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IASIS Healthcare
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It is made of bricks
and mortar, steel and concrete, but The Medical Center
of Southeast Texas is more than a new hospital building.
It is a union of staff and services from Park Place Medical
Center and Mid-Jefferson Hospital, joined together to
provide a new level of healthcare in Southeast Texas.
The
Medical Center is IASIS Healthcare’s brand new,
high-tech hospital in Port Arthur, Texas. It opened Saturday,
April 16, weeks before it was originally scheduled to
open, but not a moment too soon for the employees, physicians
and patients who waited two-and-a-half years for the new
hospital.
“This
hospital brings new hope and healing to our community.
Babies will be born, lives will be saved, and the quality
of life will be improved here,” said Craig Desmond,
The Medical Center’s chief executive officer, during
a ribbon cutting ceremony the day before the hospital
opened.
First Lady of
Texas, Anita Perry, who is a nurse, also addressed the
crowd of nearly 300 people. “What a great asset
for Texas! This is a wonderful, impressive hospital, and
you are all very fortunate to have this right here in
your home,” she said.
First
Patients
Early on Saturday
morning, patients from Park Place Medical Center and Mid-Jefferson
Hospital were transported by ambulance to The Medical
Center.
“We took
great care to be sure every patient was transferred safely.
We moved ICU patients on ventilators, women in labor,
and tiny babies who were in the neonatal intensive care
unit. The patients were wonderful about moving. They wanted
to be at the new hospital,” said Karen Tomsu, chief
nursing officer at The Medical Center.
“I’m
an electrician, and I worked on the new hospital during
construction,” said Randy Buffington, one of the
first patients moved from Mid-Jefferson to The Medical
Center. “First I helped build it, now I’m
one of the first to use it. That’s exciting.”
“Everyone
has made us feel safe and comfortable, and the nurses
have taken very good care of us,” said Jocelyn Barnett,
whose baby boy, James William, was born at 6:57 p.m. Friday,
the last baby born at Park Place Medical Center. At exactly
6:57 a.m. Saturday, when the baby was just 12 hours old,
he and his mother were transferred to The Medical Center.
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Randy Buffington helped build the new hospital and
becomes one of the first patients when he's transferred
from Mid-Jefferson Hospital. |
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Jocelyn
Barnett and her 12-hour old son ride in an ambulance
from Park Place to the new hospital. |
“I was
hoping I would have the first baby in the new hospital.
But James wasn’t willing to wait. So, he was the
last baby born at Park Place, which is special, too. But,
I’m really glad we got to go to the new hospital.
It’s so nice – more like a hotel than a hospital.”
The Medical Center opens with an
award-winning Heart Center. The hospital is recognized
as one of the Top 100 Heart Hospitals in the nation
and has a JCAHO Gold Seal for the treatment of
acute coronary syndrome.
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Fond
Farewell
For employees, saying
goodbye to the old – on the last day that they would
work at Park Place and Mid-Jefferson – was bittersweet.
“Some of us
have been at these hospitals for a lot of years, and it
is tough to leave the things we know and love behind.
This hospital is like home to me,” said Debra Fornols,
RN, from Park Place Medical Center. “But, you have
to look forward. We have a new place to go to now, and
it is going be a great place to take care of our patients
and a great place to work.”
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| Calandra
Davis, RN, bags patient belongings at Mid-Jefferson. |
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Maria
Zamora, LVN, gets a chart ready for transfer. |
“I’m very
excited about all of the tools and technology at our new
hospital,” said Maria Zamora, LVN, who worked in
Med/Surg at Mid–Jefferson Hospital. “We will
be able to do things we couldn’t do before.”
“I look at this
as a wonderful new opportunity for everyone,” said
Kevin Goats, a surgery tech from Mid-Jefferson. “We
have had great experiences at the old hospitals, but we
can take those experiences, and our memories, and relationships
to the new hospital. This is a once in a lifetime chance
to create something really special, something even better
than we had before,”
Mid-Jefferson Hospital
closed first, at about 7:30 a.m. Then, less than two hours
later, Park Place Medical Center transferred its last
patient and closed its doors, too.
Kathryn Easley, RNC,
a house supervisor at Park Place who began working there
as a nurse’s aid in 1965, was one of the last to
leave.
“It is my job
to go, room by room, and shut every door. That’s
the sad part,” said Easley. “Change is never
easy. But, this is progress. It is a very good thing.”
New
Beginnings
On a day of new beginnings,
The Medical Center welcomed its first baby – a girl
– at 9:07 a.m. just seven minutes after the hospital
officially opened. Ciara Nicole entered the world three
days before she was due, weighing six pounds, eight ounces.
“The mother
walked in, and she was in labor, and she was pretty far
along. And, even though we were not officially open yet,
we were ready to take care of her,” said Georgiana
Pickerill, RN, labor and delivery manager. “Everyone
did what they were supposed to do, and it was impressive
to see people work together. Things went very well.”
“The first day
was as near to perfect as you can dare to hope for,”
said Matt Roberts, The Medical Center’s chief operating
officer. “We had a phenomenally successful first
day.”
Patients at The Medical Center experience
hotel-like amenities, including all private rooms,
valet parking and room service.
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As employees arrived
for their first shifts, and doctors made rounds in the
new hospital for the first time, The Medical Center of
Southeast Texas came to life on April 16.
From the first baby
born, to the first procedure in the cath lab, from the
first ER visit to the first MRI, from the first tray of
food delivered to the first patient discharged home, The
Medical Center made history on opening day.
It is the first new
hospital to be built in Port Arthur in nearly 50 years,
and it is the first brand new hospital built by IASIS
Healthcare.
The Medical Center’s 23-bed
emergency department includes three trauma rooms,
a fast-track, bedside registration, a helipad
for life flight services, and a children’s
play area.
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The Medical Center’s
mission statement reads: We are highly motivated and compassionate
people, using advanced systems and technology to become
the healthcare provider of choice, and to improve the
quality of life for the individuals and communities we
serve.
“With this new
hospital, we can fulfill our mission. We have a beautiful
new building and awesome technology. But the heart of
this hospital will always be its people. They are strong
and compassionate. They have cared for their community
for many years, and we will continue to provide great
healthcare here for many years to come,” said Desmond.
“I have never been more proud.”
It was a very busy first day at the
Medical Center of Southeast Texas. On Day 1, there
were:
• 86 patients admitted, including
64 transfers from
• Park Place
& Mid-Jefferson
• 81 ER visits
• 4 babies born
• 3 procedures performed in the cardiac
cath lab
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Hour-by-hour look at The
Medical Center’s
first morning:
4:30 a.m.
Patient transfers begin from Mid-Jefferson
Hospital. Twenty-six patients are transported
by ambulance to The Medical Center.
4:50 a.m.
The Medical Center’s first patient, a woman
in labor from Mid-Jefferson, is admitted to her
new room.
5:15 a.m.
Patient transfers begin from Park Place Medical
Center. Thirty-eight patients, including seven
babies, are transported by ambulance to The Medical
Center.
5:25 a.m. The
Medical Center receives its first walk-in patient,
a woman in labor with her first child.
6:15 a.m.
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit receives its
first baby from Park Place.
6:45 a.m.
The Medical Center’s kitchen staff begins
work on the new hospital’s first meals.
6:52 a.m.
The Medical Center’s ER receives its first
patient.
7:00 a.m.
The Medical Center’s emergency room officially
opens.
7:30 a.m.
The final Mid-Jefferson Hospital patient is transferred
to The Medical Center, and Mid-Jefferson officially
closes.
9:07 a.m.
The Medical Center welcomes its first baby, a
girl named Ciara Nicole.
9:30 a.m.
The final Park Place Medical Center patient is
transferred to The Medical Center, and Park Place
officially closes.
10:30 a.m.
The first cardiac cath procedure is performed
at The Medical Center.
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Why Wait?
IASIS Hospitals
Focus on
Shorter Wait Times in the ER
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As hospitals across
the country struggle with crowded conditions
in their emergency rooms, many patients
sit waiting for hours to be seen. But,
IASIS hospitals are actually shortening
the length of time it takes to care
for their ER patients. |
Nationwide, the average length of stay
in a hospital’s emergency room is
estimated at about three hours and 20 minutes.
At IASIS hospitals, the average length of
stay at the emergency room is just two hours
and 34 minutes.
“We’re working hard to see
our patients quickly and to take care of
their emergencies as fast as we can, while
still giving them excellent care,”
said Tedd Adair, director of emergency services
for IASIS. “Our goal is to be as efficient
as possible. It makes the patient experience
better. It is good customer service, and
it is also good business. Slightly over
12 percent of all ED patients are admitted
to our hospitals. In some instances 40 percent
to 50 percent of total admissions come in
to our hospitals through the ER.”
IASIS has rebuilt, renovated, expanded
or upgraded almost every emergency room
in the system, spending $40 million –
just to improve its emergency departments.
The company has invested in better ER equipment,
training for ER staff, and software systems
that track ER patients and help identify
where processes can be improved.
“We have a lot of electronic intelligence
to use, and that helps us to constantly
get better. We’re on the verge of
totally electronic patient records in the
ER, which will also improve the speed of
our service,” Adair says. “It’s
important, because we know the number one
reason a patient leaves the ER, without
receiving treatment, is frustration over
a long wait.”
Many IASIS hospitals are planning to promote
their short wait times with a new advertising
campaign. “It is a competitive advantage,”
says Adair. “At a time when some other
hospitals in some of our markets have wait
times as long as 10 or 12 hours, we’re
definitely ahead of the curve.”
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Smart Thinking
IASIS
Business Intelligence Group
Helps Hospitals Improve Decision Making
In the old days, a hospital’s
census was considered the critical piece of management
information. Decisions were based on the number
of patients a hospital had. It wasn’t much
to go on. Then, as administrators started looked
at more in-depth information, a new problem arose.
On one hand, there was a wealth of data available
to those who needed it. However, by the time that
information could be collected, compiled and distributed,
the information was out of date.
Not any more – at least not
for IASIS hospitals.
“Our goal was to develop
a tool that gives people the information they need
to make better decisions in an easy-to-use and timely
fashion,” explains Bob Reinhardt, IASIS vice
president of business intelligence. “We now
have a tool that no other hospital system has –
a data warehouse with reports available any time,
anywhere, by any computer with a Web browser connected
to the Internet.”
So, if hospital management wants
to know how many MRIs were done in the past week,
the number of patients discharged yesterday, or
critical patient outcome information, that information
is available. Almost instantly.
“This system is a real competitive advantage
because it enables us to better manage our hospitals,”
Reinhardt says. “Not only does it help us
determine where to eliminate waste, it also allows
us to capitalize on opportunities.”
Another benefit for IASIS –
and Reinhardt – is that his team no longer
spends hours generating the reports. Instead, they
are created by the system and can be customized
by each individual with the exact information they
need.
The intelligence system took about
10 months to develop. It launched about a year ago,
and enhancements are constantly underway. “We’re
working to give users customized desktops so they
can easily get the information they need on a regular
basis with just a few clicks of the mouse,”
Reinhardt explains. “We know our system is
the first of its kind. Now, we’re going to
be sure it continues to be the best.”
Members
of the Business Intelligence Group: (l-r) Tasca
Hardison, James Geddes, Andrew Dvorak, Dawn House,
Scott House. |
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Considering I’ve spent most
of the last 30 years working in hospitals, and over
those years I have seen extraordinary advances in
the delivery of healthcare, I have to admit, it takes
a lot to impress me. I had one of those rare experiences
as I watched the opening of The Medical Center of
Southeast Texas. I was not only impressed, I was inspired.
I wish every one of you could see
our new hospital. It opened to rave reviews for its
beautiful design, architecture, and handsome interiors.
It is stunning to behold, a massive 5-story structure,
rising up out of the Texas landscape and spanning
hundreds of feet across a wide blue sky. But, what
I really wish is that you could see what I see when
I look at The Medical Center, because when I look
at that building, I see a bridge.
We took two of our own hospitals
– Park Place Medical Center and Mid-Jefferson
Hospital – and we joined their staffs and services
to create The Medical Center. When we did that, we
built a bridge between people who come from their
own long-standing traditions and backgrounds, a bridge
between two cultures, and between two communities.
The dictionary says a bridge is a
structure that provides passage over a gap or barrier.
As I think about that concept, I
am reminded that The Medical Center, like all of our
hospitals, is a bridge between despair and hope, disease
and health, new life, renewed life, and sometimes,
even death. A hospital should be a bridge. Even after
all these years, I’m still impressed, every
day, by the journey and humbled by the responsibility
of helping people along their way. |
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Ambulances deliver The Medical
Center's first patients from Mid-Jefferson and
Park Place. |
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The Medical Center welcomes
it's first baby, Ciara Nicole. |
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Baby receives "Hugs"
ankle band, part of the infant security system
at the new hospital. |
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The hospital's first NICU
patient arrives from Park Place. |
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Nikhikumar Raval, MD, and
EMTs accompany tiny NICU patient. |
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Newborn is greeted by nurses
Darlene Dawson, RN, and Jolynn Bailey, RN, in
the well-baby nursery. |
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Paramedic shoulders this
tiny burden herself. |
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Cath Lab Director Shea Bailey,
RT(R), and Eric Garcia, RN, arrive with aprons
for the Cath Lab. |
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Dr. Kirk Williams pulls
his first shift in the new ER. |
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A young patient gets settled
in the new hospital. |
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Cath Lab Special Procedures
Tech Brandon Placette gets ready for the first
procedure. |
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Chef Ewart Jones checks
on lunch. |
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Security keeps a close eye
on the whole hospital. |
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Surgery techs take a short
break. |
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Frank Krull, MD, arrives
at the new hospital. |
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The Medical Center's first
baby is an instant celebrity. |
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That’s
a Beautiful Baby!
Odessa Regional Medical Center is well known for its
outstanding care of newborns, but who knew it
also has a reputation for delivering beautiful
babies! Leading up to the third annual “Oh,
Baby!” Expo, the hospital solicited entries
for a Beautiful Baby contest. More than 120
photos were entered. Finalists were chosen in
four categories and those attending the Expo
voted for their favorites. The winner in each
category was given a $100 savings bond. |
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Volunteers
Get
Presidential Honors
Two of St. Luke’s most dedicated volunteers
have been honored by the White House. Dorothy
Caudle (left) received the Gold Presidential
Volunteer Service Award for giving more than
500 hours of volunteer service in 2004. Caudle
is a retired Motorola employee and works in
the hospital’s Bridges Centre for Surgical
Weight Loss and the Barrow Heart and Lung Center.
Selma Beck (above right), who was an RN for
60 years before she started volunteer service,
received the Bronze Presidential Volunteer Service
Award. She helps out with special projects and
in the main reception area. President Bush sent
certificates of achievement and letters of congratulations
to both volunteers. Hats off to Dorothy and
Selma – and a great big thanks to the
volunteers at all IASIS hospitals for the great
work you do every day! |
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Here
We Grow Again
Jordan Valley Medical Center has started construction
on a four-story, 80,000 square foot medical
office building. The MOB will house outpatient
surgery suites, a rehabilitation center equipped
with a pool for aquatic therapy, a diagnostic
sleep center, and medical office space. “Over
the past couple of years, we’ve made tremendous
investments in Jordan Valley, adding services
and expanding the hospital to care for more
people,” says Bryanie Swilley, Jordan
Valley’s CEO. “These investments
are well worth it because we’re seeing
more people use the hospital and our reputation
for providing excellent care continues to grow.” |
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Send
forum your story idea
If you have a story idea for forum, please
send it to:
Mail:
Forum Newsletter
28 White Bridge Road, Ste. 209
Nashville, TN 37205
Fax:
(615) 627-2197
Email:
forum@iasishealthcare.com
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For
Your Benefit
Verifying Eligibility
Open enrollment is over, everyone
has received their insurance cards, new claims are
arriving, and our third party administrator (TPA)
is hard at work. It’s all part of the cycle
of life for our medical plans. This year, however,
our TPA has added a very important step – eligibility
verification.
Eligibility verification is part
of an ongoing effort by our TPA to control costs.
Audits of claims made in prior years have uncovered
thousands of dollars in claims that were paid in error
for individuals who were not eligible for coverage.
As a self-insured plan, those dollars are paid by
IASIS, not some big insurance company, and they are
dollars that could have been spent to improve facilities
or provide additional or less expense employee benefits.
As part of the eligibility verification
process, the TPA may decline to pay a claim unless
it receives proof of eligibility. Proof of eligibility
includes birth certificates, marriage licenses, court
orders, certification from a government agency in
the case of foster care, as well as other documentation
that the TPA may request. The following information
will help you determine if a family member is eligible
for coverage under the medical plan.
Eligibility
for
Medical Plan Coverage
You are eligible to participate in the medical
plan if you are classified as a full-time or a part-time
employee. The medical plan will also cover your eligible
dependents, including your lawful spouse and your
unmarried eligible children. Children include natural
children, adopted children, children for whom you
are the legal guardian, dependent children placed
with you for adoption, and children for whom you receive
an exemption on your federal income taxes. Stepchildren
and foster children who reside in your home may also
be included. To be eligible for coverage, your child
must be one of the following:
• Under age 25 and receiving
more than half of his or her support from you
• Someone you are required to provide coverage
for as a result of a Qualified Medical Child Support
Order
• Incapable of self-sustaining employment because
of mental or physical handicap and an eligible dependent
when he or she became incapable of self-support
Your eligible dependents do not
include your parents, in-laws or siblings, even if
they live with you or are dependent on you for more
than half of their support.
If you believe you may have enrolled
someone in error, please speak with your Human Resources
director as soon as possible in order to correct the
situation. Your failure to correct an error could
leave you responsible for any claims paid in error.
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Erik
Frederick, Southwest General
As they were sitting
in their classrooms on the morning of March 8th, students
at South San High School heard the jarring sounds of a car
crashing. Outside the school, a wrecked car sat up on the
curb. In the front seat, the driver was slumped over the
steering wheel and a passenger moaned in pain. In the back,
a lifeless teenager was sprawled across the seat. Another
teenager lay motionless on the sidewalk, thirty feet away
from the car.
It wasn’t a real
accident. The students in the car were acting. But, the
drama of what can happen in an alcohol-related accident
was a terrifying reminder of the real dangers of driving
drunk.
This accident was staged
as part of “Shattered Dreams” – a joint
effort between Southwest General Hospital and the high school.
Erik Frederick, the hospital’s safety officer, and
his administrative assistant Elizabeth Ratliff helped organize
the program after the school’s valedictorian was killed
by a drunk driver.
“I felt like we
should do something to help prevent this kind of tragedy
from happening again,” Erik says. “We treat
all kinds of accidents in our emergency room, but the most
devastating cases are the ones that never should have happened
in the first place.”
As the accident scene
played out before the students, San Antonio Fire and EMS
arrived. The driver was pulled from the car, and arrested
for suspected DUI. The injured were rushed to the hospital.
The police began to notify parents of the teenagers who
were killed in the accident. One student listened from the
next room, as her mother became overwhelmed with grief when
she was told that efforts to save her daughter’s life
had failed.
The next day, a mock
memorial service was held for the victims of the crash.
Students cried as their friends were eulogized.
“It was very emotional.
I think lives were changed as a result of this program.
Our hope is to do this every two years so that each freshman
and sophomore class will have this experience,” Frederick
says.
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You
Told Us…
What is your dream
job? |
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We asked you to tell us, if you could have
any job in the world, what would it be? Congratulations
to Elaine Morse, who won $100 for her answer!
Elaine Morse
Palms of Pasadena
“I would like to be a National Geographic
Photographer.”
Micki Barnett
Odessa Regional
“Host of the Travel Channel’s Best
Hotels.”
Cindy Coe
IASIS Call Center
“I’d work with animals in a zoo
or Sea World.”
Karen Buist
Jordan Valley Medical Center
“Spokesperson for Save the Children, an
organization to support families and protect
children from abuse, abandonment, neglect.”
Trevor Burton
Salt Lake Regional Medical Center
“I'd be a millionaire. I'd golf every
day, and then, have a double cheeseburger and
fries at the 19th hole. I'd be home by 1:00
p.m., take a nap, and spend the rest of the
day buying things for my wife and kids.” |
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Tell
Us
If you could go anywhere in the world on a summer
vacation, where would it be?
Would you visit
the Great Wall of China? Take a hike in the
Grand Canyon? Or, would you take the family
to the beach? Tell us and we'll feature selected
entries in the next edition of the forum. We'll
also give one lucky winner $100!
Tell us your name, title/department, hospital,
phone number and where you'd like to go on vacation.
Send to the email address below:
Email:
forum@iasishealthcare.com
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