"It's official: Danville Regional is accredited"

Danville Register & Bee
Friday, October 19, 2007

Danville Regional Medical Center announced Thursday that the Joint Commission has notified the hospital that it is in full compliance with all applicable standards.
The notice means that Danville Regional is now fully accredited, according to Leslie Smith, director of community relations and marketing at the hospital.
“On Aug. 23, the Joint Commission announced that the preliminary denial of accreditation had been removed and the hospital remained an accredited organization with requirements for improvement,” Smith said Thursday. “The hospital was required to submit an action plan to the accreditation committee this month, to address any remaining deficiencies. The committee met earlier this week and announced that the action plan had been accepted and all standards were in compliance.
“The acceptance of the action plan by the Joint Commission means that DRMC is now fully accredited.”
This accreditation is based on the 2007 survey and will extend through at least the beginning of 2010.
Smith said that the difference between the August accreditation and Thursday’s announcement is an important one.
“In the past, we’ve said DRMC ‘remains’ accredited,” she said. “Technically, the decision was still pending for this extended accreditation until the accreditation committee met this week. The previous accreditation noted on the Web site was a result of the 2004 survey with this now changed to the February 2007 survey.”
Smith said that, although it seems like a small change, it really is quite significant to have the accreditation finalized and official.
“This is great news for the community, and for the associates and physicians who provide care in our hospital,” Betty Jo Foster, chairman of the Danville Regional Board of Trustees, said in a news release. “This action clearly demonstrates that Danville Regional is providing great patient care and is a compliment to hospital administration and all our clinicians and care-giving staff. Danville Regional is a vital community asset, and we look forward to remaining so for a long time to come.”
Ruth McDaniel, interim chief executive officer, added, “The associates and physician staff have worked diligently for this recognition from the Joint Commission.”
The Joint Commission is an independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States.

Just think how far a really tiny slice of $200+ million would go...

The high cost
Danville Register and Bee
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
The Free Clinic of Danville has always relied on caring volunteers from the medical community to help people who can’t afford health care. Washington politicians may debate the health care issue, but at the corner of Ridge and Patton streets, good people work to help those who need medical treatment they can’t afford.
Recently, though, the Free Clinic struggled to decide what to do with a grant that in the recent past had allowed it to treat more people.
The Virginia Health Care Foundation awarded a $39,375 grant to the clinic to pay one-third of the cost of a nurse practitioner.
“The grant allowed us to significantly increase the services provided to the community and increased the number of patients we saw by approximately three times,” Brent Saunders, president of the Free Clinic’s board, said late last month. “However, the prescription costs rose significantly and with the increasing salary we were responsible for, it was a perfect storm brewing.”
That “perfect storm” was the clinic’s costs, which were rising beyond what it could afford on its budget. When the last nurse practitioner left in August, the position was left vacant. It will likely stay that way, and for good reason.
“The board feels that sustained funding for the full-time nurse practitioner position is needed in order to assure the long-term financial viability of the clinic,” Saunders said.
That’s the only way to survive in today’s health care economy, even if it means not hiring someone who could help treat more sick people in this community.
In the short term, many of those people are being hurt or, at the very least, inconvenienced. But if the Free Clinic can’t survive financially, more of them will be hurt.
One possible solution would be to seek a steady source of money from the Danville Regional Foundation, the group formed with the proceeds from the sale of Danville Regional Medical Center. With enough money from the foundation, the Free Clinic could afford to not only pay the nurse practitioner’s salary, but cover the rising costs of medical supplies and prescription drugs.
This community’s most vulnerable residents need this problem solved. Anything that can help the Free Clinic of Danville treat more patients is going to be a good thing.

Q&A with the new DRMC CEO

From the DRMC "News & Views" website:

New CEO Jerel Humphrey Answers Questions

How did DRMC find you?
I had been working with an executive search firm, and several years ago, my oldest son was looking at colleges. He’s studying to be an engineer and we toured Virginia Tech and my wife and I fell in love with that part of the country. We said that if the right opportunity came about, and it took several years for that right opportunity as my son is a junior at Texas Tech, we would love to locate to this part of the country. We love Virginia.

What made you want to leave where you are and take on this role?
I have been in a big city for a long time. I am looking forward to living in a city like Danville, where I can be a part of the community; where I don’t have to spend so much time on the road commuting and where the hospital plays a central role in the community.

What is the first issue you will be dealing with?
I plan to do a lot of listening to all I come in contact with - the physicians, associates, volunteers, chaplains, board members and the community. I want to hear what they have to say about their roles, their interests and how they view the hospital.

What appeals to you about this job?
The thing that most appeals to me about this job is the fact that I will be able to help the loyal and committed team members at DRMC continue to build on their strengths and the strengths of this hospital and to provide greater services to the community.

What are the responsibilitites of your job?
I view my primary responsibility as providing strong communications to all of the critical audiences at DRMC - communicating with physicians, associates, volunteers and chaplains the plans and priorities for the hospital. It also requires providing leadership within the community and with the board of trustees. You can’t over communicate with either the internal or external audiences. Another responsibility will be to uphold standards, policies and procedures within the hospital.

What is the nursing staff situation at the hospital?
I am looking forward to workng with new CNO Becky Logan and all of the nursing staff at DRMC. We will work together to continue delivering high quality patient care. Additionally, I am very impressed with DRMC’s School of Nursing. That is a great assett that very few hospitals in the country have.

How did you get into health care administration?
I actually got involved as a junior in college by working in a local hospital as an orderly. I would assist nurses in various funtions throughout the hospital. I had actual bedside experience with patients. My appreciation and interest in hospitals evolved from there.

What do you think about all of the problems of the past CEOs at DRMC?
I can’t speak to the past, since I wasn’t here and wasn’t a part of that. However, what I can tell you is that I am committed to communicating and being available to all of the key constituencies at DRMC, the associates, physicians, volunteers and chaplains as well as the community leaders in the Dan River region. I’m planning on doing a lot of listening to learn more about DRMC and how we can continue to provide great services and continue to improve our service to our communities.

What from your past experiences will help you at DRMC?
I’ve worked at a variety of sizes of hospitals from a 600-bed facility to a 72-bed facility. I’ve been in the healthcare field for 28 years, and I think all of my experiences have helped me grow and provide the leadership qualities I believe I possess.

The previous CEO said he was bringing his family and decided not to. What if your family doesn’t want to relocate?
I am starting at DRMC on October 29 and looking forward to beginning my job. My family plans to join me during the Christmas holidays. I have a daughter who is a junior in high school. It will be easier for her to leave at that point in the semester.

What do you think are your biggest strengths?
I believe in the concept of building strong teams. I will provide leadership, the ability to listen and help solve problems, but at the end of the day, it’s teamwork that is needed at a hospital and any organization to be successful. My mission is to help our associates, physicians, volunteers and chaplains feel good about what they do on a daily basis and help empower them to be the best ambassadors for the hospital.

Healthcare Leadership Council, wherefore art thou?

It's been one month since the article announcing the Healthcare Leadership Council appeared in the Register & Bee.
http://www.registerbee.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=DRB%2FMGArticle%2FDRB_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173352658665&path=!news!opinion

So...where do we stand?
They've met, we know that much. No coverage in the local media and, unlike the Citizens Commission, there is no central location to obtain minutes or information about their activities, their findings or their results. With the pivotal figure behind the Leadership Council, Mayor Williams, leaving town, where does that leave this effort?

Does anyone know who's on first?

Mayor/Doctor Williams leaving town

Danville Mayor Wayne Williams said he will step down

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Danville Mayor Wayne Williams said he will step down from City Council to take a job in Georgia.
Williams has accepted a position with Meadows Regional Medical Center in Vidalia, Ga.
"It is an exceptional opportunity at an expanding hospital that includes administrative responsibilities as well as a surgical practice. I was not looking for the change, but was honored, and surprised, when approached for the position. I will miss my family, friends and especially the people of Danville that make this such a great city," Williams said in a press release.
Williams was elected to Danville City Conncil in 1998. He was named vice mayor in 2000 and was elected mayor in 2006.

"Hospital names new CEO"

Danville Register and Bee
Tuesday, October 2, 2007

DANVILLE – Danville Regional Medical Center has just announced that Jerel Humphrey has been named chief executive officer of the hospital effective October 29.
Humphrey, 52, has most recently headed a 72-bed, physician-owned, acute care hospital in Houston from its initial development to construction and through the accreditation process by the Joint Commission and the Texas health department, according to a hospital press release.
He has served in a variety of executive roles within the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System in Houston, Texas, during the last 20 years, including as CEO of 600-bed Memorial Hermann Southwest and 520-bed Memorial Hermann City Hospital.
In the press release, Humphrey states that his wife, Linda, and daughter, Rachel, will move to Danville during Christmas break.

"Head of nursing drawn to city"

Danville Register & Bee
Saturday, September 29, 2007

DANVILLE - A new chief nursing officer is now in place at Danville Regional Medical Center.
Rebekah “Becky” Logan has been at work for about a week and is adjusting to a new community and her responsibilities of being in charge of more than 600 nurses at the hospital. She brings 12 years of health care leadership experience to her new position, including chief operating officer and chief nurse executive roles in Georgia and South Carolina hospitals. Logan is the mother of two grown sons, an 18-year-old who is in culinary school in Atlanta and a 23-year-old who is a professional photographer in Dallas. After only a few days at her job, Logan sat down and answered a few questions so that the community might get to know her better.

Question: Had you ever heard of Danville?
Answer: Yes, I had. I have an uncle who lives in North Carolina, and I remember him talking about Danville and what a pretty area it is.
Q: How did Danville Regional Medical Center find you?
A: A recruiter came to me. I wasn’t looking for a job, but I got a phone call out of the blue. Then, the more I learned about Danville, the more I liked it.
Q: What appealed to you about this job?
A: The location. I was born and raised in Alabama and had lived in Georgia for 18 years. Danville and the community here seemed like a place I would fit in. When I talked to the people at the hospital, the jobbecame more attractive because they care about the patient care and the employees.
Q: What are the responsibilities of your job?
A: I have oversight of all the nursing care delivered within the organization. I make sure the care is delivered by competent and proficient nurses.
Q: What is the nursing staff situation at Danville Regional?
A: I have only been here a week, so I am in the process of assessing the staffing needs. If it is like any hospital in the nation, we need nurses, and (the shortage) is expecting to get worse nationwide.
Q: What’s the first issue you will be dealing with?
A: What I want to do now is to get to know the nursing and medical staff, and have them tell me what the issues are. I am attending staff meetings - I have already been to 50 percent of them. And I am trying to make appointments with the physicians and talk to them about what’s going well with them and what they would like to see changed.
Q: Since all of the nurses who graduated from the hospital’s nursing school last year are now working there, what are the challenges of working with inexperienced nurses?
A: The transition from academia to real practice at the bedside is scary. I remember those days. You need to partner with them until you can release them. My philosophy is to pay a lot of attention to the new graduates because the time you invest will be paid back in commitment and retention.
Q: How did you get into health care administration?
A: I found I had a talent with a team of people. It is very rewarding to have a group of people who come together and accomplish together.
Q: Why did you choose to get into nursing again?
A: Because that’s where my heart is and where we make the difference.

Foundation set to make allocations

Danville Register & Bee
Saturday, September 29, 2007

DANVILLE - Decisions on disbursement of a portion of the $200 million in assets held by the Danville Regional Foundation will be reached by the end of this year, according to the group’s new leader.
After the Danville Regional Foundation’s assessments of the area’s health, education and economic prosperity are completed in the next few months, it will make a decision on how best to invest in the long-term well-being of the community, the foundation’s president and CEO Karl N. Stauber said on Wednesday.
The $200 million endowment is earmarked for distribution at a rate of 5 percent per year - $10 million annually - and must be used to make a positive change in the lives of the residents of Danville, Pittsylvania County and Caswell County, N.C. The bulk of the money remains invested so the fund becomes self-sustaining, and can earn back at least $10 million each year.
“The biggest part of my job is to focus on how to take $10 million and make the biggest impact on the revitalization of the region,” Stauber said. “What we’re looking for is where the greatest opportunities to make a difference are in this one-city and two-county region.”
He stressed that it is very important to the foundation to make a long-term impact in the region, and plans to have very strict guidelines for those who wish to apply for a grant in place by the first of the year.
Essentially, the foundation is looking for area-wide, large-scale problems it can solve, rather than funding a series of small projects that will not impact everyone in the target area.
The first assessment the foundation completed was on the general health of the region and was conducted by a team from East Tennessee State University, which looked at the data on the health of the region, did one-on-one interviews with area health care workers and met about 300 people in small groups to determine what some of the biggest problems are.
Stauber said he was surprised at one statistic the team discovered during the course of this study.
“This area has three times the national rate of deaths due to heart attack,” he said. Exploring the reason for that and finding a solution may be a project on the foundation’s plate in the future.
The current assessment, which is taking a look at the economic prosperity of the region, should be completed in approximately a month, Stauber said, and then the foundation will begin its assessment of the area’s education and work force development issues.
Since its inception in May 2006, the foundation has announced grants totaling approximately $17.5 million to five agencies and organizations in the region, which leaves approximately $2.5 million that can still be disbursed in 2007 - but doesn’t have to be.
Stauber said an important thing to note is that the foundation actually has two calendar years to disburse each year’s allotment - any funds left at the end of a year can be added to the following year’s payout.