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Good Samaritan Hospital is one of the “Best Places to Work in Indiana.” This was first evident in December of 2008 when the hospital was recognized as a Magnet facility, and now the Indiana Chamber of Commerce is honoring Good Samaritan Hospital with its “Best Place to Work in Indiana” award. The “Best Place to Work in Indiana” program, in its fourth year, is managed by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and presented in partnership with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. The program recognizes companies, small and large, for their ability to create a strong workplace environment where employees feel valued. The top companies in the state are determined through employer reports and comprehensive employee surveys. This is Good Samaritan Hospital’s first time being honored in the group of 70 making the list this year. The actual rankings of the Top Hoosier companies will not be announced until the Best Places to Work awards dinner on May 5, 2009. Director of Human Resources, Dean Wagoner, attributes this award to the efforts of Good Samaritan Hospital employees in achieving the hospital’s mission. “We strive to provide an employee focused culture that encourages and allows employees to excel,” Wagoner stated. “Our employees understand that teamwork leads to our success in providing excellent care to the patients we are privileged to serve.” State-of-the-art technology and immaculately maintained buildings provide the best possible environment for employees to achieve positive outcomes, but Wagoner says it’s the continuous compassionate care and concern demonstrated by employees and medical staff that have allowed Good Samaritan Hospital to achieve this recognition and celebrate 101 years as a community hospital. “We are extremely proud of and grateful for their efforts,” he added. Indiana Chamber President Kevin Brinegar says businesses like Good Samaritan Hospital represent some of the state’s most outstanding Hoosier employers. “They embrace the idea that a positive work culture that includes respect, communication, opportunity and being part of a team not only makes it a place in which employees want to work but also fuels the success of the organization,” Brinegar stated. The Best Places to Work in Indiana awards dinner on May 5 is open to the public. Individual tickets and tables are available at www.indianachamber.com. |
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GSH among the ‘Best Places to Work in Indiana’ |
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Hospital earns Quality Respiratory Care Recognition |
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Good Samaritan Hospital has earned Quality Respiratory Care Recognition (QRCR) under a national program aimed at helping patients and families make informed decisions about the quality of the respiratory care services available at hospitals. Only 15 percent of hospitals in the United States have applied for and received this award. This is the fifth time Good Samaritan Hospital Respiratory Care has been recognized since the national QRCR program began in 2003. “Receipt of this recognition assures the community that when they come to our facility to receive respiratory care services, they will be provided by a department that employs adequate levels of staff who are licensed, credentialed, and highly trained,” stated Respiratory Care Director Janet Sievers. The QRCR program was created by the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) to help consumers identify facilities using qualified respiratory therapists to provide respiratory care. Hospitals earning the QRCR designation ensure patient safety by agreeing to adhere to a strict set of criteria governing their respiratory care services. To qualify for the recognition, Good Samaritan Hospital provided documentation showing it meets the following conditions: • All respiratory therapists employed by the hospital that deliver bedside respiratory care services are either legally recognized by the state as competent to provide respiratory care services or hold the CRT or RRT credential. • Respiratory therapists are available 24 hours. • Other personnel qualified to perform specific respiratory procedures and the amount of supervision required for personnel to carry out specific procedures must be designated in writing. • A doctor of medicine or osteopathy is designated as medical director of respiratory care services. According to Sievers, all of Good Samaritan Hospital’s therapists are licensed Respiratory Care Practitioners by the State of Indiana. Staff is credentialed through the National Board for Respiratory Care. In the department, 71% of the staff possesses the advanced credential of Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) while 29% are Certified Respiratory Therapists (CRT). Respiratory therapists are specially trained health care professionals who work under physician’s orders to provide a wide range of breathing treatments and other services to people with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, lung cancer, AIDS, and other lung or lung-related conditions. They also care for premature infants and are key members of lifesaving response teams charged with handling medical emergencies. “Our department is unique from many in that we also utilize respiratory care protocols to provide the most efficient and effective care,” said Sievers. “The protocols are based on the latest scientific, evidence based medicine. We work together as members of a diverse health care team to provide the best and safest care possible.” Hospitals that meet the QRCR requirements provide a level of respiratory care consistent with national standards and guidelines, and should be commended for their commitment to quality care. A list of QRCR hospitals is maintained at the association’s website for consumers, www.YourLungHealth.org.
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The Indiana Cancer Consortium kicked off Indiana Cancer Control Week this week and officially launched the Indiana Cancer Control Plan 2010-2014 Monday at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center. “The purpose of Indiana Cancer Control Week is to increase awareness of the burden of cancer in Indiana and, more importantly, to empower Hoosiers to fight cancer,” said Sara Edgerton, ICC Co-chair and CEO of Community Cancer Care, Inc. Cancer is the second leading cause of adult death in Indiana, with approximately 12,688 Hoosiers dying each year. Approximately 2.6 million Hoosiers, two in five, will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Developed by the ICC, the Indiana Cancer Control Plan 2010-2014 is a comprehensive blueprint for the actions that will guide cancer control efforts and promote collaborations between organizations and the citizens of Indiana. “As a member of the ICC, Good Samaritan Hospital will use the state cancer plan as a comprehensive strategy to reduce the burden of cancer in Knox County over the next five years,” said Joann Zeller, Director of Oncology at Good Samaritan Hospital. “We are using this week as an opportunity to remind our patients, and the public, about our Resource Library within the Cancer Pavilion, which provides a centralized location for patients and their families to gather information about every aspect of cancer. Printed materials, as well as access to the National Cancer Institute is also available for those interested.” The Indiana Cancer Control Plan 2010-2014 consists of six focus areas: Primary prevention, early detection, treatment, quality of life, data, and advocacy. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately two-thirds of cancer deaths in the United States are preventable through lifestyle and behavioral modifications. “Over 8,000 lives can be saved each year, if Hoosiers make good choices and lead healthy lifestyles that include proper nutrition, adequate physical activity, eliminating tobacco, and following the recommended screening guidelines,” said Zeller. The ICC is a statewide network of 83 member organizations and over 400 individuals whose mission is to reduce the cancer burden in Indiana through the development, implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive plan that address cancers across the continuum from prevention through palliation. Participation in the ICC is free and open to all organizations and individuals interested in cancer prevention, early detection, treatment, quality of life, data collection, and advocacy regarding cancer-related issues. To download a copy of the Indiana Cancer Control Plan 2010-2014 and to learn more about the ICC, please visit www.indianacancer.org.
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Indiana Cancer Control Week |
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Samaritan Center is preparing to cut $2.6 million out of its budget for fiscal year 2011 as a result of federal and state Medicaid changes. The Indiana Division of Mental Health and CMS are implementing changes that will affect how Samaritan Center is reimbursed on the state and federal level for services provided to chronic mentally ill adults, severally emotionally disabled youth, and chronically addicted adults. John Manning, CEO of Samaritan Center, says a reduction in funding of this magnitude will create significant changes in the manner of which Samaritan Center provides services to the residents of Knox, Daviess, Martin, and Pike counties. Manning says the state is implementing “Service Packs” for Medicaid patients. “This means that the services patients get are based on their level of function and diagnosis, and that the services have to be received within a six month window in order to be paid by Medicaid,” Manning said. “If the patient is not well within that six months, an extension would have to be filed with the state. Then we would have to wait to hear back from the state to see if the extension has even been approved.” Manning says Samaritan Center is in the planning process to manage this funding decrease. He says the mental health center is looking at ways to reduce costs without sacrificing the quality of care that is provided to its patients. “We have to work hard to find a way to treat our Medicaid patients, especially those who have more serious conditions, in a shorter time period than we have done in the past,” Manning said. “It may be difficult, but these new “Service Packs” that will be implemented by the state will force us to do so.” In addition to this change in Medicaid funding by the state, Manning said the Samaritan Center has also had to deal with shortfalls in its $13.6 million total budget from a 100% increase in charity care and 100% increase in bad debt since the economic crisis. “As a result, planning is under way to deal with this reduction in funding as well,” said Manning. “We are sensitive to the needs of providers and consumers but will adapt our operations to meet the funding realities. We are committed to providing quality services that are patient centered, recovery based, and in the best interest of the consumer.” Manning says all changes to reflect the reduced budget will be in effect by July 1, 2010.
Samaritan Center - Since 1972, Samaritan Center has been the region's comprehensive mental health center, offering a full range of services for adults, seniors, families, teens and children. Samaritan Center offers counseling, inpatient psychiatric service, diagnostic evaluations, individual therapy, family therapy, group therapy, addiction services and much more. All of the Samaritan Center’s services are designed to improve the quality of life for people of all ages, ¯giving them a place to turn and helping them along the path to recovery. |
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Samaritan Center forced into drastic budget cuts |
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Good Samaritan Hospital’s Board of Governors has implemented its succession plan, and has named Senior Vice President Gerald Waldroup to serve as the Interim President and CEO during the recruitment period effective February 13, 2010. Mary Cay Martin, Chairman of the hospital’s Board of Governors, says the succession plan was developed five years ago to handle either planned or unplanned changes in administration. “The reason we have a succession plan is for continuity of care,” said Martin. “We don’t want the flow of services to stop, and this plan assures there will be no disruption in the day-to-day operation of the hospital.” Martin says the Board of Governors will be reviewing both internal and external applicants for the President and CEO position. She said the board will look within professional hospital networks, such as the American College of Healthcare Executives and Indiana Hospital Association, as well as other health care professional societies. “I am confident that the transition will be smooth due to the commitment of our Medical Staff, directors and employees,” said Waldroup. “We will all work together to continue to provide the highest quality of care to our patients.” Waldroup is a graduate of the University of Southern Indiana with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He first began his career at Good Samaritan Hospital in 1974 as a Senior Accountant; leaving 11 years later in the position of Assistant Controller. Before returning to Good Samaritan Hospital in 2000 to take his current position, Waldroup was the CEO of Lawrence County Memorial Hospital in Lawrenceville, Illinois from 1985 to 2000. |
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Waldroup is interim president of GSH
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