According to David Fry, Director of Community Relations at DCMH, “The statistical information not only reinforces the significant role of our Hospital in the County and identifies the direct involvement of the Hospital in the local economy.  It demonstrates the ‘ripple’ effect of the dollars the healthcare sector brings into the community and the jobs it helps create.  In addition, it illustrates the benefit the Hospital provides for a safe, stable, and healthy community.”  Fry explained that due to the nature of the data, report information has a 12-month compilation delay. 

For 2010, the estimated total annual economic impact of the Hospital was estimated at $74,850,000.  DCMH employed 480 healthcare professionals making it one of the five largest employers in the County, with a total payroll of $25,114,000.  These expenditures serve as an important economic stimulus by creating supporting jobs throughout the local and state economies.  Dollars earned by Hospital employees are spent on groceries, clothing, mortgage payments, rents and more, generating approximately $41,076,000 in economic activity and creating an additional 216 jobs for the local economy.

Decatur County Memorial Hospital spends about $17,681,160 per year on the goods and services it needs to provide healthcare—for example, medical supplies, electricity for its buildings, and food for patients.  These funds flow from the Hospital to vendors and businesses which ripple throughout the economy.  With the multiplier calculations taken into account, dollars spent by Decatur County Memorial Hospital generate approximately $28,919,000 for the area’s economy.

DCMH also provides vital health services to the County and in 2010 highlighted the following statistics:

Fry stated, “Hospitals are a vital component in a community’s quality of life, keeping it healthy and vibrant.  Beyond the contributions to the County’s health and economic well-being, the local Hospital is a key to attracting new businesses and residents.  It is critical to those seeking a new community that the area has high quality healthcare providers and services and we’ve seen this demonstrated time and again in questions that these prospects ask.”  

DCMH is celebrating its 90 years of caring in 2012 and the public is invited to interact with the Hospital by sharing their stories at www.dcmh.net/90.  More information on Decatur County Memorial Hospital and its services may be found by visiting the website at www.dcmh.net or www.facebook.com/dcmhgreensburg.

(December, 2011)

Greensburg and Decatur County can now boast of being home to one of the Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals in the country.  Decatur County Memorial Hospital was recently named to the prestigious Top 20 list, further clarifying its earlier notification of Top 100 status.

The Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals, including Decatur County Memorial Hospital (DCMH), scored best among critical access hospitals (CAHs) on the iVantage Health Analytics’ Hospital Strength Index™.  In the first-ever comprehensive rating of CAHs, one of the results categories recognized the Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals that are the safety net to communities across America – measuring them across 56 different performance metrics, including quality, outcomes, patient perspectives, affordability and efficiency. More information regarding the index can be found at www.HospitalStrengthIndex.com.

 “We have an excellent staff and capable physicians who have enabled us to receive this recognition,” stated Linda Simmons, DCMH President & CEO.   “Being one of the elite, Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals in the Country is something of which our entire community can be proud.  The comprehensive nature of the ranking only adds to our satisfaction. “

According to information from the Rural Assistance Center there are 1,327 Critical Access Hospitals in the United States and 35 of them are located in Indiana.  Legislation enacted as part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 authorized states to establish programs under which certain facilities participating in Medicare can become Critical Access Hospitals, (CAHs.) 

“Rural hospitals play such a critical role in providing needed care to communities across America.  The challenges are completely different, yet as complex as urban hospitals. The need for benchmarks and a framework for success are equally important as hospitals brace for the impact of health reform,” said John Morrow, EVP of iVantage Health Analytics.

Decatur County Memorial Hospital will celebrate 90 years of caring in 2012, having opened on February 4, 1922.  More information about the Hospital and its services may be obtained at www.dcmh.net.

DCMH Named in Top 100

(September 30, 2011)

Pride in one of the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in the United States can now be added to the list of community assets for local economic development officials and community residents.  Decatur County Memorial Hospital (DCMH) received word this week it has been recognized on the prestigious Top 100 list which analyzed a wide variety of measures.

 The Hospital Strength Index (HSI) was developed by iVantage Health Analytics, and provided the basis for the CAH Ranking of the Top 100. This new ranking system is based on data that is publicly-available and includes 56 various measures.  The ranking is unique since it is the first to include market, quality, safety, satisfaction and financial information and bring it together in a consolidated score.

 The names of the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in America were announced earlier this week at the Critical Access Hospital Conference of the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) held in Kansas City, Missouri.  A new NRHA partnership with iVantage was also announced at the conference.

 DCMH CEO Linda Simmons stated “the broad based nature of the ranking is certainly important, but the fact that we were in the top quartile of the Hospital Strength Index™ and awarded a HealthStrong™ “Best in Strength” and “Top 20 CAH” Award adds to our satisfaction.  We have an excellent staff and capable physicians that are at the heart of our ability to receive such recognition.”

Legislation enacted as part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 authorized states to establish programs under which certain facilities participating in Medicare can become Critical Access Hospitals, (CAHs.)  According to information from the Rural Assistance Center there are 1,327 Critical Access Hospitals in the United States and 35 of them are located in Indiana.  DCMH was one of only four from the State to make the Top 100 list.

 Decatur County Memorial Hospital will celebrate 90 years of serving the community in 2012.  More information regarding the Hospital and its programs may be found at www.dcmh.net or www.facebook.com/dcmhgreensburg.

Physician Recruitment Seeks to Go Viral

  (September 1, 2011)

The challenge of physician recruitment in rural areas is not a new one, but with healthcare reform and an aging population, the topic has been in the national spotlight in recent months.  Now, Decatur County Memorial Hospital (DCMH) in Greensburg is using a worldwide stage and the reach of technology in its recruitment efforts, including a YouTube posting. 

 “The Chair of our Board of Trustees, Toni Collins, suggested that we might follow Ryan Stone, while completing a rotation at DCMH as part of his medical curriculum, and use the video as a marketing tool for other prospective physicians,” stated Linda Simmons, President & CEO at DCMH.  “As a result, our marketing department developed a script identifying the unique qualities of our Hospital to attract young physicians.  A professional shoot was conducted with Ryan, and the recently completed video has been posted on YouTube.”  

 According to David Fry, Director of Community Relations at DCMH, the video has a theme of “Big City Medicine, Small Town Care,” and highlights the aspects of a rural facility that medical students might find surprising.  “Most would not expect to find a hospital in a smaller community was the first in Indiana to offer OB smartphone physician monitoring and the only one to do so along with a 128-slice low-dose CT scanner, offering a telehealth program, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and a simulation lab.  We wanted to dispel any misconceptions students may have about the technology offered in a smaller facility.  We also wanted our target to understand the unique role hospitals such as ours play in the community environment verses the metropolitan counterparts.”  The Hospital plans to distribute the video in other forms as well.

 Simmons acknowledged that in a CNN article last year Dr. Howard Rabinowitz, professor of family and community medicine at Thomas Jefferson University's Medical College said, “The shortage of rural physicians is a "huge problem,"

 "About 20% of the population lives in rural areas but only 9% of physicians practice there," said Rabinowitz, who has studied the issue for more than 30 years.  He cited a variety of reasons related to insurance, rising business costs and others.

 Simmons stated the statistics only emphasized the need for new angles and to convey the values of rural opportunities and facilities.  "While the Hospital’s video can answer many questions that prospective physicians might have it is only a small piece of our ongoing recruitment efforts. We are always actively talking with persons interested in pursuing careers as physicians and seeking mutually beneficial partnerships.  By taking a closer look, potential candidates will realize they can have the best of both worlds at DCMH by sharing traditional values blended with state-of-the-art technology, and a convenient location midway between metropolitan areas.”

 The video can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/user/DCMHgreensburg.  Questions regarding physician opportunities with Decatur County Memorial Hospital may be directed to Linda Simmons at (812) 663-4331 or www.dcmh.net/recruitment. The Hospital’s social networking site is available at www.facebook.com/dcmhgreensburg.

                        

DCMH Receives Funding...

(August 8, 2011)

Decatur County Memorial Hospital (DCMH) has received funding to provide 23 digital screening mammograms (includes technical and professional  fees) from the Indiana Breast Cancer Awareness Trust, Inc. The Trust receives funding through the sale of Breast Cancer Awareness license plates through the BMV. The mission of the Indiana Breast Cancer Awareness Trust is to increase awareness and improve access to breast cancer screenings and diagnosis throughout Indiana. Since this program’s inception, over 8,500 women have received screening mammograms in Indiana.

DCMH Leaders Honored at State Level

(June 9, 2011)

 Two leaders at Decatur County Memorial Hospital (DCMH) were presented major awards at the Indiana Rural Health Association (IRHA) conference in Indianapolis earlier this week.   Chief of Staff, Dr. Purnendu Datte and VP of Quality and Compliance, Marjorie Willer, R.N. were both recognized for achievements in their respective areas.

 Dr. Purnendu Datta was named a winner of the prestigious Doc Hollywood award by the IRHA.  The award recognizes Indiana physicians who have shown outstanding dedication toward improving healthcare in rural and underserved communities and receives its name from the book, Doc Hollywood, by Neil Shulman, M.D. Dr. Shulman was known as the original Doc Hollywood and his book was made into a major motion picture starring Michael J. Fox in 1991.

   Dr. Datta has been a member of the DCMH medical staff for 30 years and has served twice as the Chief of  Staff, once in 1992-93 as well as currently serving in that capacity.  He and his wife Ranjana, along with their children have called Greensburg their home.  He owns and operates a private medical practice here and has been an active community member for many years. 

   In her nomination, Denise Fields, DCMH PharmD, stated “Dr. Datta is a true humanitarian.  He performs selfless acts of kindness for his patients, his staff and his colleagues without wanting any attention or notoriety.  He merely does kind things for others because ‘it is the right thing to do.’   You won’t find newspaper articles heralding his actions because many he performs in an anonymous fashion.”    Fields went on to note a number of instances where Dr. Datta went above and beyond to extend a helping hand to a person in need.

   “Luckily for this community, this type of care is the norm with Dr. Datta.  He constantly considers his patient’s financial and emotional well being while treating their medical conditions.  He cares for the whole patient, and he does not restrict his focus only to physical symptoms and lab results,”  Fields commented.  “To keep up to date with current medical practice, (so that he can best serve his patients,) Dr. Datta gets up at 4:00 a.m. and reads medical literature for two hours each and every day before coming to the hospital to see patients.” 

   Fields’ nomination continued, “Dr. Datta represents a caliber of physician that unfortunately is fading into the history books.  He has devoted his life to his patients and to the community.  It will truly take three or more physicians of the younger generations to replace the work horse that is Dr. Datta.  He doesn’t ask to restrict his hours to 40 hours per week or less and he doesn’t look for ways to reduce his amount of call time.” 

   “Dr. Datta is a physician that comes from a generation that understood and accepted the level of commitment and sacrifice required of being a rural community physician,” Fields added.    “Although he would not expect or solicit recognition or gratitude for all of the work and time he has devoted to his patients, his community and to DCMH, he is oh so deserving.” 

Dr. Datta is the second physician practicing at DCMH to receive the Doc Hollywood Award, with Dr. Mary McCuollough recognized in  

    Marjorie Willer, RN, VP of Quality and Compliance at DCMH was presented with the Indiana Rural Health Association’s Leadership Award.  The award recognizes those that “have demonstrated an ability to guide and motivate in a direction that contributes to the betterment of rural health in Indiana. An awardee has shown an exemplary ability to lead in a positive manner and direction to ensure better health outcomes for our rural citizens.” 

   Marjorie (Marj) Willer, RN, was hired in 1980 as the Assistant Director of Nursing.   She came to DCMH with nearly 30 years experience in nursing, taking off only a brief stint to be a home maker, while her four children were young.  Marj has held various other positions during her tenure here at DCMH including Director of Nursing, VP of Patient Care, Corporate Compliance Officer and VP of Quality and Compliance. 

   Denise Fields, DCMH PharmD, nominated Willer for the prestigious award saying, “Marj exudes a quiet confidence and she is honest and open in her interactions.  She is not afraid to go against popular opinion in order to do what is right and just, which makes her the perfect candidate to be a Corporate Compliance Officer.  Although Marj is not confrontational, she will not compromise her own values and beliefs when negotiating with physicians, administration, the board, etc.”  Fields went on to state that, “It would be very easy for Marj to state ‘that is what the regulation says, so we must do it,’ but that is not her style.  Marj will educate you on why the change is necessary and leave you understanding that it really is the best thing to do for our patients.”

   Fields also stated that she found inspiration in Marj’s signature line in her email which states “Compliance is like Ethics – Doing what is right when nobody is looking!”  “This signature line so embodies our Marj……what she is about……..the legacy she will leave behind in retirement some day.” Fields said. 

  Both awardees were recognized earlier by the DCMH Board of Trustees.

Storm Damage Widespread

(May 26, 2011)

Storm damage in the Greensburg-Decatur County Area is widespread but the Hospital is operating without restrictions and no direct impact on the facility.  In other areas of our community there are numerous power outages, downed trees, major hail damage to roofs, siding and many other inconveniences exist.  Schools were delayed by two hours this morning but forecasts are for improving weather conditions over the next two days.

Hospital Auxiliary Presents Check For Projects

(May 24, 2011)

The Auxiliary of Decatur County Memorial Hospital provides a valuable service through their volunteer efforts at the facility. Today however, they also demonstrated their commitment to helping raise funds for our local Hospital.

Kathy Whitmore, Auxiliary President, and Glenda Porter, Gift Shop Liaison, presented a check to DCMH Leadership and representatives of those departments that will stand to benefit from the contribution. The check totaled $13,500.

The funds will be used to support the following projects:

These funds are earned through special sales conducted throughout the year by the Auxiliary. These include Uniform Sales, Book Sales, Accessory Sales and others. In addition, profits from the Auxiliary Gift Shop located at DCMH support gifts to the Hospital.

The volunteers at DCMH provide a variety of services centered around the information desk, transport desk and gift shop with new programs being investigated. Additional volunteers are needed to help advance the programs and services of the Auxiliary, while extending assistance to those utilizing our Hospital. Those interested in obtaining more information about serving as a volunteer are encouraged to contact Vicki Rudolf, Coordinator of Volunteer Services, at 663-1127.  Interested persons can also download the volunteer application from www.dcmh.net.

Lab Receives Accreditation

(May 1, 2011)

The Laboratory at Decatur County Memorial Hospital was recently awarded accreditation by the Accreditation Committee of the College of American Pathologists (CAP), based on the results of a recent onsite inspection.

The laboratory’s director, Jugnoo Husain, M.D., was advised of this national recognition and congratulated for the excellence of the services being provided. Decatur County Memorial Hospital’s Lab is one of more that 7,000 CAP-accredited laboratories worldwide.

The CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program, begun in the early 1960’s, is recognized by the federal government as being equal to or more stringent than the government’s own inspection program.

During the CAP accreditation process, inspectors examine the laboratory’s records and quality control of procedures for the preceding two years. CAP inspectors also examine laboratory staff qualifications, as well as the laboratory’s equipment, facilities, safety program and record, in addition to the overall management of the laboratory. This stringent inspection program is designed to specifically ensure the highest standard of care for all laboratory patients.

CEO Transition Underway

(March 24, 2011)

History was made on Thursday at Decatur County Memorial Hospital as both the incoming and retiring CEO were in attendance at the Board of Trustees meeting.

Current CEO Bill Alloy, announced his retirement last summer, scheduled for April 1, of 2011. His announcement resulted in the Board of Trustees embarking on a nationwide search that began last fall and culminated in early February. It was then that the Board announced the hiring of Linda V. Simmons as the new CEO for Decatur County Memorial Hospital and her employment began Thursday.

Alloy has served as CEO at DCMH since October of 2005. During his period of service a number of initiatives have been undertaken, including providing leadership to numerous Hospital projects including strategic and master site planning, focusing on quality, developing new patient services and physician specialties, enhancing employee programs and improving operating efficiencies among other important initiatives.

Simmons has most recently served as the Interim Chief Executive Officer at the Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County (MHSC) in Rock Springs, Wyoming. She had also served as CEO at the Kindred Hospital Walnut Hill in Dallas, Texas, and Chief Operating Officer at the Kindred Hospital-Arlington in Arlington, Texas. Simmons’ accomplishments in her career include among others, serving as Director of Critical Care Services, Clinical Manager of the ICU/Dialysis/Telemetry Services and working as an ICU Staff/Charge Nurse. Her educational attainments include a Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Administration from the University of Mary, Bismarck, ND, and a Master of Science in Nursing, with a Healthcare Administration focus, from Baylor University. She also possesses a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Messiah College.

“The Board of Trustees wants to thank Bill for his leadership during these tough economic times, especially surrounding issues relating to human resources, accountability, physician relations, and the conversion of the Hospital to Critical Access status,” commented Toni Collins, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “In looking to the future, our Hospital, medical staff, employees, and community are fortunate to have attracted a CEO of Linda’s caliber for his replacement. Her unique blend of clinical, organizational and operational experience is certain to serve our facility and its patients well.”

Travel Clinic Now Open

 (March 4, 2011)

Students studying abroad, business executives, vacationers and travelers visiting friends and relatives in foreign countries often do not receive any pre-travel care or immunizations.  On March 1, Workwell Occupational Health, a division of Decatur County Memorial Hospital, launched a travel clinic to serve the travel advice and immunization needs of these international travelers.

Partnering with Travel Clinics of America, Noel P. Mungcal, M.D., a family physician for 14 years, is providing the traveling public with state-of-the art medical care in travel medicine.  Travelers headed abroad need pre-travel counseling and immunizations to stay safe and healthy.  They also need to be educated on food and beverage safety, jet lag, finding medical care abroad, malaria prevention, accident and injury avoidance, crime risks and safety issues specific to particular destinations. 

Dr. Mungcal has obtained additional training in travel medicine and is certified to administer the yellow fever vaccine with all other travel vaccines being available.  As a service of the clinic, travelers will receive face to face counseling and receive pamphlets and other important information to take on their trips. Dr. Mungcal and his staff will be available for consultations on relatively short notice, when necessary. 

Workwell Occupational Health is now seeing patients for its travel clinic and they can be reached at (812) 662-6450.

Pharmacy Receives Notice of Recogntion

(February 24, 2011)

Pharmacy OneSource, Inc., a “software as a service” provider to over 1,300 hospitals in the United States, announced that Decatur County Memorial Hospital won the 2010 Pharmacist Intervention Challenge with the most interventions per hospital bed.

"Many pharmacies can't quantify the different services that they are involved with because they either don't track them or the system they use for tracking isn't efficient. Quantifi allows my pharmacists to document interventions in an efficient manner, has improved the trending of data in our facility for many different processes, and it has become a vital communication tool for our department. My staff would not want to work without it," said Denise Fields, Director of Pharmacy at Decatur County Memorial Hospital.

"The pharmacists' documentation of all clinical activity has helped us to create and retain FTEs for our department over the years - even when productivity consultants were brought in to our facility." Quantifi, Pharmacy OneSource's clinical communication and documentation tool, is used by more than 50,000 healthcare professionals who documented $689 million in savings through interventions in 2010. Quantifi captures both the actual dollar savings via reduction in supply costs and potential costs savings through risk avoidance

DCMH CardioPulmonary Earns Quality Respiratory Care Recognition

(February 24, 2011)

Decatur County Memorial Hospital has earned Quality Respiratory Care Recognition (QRCR) under a national program aimed at helping patients and families make informed decisions about the quality of the respiratory care services available in hospitals.

Nearly 700 hospitals, or approximately 15% of hospitals in the United States have applied for and received this award with this representing the 4th consecutive year for DCMH to be so honored. The QRCR program was started by the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) in 2003 to help consumers identify those facilities using qualified respiratory therapists to provide respiratory care. Hospitals such as DCMH that earn the QRCR designation ensure patient safety by agreeing to adhere to a strict set of criteria governing their respiratory care services.
 
The program recognizes performance in such areas as respiratory therapist availability 24 hours daily, a designated medical director of respiratory care, and policies and procedures relative to efficiency and quality.