Mary Washington Hospital Selects Patient Care Technology Systems - Research Paper Example

 Mary Washington Hospital Selects Patient Care Technology Systems Every hospital has a unique story. Every hospital serves the local community in more ways than one. It does not merely provide health care facility or free medical aid. It brings about a change in the local infrastructure and the overall economy of the community or region where it is located. Mary Washington Hospital has been no exception. Mary Washington Hospital (MWH) is a 412-bed full service hospital offering advanced services in Fredericksburg, usually found in major cities. It has been serving the Fredericksburg community since 1899. It is the cornerstone of MediCorp Health System services and the services are offered to anyone regardless of the ability to pay. The hospital has over 45 medical specialties which consists of over 300 area doctors and allied health professionals. They are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year including the Emergency Department (MWH1). The medical staff comprises of community-based physicians and health professionals like physician assistants and midwives. The majority of Medical Staff members have private practices. To support the medical facilities, they have loyal, committed and enthusiastic staff including nurses, therapists and other medical staff. A Respiratory Therapist, who lives 30 minutes away from the hospital, would not trade this environment for anything because “it's a culture you just can't find anywhere else" (MWH2). The hospital has beautiful and modern facilities with a caring and experienced leadership team. The hospital has four generations of nurses working together and its culture is grounded in Integrity, Authenticity, Evolution, & Celebration (MWH3). In addition to the state-of-the-art medical facilities, MWH offers services for the public and the families of the patients. They have a full-service Food Court that is open at key hours for the benefit of the visitors. They also have a non-denominational Chapel which is open at all times and services are offered on a regular basis (MWH1). To serve the local community they have a charity care and discount program to serve those who need medically necessary treatment and whose annual household income is at or below the 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Discounts are offered to those whose annual income or resources are between 201% and 400% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (MWH1). Those who experience catastrophic healthcare events are provided financial assistance. In short, MWH takes care of all those who have difficulty paying for care and help them develop an appropriate payment plan based on the account balance and the patient’s financial situation. MWH has been making a difference to the community and the people around them. In 1988, MWH started the MWH Foundation – a fund raising mechanism which helps them support the health care needs of the people of Fredericksburg and its surrounding communities (MWH5). The MWH Foundation serves the community not merely by offering free treatment or addressing the health care needs of the needy patients. They also sponsor golf tournaments or polo matches. The Foundation realizes that it is not possible to serve the community without the support of the community. Hence they communicate and promote partnerships with community organizations to improve the health status of all people within the community. In 1993 a MWH Community Service Fund was established to address a wide range of health issues. The Fund operates an endowment of over $20 million and also provides grant to local non-profit organizations twice a year (MWH4). Till date they have provided grants of over $7 million. Through this Fund they assist the non-profit organizations that strive to improve the access to care among the medically underserved. They also provide assistance to the organizations that focus on wellness, health education and prevention. Their efforts are meant towards integrating the health care services and to assist any organization that is keen to improve the well being of the community. Since they work in association with other non-profit organizations it avoids duplication of services, thereby benefiting the community to the maximum possible. In line with their philosophy of serving the community through the support of the community, they have various options which the community people can exercise to give grants and donations to the MWH Foundation. They offer comprehensive support through their website which helps an individual analyze what he wants to give and in what form he can donate. The Foundation welcomes outright gifts in the form of cash, securities and property (MWH6). They have adopted several philanthropic approaches to meet the needs of their donors. Cash gifts are deductible based on individual situation. The community gets an opportunity to not only serve the community through such donations but the donors too benefit through tax savings. The businesses particularly benefit from this gesture. Real estate donations are received in the form of undeveloped land or developed property (MWH6). Gifts have to be accepted and only then they become eligible for tax exemption based on the fair market value that needs to be assessed. Securities too that appreciate in value allow the donor to enjoy a charitable tax deduction for their market value and avoid capita gains tax. All these suggest that the Foundation receives gifts for the community from the community members thereby benefiting both the donor and the ultimate beneficiary. They have registered themselves with the federal government to be eligible to receive such grants and those who offer them grants are eligible to receive tax benefits. That MWH is committed to the community is evident because this was their original commitment and they continue to honor this commitment. They continue to remain-not-for profit but at the same time do not compromise on quality (CNN Money, 2008). MWH has been recognized as a leading practice hospital for its work in preventing and managing hospital acquired MRSA (StaffordCountySun.com, 2009). MWH is working in collaboration with VHA Inc, to come up with the most effective methods of preventing MRSA. MWH Foundation is responsible for corporate fund raising and investment activities. They provide financial support through grants, gifts and contributions received from the community and assure that these are put to effective use for the health care improvement (Fuller, 2005). They use the most technically advanced medical facilities and through the funds raised by the MWH Foundation, the hospital is also able to provide education scholarships to students who have chosen careers in heath care (MWH5). They focus on the education of the children of their own staff particularly those interested in health careers. The staff is well trained and possesses expertise in many areas like donor-based services, capital campaigns, grant making and providing innovative solutions to regional health care issue. They also administer the MWH Community Service Fund through which they award grants to non-profit organizations that seek to establish health-related projects within our region. It is interesting to understand and appreciate how a hospital in any region or locality can improve the overall health of the community they are in. any hospital plays a vital role in the health, safety and strength of the community. While Fredericksburg receives contributions from various organizations like Lions Clubs, Rotary Clubs, Jaycees and other women’s organizations for different purposes, the MWH Community Service Fund supports the healthcare programs of charitable organizations through out the region (Villageprofile, 2008). Hospitals do much more than merely treating injuries, providing health education, or saving lives. They improve access to care in the communities and this is what MWH is striving to achieve. They are not making the community and its people dependent on MWH. On the other hand, they are making the independent and able to fend for themselves. The MWH Community Services Fund provides financial resources to improve the community’s general health. It also helps to contain the community’s health care costs, improving the access of the poor and the medically underserved population to high quality medicare (Mission, 2004). The infrastructure of the community has been strengthened. MWH has been serving the area for over hundred years and has made an impact on the local economy. This is evident from the fact that the region now demands another hospital as the region is ‘too large and growing too rapidly to have only one hospital’ (Hall, 2006). MWH had already added 94 beds in 2003 when it experienced shortage of beds and expects to add another 252 beds by 2015. That MWH cares for the local community has been endorsed by Village Profile (2008a). As the population is growing, the residents are discovering the quality care available to them. The local economy has been thriving as the region now demands further medicare facilities. This has prompted MediCorp to open a new facility - the Stafford Hospital Center apart from HCA which begun construction on a 126-bed hospital at Massaponax in Spotsylvania County. There are other organizations like Pratt Medical Center that offer primary care and a wide range of sub-specialties. Through out the region the people have access to walk-in clinics, support groups, and a free primary-care clinic. MWH has contributed to the local economy in many ways. First of all it employs the local people thereby reducing the level of unemployment and raising the standards of living. The state government benefits through the taxes recovered from the income of these employees. The local people spend more on their necessities which means the consumer goods market thrives. Leading industries in Fredericksburg’s impact the local economy by $2.3 billion annually (FRA, 2007) and MWH is a major contributor. Other leading industries include education services, information technology and professional business services. In addition there are three military bases, which roughly employ 18,000 while supporting over 650 government contractors. MWH alone provides employment to over 2500 people. MWH’s contribution to the local economy is mentionable because a hospital gives rise to several small businesses in the locality. Small vendors thrive solely on MWH as a hospital has too many requirements starting from laundry to other supplies. Hence it promotes self-employment in the region as well. In other words MWH allows people to become useful citizens. Once the local people are employed, they make their own purchase which also means the local businesses thrive. This means there is a ripple effect created. MWH is indirectly supporting and creating jobs in the local community. The infrastructure facility in the community has been enhanced because MWH requires regular electricity and water supplies. It also requires food for the patients and in-house staff. Again a ripple effect is created because the hospital pays to the vendors or suppliers and then this fund flows down to the businesses or the stockists and wholesalers. Every dollar that MWH spends generates further dollars for the local economy. The local community thus develops a sense of brotherhood and remains protective towards the hospital and its problems. They extend support to the hospital as any relation thrives on a give-and-take attitude. The local communities over time develop a sense of confidence that they can fall back on the local hospital whenever in trouble. MWH has been able to extend this confidence through its philanthropic activities. Thus we can see that since 1899, MWH has come a long way and now offers 412 beds with multi-specialty facilities. They have state-of-art equipments and keep themselves abreast of the latest in medical technology. They employ the latest equipments and when necessary provide free medical help without compromising on quality. They presence in Fredericksburg has brought about phenomenal changes to the community, the region and its people. They serve as an example to the people to extend selfless service to those who need it the most. It also makes people conscious that service is the greatest benevolent act that an individual can do in his life time. The way MWH operates in the local community has brought about a change in the local culture as they expressed their commitment to the society. Works cited CNNMoney.com. 08 July. 2008. Mary Washington Hospital Selects Patient Care Technology Systems' Automatic Patient and Asset Tracking Solution for Emergency Department. 23rd February 2009 FRA. 2007. Fredericksburg Region - Community Profile. 27th February 2009. Fuller, Stephen. 2005. The Impact of MediCorp Health System on the Economy Of the Fredericksburg Region in 2005. 26th February 2009 Hall, J. 2006. TWO AREA COMPETITORS AGREE: WE NEED MORE HOSPITAL BEDS. 27th February 2009. Mission. 2004. Local Mission. 26th February 2009 MWH1. Mary Washington Hospital. 23rd February 2009 MWH2. Have you been searching for A Better Way To Work? 26rd February 2009 MWH3. Our Culture. 26th February 2009. MWH4. Mary Washington Hospital Community Service Fund. 23rd February 2009 Village Profile. 2008a. Compassion and Caring. 27th February 2009. Read More