INSIDE THIS ISSUE Surgical Clinic Expands to Welcome the First of

Surgical Clinic Expands to Welcome
the First of Four New Surgeons
Quality, Kindness and
Respect … Every Person,
Every Time.
Clark J. Leslie, MD, FACS
Joshua Paulick, MD
The strength of a hospital’s general surgery program is based on a solid team
of surgeons dedicated to meeting the needs of patients with timeliness, skill
and weekday and weekend availability. And as part of a 24-hour-a-day health
care organization, we recognize the need for surgical care doesn’t always fit
into the normal hours of a 5-day workweek.
To meet our goal of serving the needs of our patients with exceptional surgical
care when they need it, our Coshocton Hospital Surgeons Arvind Shah, MD,
and Thomas Mahany, MD, are expanding the surgical clinic to include four
additional surgeons who are providing care on a minimum of two weekends
per month. Clark J. Leslie, MD, FACS, and Joshua Paulick, MD, have already
begun working at Coshocton Hospital. Michal Sarap, MD, FACS, and Joseph
O’Hanlon, DO, will begin in the upcoming weeks.
The surgeons are a part of Southeastern Ohio Physicians, Inc., in Cambridge,
Ohio. They will be working at Coshocton Hospital two weekends per month.
This program is a unique arrangement that includes office appointments that
can be scheduled in our surgical clinic on Fridays after 10 a.m. The surgeons
are on call throughout the weekend for emergency surgeries and are available
to perform surgeries on Monday mornings as they complete their Friday
through Monday commitment. Dr. Shah and Dr. Mahany will continue to
provide surgical coverage through the week and on alternate weekends.
Continued on page 3
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Volume 4, Issue 9
May 22, 2014
A Message From Our
Interim CEO.............................. 2
Audiology Services Can
Help with Hearing Care..............2
New Laundry Service
Launches May 23......................4
Buy Your Blooms This Friday!....4
Barry Nolan Appointed
Safety Officer.............................5
Backus Now Radiology
Physician Director......................5
A Hospital Week Celebration!....5
Credit Union Update..................6
FSA and HRA Reimbursement
Filing Deadline is May 31...........6
Audiology Services
Can Help with
Hearing Care
A Message from Our Interim CEO
Lorri S. Wildi
Community hospitals were once organizations striving to be all
things to all people. As the healthcare industry has evolved, this
model is no longer an option for organizations such as ours.
We are one of many small community hospitals throughout the
country facing declining volumes, an aging population, reduced
reimbursement and serious financial losses.
I recognize that this is a difficult and challenging time for our hospital
family, as change is occurring at a pace and magnitude we haven’t
seen before. The changes we are experiencing can lead to a sense
of turmoil, confusion and mistrust and are difficult for everyone.
We must all understand the importance of working together as we
create and pave our way toward recovery. These are serious times
for our organization that require immediate solutions and a true
sense of urgency.
As employees, you deserve the respect of our community, fellow
citizens and most importantly, the patients in your care. Since my
arrival in Coshocton, I have heard many times our organization
referred to as the “band-aid station.” This often comes from those
who have chosen to no longer use our hospital and sometimes
from those who still do. While the reference certainly stings, we
as an organization must take ownership of the problem and work
hard to repair this negative perception of our hospital. We must
work together to always reflect an image of professionalism and
confidence in our hospital and continue to make decisions, even
when difficult, based on solid business practices and quality
standards. We must put an end to our inappropriate, inaccurate
reputation once and for all.
We have dedicated, knowledgeable, and skilled people working
hard to save our hospital. The problems we face are real and very
complex and the steps we are taking to turn around our hospital
are often painful. I believe our community wants a hospital they can
turn to with pride and confidence in the care we provide, and we
certainly need to be proud of the work we do.
While we hope
to soon make an
announcement
of a new ENT
specialist to fill
the physician
vacancy in our
Ear, Nose and
Throat (ENT)
Clinic, we can still provide help to
patients with hearing difficulties
through our Audiology Services
in the lower level of the 311
Building. Working with referrals
from our family practice physicians,
Cheryl Barker, Au.D., CCC-A, can
provide testing to determine the
extent of the hearing problem and
recommend appropriate next steps.
Dr. Barker earned her Doctor of
Audiology from AT Still University
at the Arizona School of Health
Sciences. She has worked with
Coshocton Hospital from more than
10 years and uses non-invasive
Otoacoustic Emission Testing
to test patients aged 6 months
through adulthood.
If a provider suspects a hearing
problem, please call Dr. Barker’s
office at 623-4143. She will work
to schedule the patient as quickly
as possible and will consult with
the provider to determine the best
course of treatment for the patient,
with referral to an Otolaryngologist
as needed.
Continued on page 3
2
Surgical Clinic Expands to Welcome the
First of Four New Surgeons....continued from page 1
“We are very pleased to welcome these board certified surgeons to
Coshocton,” stated Dr. Shah, medical director of surgical services.
“These surgeons provide a level of consistent coverage that enables us
to keep our general surgeries here at Coshocton Hospital. We should
not be sending patients elsewhere for surgeries we can do here, and
expanding our practice to include this surgical coverage helps keep our
patients in their home community.”
Meet Our New Surgeons
Clark J. Leslie, MD, FACS, graduated from The Ohio State University with
his Doctor of Medicine in 1992, after earning his a Bachelor of Science
in Economics, also from OSU. He completed his residency in general
surgery at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus. He is a Fellow of the
American College of Surgeons and earned his board certification from the
American Board of Surgery. He holds his certification as both a provider
and instructor in Advanced Trauma Life Support.
Joshua Paulick, MD, graduated Cum Laude from Cedarville University in
Cedarville, Ohio, with his Bachelor of Science in Biology. He earned his
Doctor of Medicine from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
in 2007, and completed his general surgical residency at Wright State
University’s Boonshoft School of Medicine in Dayton. His earned his
board certification from the American Board of Surgery in 2013.
Dr. Paulick is certified in Advanced Trauma Life Support; Advanced
Cardiac Life Support; Advanced Burn Life Support; and Fundamentals
of Laparoscopic Surgery.
Dr. Paulick’s experience includes four medical mission trips from 2003 to
2010. These trips took him to Santo Antonio do Ica, Amazonas, Brazil;
Leh, Ladakh, India; Tanzania, East Africa; and Togo, West Africa. His
stateside volunteerism has extended to service in a Dayton homeless
kitchen and work as a volunteer EMT/firefighter with the Cedarville
Township Volunteer Fire Department. In his spare time, Dr. Paulick
enjoys running and backpacking.
Both Dr. Paulick and Dr. Leslie have completed their first weekends
at Coshocton Hospital and have commented on the warm welcome
they have received from our staff members. Please watch for them on
upcoming Friday and weekend shifts and take a moment to welcome them
as new members of our Coshocton Hospital Surgical Services team.
Saving Our Hospital
for Our Future
... continued from page 2
The road to recovery is not easy as
we are faced with mounting financial
challenges. Our financial loss though
the first three months of 2014 exceeds
$1.7 million. We simply cannot maintain
the status quo and survive as an
organization. The changes occurring in
departments such as dietary, laundry,
laboratory and obstetrics are difficult,
but I want you to understand that all of
these changes are part of a larger plan
to reposition our hospital so that we
are able to provide health care to the
residents of Coshocton and beyond,
for generations to come. In order to
be successful, we must stay focused
on what we need to do to be efficient,
productive and cost conscious while
defining and enhancing the health care
services that are needed most by
our communities.
Again, I know these are tough times
and I recognize and respect that there
is uncertainty regarding our future.
We have serious problems and we
are devoting every ounce of time and
energy to finding ways out of our
financial difficulties. We cannot waste
our efforts wondering what we could
have done differently, nor should we
be a part of the gossip and innuendo.
Our sole focus is saving our hospital
and transforming it into the health care
facility we will all be proud to call ours.
I ask that you work with your director
and managers by sharing your thoughts
and ideas and being an important part
of the solution. I have confidence in you
and in your dedication to Coshocton
Hospital. Let us work together to make
a difference and secure our hospital for
the long-term.
3
New Laundry Service Launches May 23
When you take into account the sheets, towels, tablecloths and patient
gowns used every day in the hospital and in the ECF, the supply of clean
laundry in good condition is essential to our everyday operation. We recently
evaluated cost, infection control and equipment replacement expense and
made the decision to move from in-house laundry preparation to a regional
company to provide this service. Comtex begins laundry delivery under this
new model beginning tomorrow, May 23.
Comtex (Central Ohio Medical Textiles) is a not-for-profit shared services
corporation that was established by the Ohio Health and Mount Carmel
Systems. These healthcare organizations recognized the need to provide high
quality, cost effective laundry and linen service for their own organizations
and others throughout the region. Comtex prides itself on the ability to
provide hospitals with the appropriate quota of materials, prepared with
detailed attention to the hospital’s specification, and ready for distribution to
departments. They maintain a 364-day-per-year delivery schedule, ensuring
that we are kept well stocked with appropriate laundry and linen supplies.
As the director of environmental and laundry services, Ed Dailey chaired
the laundry steering committee through the planning and implementation
process. Representatives from Comtex met with the team to determine our
supply needs. Ed took a personal tour of the Comtex facilities in Columbus
to get an understanding of the process from start to finish.
“I was extremely impressed with the state-of-the-art facilities at Comtex,”
Ed stated. “Their focus on quality assurance and infection control is evident
throughout the facility. They even go so far as to physically separate the ‘clean’
side of the facility from the side that accepts the incoming ‘dirty’ laundry.”
Clean laundry will be delivered to the hospital on stainless steel Comtex carts.
Comtex will provide carts to collect the outgoing laundry and will take the
soiled laundry and cart directly to their facility. After the laundry is emptied
for processing, the carts are taken through a “cart wash” where they are
thoroughly sanitized. The clean laundry is pressed and folded and neatly
stacked on clean carts for delivery. Every precaution is taken to ensure the
elimination of contagions and bloodborne pathogens.
“When we look to the services Comtex can provide and to the substantial
projected costs of equipment, laundry and linen replacement, this change
is an important part of the support service enhancement phase of our
turnaround plan, bringing added efficiencies, cost savings and quality controls
to an important part of our business,” said Ed Dailey. “Today we share our
best wishes for success with those who are displaced by this change.”
If you have questions about the new laundry processes, please contact
Ed Dailey at ext. 4083.
Buy Your Blooms
This Friday!
Mother Nature has finally
cooperated with rain and sunshine
and this is the weekend to plant!
Our Pink Ladies have beautiful
geraniums and bedding plants
ready to make your landscape
and flower pots burst into bloom!
Join us Friday, May 23,
for this wonderful
annual sale!
Coshocton Hospital
Business Annex Garage
(14th Street between Orange
and Walnut Streets)
9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Geraniums:
$3 each or $36 per dozen
Bedding Plants:
$15 per flat
Stop by and check out the colorful
plants, hanging baskets and
cemetery urn inserts with flowers
locally grown by the Garden Patch.
Get your flowers this Friday
at the Pink Ladies Auxiliary
Annual Geranium Sale!
4
Barry Nolan Appointed Safety Officer
As the health care hub for Coshocton County, the
hospital holds an important role in ensuring the
safe, effective delivery of care during times of public
emergency. We are charged with remaining prepared
in the event of floods, destructive storms or other
emergencies that can affect public health. To that end,
we have one person who acts as our point of contact
with emergency management issues. Barry Nolan is
now in that role for the hospital as safety officer.
A Hospital Week
Celebration!
Barry has been with the hospital since 2002, working in plant operations
as our electrician and licensed fire alarm specialist and has also served in
the role of project manager. As safety officer, he will take on the additional
responsibilities of ensuring that safety and facility environmental controls
are in compliance with local, federal and state regulations and codes.
This includes the day-to-day issues of fire prevention, fire alarms, medical
gas safety and emergency power and life safety. He will now chair the
safety and risk committee for the hospital and will work with county safety
management agencies to oversee our emergency management readiness.
If you have questions, Barry can be reached at ext. 4042. We congratulate
Barry on these additions to his responsibilities at Coshocton Hospital and
look to him for guidance for safety and emergency preparedness issues.
Backus Now Radiology Physician Director
Shane Backus, MD, is now the physician director of the Coshocton
Hospital Radiology Department, effective May 1. Dr. Backus replaces
Edmond Russ, MD, who will be devoting most of his time to MRI studies
in the network of hospitals served by Radiology Associates.
Dr. Backus is a graduate of the West Virginia University School of Medicine.
He served his residency in both family medicine and radiology at the West
Virginia University Hospitals. Dr. Backus will now provide physician
oversight to the radiology department in our continued relationship with
Radiology Associates.
The radiology staff shares their congratulations to Dr. Backus for his
new appointment, and thanks to Dr. Russ for his years of service to
their department.
The Coshocton Hospital Dietary
Staff put on a great show for this
year’s Hospital Week luncheon.
They featured delicious
appetizers and desserts for a
fantastic mid-week break!
Thanks to everyone who helped
make this a fun change from
the everyday routine! And thanks
to all our employees for the
work you do for our patients
and families.
5
Credit Union Update
Headed to the Amusement Parks this Summer?
Discounted amusement park tickets are on sale now at Genesis
Employees’ Credit Union to credit union members. If you’re
planning a family fun day at Cedar Point, King’s Island, the
Columbus Zoo or Zoombezi Bay, check out the price sheets
available on the credit union web site, www.genesisecu.com.
Tickets can be purchased by check or cash (in person at credit
union office) or by withdrawal from your credit union account.
These tickets are available for credit union members only.
Don’t Let Great Rates Pass You By!
New/Used Cars or Trucks – They have rates as low as 2.75% APR.
If your credit score is “less than perfect,” they still have competitive
rates to offer.
Home Improvement (or Anything Else) Rate – The credit union has
rates as low as 6.99% APR on unsecured loans.
FSA and HRA
Reimbursement Filing
Deadline is May 31
The deadline for filing for your
reimbursement for eligible 2013
FSA expenses was extended from
March 31 until May 31 and that
deadline is fast approaching. The
filing deadline for union employee
HRA expenses was also extended
for the same time period.
You can find filing instructions as
well as a list of eligible expenses
listed on Public Server 6; click
on “Employee Forms.” Forms
are also available at the human
resource office in the white house
annex. If you have reimbursement
for eligible 2013 FSA expenses,
please be sure to file those
expenses by May 31 or your
reimbursement will no longer
be available.
Stop in or call the credit union for details for above loan rates.
Standard processing fees apply; loans are subject to credit approval;
and additional terms and conditions apply. This is a limited time offer.
Thanks for the Hospitality
The credit union staff has sent their thanks to the employees who
stopped by their table when they visited Coshocton Hospital.
They enjoyed visiting with our staff as they opened accounts and
answered questions.
Contact the credit union at (740) 454-5961 (Good Samaritan) or
(740) 454-4603 (Bethesda, Doctor’s Park Building 2), or simply
stop by when you’re in Zanesville (hours: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Mondays through Thursdays; 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays).
Deadline for
Next Issue
Information is due by
4 p.m. on Monday, June 2.
Editor: Mary Ellen Given
[email protected]
The credit union offices are closed on Memorial Day,
Monday, May 26.
6