CORPORATE CITIZEN OF THE YEAR, TOP PRESS GANEY RANKINGS AMONG ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF WINDHAM HOSPITAL IN 2010
President and CEO Dick Brvenik discusses hospital’s FY10 major accomplishments at Annual Meeting
During its annual meeting held Thursday, January 13 at Windham Hospital, President and CEO Dick Brvenik, Board Chair Dennis Hannon, President and CEO of Hartford HealthCare Elliot Joseph, and several executives from Hartford HealthCare (HHC), discussed the hospital’s singular achievements in FY10, including the hospital’s current financial status and new initiatives being pursued by the organization in 2011.
“We’re genuinely enthused about our accomplishments in the past year,” said Brvenik who cited numerous achievements and accolades the hospital had received in the last twelve months. “Across all lines of operation, this has been another exemplary year for us. Service excellence, clinical quality improvements and the addition of new physicians and new sites of service have taken us to the next level.”
Hannon said, “We couldn’t be more excited by the progress we have made in so many areas during the last year, particularly as a member of HHC.”
Elliot Joseph agreed, stating: “For the patients and families in the Windham community and the 18 surrounding towns served by Windham Hospital, this translates to their ability to deliver care in exciting and innovative new ways that are on par with the top healthcare institutions in the nation.”
Among the accomplishments Brvenik listed for the previous fiscal year:
- The Windham Hospital Emergency Department (ED) was ranked by Press Ganey (a leading national patient satisfaction survey and research firm) at the 97th percentile (i.e., among the top three percent of hospitals in the nation) for overall patient satisfaction, despite ED volumes having grown from 30,914 visits in FY09 to 32,758 visits in FY10.
- Emergency Department physicians were ranked in the 99th percentile in the nation by the Connecticut Peer Group.
- Eighty four percent of patients entering the ED were seen by a physician within 30 minutes or less of their arrival time.
- As part of a major national quality initiative, Windham reported zero central line-associated blood stream infections during FY10.
- Windham Hospital reported zero hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (bed sores) during a six-month monitoring period in FY10.
- For four consecutive years (the most recent period for publicly reported hospital-audited data), Windham was listed as the lowest cost acute care provider in the state, adjusted for case mix or severity of illness.
- Michael Hallisey, MD, a national expert and pioneer in the field of stent graft treatments and David Kloss, MD, an interventional radiologist, were among the first physicians in the state to perform an abdominal aortic stent graft procedure at Windham Hospital in March 2010.
- The hospital invested in critical care training for its paramedics. Windham is the only paramedic program in Connecticut to offer that level of paramedic care.
- During FY10, Windham was honored as Corporate Citizen of the Year by the Windham Region Chamber of Commerce.
- The Windham Hospital Laboratory was re-accredited by the College of American Pathologists.
- The hospital added ten new physicians as well as several PA’s and APRN’s to its staff in FY10.
- Windham Hospital provided approximately $2.2 million in charity care during FY10.
- Over 12,000 staff hours and 1,100 volunteer hours were donated to community benefit activities that benefited 9,000 individuals in FY10.
- During the last fiscal year, Windham Hospital opened a new physical therapy and rehabilitation center in Storrs and a new women’s health center in Mansfield at Ledgebrook Office Park.
The financial health of the hospital was also presented to the Corporators during Thursday’s meeting. It was noted that the core operation of Windham Hospital was profitable and would have shown a gain of approximately $100,000 were it not for “one-time” only accounting adjustments related to investments in physician recruitment.
Tom Marchozzi, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for HHC further stated that, “Windham Hospital has wisely made a concerted effort to invest in the recruitment of physicians into its community.” He continued, “The losses reflected the expensing of cash transfers by the hospital to Windham Family Medical Services and to Hartford Medical Group which previously would have been recorded as loans, since the hospital expected these amounts would be paid back.”
Brvenik added that these accounting adjustments would not be seen again going into the next fiscal year. “Our community should know that we are indeed economically stable,” said Brvenik, “and we never take financial performance for granted. As a member of HHC, Windham will be stronger financially and better able to make investments that will enable us to continue to recruit the best and brightest clinicians to Windham and our community.”
Brvenik concluded his remarks by listing new initiatives currently being pursued by the organization including: The construction of a 30,000-square foot, on-campus medical office building; a new critical care monitoring system; and a continued investment in electronic medical records (EMR).
Windham Hospital is an acute care hospital that provides affordable and accessible inpatient, ambulatory, emergency, non-emergent and rehabilitation services for thousands of patients from 19 Eastern Connecticut towns. Its recent integration with Hartford HealthCare (HHC) builds on a legacy of personalized care and expands the range of services provided.
Hartford HealthCare is one of Connecticut’s most comprehensive, integrated healthcare delivery systems comprising three acute-care hospitals (Hartford Hospital, Windham Hospital and MidState Medical Center), a mental health and substance abuse network, clinical laboratories, rehabilitation facilities, home care services and physician practices.
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