Hospital marks 90th anniversary with award-winning health care
Cary Medical Center celebrated its 90th anniversary throughout 2014, and the year was marked by multiple awards and substantial growth. From delivering 214 babies, the most for any hospital north of Bangor, to expanding oncology services with the development of the Jefferson Cary Oncology Center, the hospital heads into the new year with high expectations. Kris Doody, RN, MSB, FACHE, and chief executive officer at Cary said that 2014 was a very successful year for the hospital.
Contributed photo
The Cary Medical Center’s nursing staff is an integral part of the many successes the hospital has experienced throughout the 2014 year. The staff, as a whole, has been awarded the “Leadership in Quality” award, which is a national award that Cary has now recieved two years in a row. The hospital also earned an ‘A’ in patient safety from the Leapfrog Group, and was named a “HealthStrong Hospital” by iVantage Analytics. HealthGrades, a national company that measures and grades hospitals, physicians and healthcare providers, presented Cary Medical Center with the ‘Excellence in Patient Experience’ award placing the hospital among the top 10 percent of hospitals nationwide.
“Ninety years ago, thanks to a generous gift from Dr. Jefferson Cary, our founder, Cary Memorial was opened in Caribou,” said Doody, who started her career at Cary as a Candy striper. “I believe Dr. Cary would be very proud of what his generosity accomplished and the remarkable medical center Cary has become.”
The awards just kept coming for the hospital throughout 2014. In May, the hospital received notice that it had been chosen as ‘Best Overall Performer’ for the third year in a row by Avatar Solutions. Only 18 hospitals among the 500 or more surveyed across the nation during the company’s thirteen-year history have ever accomplished this level of recognition. Cary also received, for the second year in a row, the Quorum Health Resources ‘Leadership in Quality Award.’ The award recognizes the hospital’s overall commitment to clinical quality, patient safety and patient satisfaction. According to CEO Doody, this is a very special award.
“The Leadership in Quality Award is a national award presented to one hospital among some 700 hospitals, large and small, urban and rural,” said Doody, who accepted the award in Nashville. “Earning this award two years in a row speaks to the outstanding efforts of our entire team to put our patients first.”
The hospital also received an ‘A’ in patient safety from the Leapfrog Group, and was named a “HealthStrong Hospital” by iVantage Analytics. HealthGrades, a national company that measures and grades hospitals, physicians and healthcare providers, presented Cary Medical Center with the ‘Excellence in Patient Experience’ award placing the hospital among the top 10 percent of hospitals nationwide. Toward the end of the year, the hospital learned that, for the second year in a row, it was named a ‘top performer’ by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). The hospital was recognized as part of The Joint Commission’s 2014 annual report “America’s Hospitals: Improving Quality and Safety,” for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance for pneumonia and surgical care. Cary is one of only 712 hospital across the nation to be honored for two consecutive years.
“The awards are nice because they recognize the hard work and commitment of the hospital, and more importantly, it’s critical for people to always put quality, patient safety and patient satisfaction at the top of our agenda,” said Shawn Anderson, Chief Operating Officer at Cary, who coordinates the hospitals patient satisfaction survey process and works with all departments to advance service excellence.
“Service excellence has become a way of life here and it’s just the right thing to do for our patients and their families,” said Anderson. “We continue to raise the bar higher every year and are constantly looking for ways to improve our performance.”
The 2014 year also saw the extension of Project ARCH, (Access Received Closer to Home), the Veterans Administration Pilot Healthcare program allowing veterans to access specialty care including surgery and hospitalization in non-VA facilities. Cary Medical Center was one of only five hospitals in the nation to be awarded the program, based in large part, on the success of the program at Cary and the work of Maine’s congressional delegation. The ARCH program, which was slated to end in August of this year has been extended for two years. Doody said that she is working with the delegation and the VA to establish the program on a permanent basis.
“It has been such a privilege to serve our veterans through Project ARCH,” said Doody, who testified before the United States Senate’s Veterans Affairs Committee in support of the program. “Veterans have expressed a great level of satisfaction with their experience at Cary and we have established a very positive and collaborative relationship with the VA Maine Healthcare System based at Togus. We are very grateful for the efforts of our own Senator, Susan Collins, Senator Angus King and former Congressman Mike Michaud.”
Looking ahead to 2015 the hospital plans to renovate its oncology clinic to meet the growing needs of patients and expanding cancer care. Anderson said that the recruitment of oncologists Dr. Alan Espinosa and Dr. Nadia Rajack has had a major impact on the service.
“We are very pleased with the growth of our oncology program,” said Anderson. “Thanks to the leadership of Dr. Ron Rohe, who has served the needs of patients throughout The County for generations, we have established a tradition of high quality and compassionate care. Dr. Espinosa and Dr. Rajack reflect those same values and have been well received by patients and staff alike. We are looking forward to an important renovation of the oncology clinic, which will greatly improve patient privacy and comfort.”
Other plans for 2015 include an upgrade of the patient rooms at the hospital. Cary Medical Center has all private patient rooms. The upgrade will improve patient comfort and create a more home-like environment for patients and their families alike.
