in Tampa, Fla.

IASIS hospitals in Arizona and Florida are testing the program, called Immediate Pay, with pool nurses and nurses who work extra shifts.

Immediate Pay uses a card similar to an ATM or debit card. When the employee finishes his or her work shift, the supervisor reports the hours worked to the payroll department. Payroll calculates earnings to be paid and electronically sends this information to a financial services company. The company applies funds to the employee’s account, which are available immediately via the card. A portion of the earnings are held back for taxes and deductions and settled at the next payday.

That means a nurse can walk off the floor and spend what was earned that day at the grocery store on the way home.

“We’ve already found this to be a great nurse recruitment tool,” says Cathy Story, IASIS’s chief nursing officer. “When we ran an ad featuring immediate pay in Florida, we had one of our best responses ever and actually placed several nurses at our hospitals.”

If the pilots are successful, Immediate Pay will come to IASIS hospitals in Texas and Utah next and could be expanded as a pay option to other employees.

*Payment time may vary based on shift and day worked.

 

Healthcare Costs
Continue to Rise

Several national surveys confirm that healthcare costs continue to increase faster than the general rate of inflation. IASIS, like so many other employers, is not immune to these rising costs.

You can help control healthcare costs by maintaining your own good health. Eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly and control your weight. Use generic drugs when available. If you take maintenance drugs, buy them through the mail-order program. Use an IASIS-owned facility when hospital care is required.

Remember, it costs less to prevent a disease than to treat one. Make sure immunizations for children are up-to-date, schedule regular dental checkups and keep up with annual physical exams. And if you do get sick, don’t put off visiting your doctor.

 

That’s A Lot of Cake!
Davis Hospital and Medical Center held a birthday bash to celebrate the completion of the hospital’s new Women’s Center. The theme was “Happy Birth Days Everyday,” and 3,000 people showed up for free hot dogs, popcorn, games, rides, entertainment, and tours of the new Women’s Center.
Mouth-Watering Honor
Complaining about the food may be the stereotype at some hospitals, but not at Park Place Medical Center. Executive Chef Ewart Gladstone Jones has been cooking up some delicious dishes, and now all of Texas knows it. Jones was recently named State Chef of the Year by the Texas Chefs Association and he received the American Culinary Federation 2003 Presidential Medallion Award.

Davis Collects Thousands
Worth of School Supplies
Elementary school students in Layton, Utah, are benefiting from the notebooks, crayons, computers and paper donated by employees at Davis Hospital and Medical Center. Thousands of dollars in school supplies were collected by employees and given to neighboring elementary schools to kick off the new school year.

Olympic Murals at Salt Lake
Four giant murals painted by 78 children for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games have a new home at Salt Lake Regional Medical Center. The murals, each 7 feet tall and 18 feet wide, are displayed in the main lobbies of each floor. During the Olympics, the murals were hung in the International Broadcast Center at the request of NBC.

Mid-Jefferson and Park Place
Host Skating Party for Foster
Children
About 150 foster children enjoyed a brunch and roller skating party sponsored by Mid-Jefferson Hospital and Park Place Medical Center. This was the 15th year the two Texas hospitals sponsored a summer event for the foster children of the area.

 

Two IASIS hospitals will undergo major expansions as part of the company’s continuing commitment to invest in facilities and expand services in the markets it serves.

SALT LAKE REGIONAL
MEDICAL CENTER

Salt Lake Regional Medical Center will get its first major makeover in more than 30 years, including more space for surgery and radiology and the very latest medical technology. Highlights of the expansion include:
•
Enlarging the surgery area to include new operating rooms for cardiovascular procedures, neurosurgery and orthopaedics;
•
Completely renovating the radiology department;
•
Upgrading patient care areas for med/surg;
•
Adding new, innovative technology, including:
-
the first CyberKnife in Utah, which is recognized for its ability to precisely treat lesions, tumors and other conditions where radiation is needed;
-
the first PET/CT scanner in the market, which is used to detect small cancerous tumors;
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new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment;
• Improving other areas, including the hospital’s exterior, parking and signage.
  ST. LUKE’S
MEDICAL CENTER

The number of patients using St. Luke’s emergency room has steadily increased, with patient volume up 14% in the past three years. Population growth, strong relationships with the Phoenix Fire Department and Sky Harbor Airport, and the addition of a Chest Pain Center are some of the reasons more patients are turning to St. Luke’s for emergency care.

To keep pace, the hospital will increase the capacity of its ER by 60%. The new, 24-room design will incorporate a comfortable setting for patients with an efficient, technologically advanced workspace for physicians, nurses, and other employees.

The result should be room for more patients, faster service, and a better ER experience. Highlights of the expansion include:
•
A new treatment area;
•
Five new exam and treatment rooms;
•
Three new fast-track rooms to care for less critical injuries and illness;
•
Renovation and modernization of existing space.

 


Pet therapy a hit at Salt Lake Regional Medical Center

The volunteer program at Salt Lake Regional Medical Center has gone to the dogs, and it’s having a profound affect on rehab patients on the fifth floor. It’s all due to Wilson, a pet therapy dog.

“The patients love him,” says Janel Mortenson, rehabilitation program director. “The dog can help them physically and with socialization.”

Whether fetching a Frisbee, walking alongside a wheelchair-bound patient or simply resting his head in the lap of a worried family member in the waiting room, Wilson’s been a huge help at the hospital, Mortenson says.

“An animal visit offers entertainment and a welcome distraction,” Mortenson says. “A lot of these patients have their own pets, and they feel comforted by a dog.”

Pet therapy isn’t new. The nonjudgmental nature of dogs, who pay little attention to a person’s age or physical ability, has long been recognized as having a positive influence on people recovering from an illness or confined to a hospital. Patients become more active and responsive during and after visiting with animals. And canines aren’t the only therapy animals—birds, rabbits, ferrets, even kangaroos have been used at other hospitals.

Scientific studies have found that stroking a dog or cat can reduce a person’s blood pressure, while also encouraging stretching of hands and arms.

Not just any dog can be brought into a hospital setting, though. Wilson’s owner, John Jarman, trained Wilson to provide pet therapy by working with him to be social yet calm, and to make him accepting of strangers.
Benefits of Pet Therapy
Scientific research has shown that pet therapy can help patients by:
• Lowering anxiety level
• Reducing blood pressure
• Increasing social and verbal interaction

 

Q: As head of physician recruitment for IASIS, what does your job entail?

A: My department partners with market leadership in recruiting physicians to support the strategic plans of each facility. We also serve as a resource for medical staff development, specialty trends and physician compensation. We also help hospitals with compliance issues, to ensure that they have defendable community need for all searches. This is necessary to comply with federal regulations governing the offering of incentives to doctors to relocate.

Q: What are the challenges to recruiting qualified physicians?

A: Our hospitals are in very competitive markets, so a physician often has many offers. We make IASIS hospitals stand out by emphasizing the company’s commitment to putting resources into each facility, our dedication to technology, our culture of valuing teamwork and relationship building and the outstanding operations team we have in place within our system.

Q: What are the main criteria driving physicians to choose to work at a particular hospital and how does that affect recruitment efforts?

A: A geographically desirable location is key, as is competitive pay. But what we see more today than ever is physicians looking for a place where they are philosophically aligned and can lead a balanced lifestyle.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The market leadership and corporate physician recruitment staff have a great work ethic and are committed to functioning as a team, which has already resulted in our exceeding recruitment goals for the year. Our goal was to recruit 50 new physicians system-wide by the end of the fiscal year in September, and thanks to tremendous teamwork, my department and the facilities recruited 82 physicians. In addition, hospital leadership re-directed 56 local physicians for a total of 138. Much of this is due to the lack of an “us-them” mentality. We are interdependent and everyone understands that no physician is recruited by a single individual. The other part about my job that I like is seeing the direct impact that the recruitment of a physician has on a facility.

Q: What’s the most challenging aspect of your job?

A: Often candidates make decisions based on variables we have no control over, so there are tremendous highs and lows. The challenge is to stay focused on the long-term and communicate that to people at the hospitals, so they don’t get discouraged when there are few candidates or when someone they thought was an ideal candidate declines an offer. I believe any opportunity can be filled, but you have to do the preparation. That’s why I’m always pushing the markets to look ahead.
You Told Us...
If I inherited $1 million
In the last issue of forum, readers were asked to tell us what they would do if they inherited $1 million. Jamie Nelson (in veil) won the $50 drawing of entries in the “Tell Us” contest.
Jamie Nelson
Human Resource Clerk,
Park Place Medical Center
“First, I’d faint. I’ve had fantasies of literally swimming in one million dollars, traveling the world in a hot air balloon, going to the Dollar Store and buying a million items, but I wouldn’t waste it. I’m getting married next year, so I would set aside $25,000 for the wedding and another $10,000 so we could have the honeymoon of our dreams in Fiji. I would pay off my fiance’s truck and buy myself a nice little SUV. I’d also donate to the Humane Society, give my parents some and put the leftover into municipal bonds.”

Don Despain
Medical Technician,
Salt Lake Regional
Medical Center
“I’d get a Ph.D. in a non-career field. For me, that’d be astronomy.”

Jennifer Cerneka
Nurse Educator,
Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital
“I wouldn’t sweat the small stuff. I would hire someone to clean my house and mow my lawn so I could use my time to enjoy my family, exercise more and walk the dog.”

 

Sing For Your Supper
– Or a Free Lunch
Employees at Mid-Jefferson Hospital have been hamming it up during “karaoke lunches” in the cafeteria of the hospital.

“We started by offering free dessert to anyone willing to sing. When that didn’t work—we upped it to free lunch— then we had some takers,” says Antonio Elefano, food service director at Mid-Jefferson.

Perinatal Director Georgiana Ramirez says her favorite karaoke song is “Harper Valley PTA.” (That ought to wake up the patients!) Next up: Elefano wants to bring line-dancing to the cafeteria. Polish up them boots!

 

Vital Stats

Hometown: Clarksville, Tenn.

Hobbies: Gardening, playing piano, attending music events in the city and reading.

What new activity are you trying: I’m taking horseback riding lessons.

My best talent: I can fall right asleep on planes.

Favorite food: Mexican; I enjoy cooking it and eating it.

Favorite gadget: I’m just getting into using my PalmPilot, but hoping it will help get my life together.

Last book read: The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd. It’s the story of a teenager who searches for the truth about her mother and finds resolution with an eccentric group of beekeepers.