Regional Hospital puts high emphasis on patient, family experience

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September 25, 2009

By Sue Loughlin The Tribune Star Fri Sep 25, 2009, 08:16 PM EDT

TERRE HAUTE — When Chris Hill took over as chief executive officer at Terre Haute Regional Hospital about three years ago, patient satisfaction was low, employee turnover was high and medical staff were unhappy, he said in a recent interview.

Improvement in those areas has been a high priority during his tenure, and he believes those efforts have met with success.

To improve patient and family experiences at the hospital, Regional has placed a major emphasis on “relationship-based care,” Hill said.

Hospital staff need to treat patients as people, not just cases; they must always be mindful of the patient’s medical needs as well as emotional needs.

“Providing health care sometimes is very technical, with the use of equipment and tests and everything else, but at the end of all that, it’s about the relationship between a patient and a caregiver,” whether the caregiver is a nurse, technician, dietitian or doctor, Hill said.

The hospital’s efforts appear to be working, based on a recent Gallup survey of patient satisfaction. In the survey, Terre Haute Regional ranked in the 89th percentile for overall patient satisfaction, Hill said. Many hospitals across the nation participate in the survey.

Within the Hospital Corporation of America system, Regional’s patient satisfaction ranking went from the fourth quartile to the first quartile; it improved to 20th from 120th, based on 166 hospitals in the system. “For me, that’s important, because you’re measuring yourself against others in the company,” Hill said.

In addition to the focus on relationship-based care, the hospital also has done much customer service training with about 400 of its 700 employees.

That training deals with the basics of how to deal with people every day, from acknowledging them with a “hello” and a smile, to letting them know how long a diagnostic procedure will take and why it is being done, he said.

Another area showing improvement is employee turnover, which was about 25 percent when Hill started at the hospital.

Last month, the turnover rate for registered nurses was just 8 percent, and for all employees, it was 9.6 percent.

Maintaining staff continuity has implications for quality of patient care, patient satisfaction and physician satisfaction, Hill said.

A happy work force will provide a better quality of care, he said. “We were one of the lower-scoring hospitals in our system, so we spent a lot of time on creating what we call a healthy work environment,” he said.

In creating a better work environment, there have been several initiatives to make staff members feel that they control their destiny, Hill said. Those include an employee advisory group, town hall forums and staff governance for nursing, all aimed at opening lines of communication.

An investment

in the future

Looking to the future, the hospital has acquired the former HealthSouth building, “which provides an opportunity to grow,” Hill said. He couldn’t yet say specifically how the facility will be used. “We’re pursuing several different avenues.”

“The one thing for certain is we will grow over there,” he said. “It will allow us to free up some room in this facility [main hospital building], also.”

While the hospital already has many private rooms, use of the HealthSouth building “will allow us at some point in the next 12 to 24 months to have an all-private room strategy,” he said.

The hospital also will continue to focus on patient-centered care.

Regional has undergone many other facility and technology improvements in recent years. In 2004, it completed the final phase of a $40 million construction/renovation project. A new emergency department and new intensive care unit were established.

In 2006, the hospital met another need by investing more than $170,000 in a progressive wound center, meeting what the hospital saw as a growing community need to treat patients with non-healing wounds.

Also, a significant capital investment of $2.7 million was spent for radiology equipment and technology.

In 2009, an additional $1.3 million was spent for renovation of a new heart catheterization laboratory.

Terre Haute Regional also has recently partnered with a group of “the region’s best radiologists,” Hill said. It involves a 42-physician group out of Indianapolis.

“We will continue to have on-site radiologists who do our interventional and routine readings … The joining together of the two systems gives the hospital access to subspecialty radiologists that we never had access to, significantly increasing the quality of services provided,” he said.

Sue Loughlin can be reached at (812) 231-4235 or sue.loughlin@tribstar.com.

Mission

• Our Mission to patients is to provide the highest quality, compassionate care for every patient, every time.

• Our Vision is to be the healthcare provider of choice for the Wabash Valley and the customers it serves.

• Our Values — integrity, courage, accountability, respect and exceed expectations.

Hospital Facts

• Located at 3901 S. Seventh St. in Terre Haute, Regional Hospital is a 278-bed, community-based medical center with comprehensive medical and surgical programs. Terre Haute Regional is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. In 2006, Regional Hospital became the first Wabash Valley Hospital to be designated as an Accredited Chest Pain Center by the Society of Chest Pain Centers and Providers.

• These accreditations help further Regional Hospital’s rich history of providing sophisticated care to the Wabash Valley community for more than 126 years — from its beginnings as St. Anthony’s Hospital to the present-day facility. In 1882, St. Anthony’s Hospital began as the only healthcare facility in the area. Together with the Sisters of St. Francis, St. Anthony’s Hospital served the community until 1975 when it was renamed Terre Haute Regional Hospital. In 1979, a modern, five-story hospital complex was built on the south side of Terre Haute to replace the original building.

• Many exciting improvements have occurred so far in 2008. In its continuing effort to be the leading medical provider in the area, Regional Hospital purchased the former HealthSouth building, located behind the hospital. This will allow for growth and better services for patients. Haven Behavioral Healthcare Inc. is now partnering with Regional Hospital to manage the Mehta Behavioral Unit.

• The Terre Haute Regional Hospital Cancer Treatment Center received the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer approval with commendation. This approval with commendation is effective through 2009.

• In 2004, Terre Haute Regional Hospital completed the final phase of a $40 million new construction and renovation project. The scope of the project included the construction of a two-story tower for the hospital’s ER and ICU. Other additions included expansion of the imaging department into a comprehensive Outpatient Services Center. This included adding a new MRI unit and two new CT scan units, new nuclear medicine and radiology equipment and additional mammography equipment. Another way Regional Hospital is focusing on the healthcare needs of the community is with the Wound Center. There have been multiple cosmetic improvements throughout the facility, including renovation of the main lobby.

• Community involvement is an important part of Terre Haute Regional Hospital’s mission. Screenings, community education classes and seminars provide opportunities for individuals to take preventative steps in their own health and wellness, from obstetrical and breastfeeding classes to CPR and disease-specific programs. The hospital plays an active role in community-wide activities that promote health and wellness, safety, culture and general welfare of area residents through sponsorships, non-profit board participation by the hospital’s leadership and participation in community programs.

Taken from Terre Haute Regional Hospital’s Web site at: www.regionalhospital.com

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