Making good business
decisions at the right time
I OFTEN
receive feedback from
patients, community leaders, physi-
cians and employees about how it
seems that Faith Regional Health
Services is constantly remodeling or
adding more space to accommodate
the growth in some services, the ad-
dition of new services or the opening
of new physician clinics. As a hospital,
growth is what allows us to continue
to provide the best health care to our
patients and offer advanced technol-
ogy and, most important, it keeps the
doors open.
Prior to any expansion or remodel
at Faith Regional, there is in-depth
research done in evaluating key indi-
cators, such as an increased growth
in the number of patients using a
service line, the current space no
longer supporting new equipment and
technology, and feedback from patient
satisfaction surveys. One example of
this process is in the surgical depart-
ment at Faith Regional. For a number
of years, the staff has been manag-
ing pre- and postsurgical care in an
area that has not kept pace with the
increased volume of surgeries being
done at the hospital. After months of
strategizing, hosting focus groups,
and planning and rethinking the work
flow in those areas, Faith Regional is
beginning a multiphase remodel and
expansion. Some changes included in
this project will be the elimination
of the existing undersized curtained
bays. When completed, it will result
in 14 patient-focused private rooms.
In addition, a new state-of-the-art
heating and cooling system (designed
specifically for surgical units) that will
improve the environmental conditions
throughout the department will be
installed. The entire multiphase ex-
pansion will take approximately three
years to complete. Some may say the
time to remodel these areas is long
overdue. It is the right business deci-
sion to invest in the future of Faith
Regional’s surgical services.
Remodeling usually requires some
services to be relocated to other areas
of the hospital. For the multiphase
expansion and remodel, the Advanced
Wound Center will be positioned
closer to the front entrance of the west
campus, as well as pre-admission test-
ing (lab draws and EKG) and a pain
clinic in the same area. Moving these
services to this new location will be
more convenient for our patients.
Sometimes the health care industry
mandates that we implement new
procedures or protocols. The timing
may not always match up with the
hospital’s strategic initiatives but Faith
Regional, like all other hospitals, must
respond. One example of this change
is converting from ICD-9 to the new
ICD-10 coding
system. The con-
version to ICD-
10 was recently
put on hold by
the government,
which gives hos-
pitals more time
to be ready.
Sometimes,
no matter how hard hospitals work
to provide excellent care, other
changes outside our control can have
an adverse effect. Recently, Tilden
Community Hospital, an affiliate of
Faith Regional, had to make the diffi-
cult decision to discontinue providing
acute care services and transition to-
ward offering outpatient services be-
cause of the changes coming through
the Affordable Care Act. Continuing to
provide primary care, therapies, and
lab and some diagnostic services will
help to maintain a strong health care
presence in that community. There
are times when it becomes even more
important to be a good steward of
your finances and resources, and that
is what Tilden Community Hospital is
doing.
Tim Auwarter
Interim President and CEO
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