Mar 8, 2012 By Patty Yauger heraldstandard.Com 4 min read

CONNELLSVILLE — An increase in the number of patients, additional grants and contributions, along with new technology, has improved the outlook for Highlands Hospital, according to its board president.

Hospital board President Gerald Browell also commended the physicians, nursing and other staff members for their efforts to enhance the public’s view of the care offered by the hospital during the annual public meeting held on Wednesday.

“We are providing a vital need in Fayette County and the Connellsville area,” he said. “The (administration and staff) have done a great job of pushing ahead.”

While continuing to operate in the red, John Adursky, chief financial officer, reported that investment gains, along with other funding, had curbed the negative margin for the fiscal year.

“The negative 0.7 percent is nearly a break-even (figure) and an improvement over the prior year,” he said.

Andursky said that patient revenues increased by 3 percent with the hospital offering more than $2.7 million in uncompensated or charity care for the year.

The positive trends appear to be continuing, he added, with surgical inpatient volumes up by more than 13 percent and outpatient volume up 3 percent in the first six months of the new fiscal year.

Michelle P. Cunningham, chief executive officer, reported that the autism center, has five students enrolled in the program, ranging from ages 5 to 13.

The center opened in September.

The students have recently been introduced to IPads and SpringBoards, a computer application, to aid in their communication skills, she added.

“Just seeing the students from what they were able to do at the start of school until now, is amazing,” said Cunningham. “One little gentleman could only use a few words when he started; now he is using full sentences.”

Denise McCloy, chief administrative officer, said that the results from the national Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, reveals that Highlands is providing excellent service to its patients.

“HCAPHS was created to publicly report the patient’s perspective of hospital care,” said McCloy. “The survey asks a random sample of recently discharged patients about important aspects of their hospital experience.”

In several areas, including communication with staff, in-hospital care, cleanliness and overall ratings, Highlands Hospital surpassed national and state averages.

McCloy said that the ranking dipped slightly concerning the late-night quietness of the hospital, but the administration and staff have implemented changes that will allow for a quieter environment.

“We’ve eliminated overhead paging and are trying to change staff behaviors and talking to patients about expected hospital noise,” she said. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to overcome some of our challenges.”

The complete report is available online at www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov.

The high rankings, said McCloy, also will aid the hospital in recouping Medicare and Medicaid funding.

The new Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program will evaluate inpatient acute care services in determining future Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements.

“(The payments) will be based on care quality, not just the quantity of services they provide,” said McCloy. “(The government) does not only want to know how many patients are being treated, but how well they are being treated.”

This year, 1 percent of payments typically received by eligible hospitals will be withheld to create an $800 million pool of funding that will be allocated to hospitals with a positive overall performance.

In other matters, the board also conducted the following business:

n Introduced Tammy Donaldson as the new hospital director of nursing.

n Announced that the hospital’s behavioral health unit will be renovated within the next several months.

n Noted that a simulation program has been introduced at the hospital to provide on-site training for the staff.

n Announced that a new hospital website is being created. When completed, it will offer a variety of information, including assistance for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

n Noted that the hospital will sponsor the Bud Murphy Race for Autism on June 7 and host the annual hospital golf tournament on Aug. 13.