Commitment to EXCELLENCE NEWSLETTER Winter 2016 WOUND CLINIC HEAL S HARD-TO- TREAT WOUND page 6 INSIDE CEO Report 2 Capital Improvements 3 Celebration 8
EXCELLENCE in Healthcare CEO Report Happy New Year! Allow me to welcome you to 2016 and tell you about some of the exciting things we have going on here at Hocking Valley Community Hospital. Julie Stuck President and CEO I shared in the last issue of this newsletter our efforts to pursue an arrangement with Ohio State University s Wexner Medical Center (OSUWMC) which would help us expand and enhance our service lines and recruit specialty physicians. The overarching goal of this partnership is keeping our patients close to home for their medical care. I am happy to report in the fall 2015 we reached a formal agreement with OSUWMC and will be moving forward with this partnership. To see photos from our formal announcement celebration, see page 8. An important part of providing exceptional patient care includes making periodic capital improvements to our equipment in various areas of the hospital. Rapidly advancing technology means machinery can become quickly outdated. In 2016 we will be adding state-of-the-art digital mammography and a new, high-definition ultrasound machine to our radiology service line. These tools will give radiologists access to the highest quality imaging technology before making a diagnosis. Additionally, we have added two new chemistry analyzers in the lab making it possible to streamline our testing processes. Read more about these capital improvements on page 3. In 2016, you can expect to see some old faces in new places at HVCH. I am happy to share that four veteran employees have been promoted to new roles. It s an important part of our culture at HVCH to invest and retain our talent. We put a lot of effort into molding and mentoring our employees to become great leaders. One of the perks of employment at HVCH is a tuition reimbursement program. Many of our employees take advantage of going back to school to advance their education and career opportunities. It s just another way we invest in our people. Learn more on page 4. And finally, the reason we do all of these things is because of patients like Ed Kilbarger. A resident of Logan, Ed suffered a stroke in 2015. He credits the excellent care and rehabilitation he received through HVCH with getting him back on his feet and back on the job at his family s construction business. Hear more about Ed s story on page 7. Thanks for allowing us to share the work we re doing and how it translates into making a difference in the lives of the people of this community. Julie 2 HVCH NEWSLETTER Winter 16
EXCELLENCE in Technology CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT$ Our new high-definition ultrasound equipment will allow for better image quality of the breast, thyroid, abdomen, pelvis and extremities. We will also be adding digital mammography equipment which greatly reduces the need for repeat images and provides detailed pictures of the breast and surrounding tissue giving our radiologists access to the best quality images for diagnosis. In the lab, we have added two chemistry analyzers which are used to analyze blood, urine and body fluids. The methodology used by this analyzer is extremely sensitive and has allowed for more testing to be performed from a single sample versus the same number of tests from multiple samples.
Old faces, NEW PLACES 4 EMPLOYEES TAKE ON NEW ROLES EXCELLENCE in Community Health Michelle Matheny DIRECTOR, EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AND URGENT CARE Michelle Matheny is the new Director of the Emergency Department and Urgent Care. An employee of Hocking Valley Community Hospital since 1999, Matheny started her career in the emergency department as a secretary. After completing nursing school, she worked as a registered nurse in obstetrics and then on the medical-surgical floor before transferring to the ED in 2011. In addition to day-to-day operations, Matheny will also be responsible for ensuring proper staffing, and monitoring patient satisfaction results and quality indicators to confirm patients receive the best care possible. Currently enrolled at Ohio Christian University where she is working toward her bachelor of science in nursing, Matheny is excited about her new role. I am looking forward to this leadership opportunity, she said. I feel very fortunate to have such an outstanding group of employees who strive to deliver excellence while putting the needs of our patients and community first. Faith Todd DIRECTOR, RADIOLOGY Faith Todd, an employee of HVCH since 2008, has been named Director of Radiology. She holds an associate s degree in radiographic technology from Central Ohio Technical College in Newark and is currently working toward her bachelor s degree in healthcare administration through Hocking College and Franklin University. She is a Logan graduate and resides in the area with her family. Previously, Todd was a staff radiographer with experience in CT, surgical radiography, DEXA (bone density), fluoroscopy, and diagnostic X-ray. As director, she will oversee the imaging services named above, as well as mammography, MRI, nuclear medicine and ultrasound. In addition, the department has recently added low-dose CT lung cancer screenings and digital mammography. I enjoy working in a community where we take care of our friends and family. It gives us the opportunity so see the difference we are making and to treat our loved ones with the care and respect they deserve, Todd said. I have been blessed with an amazing staff who is dedicated to excellence in patient care. They continuously demonstrate compassion for others and strive to provide quality imaging that will ensure proper treatment for our patients. I feel very fortunate to have such a great team. 4 HVCH NEWSLETTER Winter 16
It says a lot about an organization s culture and philosophy when it is able to recruit and retain top talent. HVCH is proud to recruit from within our institution, allowing our employees opportunities to develop their careers, return to school and take on new roles and responsibilities. Please help us in welcoming the following employees to their new positions. Heather Smith DIRECTOR, REVENUE CYCLE Stacey Gabriel CHIEF NURSING OFFICER As the new Director for Revenue Cycle, Heather Smith is responsible for patient accounts, registration, and the medical records departments. She began her career at HVCH in 1998 in the patient accounts department. Over the years, Smith continued to take on roles with increasing responsibility. Most recently she worked as the revenue cycle coordinator where she played an integral role in building the electronic hospital information system. A resident of Logan, she recognizes the needs of the community and works with patients to make the billing process as smooth as possible. We are here to answer patients questions about their health insurance including how to make a payment, Smith said. Smith is grateful for her mentors at the hospital and is eager to take on her new role. The other directors have been very supportive and all the employees are great team players, she said. Everyone is here to help the patients. Stacey Gabriel, HVCH s new Chief Nursing Officer (CNO), started her career in 1994 as a licensed practical nurse in the hospital s Skilled Nursing Facility. For the past 11 years she has served as the Director of the Emergency Department and Urgent Care. As CNO, Gabriel s duties include overseeing and coordinating HVCH s nursing departments and daily operations. She will also be responsible for patient care, and ensuring clinical and staffing standards are met. It has always been a goal of mine to move in this direction, Gabriel said. My job is to ensure quality patient care is given in all departments and work with other directors to improve our processes. I m ready to take leadership to the next level. I ve been fortunate to develop a lot of relationships with other hospitals and health care organizations, and I plan to continue building on those relationships. Gabriel is currently working toward obtaining a dual MBA/ MHA from Indiana Wesleyan University in Business and Healthcare Administration. She has an associate s degree from Hocking College and her bachelor of science in nursing from Ohio University. Gabriel is also a flight nurse for AirEvac and a part-time first responder for Hocking County EMS.
EXCELLENCE in Specialty Services WOUND CLINIC credited with healing hard-to-treat wound Logan resident Glenn Ward has had his fair share of health setbacks these past few years, but he s glad to be on the road to recovery thanks to the great care he received from Dr. Brock Liden, DPM, and the Wound Clinic staff at Hocking Valley Community Hospital. In late summer 2015, Ward, age 82, noticed a large blister on his leg. It came on all of a sudden with no warning, said Ward. Initially, his regular doctor, Prakash Kudlapur, MD, was out of town, so Ward had to seek treatment elsewhere. After a week, he had still not improved and followed up with Dr. Kudlapur. It can be very difficult to find specialists in smaller community hospitals so I felt very fortunate. Dr. Kudlapur took one look at my leg with the open wound running down the length of my shin and said you need to be in the hospital, Ward said. He called over to HVCH and had a bed waiting for me. It was at HVCH that Ward met Dr. Liden, a board-certified wound care specialist who diagnosed him with cellulitis, a potentially serious bacterial skin infection. I was so grateful to have Dr. Liden managing my care, said Ward. It can be very difficult to find specialists in smaller community hospitals so I felt very fortunate. During Ward s 10-day inpatient stay the nurses took daily photos of his wound and conferred with Dr. Liden regularly on his treatment plan which included IV antibiotics, wound debridement and dressing changes in the Wound Clinic. Brock Liden, DPM After he was discharged from the hospital, Ward continued to be seen three times a week in the Wound Clinic. He now wears wraparound compression stockings to help promote blood flow and decrease fluid retention in his legs. His legs used to be so bad, said Ward s wife, Nancy. I never thought we d get them looking this good again. Ward gives all the credit to Dr. Liden. He did a wonderful job, he said. He knows what he s doing and he s an asset to the hospital and to the community. We are lucky to have him. 6 HVCH NEWSLETTER Winter 16
EXCELLENCE in Patient Care Logan man grateful to be back on his feet When 80-year-old Logan resident Ed Kilbarger started having numbness on his left side and was unable to talk, his concerned son drove him to the emergency department at Hocking Valley Community Hospital. The emergency department doctors and nurses were extremely responsive and got Ed in right away, said Kilbarger s wife, Ann. They immediately performed a CT scan and realized he had bleeding in his brain. The staff at HVCH wasted no time making sure Kilbarger was air-lifted to Columbus where he underwent surgery to stop the bleeding in his brain. We always have the best interests of our patients in mind and work in conjunction with other facilities to recognize when our patients need a higher level of care than we can provide, said Stacey Gabriel, Chief Nursing Officer. We will bend over backwards to get that care for them as quickly as possible at a nearby facility. After a week-long stay recovering in Columbus, Kilbarger returned home only to find himself back at HVCH three days later. Ed was having numbness again and we were concerned, said Ann. The decision was made to transport him via squad back to Columbus to be evaluated. A follow-up CT scan revealed there was no bleeding, but showed Kilbarger had suffered a stroke. Once discharged, he met with the rehabilitation team at HVCH for physical and occupational therapy to strengthen his hands and legs, and work on balance. His legs were weak when he first started, but it only took him two weeks of therapy, three times a week, to regain their strength back, said Kilbarger s wife. He is doing really well. Kilbarger is now back on the job at his family s business, Kilbarger Construction. Currently on anti-seizure medication, he s hoping to relieve his wife of her chauffeuring duties and get his driving privileges restored very soon. We have been so pleased with the care Ed received at HVCH, said Ann. The doctors and nurses responded to all our questions and concerns. We credit them with helping to get Ed back to where he is today.
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID AKRON OH PERMIT #286 PO. Box 966 601 SR 664 North Logan, Ohio 43138 www.hvch.org Hocking Valley Community Hospital staff, community members and officials from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center recently gathered on the HVCH campus to celebrate the new affiliation agreement between the healthcare facilities. The agreement will improve the availability, quality and cost-effectiveness of healthcare services, research and medical education in Hocking County. The two organizations will remain independent but work together to develop additional close-to-home care options for residents in Logan and surrounding communities who need highly specialized treatments. There may also be opportunities for area residents to join clinical trials without traveling regularly to Columbus. Plus, Ohio State s medical students could have additional training opportunities as part of this agreement.