Memorial Health CEO, Maggie Gill, presented the hospital’s annual update to the Chatham County Commission at its semi-monthly meeting on May 23. Accompanying Gill was Chatham County Hospital Authority Chairman, Donald L. Waters. “Today we are presenting a collaborative report showing shared responsibility among the hospital authority, the board of Memorial and its staff,” began Waters, who is also chairman, president and CEO of Brasseler USA, manufacturers of quality instruments for use in restorative dentistry. “CEO Maggie Gill has led the institution through a very difficult economy and a tremendous change in healthcare.” 

Gill began her report with a review of plans and accomplishments from last year that continue to lead Memorial to its current and future successes. In February 2013, the hospital introduced a new five-year strategic plan that focuses on quality and safety. The plan reaffirms Memorial’s long-standing mission, vision, and values; key educational and clinical strategies; and a firm commitment to financial strength. The vision statement was updated to reflect the hospital’s renewed commitment to excellence. It reads, “We will be the healthcare system of choice by demonstrating excellence in everything we do.”

Last year also brought the hospital’s reaccreditation by The Joint Commission, a demanding process that occurs every two years.

Memorial’s goal is to provide safe, reliable patient and family-centered care, according to Gill’s presentation. “We’ve decided to place an extra emphasis on service.” said Gill. “We know that we have a responsibility to provide high quality care; we also have a responsibility to provide ‘high-touch’ service.” Gill also announced the establishment of a service executive committee that includes patients and their families in decision-making. “They share in decisions about how we interact, how we schedule, how we treat and how we communicate, so that we can make sure that we are addressing not only the clinical side but also the human side of care,” said Gill.

As a second initiative to ensure the level of human care, Gill spoke of the Rounding Ambassador program. “We have Team Members who come in and check on patients to see that their needs are being take care of,” Gill explained. “You don’t want to depend on call lights to receive the high-touch care that we think our patients deserve.”

Another emphasis from the strategic plan is a children’s wellness program. The program educates local children about healthy living and actually goes into local schools to teach cafeteria managers about healthy eating. “We have a responsibility, not only to treat illness and injury, but to promote wellness and health in our community,” said Gill. “We’ve really put a lot of emphasis on our childhood wellness program. Last year, we went to our school cafeterias and trained our cafeteria managers in healthy eating and healthy lifestyles for children.”

The Children’s Hospital at Memorial serves as the lead agency in the Safe Kids Savannah program which teaches boating safety, bike safety, wearing seat belts, wearing bicycle helmets, and similar precautions.

See part two of this report tomorrow.

 “Today we are presenting a collaborative report showing shared responsibility among the hospital authority, the board of Memorial and its staff,” began Waters, who is also chairman, president and CEO of Brasseler USA, manufacturers of quality instruments for use in restorative dentistry. “CEO Maggie Gill has led the institution through a very difficult economy and a tremendous change in healthcare.”

Gill began her report with a review of plans and accomplishments from last year that continue to lead Memorial to its current and future successes. In February 2013, the hospital introduced a new five-year strategic plan that focuses on quality and safety. The plan reaffirms Memorial’s long-standing mission, vision, and values; key educational and clinical strategies; and a firm commitment to financial strength. The vision statement was updated to reflect the hospital’s renewed commitment to excellence. It reads, “We will be the healthcare system of choice by demonstrating excellence in everything we do.”

Last year also brought the hospital’s reaccreditation by The Joint Commission, a demanding process that occurs every two years.

Memorial’s goal is to provide safe, reliable patient and family-centered care, according to Gill’s presentation. “We’ve decided to place an extra emphasis on service.” said Gill. “We know that we have a responsibility to provide high quality care; we also have a responsibility to provide ‘high-touch’ service.” Gill also announced the establishment of a service executive committee that includes patients and their families in decision-making. “They share in decisions about how we interact, how we schedule, how we treat and how we communicate, so that we can make sure that we are addressing not only the clinical side but also the human side of care,” said Gill.

As a second initiative to ensure the level of human care, Gill spoke of the Rounding Ambassador program. “We have Team Members who come in and check on patients to see that their needs are being take care of,” Gill explained. “You don’t want to depend on call lights to receive the high-touch care that we think our patients deserve.”

Another emphasis from the strategic plan is a children’s wellness program. The program educates local children about healthy living and actually goes into local schools to teach cafeteria managers about healthy eating. “We have a responsibility, not only to treat illness and injury, but to promote wellness and health in our community,” said Gill. “We’ve really put a lot of emphasis on our childhood wellness program. Last year, we went to our school cafeterias and trained our cafeteria managers in healthy eating and healthy lifestyles for children.”

The Children’s Hospital at Memorial serves as the lead agency in the Safe Kids Savannah program which teaches boating safety, bike safety, wearing seat belts, wearing bicycle helmets, and similar precautions.
See part two of this report tomorrow.