Moody’s Investors Services has upgraded the bond rating of Huntsville Hospital to A1 from A2 and revised the hospital’s outlook from positive to stable. The upgrade was reported with the recent issue of more than $67 million in bonds by The Health Care Authority of the City of Huntsville, which governs Huntsville Hospital. The bond proceeds will be used to build and equip the 60-bed Madison Hospital, which is under construction on U.S. 72 in the city of Madison. According to Huntsville Hospital chief financial officer Lonnie Younger, the bond rating is one of the highest of any hospital in Alabama.

Mended Hearts, a nonprofit organization that partners with 460 facilities across the nation, has named Huntsville Hospital its Hospital of the Year for 2010. Huntsville Hospital was selected from eight national finalists for the award, which was announced at the group’s recent annual meeting in Minneapolis.

For more than 50 years Mended Hearts volunteers, who themselves are former cardiac patients, have visited hospitalized patients and sponsored support groups and educational forums for patients and families affected by cardiac disease. Volunteers with Mended Hearts made more than a quarter of a million visits nationally last year, providing encouragement and information. They also delivered their calling card --- the heart-shaped red pillow to comfort those recovering from cardiac surgery.

Logan Cox serves as the president of the Huntsville chapter, which was established 15 years ago by Donnette Smith, a local volunteer who continues to visit patients and also serve as a national officer in Mended Hearts.

Community Health Initiative, a Huntsville Hospital outreach program that helps local non-profit organizations by awarding grants for healthcare programs, recently presented 14 grants totaling $500,000. Over the past 15 years, Community Health Initiative has awarded more than $6.1 million to 36 local agencies.

The purpose of Huntsville Hospital’s Community Health Initiative is to improve the health status of citizens of Madison County through education, prevention and early detection of disease. Each year, the Community Health Initiative committee, which comprises volunteers appointed by the Health Care Authority of the City of Huntsville, encourages organizations with new or innovative programs to apply for funds and decides how to allocate available grant monies.

Community Health Initiative committee members include Chairwoman Jean Templeton, Greg Barnes, Philip Bentley Jr., Nansi Clark, Nancy Colin, Jill Gardner, Dr. Carl Grote Jr., Gina Hannah, Sue Helms, Rev. John Herndon, Kim Johnson, Michelle Jordan, Janet Neeley, Dr. Brian Patz, Betty Peterson, Dr. Lawrence Robey, Judy Smith, Maria Taylor, Snyder Washington and Sally Warden. Hospital Liaison Burr Ingram and Program Coordinator Karen Kiss serve as non-voting facilitators on the committee.

Agencies receiving 2010-11 Community Health Initiative grants include:
• CASA (Care Assurance System for the Aging and Homebound of Madison County) Safety Net Project - $70,000
• Girls Incorporated, Commit to be Fit - $5,000
• HEALS (Health Establishments at Local Schools) - $95,000
• First Stop Incorporated - $5,000
• Lilies of the Valley - $10,000
• Madison County Department of Human Resources, Madison County Fanily Drug Court - $13,000
• New Hope Children's Clinic - $82,000
• The Arc of Madison County Inc. - $15,000
• The Autism Resource Foundation - $15,000
• The Community Free Clinic - $120,000
• The Riley Behavioral and Educational Center - $15,000
• The Pathfinder - $15,000
• United Cerebral Palsy, Equipping Families for Success - $5,000

Click here to learn more about each program.

Recently, several departments within Huntsville Hospital were recognized for quality care. As we strive to be one of the best hospitals in America, consistently recognized for clinical and service excellence, we recognize:
* The Heart Center -- Full accreditation by The Joint Commission
* The Breast Center -- 11th consecutive perfect score from Food and Drug Administration
* Cancer Program -- Full accreditation by the American College of Surgeons
* Laboratory -- Perfect score from the College of American Pathology
* Cardiology II and Heart Failure Clinic -- Named one of five national Aquapheresis Centers of Excellence for heart failure patients experiencing fluid overload

Construction is well underway on Madison Hospital and you will soon see steel going up on the campus on U.S. 72. It’s still early in the project but so far everything is proceeding as planned and we feel confident we will meet our February 2012 opening date. One of the important issues we have been working on is the best way to finance the project. After reviewing several options we believe it is a great time to take advantage of the favorable interest rates and issue bonds to finance the project. We also want to make sure our community gets an opportunity to own some of these bonds. Contact your personal financial advisor or broker if you would like to do so. Merrill Lynch is the lead underwriter for the bonds which will be available on the retail market soon.

According to what we are told, the widening of Governors Drive through the medical district is scheduled to begin again soon. It will create some challenges for all of us, but when it is completed, we will see much progress, including the development of some much needed green space on our campus between Madison and Franklin Streets. We are looking forward to that and believe it will be appreciated by all who travel through the area. We expect the road work to last 18-24 months.

Questions on the impact of the Health Care Reform legislation continue to be asked by many people and organizations. It is anticipated that the regulations and guidelines associated with the act will require 250,000 pages of documentation. The reality is that what we don’t know dwarfs what we do know about how this will impact everyone. As we learn more, we will share that with you. If you would like for us to come share what we know about this and other topics of interest with you or your organizations, please call Public Relations at 256-265-8317.

You may have heard or read that we signed a letter of intent with Decatur General Hospital to develop a closer working relationship between our organizations. As community-owned, not-for-profit institutions, both of our hospitals are committed to keeping a locally-controlled option for healthcare in our respective communities. We anticipate that we will come to a final agreement in the coming weeks.

Huntsville Hospital’s success in improving our service to our patients is a great example of what it takes to build a culture of excellence in an organization. We are committed to great service and great quality of care and we continue to look for innovative ways to insure that we are doing the right things every day to help our patients. Recent scores from the national surveys that are conducted by Medicare show that our customer satisfaction scores compare well with the best hospitals in the country. That said, we are not satisfied and we will continue to focus significant resources on making sure every patient that is treated here has outstanding service.

Just recently we received several recognitions that confirm that we are on the right track in quality: The Heart Center was fully accredited by The Joint Commission; our Breast Center once again received a perfect score in its FDA inspection; the American College of Surgeons fully accredited Huntsville Hospital’s Cancer Program; and the College of American Pathology (CAP) recently brought eleven inspectors to review our Laboratory which is the 13th largest lab in the nation by volume of procedures. The CAP found no deficiencies which equates to a perfect score.

Going forward, it’s our vision for all areas of the hospital to excel in quality, service and cost efficiency. We believe that if we reach the top 10th percentile in the nation in quality and service, and maintain our cost at the lowest 25th percentile, we will do well for you and for our community. We also believe this will position us well for the changes that are inevitable under health care reform.

Lastly, we want to welcome Frank Caprio to the Health Care Authority board. Frank is a partner in the legal firm of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings and has been a very active volunteer in the community and with the hospital for many years. He was recently appointed by the Huntsville City Council to fill the unexpired term of Russell Brown who passed away in April.

Again, we thank you for trusting Huntsville Hospital with your family’s healthcare. If we can be of service, please contact me or any member of our staff.

David Spillers, CEO

Jennifer Godwin, RN, (pictured left) and Alice Peoples, LPN, (pictured right) were surprised and honored when hospital officials snuck into meetings to announce that they'd been named the 2010 Nurses of the Year. The awards are presented annually during Nurses Week to recognize outstanding nurses who have gone above and beyond in caring for their patients.

Jennifer, a lactation specialist in the Neonatal ICU, was presented the RN of the Year plaque. Alice, who works the night shift in the Progressive Surgical Unit, was named the LPN of the Year. They both have been valuable members of the Huntsville Hospital family since 1992. Congratulations, Jennifer and Alice, and thank you for your commitment to helping the hospital achieve its mission of providing quality care that improves the health of those we serve!

The passing of hospital board chairman Russell Brown on April 12 leaves a hole in the Huntsville Hospital family. He was a model citizen and warm-hearted man who shunned personal credit and was quick to praise others. Russ served on our board for eight years and was active in many segments of the community throughout his life. A successful businessman for more than four decades, he was 66 upon his death. Though his life was far too short, he made a difference in every endeavor he tackled. We express our deepest sympathies to his wife, Shirley, and their family.
 

 

 

 

Congratulations to Plant Operations Manager Keith Parker, who has been named Huntsville Hospital's Employee of the Year! Keith has been a valuable member of the hospital team since 1998 and was instrumental in creating a smooth transition during the recent installation of more than 700 beds throughout the campus. According to his nomination, he "has worked with Nursing Administration and the entire nursing staff as a team member to provide the highest quality care we can provide to our patients. His involvement and tireless commitment to nursing has allowed the staff to excel in their clinical performance."

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle recognized the area's certified athletic trainers by designating March as Athletic Training Month for the city of Huntsville. Athletic trainers with the Huntsville Hospital Sports Center met with the mayor on March 9 to commemorate the special occasion.

Certified Athletic Trainers (ATCs) are licensed healthcare professionals who collaborate with physicians to optimize activity of their clients. The Sports Center provides ATCs to 13 area high schools, numerous middle schools, club teams, universities and three Huntsville professional sports at no cost to the schools or organizations. Under the direction of a TOC Sports orthopedic physician, the ATCs create a safer playing environment by providing injury assessment, on-site rehabilitation and referral to the Emergency Room or a physician if needed.

For more information about Huntsville Hospital's comprehensive Sports Medicine program, call (256) 265-5000.

The Huntsville Hospital School of Radiologic Technology was established in 1969 by a combined effort of the Huntsville Hospital Authority, the administration of Huntsville Hospital, and Radiology Associates. With Penny Mays as director, the first class of eight students was accepted in the summer of 1969 and graduated in the summer of 1971.

Forty years later, the program continues to strive for academic and clinical excellence. In 2005, the program received the maximum award of accreditation by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT). JRCERT is the only agency recognized by the United States Department of Education to accredit educational programs in radiography and radiation therapy.

Upon successful completion of the 24-month program, graduates are rewarded a certificate in Radiologic Technology and are eligible to apply to take the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) certification exam in Radiography.

The school has graduated hundreds of students who have become registered radiologic technologists. According to the most recent national scores released by AART in 2008, the program scored an average of 90 percent, placing the Huntsville Hospital School of Radiologic Technology in the top 12 percent in the nation.

Applications are currently being accepted for the class beginning July 2010. Click here for more information.