In just a few short months, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on challenges to health care reform as set forth in President Obama's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This will be a precedent-setting case that will affect every American.
In 2011, we executed a number of very aggressive measures to ensure our ability to continue providing high-quality care for our patients, regardless of the outcome for health care reform.
We greatly improved accessibility to primary care services with the opening of the Niagara Falls Memorial Primary Care Center, a partnership with the Community Health Center of Niagara (FQHC), and the expansion of the Summit Family Health Center and Grand Island Family Practice.
Health services for women were significantly expanded thanks to a new partnership with Women's Medicine of Niagara, Niagara County's largest obstetrics and gynecology practice. Memorial is the largest provider for women's health in the entire county.
We enhanced our surgical staff with the recruitment of Dr. Bala Thatigotla.
A highly regarded advanced laparoscopic surgeon who recently completed a fellowship in the prestigious Advanced Laparoscopic/Bariatric Surgery program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Dr. Bala is drawing rave reviews from patients.
Cardiology services at The Heart Center of Niagara were dramatically expanded with the arrival of Buffalo Heart Group, LLP, one of Western New York's largest and most highly regarded cardiology practices.
Our cardiology services and state-designated Stroke Center earned two prestigious awards from the American Heart Association: the Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Gold Quality Achievement Award and the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award.
As part of our Healthy Moms-Healthy Babies initiative, we started a new weekly obstetrics service that provides medically supervised, accessible obstetrical and prenatal care and counseling with an eye toward reducing infant mortality.
A new partnership with DaVita, a national renal services provider, ensured the continued provision of high-quality dialysis services at Memorial.
To address disparities in cancer care, we formed an innovative partnership with Roswell Park Cancer Institute that included the opening of a new Cancer Education Resource Center. Located in the 18th Street Resource Center on Linwood Avenue at 18th Street, it provides city residents with accessible information regarding the prevention, early detection and successful treatment of cancer.
We are investing millions of dollars in improvements designed to deliver care more safely, effectively and efficiently, and to make our campus easily accessible.
Projects completed or under way include a $1.3 million renovation of our medical-surgical unit, construction of a new $1.2 million interventional radiology and fluoroscopy suite, a $1 million surgical suite renovation and expansion with the addition of another operating theater, a $1 million program of parking ramp improvements including new elevators, and main entrance upgrades with bright, attractive lighting and the installation of a curbside canopy to protect patients and visitors from inclement weather.
Clinical technology investments were made in our labor and delivery suites with $300,000 in upgrades, including new bedside fetal monitors. We installed a new $1 million cardiac telemetry system and patient monitors throughout the Medical Center. Another $1 million has already been invested in new information systems technology, moving forward with electronic medical record and medication management systems to reduce, even eliminate, medication errors. A $400,000 technology and patient comfort improvement project is in progress at our Summit Healthplex, adding new digital mammography and ultrasound.
And speaking of comfort and convenience, we opened a Tim Hortons Cafe and Bake Shop adjacent to our hospital's first-floor lobby.
Last, to enhance our financial viability, we were successful in refinancing $14.3 million of debt to take advantage of historically low interest rates that will enable millions of dollars to be reinvested for patient care needs in our community.
While these have been significant steps along the road to our transformation from a traditional safety-net hospital to a center for community health, we are far from complete. Going forward, we will continue striving to better meet the community's needs while positioning ourselves for healthcare reform, whatever its final form may be.
We embrace the challenges and opportunities ahead and we promise to give you our best effort every day in 2012.
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | Jan. 3 2012 |