Steve Tenhouse receives ICAHN’s President’s Award

The Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network recently awarded Steve Tenhouse, CEO, Kirby Medical Center, Monticello, its President’s Award for his dedicated service and outstanding leadership to the statewide hospital organization.

Steve served as one of the original founding members of ICAHN in 2003 and later joined the ICAHN Board in 2007. He was elected Board President in 2009 and has served on the Finance Committee, the Legislative and Regulatory Committee, and the Critical Access Hospital Vision Committee. He, most recently, also agreed to serve as governing Board Chair of the newly formed Illinois Rural Community Care Organization.

“Steve is known as a change agent and as a pioneer,” said Pat Schou, ICAHN Executive Director, during ceremonies held November 9^th at the Crowne Plaza, Springfield. “Steve has been instrumental in leading transformational change for both ICAHN’s Accountable Care Organization and also within his own organization, instilling a culture of wellness and best patient experience. We are very proud to award Steve this honor. It is well-deserved.”

ICAHN's mission is to strengthen Illinois critical access hospitals through collaboration. ICAHN accomplishes this by ensuring appropriate funding and financial resources, continuing efforts to be a recognized resource on Illinois' CAHs, promoting efficient use of information technology, offering ongoing educational opportunities, and developing and offering projects which add value to the organization and its members. ICAHN currently has a membership of 55 critical access and small and rural hospitals, including Kirby Medical Center.

Pictured is Steve Tenhouse, CEO, Kirby Medical Center, and Pat Schou, ICAHN Executive Director.

Kirby Medical Center receives ‘Innovation of the Year’ honors

Kirby Medical Center was awarded Honorable Mention honors in the 2016 Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network’s hospital ‘Innovation of the Year’ competition for its ‘Patient Satisfaction – PIEC Committee’ program. Participants were encouraged to submit innovations implemented at their respective hospitals which initiated a new approach to improve patient relationships, implemented a new process flow or life-safety improvement, found a creative way to motivate and inspire staff, or fostered a successful community project.

Heidi Apperson, Director of Marketing and Community Relations, and Abigail Turner, Registration Manager, accepted the honor for KMC during a ceremony held November 9th at The Crowne Plaza, Springfield, and attended by critical access hospital leadership from throughout the state.

Kirby Medical Center’s patient satisfaction efforts are organized and directed by the PIEC (Patient Improvement Employee Collaboration) Committee, which was established as a patient satisfaction review team. The objectives of the committee are to improve service results, patient experience, and collegial relationships.

“Our objectives were achieved by promoting the understanding of the impact of the patient experience,” said Apperson. “We achieved a 95-percent overall mean satisfaction score, and through this committee’s work, we were also able to assist hospital leaders by identifying department-specific problem areas and providing viable solutions.”

During each PIEC meeting, patient satisfaction scores are reviewed as well as any comments made by patients. Each committee member then has the opportunity to give feedback on what areas need to be addressed and then discuss any ideas they have to improve opportunities and/or sustain strengths.

The hospital ‘Innovation of the Year’ Award is given annually to the critical access hospital project that ICAHN’s Education Committee and other esteemed judges deem the most innovative or inspiring for the hospital, its employees, patient, and community. Memorial Hospital won top honors this year with its Outdoor Fitness Park project, and OSF Holy Family Medical Center also won Honorable Mention honors with its ‘Healthy Weight…Healthy You’ obesity program.

Pictured is Heidi Apperson, Director of Marketing and Community Relations (left) and Abigail Turner, Registration Manager, of Kirby Medical Center as they accept ICAHN's 2016 Hospital 'Innovation of the Year' Honorable Mention Award from Mark Rossi, ICAHN Board President and Hopedale Medical Complex Chief Operating Officer.

Kirby Medical Center Receives 2016 Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award for Outstanding Performance in Patient Experience

November 9, 2016 (Monticello, IL) – Kirby Medical Center is pleased to announce it has been named a 2016 Guardian of Excellence Award^® winner by Press Ganey Associates, Inc for Outpatient Surgical services.

The Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award is a nationally-recognized symbol of achievement in health care. Presented annually, the award honors clients who consistently sustained performance in the top 5% of all Press Ganey clients for each reporting period during the course of one year.

Ann Collins, RN, Kirby Medical Center’s Director of Surgical Services says, “Kirby is able to achieve such high performance through highly experienced nurses and technicians in the surgery department, who have been the key for working with patients. Employees in the surgery department at Kirby possess a skill for making patients and their family members feel at ease about the experience from pre-operative to post-operative care. Kirby’s Surgery department staff are very engaged in the commitment to provide excellent patient care and patient experience to patients. They live Kirby’s Core Values and Behavior Standards to the fullest degree.” 

“We are thankful on a daily basis for our Surgery Staff and are very proud of their dedication to the service we provide to our patients,” says Kirby’s Chief Clinical Officer, Jennifer Moss.

According to Moss, the award represents an important recognition from the industry’s leader in measuring, understanding and improving the patient experience.

"We are proud to partner with Kirby Medical Center,” said Patrick T. Ryan, CEO of Press Ganey. “This award is a testament to the organization’s leadership in delivering of patient-centered care. By achieving and sustaining this level of excellence, Kirby demonstrates their commitment to reducing patient suffering and advancing the overall quality of health care.”

About Kirby Medical Center

Kirby Medical Center is an independent, not-for-profit 501(c)3 corporation located in Monticello, Illinois. Since 1941, Kirby has been serving the healthcare needs of families in Piatt County and is committed and proud to provide quality and compassionate healthcare services to all people in need, regardless of their ability to pay. For more information, visit www.kirbyhealth.org.

About Press Ganey

Press Ganey Holdings (NYSE: PGND) is a leading provider of patient experience measurement, performance analytics and strategic advisory solutions for health care organizations across the continuum of care. Celebrating 30 years of experience, Press Ganey is recognized as a pioneer and thought leader in patient experience measurement and performance improvement solutions. Our mission is to help health care organizations reduce patient suffering and improve clinical quality, safety and the patient experience. As of January 1, 2016, we served more than 22,000 health care facilities. For more information, visit www.pressganey.com.

Thank You Veterans for Your Service

Kirby Medical Center would like to thank our veterans and military for serving our country and protecting our freedom! The Apple a Day Café will be providing a FREE meal on Friday, November 11th to all military & veterans.

Café Hours:
6:30 am - 9:30 am (Breakfast)
9:30 am – 10:30 am (Grab ‘n Go* items only)
11:00 am - 1:30 pm (Lunch)
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm (Grab ‘n Go* items only)

Visit http://www.kirbyhospital.org/patients_visitors/dining.php for more information and view monthly menus.

Kirby Medical Center Wins Healthcare Marketing Awards

Kirby Recognized at 2016 ISHMPR Pinnacle Awards Ceremony Oct. 27

The Illinois Society for Healthcare Marketing and Public Relations (ISHMPR) honored marketing, public relations and communications professionals from across the state at its Annual Conference and Pinnacle Awards Presentation Oct. 27 in Galena, IL.  Kirby Medical Center received 9 Pinnacle Awards of Merit.

Each year ISHMPR sponsors the Pinnacle Awards to recognize excellence and achievement in healthcare marketing and public relations. This year’s program included 100 entries in 25 project categories submitted by hospitals and healthcare systems from across the state. Entries were judged on their own merit by the Carolinas Healthcare Public Relations & Marketing Society in accordance with established criteria for project planning, implementation and overall results.

The Kirby Medical Center’s marketing and community relations team is led by Heidi Apperson, Director of Marketing and Community Relations.  The team received a total of 9 awards including:

Patient Experience/ Satisfaction
 Performance Improvement Employee Committee (PIEC)

Integrated Marketing Campaign
Rooted in the Community

Outdoor Advertising
 KMC Outdoor Signage

Video Production
Wade Jones- Care Close to Home

Community Newsletter
75^th Anniversary Annual Report

Fundraising
Paint Piatt Pink

Advertising
  Fresh Start

Public Relations Project
 Award Winning Surgery

Marketing on a Shoestring Budget
CrossFit KMC

Pokémon GO Safety Tips

If you think you have noticed a lot of people walking around with their eyes glued to their phones in the past week or so, you are not wrong. Thousands of people have been using their smartphones to play Pokémon Go. The Pokémon GO craze is in full force and it does not show any signs of slowing down. The game was released July 6, and quickly became the most downloaded smartphone app in the United States. What exactly is this sensation taking the world by storm?

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What is Pokémon GO?

Pokémon GO is a location-based, augmented reality game for iPhones and Android phones that blends the real and digital worlds together. Players create an avatar of themselves and try to collect virtual Pokémon using real time GPS on your smartphone.

Aside from the safety concerns- there have been reports of accidents and public nuisance- this game offers real health benefits. Players often walk for miles as they hunt for the next Pokémon character. The average player now spends 43 minutes a day on the game, which equates approximately 200 calories burned, depending on the person’s size and walking speed. You can collect eggs and the eggs will “hatch” by walking two to 10 kilometers (the game uses kilometer to measure distance). Many players walk in search of Pokémon, they end up covering a lot of ground in a day. As an additional challenge, certain Pokémon can only be caught by hiking uphill to find them.

The game’s makers urge users to not play Pokémon Go while riding a bike or hoverboard, or while driving a car or doing anything else that requires full attention. Although the usual warnings about the dangers of video game addiction apply, some players are reporting improvement in symptoms of anxiety and depression.  For those who walk as they play, “Pokéxercise” can provide excellent health benefits.

Here are a few tips for players to stay safe:

·       - Be alert at all times.

·        -Stay aware of your surroundings — don’t venture in the virtual world where you wouldn’t in the real world.

·        -Play in pairs or as a group in well –lit areas to ensure your safety.

·       - Let others know of your plans and your whereabouts, when you plan to return and with whom you’re venturing.

·        -Do not trespass onto private property or go to areas you usually would not if you weren’t playing Pokémon Go.

·        -Do not drive or ride your bike, skateboard, or other device while interacting with the app- “you cannot do both safely”.

·        -Understand that some people unfamiliar with the app may believe you’re a suspicious person.

·        -Watch your battery life.

·        -Look up when walking and stop walking to catch them — you’ll probably find it easier.

·        -Be sure to follow your employer’s mobile use policy should you decide to download on a corporate device and/or play at work.

·       - Know and abide by park and/or facility hours and play at appropriate times.

·       - It’s just a game, and it shouldn’t threaten your real-life or the safety of those around you.

Community Health Needs Assessment

Community Health Needs Assessment

Kirby Medical Center is committed to progressive hospital, outpatient, and specialty services.

To read the assessment visit:

http://kirbyhealth.org/files/2016_Kirby_Medical_Center_CHNA.pdf