Longmont United Hospital

LONGMONT UNITED HOSPITAL WINTER 2014 FROM THE CEO Dear friends and neighbors, I HOPE THE NEW YEAR finds you and your loved ones well and content. We here at Longmont United Hospital find ourselves in the middle of a transformative time for caregivers and healthcare providers. In an environment of increased challenges to streamline services and reduce hospital utilization and costs, our staff and physicians remain focused on providing excellent patient-centered care. The Hospital is committed to offering unsurpassed services and treatments through enhanced care coordination, clinical practices, and patient safety. We continue to look for new and innovative means to improve our patients' continuity of care. Among these innovations, the implementation of electronic medical record systems is allowing health information to be securely shared between the Hospital, physicians, and other providers on a patient's care team. We expect this to greatly improve the healthcare experience for all patients. The Hospital has found new ways to expand access to care for people who would otherwise have to travel outside their area for services. Indian Peaks Medical Center opened December 2013 in the Carbon Valley area. Primary and specialty care, as well as integrated therapies, laboratory, and imaging services are now available with extended hours at this new facility. On another note, I am especially proud of the way my colleagues demonstrated their commitment to caring for the community during our 1,000-year flood in September. The Hospital set up an Emergency Command Center that delivered medical care across counties and guided people to homes or shelters when roads appeared closed. The staff, physicians, and volunteers went above and beyond their responsibilities to help those in need, while the Hospital continued to be open and staffed to care for patients. That has always been our commitment to you and your family. And we are truly grateful for your support in that commitment. Wishing you wellness, Mitchell C. Carson President and CEO, Longmont United Hospital 2 QUALITY CARE, Infection Free As a healthcare consumer, you have a choice about where you receive care. When making that decision consider the reputation of the facility, the experience of the staff, and quality measures, including government safety reports. EVERY YEAR, the state of Colorado collects information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about healthcareassociated infections reported by facilities around the state. Patricia Gill, MD The annual report, which focuses heavily on surgical site infections, includes 279 hospitals, surgery centers, and outpatient clinics. THE RESULTS ARE IN Longmont United Hospital had no infections last year related to hip replacement procedures, hernia repairs, abdominal hysterectomies, and breast procedures. "These numbers are nearly unheard of for a hospital our size, and the achievement is all due to the dedication to community health shown by our entire staff," says Patricia Gill, MD, a specialist in infectious disease and travel medicine. "You can have confidence when you are in our care, and that makes all the difference." Under the guidance of Michael Langona, the Hospital's infection prevention team takes preventive steps, such as making sure all patient immunizations are up to date, meticulously collecting data on each procedure performed, and following a preemptive protocol known as surgical care infection prevention, or SCIP, to stop infections before they start. Read the full report at colorado.gov. For more information about your community health partner, visit luhcares.org. For permission to reprint any portion of this magazine, to let us know that you are receiving more than one copy, or if you would prefer not to receive the publication, please write to: CIRCULATION@TRUENORTHCUSTOM.COM OR CALL 800.624.7496 Longmont United Hospital supports healing on all levels—physical, mental, social, and spiritual. The material in this publication should not be considered specific medical advice, as each individual circumstance is different. Consult your physician before undertaking any form of medical treatment or adopting any exercise program or dietary guidelines. To submit a publication idea, email klogan@luhcares.org.

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