From the Desk of Chad Olinde
Now that summer is here, I know that our children are immersed in their various summer activities and families are traveling to the beach for some much needed relaxation. Every summer at Pointe Coupee General Hospital, we look forward to employing twelve college students majoring in healthcare related areas. We are proud to provide these students a glimpse into the medical working environment and hope that the experience will fuel their desire to return to our parish and become our healthcare professionals of the future.
In June, we are excited to begin our Community Health Worker program which will provide assistance to our under-served population in navigating the healthcare system and obtaining the services that they need. The program will promote community outreach, provide health screenings and assist our health providers in the management of chronic diseases. Our partners in this endeavor, Capital Area Human Services District and Tulane University, have provided effective leadership and we are thankful for their expertise in implementing this pilot program.
Patients visiting our outpatient departments will notice a new look to our waiting room. We have separated the registration areas for the Emergency Department and other outpatient ancillary services. The outpatient area is equipped with a new patient flow system. This change has expedited patient flow through our system and has improved triage of emergent patients.
We hope that all of friends in the community have a happy and safe summer.
Each year during the month of February is known as American Heart Month. This annual awareness unites millions of people for a common goal: the eradication of heart disease and stroke. Throughout the month, Pointe Coupee General Hospital held multiple initiates to help raise money and support for the American Heart Association.
In recent data released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Pointe Coupee General Hospital was ranked 76 out of 1,134 Critical Access Hospitals in the United States in clinical quality. The analysis is intended to provide Critical Access Hospitals with an estimate of their performance potential under a scenario for the Critical Access Hospital Value-Based Purchasing program.
Pointe Coupee General Hospital is pleased to announce the appointment of Ashley Doucet Bordelon, MD, as the new Chief of Staff. The appointment was made by the medical staff of Pointe Coupee General Hospital earlier this month.
After 11 years of service as the Pointe Coupee General Hospital’s Director of Nursing, Chief Nursing Officer, Elaine Hurme, PhD has retired effective December 2015. Hurme was a tremendously effective director who spearheaded numerous changes to improve the overall deliverance of health care at PCGH.
Pointe Coupee General Hospital has been named as a best practice recipient in the key area of the Quality Index. Pointe Coupee General was the only Louisiana hospital recognized in the quality category. "We are extremely proud of this award. Our clinical staff has worked tirelessly to ensure the highest quality is provided at our facility” said Chad Olinde, Hospital Administrator.
Every September, the nation joins together to celebrate National Recovery Month. The 2013 Recovery Month theme, “Join the Voices for Recovery: Together on Pathways to Wellness,” represents the many ways that people can prevent behavioral health issues, seek treatment, and sustain recovery as part of a commitment to living a mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually healthy life.
The state of Louisiana is currently undergoing a major shift in its healthcare network. The charity hospital system in Louisiana dates back many years and was expanded during the Huey Long administration in the 1920's. The hospitals have provided healthcare to the under-served for approximately a century. For the last two decades, LSU has provided the oversight for these safety net hospitals.
Over the past several months, our staff has been working diligently to obtain Critical Access Hospital Joint Commission Accreditation. The accreditation will signify our organizations ongoing efforts to meeting performance standards excellence. Pointe Coupee General Hospital was last accredited by the Joint Commission in the mid 1980's. I am proud that our hospital staff is committed towards the improvement of our facility and would like to commend our department managers for their tireless efforts towards continuous performance improvement.
In November, Dr. James Christopher retired from his medical practice after 50 years of service to Pointe Coupee. Dr. Christopher came to Pointe Coupee in 1964 and began his Family Medicine and General Surgery Practice. Over the years, he has played a major role in the development of the healthcare environment in our parish. The hospital staff will miss seeing Dr. Christopher making rounds in our facility. We wish him a happy retirement.
The last week of August brought another storm to Pointe Coupee Parish. This time the winds were less than forecasted and our area was spared the widespread damage that we were subjected to during Hurricane Gustav.