Danville Register & Bee editorial - August 24, 2008
Danville Regional Medical Center received some bad publicity this week in a USA Today story about the federal government’s Hospital Compare Web site (hospitalcompare.hhs.gov).
The story reported on hospital death rates for adults suffering from heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia. Danville Regional’s death rate for heart attacks was 19.6 percent; for heart failure, the death rate was 15.5 percent. By contrast, Lehigh Valley Hospital in Pennsylvania had a heart attack death rate of just 11.6 percent.
The Hospital Compare Web site gives people the ability to easily make apples-to-apples comparisons of their health care options.
The availability of this kind of free, readily accessible information offers our hospital the opportunity to publicly demonstrate that the changes it has made have changed care there for the better. When the hospital was locally owned, the community had no way of knowing that kind of information. Now, it’s on the Internet for the world to see — and for local people to study.
That 19.6 percent death rate for heart attack patients in 2007 was the worst in the nation. But the statistics for 2006 were actually much worse: 24 percent.
“We continue to improve our care,” said Dr. Michael A. Moore, director of medical education at the hospital. “This just makes us want to improve further.”
Between 2006 and 2007, the heart failure death rate at Danville Regional actually jumped from 14.6 percent to 15.5 percent.
Those two years, 2006 and 2007, were tumultuous ones at Danville Regional Medical Center; they were the first two full years Danville Regional was owned by LifePoint Hospitals Inc.
During that time, there were staff layoffs, revolving door management, a preliminary denial of the hospital’s accreditation and two separate attempts by Danville City Council to publicly study the problems at Danville Regional. During the same time, we saw increased marketing efforts by other regional hospitals to attract local people to their facilities.
What the numbers don’t show is the work that has been done this year by CEO Jerel Humphrey, the hiring of cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Richard Embry and the agreement that will keep the Heart Center of the Piedmont affiliated with Duke Heart Center through 2010.
Clearly, the death rates for heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia at Danville Regional during 2006 and 2007 are not acceptable.
We applaud the federal government for lifting the veil of secrecy from these kinds of statistics.
As for Danville Regional, its challenge remains: To continue to improve so that next year at this time, we’ll have some good news to report.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
"Danville Regional claims patient count stable"
Register Bee - August 7, 2008
The head of Danville Regional Medical Center said Thursday that, despite rumors, there has not been a significant decline in daily patient counts at the hospital and no job losses related to patient counts.
“That’s not true at all,” Jerel Humphrey, Danville Regional’s chief executive officer, said. “But we can’t control what people say.”
Daily patient counts remain stable for this time of year, he said, noting there has been a slight decrease in 2006-08.
Humphrey said patient numbers are well above 100 a day. While the summer season may bring smaller patient counts, it’s the opposite during the winter when more people are sick.
“We’re more than busy,” he said.
Humphrey added that at no time are hospital layoffs tied to patient count number. He said 13 non-clinical jobs were eliminated in July and that these employees were offered other jobs at the hospital, which employs about 1,400 people.
“We move people around and give them new opportunities,” he said.
The hospital has recruited more than seven new physicians and 60 new nurses. Danville Regional did that by eliminating agency nurses, which are health care providers known as traveling nurses who can help fill understaffed shifts.
“What we’re seeing is nothing out of the ordinary,” Humphrey said.
The head of Danville Regional Medical Center said Thursday that, despite rumors, there has not been a significant decline in daily patient counts at the hospital and no job losses related to patient counts.
“That’s not true at all,” Jerel Humphrey, Danville Regional’s chief executive officer, said. “But we can’t control what people say.”
Daily patient counts remain stable for this time of year, he said, noting there has been a slight decrease in 2006-08.
Humphrey said patient numbers are well above 100 a day. While the summer season may bring smaller patient counts, it’s the opposite during the winter when more people are sick.
“We’re more than busy,” he said.
Humphrey added that at no time are hospital layoffs tied to patient count number. He said 13 non-clinical jobs were eliminated in July and that these employees were offered other jobs at the hospital, which employs about 1,400 people.
“We move people around and give them new opportunities,” he said.
The hospital has recruited more than seven new physicians and 60 new nurses. Danville Regional did that by eliminating agency nurses, which are health care providers known as traveling nurses who can help fill understaffed shifts.
“What we’re seeing is nothing out of the ordinary,” Humphrey said.
Hello again.
Just call me Mark Martin or Brett Favre....just can't stay retired from the blog. There is still some stuff that I'd like to post related to DRMC, so you may see me here from time to time. To those of you that are still inside at DRMC, I'll count on you for the most up-to-date info about how things are inside the four walls.
Anyway...back to the reason of my post...the Danville Regional Foundation just released its regional healthcare assessment (this is the first of three major assessments the DRF is undertaking. The others are economic revitalization and educational attainment). Here is a link to the full report:
http://www.danvilleregionalfoundation.org/region/documents/2008-HealthAssessment.pdf
One question that comes to mind...it was the mission of DRMC back 'in the day' to provide community outreach to address some of the issues identified in this study. Where does any of that fit into the mission of a for-profit?
Here is the Register & Bee article:
"Health assessment study shows region’s needs"
Danville Register & Bee - August 12, 2008
The numbers are in and indicate that health care across the Dan River Region needs to be improved.
The Danville Regional Foundation ordered a health assessment study done so it could determine what health issues in the region needed its attention the most. The foundation also will be studying the education and economic development needs of Danville, Pittsylvania County and Caswell County, N.C.
The health assessment was developed by MDC Inc., of Chapel Hill, N.C., and implemented by researchers from East Tennessee State University, who interviewed hundreds of residents, community leaders and heath providers to make the assessment.
Some of the more alarming statistics show that parts of the region have much higher percentages of certain medical conditions and diseases than the national average.
From 1999-2003, Danville had 154.4 incidences of breast cancer per 100,000 people, compared to Virginia’s overall average of 122.6 and the national average of 125.3. Pittsylvania County, however, came in much lower than state and national averages, at 100.7, and while North Carolina came in above the national average at 147.3, Caswell County came in at 106.5.
Deaths from heart disease in 2004 were higher in all three areas compared to state and national averages. The rate per 100,000 nationally was 163.4. Though Virginia came in at 124.9 overall; in Pittsylvania County, the rate was 186.1 and in Danville, the number jumped to 281.9. North Carolina also was below the national average at 146.1, but Caswell County came in at 199.
Diabetes and strokes had similar results. Lung cancer numbers, however, showed Danville at well above the national and state averages, while Pittsylvania and Caswell counties came in well below.
Birth rates also were studied and showed the region had more births to unwed mothers than state and local averages, and that low birth weights were higher than the state and national averages. The study also showed that Danville mothers were almost 10 times as likely to have late or no prenatal care — the national rate was 3.6 in 2004, while in Danville the rate was 33. Virginia overall came in at 15 percent, while Pittsylvania County’s rate was 16, and in North Carolina, the rate in 2005 was 15.9, with Caswell County coming in at 17.
Infant mortality rates were similar.
The national average was 6.9 per 1,000 births. In 2005, Virginia’s rate was 7.4, Danville’s 15.4 and Pittsylvania County’s 10.5. In North Carolina, the 2003 rate was 8.2 and Caswell County’s was 8.1.
“There are other parts of the world we don’t want to compare ourselves to with similar (infant mortality rate) numbers,” Karl Stauber, director of the foundation, said Monday.
Stauber said the foundation is studying the report to determine which areas it can “take a leadership role” in improving.
The report listed areas it considers most important to improve, including the area’s increased drug use, as well as the perception that health care is inaccessible and the need for everyone to make healthy lifestyle changes.
Stauber said the foundation will know in a month or two which areas it will be able to tackle directly, in partnership with local health organizations.
“We want to see more conversation in the community (about health issues),” he said. “We will also remain open to grant requests that cut across all concerns.”
Anyway...back to the reason of my post...the Danville Regional Foundation just released its regional healthcare assessment (this is the first of three major assessments the DRF is undertaking. The others are economic revitalization and educational attainment). Here is a link to the full report:
http://www.danvilleregionalfoundation.org/region/documents/2008-HealthAssessment.pdf
One question that comes to mind...it was the mission of DRMC back 'in the day' to provide community outreach to address some of the issues identified in this study. Where does any of that fit into the mission of a for-profit?
Here is the Register & Bee article:
"Health assessment study shows region’s needs"
Danville Register & Bee - August 12, 2008
The numbers are in and indicate that health care across the Dan River Region needs to be improved.
The Danville Regional Foundation ordered a health assessment study done so it could determine what health issues in the region needed its attention the most. The foundation also will be studying the education and economic development needs of Danville, Pittsylvania County and Caswell County, N.C.
The health assessment was developed by MDC Inc., of Chapel Hill, N.C., and implemented by researchers from East Tennessee State University, who interviewed hundreds of residents, community leaders and heath providers to make the assessment.
Some of the more alarming statistics show that parts of the region have much higher percentages of certain medical conditions and diseases than the national average.
From 1999-2003, Danville had 154.4 incidences of breast cancer per 100,000 people, compared to Virginia’s overall average of 122.6 and the national average of 125.3. Pittsylvania County, however, came in much lower than state and national averages, at 100.7, and while North Carolina came in above the national average at 147.3, Caswell County came in at 106.5.
Deaths from heart disease in 2004 were higher in all three areas compared to state and national averages. The rate per 100,000 nationally was 163.4. Though Virginia came in at 124.9 overall; in Pittsylvania County, the rate was 186.1 and in Danville, the number jumped to 281.9. North Carolina also was below the national average at 146.1, but Caswell County came in at 199.
Diabetes and strokes had similar results. Lung cancer numbers, however, showed Danville at well above the national and state averages, while Pittsylvania and Caswell counties came in well below.
Birth rates also were studied and showed the region had more births to unwed mothers than state and local averages, and that low birth weights were higher than the state and national averages. The study also showed that Danville mothers were almost 10 times as likely to have late or no prenatal care — the national rate was 3.6 in 2004, while in Danville the rate was 33. Virginia overall came in at 15 percent, while Pittsylvania County’s rate was 16, and in North Carolina, the rate in 2005 was 15.9, with Caswell County coming in at 17.
Infant mortality rates were similar.
The national average was 6.9 per 1,000 births. In 2005, Virginia’s rate was 7.4, Danville’s 15.4 and Pittsylvania County’s 10.5. In North Carolina, the 2003 rate was 8.2 and Caswell County’s was 8.1.
“There are other parts of the world we don’t want to compare ourselves to with similar (infant mortality rate) numbers,” Karl Stauber, director of the foundation, said Monday.
Stauber said the foundation is studying the report to determine which areas it can “take a leadership role” in improving.
The report listed areas it considers most important to improve, including the area’s increased drug use, as well as the perception that health care is inaccessible and the need for everyone to make healthy lifestyle changes.
Stauber said the foundation will know in a month or two which areas it will be able to tackle directly, in partnership with local health organizations.
“We want to see more conversation in the community (about health issues),” he said. “We will also remain open to grant requests that cut across all concerns.”
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