STPH 2014 Annual Report

2014 ANNUAL REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY
Delivering on the Promise of World-Class Healthcare Close to Home

As healthcare reform changes medicine nationally and locally, St. Tammany Parish Hospital’s Governing Board and Administration work collaboratively to ensure the system’s growth delivers on the promise of world-class healthcare for west St. Tammany and surrounding areas. From strategic partnerships and continued expansion to governmental and public affairs, 2014 represented a year filled with opportunities, challenges, growth and achievement.

Quality was on the forefront of our strategic goals in 2014 while St. Tammany Parish Hospital expanded access to specialty healthcare. Its three-year, $21 million expansion continued on track to add a new 21-bed unit of private rooms and an expanded emergency department in 2016. Our hospital was nationally recognized for its quality and safety accomplishments and local understanding of its business practices for the benefit of the patients we serve.

Hand in hand with our community physicians, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center and Ochsner Health System, St. Tammany Parish Hospital secured patient access to specialty care closer to home than ever before.

2014 represented a huge leap in St. Tammany Parish Hospital’s partnership with community physicians to ensure quality and safety for patients. The St. Tammany Quality Network, with leaders Dr. Mike Hill, medical director, and Jack Khashou, executive director, reached its goal: a 200-member clinically integrated network.

Physician members benefit from electronic communication with each other and hospital transcription, emergency, radiology and laboratory plus outside pharmacy and laboratory providers. 2014 also saw the launch of STQN’s Clinical Disease Registry to manage high-risk patients and report on key quality indicators.

The cooperative endeavor of St. Tammany Parish Hospital, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center and Northshore Oncology Associates achieved exciting milestones in 2014. The center was nationally recognized for exceptional patient experience, 100 percent of the center’s nurses and social workers earned specialty certification in cancer care, and we added procedures and multidisciplinary teams for lung cancer.

Perhaps most important, the center drastically increased the number of clinical trials and patients in the trials thanks to a NCORP grant. The center hosted 44 screening events, which meant 988 underserved residents of our area were screened. From those screenings, 224 were navigated because of abnormal findings and 12 were diagnosed with cancer. An additional 1,246 people were reached at 15 educational events where cancer information was shared. In addition, there were 20 professional education events with more than 320 physician/healthcare attendees.

The hospital executed a major advancement in access to specialty care for west St. Tammany and surrounding areas by signing a joint operating agreement with Ochsner Health System in 2014. The agreement created a long-term, strategic partnership focused on increasing local access to care, improving quality and reducing the cost of healthcare for area patients. Together, we can serve as the most comprehensive, integrated health system in west St. Tammany Parish.

The partnership provides benefits for both organizations, physicians and, most importantly, patients, who have the convenience of being treated close to home at west St. Tammany’s preferred hospital, while gaining better access to the depth and breadth of care for which Ochsner is nationally recognized. Our alignment, both clinically and financially, creates greater opportunity for physician recruitment and joint investments in new programs and facilities, including the expansion of patient services and resources in the region.

As the population of west St. Tammany grows, so does the need for healthcare services. The board and administration continued its commitment to expand services and infrastructure in 2014.

The three-year, $21 million expansion of inpatient and emergency services started in 2013 made significant progress in 2014. Scheduled for completion in 2016, the project is a series of phases that enable the parish’s largest acute care medical center to renovate and expand without sacrificing any emergency response, patient experience or inpatient capacity.

The addition of specialty practices in the service district included Covington Cardiovascular Care, the Bone and Joint Clinic, and Northlake Surgical Associates. Employment of these specialty physicians as part of the hospital’s network expands the level of care available to patients close to home. Similarly, the hospital’s managed care agreement with People’s Health expands access to St. Tammany Parish Hospital and all its healthcare services for the Medicare Advantage clients of the Metairie-based health plan.

Business Leadership

In 2014’s volatile healthcare financial environment, the hospital maintained A and A- bond ratings from Fitch and Standard & Poor’s. As part of its commitment to reinvest gains in its caring mission, STPH provided a combined $37 million in uncompensated and compassionate care, delivering on the promise to care for our community no matter the circumstances. Compassionate healthcare programs include:

• Inpatient and emergency care for all
• Community education on health, cardiac rehab, pulmonary rehab, diabetes and parenting skills
• Cancer resources, screenings and support
• At-home visits for new moms
• Free immunizations, medical attention and registration for government assistance
• Hospice care

St. Tammany Parish Hospital continued its longstanding commitment to the community by providing $140,000 in fundraising and sponsorship for fellow not-for-profits whose missions closely align with the hospital. Our hospital foundation plus local schools, health, wellness and community organizations measurably impact our mission.

Prudent leadership steered St. Tammany Parish Hospital to achieve admirable quality, safety and patient experience recognition in 2014, including U.S. News and World Report’s Best Hospitals, American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Get with the Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award, Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals WellSpot and Women’s Choice Awards for America’s Best Hospitals in cancer, heart, obstetrics, orthopedics and overall care.

Conclusion