System News: April 2021

Atrium Medical Center

Atrium Medical Center leaders, including Keith Bricking, MD, president of Atrium Medical Center; Kim Hensley, chief operating officer and chief nursing officer of Atrium; and Jamie Yunger, MD, medical director of Atrium’s critical care unit, met with U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Cincinnati) to provide an update about COVID-19 efforts at the hospital and vaccine clinics throughout Warren County. The congressman was also briefed on the pandemic’s financial impact on the hospital as well as some of the more innovative measures undertaken by staff during the past year.

Community organizations and local businesses continue to support the efforts of Atrium’s caregivers and support staff. Care bags filled with treats were recently donated to Atrium from Crossroads Church in Mason and Magnode Corporation in Trenton.

A video featuring Atrium employees reflecting on the past year of the pandemic was shared internally and with local media. The video is just one of many ways Premier Health has marked the first anniversary of the pandemic’s start and offered moments of reflection for staff.

Miami Valley Hospital Campuses

Miami Valley Hospital South earned recertification as an Acute Stroke-Ready Hospital. The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association issues this certification to hospitals that meet certification requirements. To become recertified, the dedicated Miami Valley Hospital South stroke program underwent a rigorous virtual review of the ability to treat stroke patients with timely, evidence-based care prior to transferring them to a primary or comprehensive stroke center. The review also evaluated the hospital’s ability to maintain qualified medical professionals trained in stroke care, collaborate with local emergency management agencies, the 24/7 ability to perform rapid diagnostic and laboratory testing, aptitude to administer intravenous clot-busting medications to eligible patients, and the availability of telemedicine technology.

The Miami Valley Hospital Foundation began planning for a new fundraising initiative benefiting cardiac and pulmonary patients. Later this year, the patient rehab space in the Weber Building at the Miami Valley Hospital main campus will be relocated to 25 E. Foraker Street, one block from the hospital. The new space will provide more room and consolidate services for rehab patients. Funds raised by the Miami Valley Hospital Foundation will go toward renovating the new space, equipment purchases, and will also allow for the program’s future growth. This center will accommodate the growing needs of our community and provide greater access and ease of parking to the approximately 350 patients who utilize this center every week.

Plans were finalized in March for a specially landscaped Cancer Celebration Bell Garden to be constructed at Miami Valley Hospital South in coming months. Located near the entrance to the Comprehensive Cancer Center, the garden will contain a brass bell that will be used by oncology patients to celebrate significant achievements in their cancer journey. Fully funded by a generous gift from Gary and Rachel Auman, the area will include several different varieties of flowers and a special stone walkway leading to the bell, which will be housed on an arching structure mirroring similar structural features in the Jayne Emoff Miller Garden of Hope. The new Cancer Celebration Bell Garden will offer a cheerful location outdoors for patients to share the joy of attaining significant treatment goals with their family, friends, and caregivers.

The second dose K-12 vaccine clinics were held throughout the month of March for the school districts who partnered with Premier Health for vaccinations.

The month of March was National Athletic Trainers Month. Several of the athletic directors from the Premier Health partnership schools shared videos through social media celebrating the Premier Health athletic trainer providing services at their schools.

Joseph Allen, MD, regional medical director, Premier Health, presented a COVID-19 update to the Small Business Meeting for the Huber Heights Chamber of Commerce and to the Vandalia Optimist Club. Roberto Colon, MD, chief medical officer, Miami Valley Hospital, served as a speaker on the COVID-19 vaccine for AARP Ohio’s Town Hall.

Upper Valley Medical Center

Scott Kanagy, DO, MBA, chief medical officer, Upper Valley Medical Center, was interviewed by Troy WTJN 107.1 and Piqua WPTW 98.1 radio stations on March 15 to provide a monthly health care update focused on the COVID-19 local status and colorectal cancer as part of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

Upper Valley Medical Center President Kevin Harlan provided a program at the monthly meeting of the Tipp City Rotary on March 10. The presentation included a state of local health care and COVID-19 update.

Five local food pantry/soup kitchen programs and Meals on Wheels of Piqua in March were awarded much appreciated funding from the Upper Valley Medical Center Board of Directors Community Benefit Fund to assist with increased utilization over the past year due to COVID-19. Food pantry/soup kitchen recipients included First Place Food Pantry and St. Patrick’s Soup Kitchen, Troy; Bethany Center, Piqua; Needy Basket, Tipp City; and New Path, Miami County. In other community support, the hospital donated dinnerware, utensils, and a variety of serving items no longer in use to the Miami County Family Abuse Shelter in Troy. Nutrition Services delivered the items to the shelter on March 2.

Upper Valley Medical Center launched registration for the Edge Camp Jr. Summer Sports Performance Program to be offered by Upper Valley Medical Center’s Center for Sports Medicine in June and July. This program is for Miami County area athletes entering grades six through eight. 

In community relations activities, UVMC was a sponsor of the Shamrock Shuffle 5K Walk/Run held at Troy Memorial Stadium on March 20.

CompuNet Clinical Laboratories

CompuNet Clinical Laboratories continues to provide COVID-19 test options throughout the community at several collection sites, select CompuNet Patient Service Centers, and within Premier Health hospitals. While testing for active COVID-19 infections has decreased, the demand for COVID-19 PCR testing from individuals who are traveling - especially those traveling internationally - has increased. CompuNet offers COVID-19 PCR testing through its direct-to-consumer program, CompuNet Direct. 

Special discounts for the COVID-19 PCR test ($80 vs. $100) and COVID-19 Antigen test ($50 vs. $60) are available for all Premier Health employees, volunteers, and medical staff of Premier Health, Premier Physician Network, CompuNet, Fidelity, and Samaritan Behavioral Health through December 31, 2021. PCR testing is appropriate for those who believe they have COVID symptoms or for required documentation when traveling. Results for the PCR test will be available within the 72-hour travel window typically required for international travel. The COVID Antigen test is appropriate for individuals who have had COVID symptoms for 5 days or less. Antigen results are available in a couple hours.

CompuNet joined other labs across the nation to celebrate the 2021 Medical Laboratories Professionals Week, April 18 – 24. Lab Week originated in 1975 to highlight the lab profession’s contribution to medicine and to recognize clinical laboratory science personnel. CompuNet will recognize peer-nominated staff members during Lab Week and honored two CompuNet employees and one CompuNet manager with the 2021 INSPIRE award.

The deployment of EPIC Beaker occurred on April 10 for Miami Valley Hospital, Miami Valley Hospital South, Miami Valley Hospital Austin Emergency Center, and Miami Valley Hospital Jamestown Emergency Center. The deployment completes the conversion to EPIC Beaker, thus achieving our strategy for continuity across all Premier Health hospital labs. Providers will now benefit from improved access to approximately 50 percent more laboratory tests through the consolidated test compendium and a more consistent flow of laboratory orders.

CompuNet is rolling out a new, state-of-the-art automation line within its Sandridge core laboratory. The high-speed Roche cobas 8100 system will automate many routine tasks which increase efficiency, reduce expenses, and maximize patient safety. Using intelligent robotics, the cobas 8100 series automatically prepares blood samples for immediate testing and post-analytical processing, providing high-speed processing of up to 1,100 samples per hour. The automation line will connect the processing department to the lab’s main chemistry and hematology instruments and will allow for a consistent and continual flow of specimens.

Premier Physician Network

When patients have back or neck pain issues, help them find the right care quickly with Premier Health Spine, a referral center where patients are placed with appropriate specialists throughout PPN, including orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, pain management, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. If a referred patient requires additional imaging or therapy, the Premier Health Spine team will coordinate to get it completed.It’s now faster and easier than ever to refer to Premier Health Spine. Just search location/department “Premier Health Spine” in EPIC, or fax the referral to (937) 341-8991(937) 341-8991.

NRC Star Ratings and Reviews have been displayed on PPN Provider Profiles on PremierHealth.com. This work is aligned to the goals of our 2023 Strategic Plan and helps improve our digital front door for our patients. Reviews and star ratings improve profile searchability and are helpful information to patients when they are deciding to schedule with a new provider. The data behind the star ratings and patient comments is pulled from patients’ NRC patient satisfaction surveys. So far, reactions to the online star ratings have been very positive, and PPN providers together average a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars! Perhaps uncoincidentally, more than 1,000 new patient appointments with PPN providers were scheduled online in March.

Back to the April 2021 issue of Premier Pulse