Vim & Vigor - Summer 2010 - Community Healthcare - (Page 50)

Emergency Services across the System By Mary fEtsch Bigger, Better eD HigHligHts Patient Comfort Enhancing patient comfort and service in emergency care E mergency room visits are often an unwanted necessity. No one really wants to go there, but almost all of us have had the experience … either personally or with a loved one. Making that experience as comfortable and efficient as possible is the goal of several patient-focused initiatives in emergency services offered by the hospitals of Community Healthcare System. Among the busiest in the region, the Emergency Departments of Community Hospital in Munster, St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago and St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart manage more than 100,000 visits each year combined. “Patients have come to expect the exceptional quality of care our hospitals provide, along with the most advanced technology and expertise of our physicians and staff,” says John Gorski, chief operating officer of Community Healthcare System. “Combining those strengths with a new level of convenience and comfort to patients in the Emergency Departments will help us respond to the growth and demand for these services across Northwest Indiana.” Patient convenience and comfort were the focus of a $40 million expansion of the Patient Pavilion and Emergency Department, which opened in February 2009 at Community Hospital in Munster. Features of the new Emergency Department include a spacious, light-filled lobby and family lounge, and the private “check-in rooms”—large enough to accommodate a stretcher—so assessments, and sometimes treatments, can begin within minutes of the patient’s arrival. Treatment rooms in the new area are larger to accommodate family visitation and are divided by walls that can be closed off for privacy with a glass door and curtains, making it a quieter environment. “The new Emergency Department of Community Hospital is packed with comforts for patients and families, along with efficiencies and advanced technologies that enable us to more quickly assess and treat patients,” says Don Fesko, CEO of Community Hospital. “In this environment where time matters, we’ve given every consideration to how we can better serve our patients, and how we can save lives.” meD-CliniC at st. CatHerine Keeping emergency rooms open for lifesaving efforts is the focus of a new grant recently awarded to St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago. The grant will provide an alternative site of care for non-emergency illnesses. Called the Med-Clinic, this pilot project is funded, in part, by the State of Indiana, Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning. The goal of this initiative is to reduce unnecessary emergency room visits by improving access to primary care in a convenient, cost-efficient manner. St. Catherine Hospital is one of only two hospitals in the state designated for the program. “We are excited about this opportunity to pilot new ideas to provide cost-efficient care,” says JoAnn Birdzell, St. Catherine Hospital CEO. “Most importantly, this project will serve to improve access to primary healthcare for everyone in Northwest Indiana.” Call Walk-In Clinic, East Chicago Located on the campus of St. Catherine Hospital, 4321 Fir St. in East Chicago, the Med-Clinic is steps away from the Emergency Department with a separate entrance off Elm Street. Open seven days a week, no appointment needed. Hours are noon-8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For more information, call 219- 392-7945. 50 Vim & Vigor • SUM M ER 2 010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Summer 2010 - Community Healthcare

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2010 - Community Healthcare
Contents
Community Message
Community Briefs
Relieving Chronic Heartburn
A New Read on Patient Safety
Who Is Your Spark?
Ready ... Set ... Get Motivated!
Having Reservations?
Stressing Stress
Second Act
Adults at Play
In Good Hands
Think Again
No Kidding
Giving Is Great Medicine
EMTs Train to Be First Link in Survival Chain
Emergency Services Across the System
Graduating to an Active Lifestyle
From Crutches to Kickstand
To Train or not to Train?

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2010 - Community Healthcare