November 19, 2006
A HOLIDAY TRADITION AT RANDOLPH MEDICAL CENTER - THE TREE OF LIGHTS
The Tree of Lights is a Special Way to Remember or Honor Family Members and Special Friends During the Holidays. At the same time your donations will be used for updated equipment to help us better serve our community. The festivities begin at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 7th. You may honor or remember someone by calling us and letting us know who you would like to remember and picking which light you would prefer. White light - $5.00, Blue light - $10.00, Yellow light - $20.00, Red light - $30.00, Green light - $50.00. Then join us for the tree lighting with carols and holiday treats.
August 1, 2006
Please welcome Jeff Kirkpatrick as RMC’s new CFO. Jeff’s background includes stints at Jackson Hospital and Clinic as well as MedPartners. He has an accounting degree from Auburn and has extensive audit experience in healthcare facilities. Jeff lives in Auburn with his wife Cindy and daughter Allie (22 months). Many of you know Cindy who provides dietary services for our hospital. Please make a point to stop in and introduce yourself to him.
Charlotte Bishop’s rural health clinic officially became a part of RMC on August 1st. We are excited about Charlotte and her staff joining our team.
Amy Johnson has been named our new Utilization Review and Swing Bed Coordinator. Amy has worked at RMC for several years as an ER nurse and is now looking forward to her new position. We know she’ll do a great job.
ELIMINATING HOSPITAL ACQUIRED INFECTIONS!
Dec. 2005
For the immediate past 12 months there has been only one hospital acquired infection at RMC. This translates into a rate of .0013 or less than 2 tenths of one percent. For comparison purposes it has been reported that 5% - 10% of patients nationally or roughly 2,000,000 people per year acquire an infection during their hospital stay resulting in an estimate of 20,000 deaths.
"Our hospital acquired infection rate is extraordinarily low," says Tim Harlin, CEO. "The almost complete absence of these infections speaks volumes about the care our staff takes in treating patients," adds Harlin.
"We use a team approach to keep our infection rate low," says Margie Brown, Director of Nursing. "All disciplines that interact with the patients from nursing, respiratory, radiology, pharmacy, housekeeping and dietary all practice 'standard precautions,'" adds Brown. "We combine common sense with strict observances of hand washing, aseptic techniques, careful handling and cleaning of instruments and the use of disposable items."
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MRI IS BACK!
Dec. 2005
RMC is now offering Magnetic Resonance Imaging procedures. MRI is an imaging technique used in medical settings to produce high quality images of the inside of the human body. The procedure is quite common with over 10,000 MRI units in place worldwide producing approximately 75 million scans per year.
"There was unanimous consent on the part of our physicians to bring back MRI," says Tim Harlin, CEO. "When polled the doctors told me that they preferred a closed system with a strong magnate for a better clearer image, so that's what we did," adds Harlin.
"We've needed MRI back at RMC for sometime. I'm pleased it's here and I appreciate the pace at which the hospital's moving to improve," says Dr. Mel Holmes, a local primary care physician in Roanoke.
MRI scans are available at RMC every Saturday from 8 am to 4:00 pm. "The key to a good MRI study is the experience of the technician and the strength of the magnate," says Kay Turner the radiology manager at RMC. "We have a very experienced registered MRI technician who's been conducting theses tests for the past five years and a strong, high quality magnate to ensure high resolution results," adds Kay.
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EXPANDING CARDIAC SERVICES
Dec. 2005
Randolph Medical Center is now offering GXT procedures. GXT are often referred to as treadmills. The procedure involves hooking the patient up to a 12-lead E.K.G. and monitoring the heart at peak performance. The test results provide physicians with valuable insights into the working of the heart. GXT's are used by physicians all over the country to identify cardiac problems before they become severe.
"With the addition of GXT we now have a full complement of non-invasive cardiac procedures available to the community," says Kay Turner, Director of Radiology at Randolph Medical Center. "With the city of Roanoke taking over the hospital we've turned over a new leaf," adds Tim Harlin, CEO. "We're all working hard to be the healthcare destination of choice for our community. Adding new services so people of this area don't have to drive 50 miles to be taken care of is just one of the many ways we are working to improve."