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Tag: hospital

Bon Secours names COO of Hampton Roads market

Bon Secours has named Craig Schmidt chief operating officer for the health system’s Hampton Roads market, effective Monday.

He will lead the market’s operational projects within its facilities and oversee the growth in the Cincinnati, Ohio-based health system’s operations in Hampton Roads, according to a news release. He most recently served as vice president and chief operating officer of the Jewish Hospital — Mercy Health in Cincinnati, which is part of Bon Secours Mercy Health.

“We are thrilled to have Craig join our executive leadership team as we continue to align clinical operations with our ministry’s compassionate health care,” said Pat Davis-Hagens, market president. “Our patients and communities will benefit greatly from Craig’s knowledge in health care and his wide-ranging clinical operations expertise as we seek to make Bon Secours Hampton Roads an even stronger market where associates want to work, clinicians want to practice, people seek wellness and communities thrive.”

Schmidt joined Bon Secours 19 years ago and has held positions such as regional director of rehabilitation services, director of ancillary services and director of operations for Mercy Health — Fairfield Hospital.

“The mission of Bon Secours is one I’m uniquely familiar with, and it’s what sets us apart,” Schmidt said in a statement. “Our industry, our ministry and local community have been through some of the most challenging times in recent years, which is what makes right now an exciting time to join the team. I’m looking forward to working with our teams to see our vision realized with some exciting new projects on the horizon.”

He earned his bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University and his doctorate in physical therapy from the University of St. Augustine in Florida.

HCA hires Chippenham Hospital chief nursing officer

M. Lea Lee will become chief nursing officer of Chippenham Hospital on April 4, HCA Virginia announced Tuesday.

Lee currently serves as the chief nursing officer for LewisGale Medical Center in Salem and will be returning to Richmond. She has previously worked with HCA Healthcare. In 2007, she was Chippenham Hospital’s nursing director before she moved to Henrico Doctors’ Hospital and Johnston-Willis Hospital.

“We look forward to Lea’s Chippenham return,” Dr. William Lunn, CEO of Chippenham and Johnston-Willis hospitals, said in a statement. “Her dedication to helping others will continue to ensure our community and our patients have the best care available to them whenever they need us.”

Lee earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing and her master’s degree in nursing administration and leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is pursuing a doctor of nursing practice degree from Radford University.

Located in Richmond, Chippenham Hospital and its Chesterfield sister facility, Johnston-Willis Hospital, have 758 licensed beds and brought in about $802 million in net patient revenue in 2020.

Va. Health Center names new president and CEO

Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington has named Christopher T. Lane as its next president and CEO.

Lane replaces James Cole, who is retiring after 36 years at the hospital. Lane will begin in late March.

He will join VHC from Kaleida Health, Western New York’s largest health care system, where he was the president of the system’s flagship hospital, Buffalo General Medical Center and the Gates Vascular Institute, since 2016.

“We are thrilled to welcome Chris to Virginia Hospital Center and think he will do an excellent job stepping into the role of president and CEO,” said Dr. Russell McWey, chairman of VHC’s board, in a statement. “Chris’s experience forming strategic alliances and partnerships and his record of success with growth and retention efforts make him the perfect person to guide our health system forward as we embark on this next chapter.”

Lane has been with Kaleida Health since 2003 and has served as president of two other hospitals: Millard Fillmore Suburban and DeGraff Memorial hospitals. Before that, he was an administrator at Covenant Health Systems in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

“I am honored to have been selected to serve as Virginia Hospital Center’s next president and CEO,” Lane said. “VHC’s incredible employee culture and passion for providing excellent patient care are evident the moment you set foot on the hospital campus. I am proud to continue Jim Cole’s legacy of patient-focused quality care and excited to take the helm as VHC continues its expansion efforts to bring that level of service to an even larger patient population across the Washington, D.C., metro area.”

Lane holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, and a master’s in health care administration from D’Youville College in Buffalo, New York.

Virginia Hospital Center is a 437-bed, not-for-profit teaching facility.

The longest year

Amid some of the worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Virginia’s patient satisfaction rate fell slightly in an annual nationwide survey, and just two hospitals in the commonwealth received top marks from their patients. Overall, Virginia patient satisfaction lagged the national average by 3% in 2020.

The patient satisfaction scores come from the annual Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems conducted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

The Virginia results of the latest survey are shown on Pages 36-37. The latest survey was conducted in 2020, assessing patient satisfaction as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic moved toward its zenith.

The results are provided by Virginia Health Information, a Richmond-based nonprofit organization offering an array of data on hospitals, nursing facilities, physicians and health insurers in the commonwealth.

In addition to the patient satisfaction survey, VHI annually provides Virginia Business with service line reports showing patient discharge volume by region for a wide variety of hospital procedures.

The national satisfaction survey asks patients two questions: How do they rate the hospital? And would they recommend the hospital to friends and family?

The highest ratings in answer to the first question are 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale. The highest recommendation in response to the second question is: “Yes, definitely.”

In answering both questions in 2020, 80% or more of respondents gave top ratings to just two of 82 Virginia acute-care hospitals: Carilion Giles Community Hospital in Pearisburg and Riverside Doctors’ Hospital in Williamsburg.

Carilion Giles Community Hospital also received top marks in the 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2020 surveys.

Additionally, another eight hospitals scored 80% or better on one of the two questions in the 2020 survey: Inova Fair Oaks Hospital in Fairfax; Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church; Inova Loudoun Hospital in Leesburg; Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville; Smyth County Community Hospital in Marion; StoneSprings Hospital Center in Dulles; University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville; and Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington.

The Virginia average percentages for top ratings in the 2020 survey were 69% for both questions (down 2% for the first question and down 1% for the second question from the 2019 survey). The national averages for the latest survey were 72% for the first question and 71% percent for the second, each a percentage point lower than the previous year.

In the 2020 survey, data was unavailable from six hospitals, and an insufficient number of patients took the survey at two other facilities.

The service line reports on Pages 38-44 show consumers which hospitals are the market leaders in their regions in terms of patient discharges for a variety of procedures. VHI suggests that patients seek additional information about their options and needs from health care providers. Not all hospitals provide the same types of care.

VHI also publishes regional and statewide costs for dozens of services to help consumers compare expected costs. These and other details about Virginia hospitals and other health providers are available at vhi.org.

 

Inova to expand post-acute care at Mount Vernon hospital

Inova Health System is adding a Critical Illness Recovery Hospital (CIRH), also known as a long-term acute care facility, at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital in Alexandria.

The service is for patients who require an extended stay with specialized clinical attention and support but no longer need the intensive care provided in an acute care hospital. It will care for patients with complex medical conditions such as heart failure, wound or burn care, severe brain injuries, respiratory therapy or ventilator weaning. The new program will be staffed by a physician-led specialty care team.

“The absence of this type of care in our region has previously required patients to be transferred to facilities in Charlottesville, Richmond, or DC — far away from their families,”  Inova President and CEO Dr. J. Stephen Jones said in a statement. “With the addition of the CIRH at IMVH, all five Inova hospitals will be able to confidently transition patients to an Inova facility closer to home for this expert care.”

The Inova Mount Vernon CIRH is part of Inova’s ongoing efforts to fully build out its health care delivery system and will expand Inova’s system of services in the growing eastern region of Northern Virginia, which includes the city of Alexandria and surrounding communities, including Mount Vernon, Lorton, Franconia and Springfield.

The new hospital will be built within the current footprint of IMVH and is expected to be fully operational in late 2022.

VCU Medical Center names new president

Michael Roussos will be the next president of Richmond’s VCU Medical Center, starting in December, VCU Health System announced Wednesday.

Roussos was previously the lead administrator for University Hospital in San Antonio, where he led the hospital’s COVID-19 response. Roussos also aided in the hospital’s transition to Epic, an electronic medical records system that VCU Health System plans to implement later this year.

“Mike Roussos’ recruitment is the result of a highly competitive national search,” said Dr. Art Kellermann, senior vice president for VCU Health Sciences and CEO of VCU Health System, in a statement. “He understands the effort and commitment required to not only persevere but succeed in challenging circumstances.

Before joining University Hospital, Roussos worked at HCA Healthcare for 13 years, most recently serving as CEO of Mainland Medical Center in Texas. He holds a master of science degree in health care administration from Trinity University and a bachelor of science degree in kinesiology from The University of Texas at Austin.

Dr. Ron Clark, who has served as VCU Medical Center’s interim president since 2019, will continue to serve until December.

Valley Health tells workers to get vaccinated

Nicole Clark wants the nurses she supervises to do everything they can to keep themselves, their patients and co-workers safe from COVID-19.

That means wearing personal protective equipment, social distancing, frequent hand washing — and getting vaccinated against the disease.

Valley Health, a nonprofit health system that includes Winchester Medical Center and five other hospitals, as well as urgent care facilities and physician practices, announced in July that all employees, medical providers and contractors will be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine. 

“This was just one more thing we could add to our toolkit to protect our patients and our staff,” says Clark, a nursing director at Winchester Medical Center.

Valley Health has about 6,300 employees, and about 72% have received a COVID-19 vaccine, according to Valley Health President and CEO Mark Nantz.

In Virginia, Inova Health System, Mary Washington Healthcare and VCU Health System also require staff to receive COVID-19 immunizations. UVA Health requires all new employees to be vaccinated before beginning work. Current employees must either be vaccinated, have had COVID-19 in the last 150 days, or be working remotely to avoid weekly COVID-19 tests.

More than 55 medical groups, including the American Medical Association, issued a statement in July supporting mandatory COVID-19 vaccines for health care workers.

“I think you’ll see more and more [health systems] require it as the days go by,” says Nantz.

That’s not to say everyone was happy with Valley Health’s new policy.

On July 26, the Front Royal Town Council heard from more than 50 residents over a proposed ordinance to prohibit town employers from terminating workers who refuse to get a COVID-19 vaccine. The council rejected the measure by 3-2.

Brittany Watson, a registered nurse at Winchester Medical Center, and her girlfriend, Katherine Hart, a nurse practitioner at nearby Valley Health Urgent Care in Martinsburg, West Virginia, planned to lead protests over the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy in early August.

Watson and Hart both fell ill with COVID-19 in 2020. Neither woman plans to get a vaccine. “I believe in natural immunity,” Watson says.

Nantz expects some employees will leave Valley Health over the requirement. Watson and Hart are considering opening an independent practice together.

It’s a price Valley Health System is willing to pay. “I need a vaccinated workforce that’s well-protected,” Nantz says.

Va. Hospital Center receives $5M gift from Arlington CEO

Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington has received a $5 million donation from longtime donor Lola ​C. ​Reinsch to promote the hospital’s campus expansion efforts.

“We are honored to receive this gift and would like to thank Lola and the Reinsch Pierce family for their enduring commitment to Virginia Hospital Center,” Virginia Hospital Center Foundation President Tony Burchard said in a statement. “This generous gift will have a tremendous impact on our efforts to expand the hospital’s reach, helping to transform the health care we can provide to our community. Philanthropic commitments and generous gifts such as these are crucial in allowing VHC to continue to lead in innovation and patient care.”

The hospital is constructing a new seven-story outpatient pavilion, which will allow the hospital to increase its capacity by 100 beds. The expansion will also include updating the hospital’s parking and adding more than 1,270 parking spaces.

“I am so proud to be making this donation to Virginia Hospital Center to promote their outstanding health services in our community,” said Reinsch, CEO of Arlington-based property management firm E. G. Reinsch Co. “I am grateful that my own children and grandson took their first breaths there, and we hope that this gift will help VHC serve even more families.”

In 2012, Reinsch established Virginia Hospital Center’s Reinsch Pierce Family Center for Breast Health in honor of her mother, Dolores G. Reinsch, as well as her father, Emerson G. Reinsch, a builder-developer of rental apartment communities in Arlington.

Va. children’s hospitals get kudos in national rankings

Eight children’s hospitals in Virginia received recognition Tuesday in the U.S. News & World Report annual rankings of the top pediatric facilities in the nation, regions and states.

First in the state and seventh in the mid-Atlantic region is the University of Virginia Children’s Hospital, which was ranked nationally in five pediatric specialities: neonatology, pediatric cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes, orthopedics and urology.

“Earning these honors takes tremendous dedication by our team of exceptionally skilled and compassionate providers,” said Dr. James Nataro, chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at UVA Children’s. “I am proud every day to work alongside this team and witness the compassionate, excellent care they provide to our young patients and their families.”

Second in the state is the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, which reached 10th place in the region. It is nationally ranked in four specialties, including urology, pulmonology, nephrology and cancer.

“When families need medical care for their kids, they want nothing less than the best — and that’s exactly what they find at CHoR,” CEO Elias Neujahr said in a statement. “Our community and our nation faced many challenges over the past year, but this recognition underscores that through it all, these teams never paused in caring, researching, growing and giving their all to make sure the health of our kids comes first.”

Inova Children’s Hospital in Falls Church is ranked third in Virginia and 13th in the mid-Atlantic region, and it is nationally ranked for its neonatology program.

The other regionally recognized (but unranked) pediatric hospitals include: Carilion Clinic Children’s Hospital in Roanoke, Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters in Norfolk, the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU’s Brook Road campus, the Commonwealth Center for Children and Adolescents in Staunton and the Cumberland Hospital for Children and Adolescents in New Kent County.

U.S. News & World Report ranks children’s hospitals based on how they score on 10 specialties; for the 2021-22 rankings, 118 hospitals submitted medical data, and 89 were ranked in one or more specialty.

For more information about the rankings, visit this site.

LewisGale to open standalone ER in Roanoke

On Monday, LewisGale Regional Health System held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new freestanding emergency room in Roanoke.

Located at 1423 West Ruritan Road, the nearly 10,000-square-foot facility will be named LewisGale Medical Center Blue Hills ER and be staffed with board-certified emergency room physicians and nurses 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The facility will provide the same services as an emergency room housed within a hospital, and is expected to open in January 2022.

The facility is affiliated with Salem-based LewisGale Medical Center and will employ over 30 staffers, including emergency physicians and nurses. The center will include walk-in and ambulance entrances, eight private treatment rooms, digital ultrasound and diagnostic X-rays, CT capabilities and an on-site laboratory.

“With a commitment to patient care as our focus, we are filling a gap by bringing high-quality emergency services to this part of the Greater Roanoke Valley which has seen significant growth,” said Lance Jones, market president of the health system, in a statement. “This facility will also have the same advanced medical technologies and life-saving services that are available at our main ER on the medical center campus and at our freestanding Cave Spring ER. With this new ER, patients who live and work in this area will be able to receive services faster, resulting in better health outcomes.”