Message From The Board of Directors
In his bestselling business book “The Tipping Point,” Malcolm Gladwell illustrates that “magic moment” when an idea, trend or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. The book highlights the many ways in which little things can make a big difference. We feel drawn to that idea especially now as we reflect on this past year at HI DESERT MEDICAL CENTER.
This past year we saw many changes and great advances in our organization. Our CEO, Lionel “Chad” Chadwick joined our organization one year ago. His leadership is already making its mark. We also saw smaller—but no less important—other organizational changes for the better.
Residents in our communities are talking at the grocery store, to their neighbors and even in the local newspaper about the changes they are experiencing here at HI DESERT MEDICAL CENTER. Folks are telling us this is a “different hospital.” Sure, we’ve always had caring, quality staff here, but
something has changed. We tell them it’s our culture. For the past three years, the District staff has been engaged in customer service improvements and cultural transformation work. We believe that what many are experiencing is “We are changing our choices and attitudes”. We attribute these positive changes to the strong, collaborative leadership of our new CEO and all the employees of our hospital who are striving to make a difference in the quality of care delivered every day at HI DESERT MEDICAL CENTER.
Quint Studer, founder of the StuderGroup, a healthcare coaching organization to which Hi Desert Medical Center is a partner, has coined the phrase “Fire Starters.” These are the men and women in healthcare whose bold leadership is reigniting the passion, purpose and meaning in the delivery of quality healthcare services. We have many “Fire Starters” here at Hi Desert Medical Center who are unmistakably committed to the changes we are seeking. The results of “change” are showing up in the hearts and minds of those who are serving the patients in our District every day.
This year we accelerated our customer service initiative, rebranding it “The Road to Excellence.” Employees are empowered to make change through new service teams looking at everything from the inpatient and outpatient experiences to physician and employee satisfaction. Our patient satisfaction scores are reflecting these positive changes. This year we have made great strides in quality improvement that was also witnessed by our recent Joint Commission surveyors. Hi Desert Medical Center received three-year reaccreditation and surveyors were very complimentary of the leadership at all levels. This is wonderful validation of the hard work of our dedicated employees, our volunteers and the physicians here at Hi Desert Medical Center.
Indeed, every employee and physician has ignited the changes that are steering us in the direction of being the best hospital we can be for residents of the Morongo Basin.
We are very pleased with our accomplishments this year, because that means we are meeting your expectations. We would like to share with you some of those accomplishments of this past year.
Services:
In the past year, we experienced strong inpatient and outpatient volumes, provided new medical services and saw the arrival of new leadership. The following statistics comes from fiscal year‘09, and demonstrates the ever-increasing demand for medical services in the Morongo Basin.
We look forward to being the best we can be and being your healthcare hospital of choice. Together we can and will make a difference in the quality of healthcare in 2010 for every resident of the Morongo Basin.
Please stay in touch and thank you for your confidence in Hi Desert Medical Center.
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In his bestselling business book “The Tipping Point,” Malcolm Gladwell illustrates that “magic moment” when an idea, trend or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. The book highlights the many ways in which little things can make a big difference. We feel drawn to that idea especially now as we reflect on this past year at HI DESERT MEDICAL CENTER.
This past year we saw many changes and great advances in our organization. Our CEO, Lionel “Chad” Chadwick joined our organization one year ago. His leadership is already making its mark. We also saw smaller—but no less important—other organizational changes for the better.
Residents in our communities are talking at the grocery store, to their neighbors and even in the local newspaper about the changes they are experiencing here at HI DESERT MEDICAL CENTER. Folks are telling us this is a “different hospital.” Sure, we’ve always had caring, quality staff here, but
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From left: Pat Cooper, Catja Arnzen, Paul Hoffman, Dennis Wilcox, and Leslie Moody
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Quint Studer, founder of the StuderGroup, a healthcare coaching organization to which Hi Desert Medical Center is a partner, has coined the phrase “Fire Starters.” These are the men and women in healthcare whose bold leadership is reigniting the passion, purpose and meaning in the delivery of quality healthcare services. We have many “Fire Starters” here at Hi Desert Medical Center who are unmistakably committed to the changes we are seeking. The results of “change” are showing up in the hearts and minds of those who are serving the patients in our District every day.
This year we accelerated our customer service initiative, rebranding it “The Road to Excellence.” Employees are empowered to make change through new service teams looking at everything from the inpatient and outpatient experiences to physician and employee satisfaction. Our patient satisfaction scores are reflecting these positive changes. This year we have made great strides in quality improvement that was also witnessed by our recent Joint Commission surveyors. Hi Desert Medical Center received three-year reaccreditation and surveyors were very complimentary of the leadership at all levels. This is wonderful validation of the hard work of our dedicated employees, our volunteers and the physicians here at Hi Desert Medical Center.
Indeed, every employee and physician has ignited the changes that are steering us in the direction of being the best hospital we can be for residents of the Morongo Basin.
We are very pleased with our accomplishments this year, because that means we are meeting your expectations. We would like to share with you some of those accomplishments of this past year.
Services:
- HI DESERT MEDICAL CENTER has responded to the need for diabetes education by partnering with Desert Regional Medical Center (DRMC) to bring their regionally-recognized diabetes education program to the Hi-Desert. The two-day, monthly class, taught by a certified diabetes nurse educator from DRMC, is designed for newly-diagnosed patients or those who could benefit from a review of basic disease management.
- HI DESERT MEDICAL CENTER has partnered with LifeStream as its provider of blood products. The regions only FDA-licensed and accredited blood center gives medical practitioners expedited access to a broader array of specialized blood components.
- HI DESERT MEDICAL CENTER has partnered with Dedicated Biopsy Services to offer stereotactic breast biopsy as an alternative to surgical breast biopsy. The state-of-the-art technology offers biopsy results as accurate as surgery without the risks and complications of an open surgical biopsy.
- HI DESERT MEDICAL CENTER is expanding its technology capabilities. This past year, the Board of Directors approved the acquisition of the AquilionTM 64 multi-detector row computed tomography (CT) scanner from Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. The Aquilion 64 is the most advanced 64-detector row CT scanner available and represents the leading edge in medical technology. The scanner is expected to be on-line by fall 2010.
- By demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission‘s national standards for healthcare quality and safety, HI DESERT MEDICAL CENTER this year has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™. The Joint Commission conducted an unannounced, on-site evaluation of HI DESERT MEDICAL CENTER. The reaccreditation award recognizes HI DESERT MEDICAL CENTER’s dedication to complying with the Joint Commission’s state-of-the-art standards on a continuous basis.
- HI DESERT MEDICAL CENTER responded to the national nursing shortage by partnering with Copper Mountain College in offering nursing scholarships. This year, our Foundation’s Martie Avels Nursing Scholarship program provided 17 scholarships to nursing students who have committed to nursing service jobs here at HI DESERT MEDICAL CENTER upon graduation.
- HDMC is a public hospital, and is one of 47 other district hospitals in the state. We are “owned” by the residents of our healthcare District. The hospital is governed by a publicly-elected Board of Directors.
- Revenues generated after paying expenses are returned to the hospital facilities in the form of advanced technologies, equipment, staff training and expanded services to better serve our communities.
- HI DESERT MEDICAL CENTER directly provided benefit to the Morongo Basin totaling in excess of $5.3 million last fiscal year. These benefits include non-reimbursed healthcare, community heath education and support, subsidized health services, nurse training, disaster readiness, and physician recruiting for our area. Last fiscal year, HI DESERT MEDICAL CENTER incurred nearly $688,000 in charity care costs, and $2.4 million in uncollectible bad debt write-offs at cost.
- In FY 08, HDMC generated $54.8 million in patient revenues, which was derived from Medicare, Medi-cal and private insurance plans. If there were no hospital in the Morongo Basin, you would have to travel to the low desert to access healthcare.
- HI DESERT MEDICAL CENTER is the third largest employer in the Morongo Basin. We provide 450 permanent jobs to local residents. We pay in excess of $28.2 million in wages and other healthcare benefits to our employees. We provide an economic base to the Morongo Basin by purchasing supplies, and obtaining maintenance and professional services, which contributes an additional $4 million to our local economy.
In the past year, we experienced strong inpatient and outpatient volumes, provided new medical services and saw the arrival of new leadership. The following statistics comes from fiscal year‘09, and demonstrates the ever-increasing demand for medical services in the Morongo Basin.
- Acute (Hospital) discharges: 3,714
- Outpatient services: 137,771
- Emergency Department visits: 21,490
- Continuing Care Center patient days: 39,753
- Surgeries: 2,312 (838 at Airway Surgery Center)
- Family Health Clinics
- Yucca Valley 16,085
- Twentynine Palms 8,072
- Medical Imaging Services: 49,830
- Laboratory Services: 221,147
We look forward to being the best we can be and being your healthcare hospital of choice. Together we can and will make a difference in the quality of healthcare in 2010 for every resident of the Morongo Basin.
Please stay in touch and thank you for your confidence in Hi Desert Medical Center.
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