Client News: Morton Plant Only Hospital In The U.S. To Be Named Top For Heart Care For 12 Years

Source: BayCare Health Systems Press Release

Morton Plant Hospital is the only hospital in the United States to be recognized 12 times as a top hospital for heart care. Thomson Reuters named Morton Plant in its annual study identifying the top 50 U.S. hospitals for inpatient cardiovascular services. The study has been conducted for the past 12 years and Morton Plant is the only hospital in the country to have made the list all 12 years.

"What's most important to understand about this recognition is that one of the best performing hospitals for heart care in the country is located right here in Clearwater," said Mahesh Amin, M.D. FACC, cardiologist and Morton Plant Mease cardiology section chairman. "Additionally, we have been able to achieve a national level of excellence in heart care for more than a decade. No other hospital in the U.S. has been able to achieve those results."

The Thomson Reuters study reviewed 1,022 hospitals across the country by analyzing results for patients with heart failure and heart attacks and for those who received coronary bypass surgery and percutaneous coronary interventions such as angioplasties.

"To achieve this recognition for so many years requires team work among physicians, nurses and all of the hospital staff," said John Ofenloch, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon and medical director of cardiac surgery for Morton Plant Hospital. "Without a cohesive approach to heart care, we would not be able to achieve consistent results for so many years."

The study shows that 96 percent of cardiovascular inpatients survive and approximately 93 percent remain complication-free, indicative of improved cardiovascular care across-the-board over the past decade. The 50 top hospitals' performance surpasses these high-water marks as indicated by:

Better risk-adjusted survival rates (33 percent fewer deaths than non-winning hospitals).

Lower complications indices (21 percent lower for heart failure complications).

Fewer patients readmitted to the hospital in the 30 days following discharge.

Shorter hospital visits and lower costs. Top hospitals discharge heart patients a half day sooner and spend $1,300 less per case than non-winners.

For the first time, the study singled out 50 top hospitals rather than its traditional practice of identifying 100 winners. Only six hospitals in Florida were named and Morton Plant is the only hospital in the Tampa Bay area to be identified as a Thomson Reuters Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospital.

A number of data points are analyzed for the top heart care study. Thomson Reuters researchers analyzed 2008 and 2009 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) data, Medicare cost reports, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare data. They scored hospitals in key performance areas: risk-adjusted medical mortality, risk-adjusted surgical mortality, risk-adjusted complications, core measures (a group of measures that assess process of care), percentage of coronary bypass patients with internal mammary artery use, procedure volume, severity-adjusted average length of stay, and wage- and severity-adjusted average cost.

To read more, click here.

Client News: Clearwater's Morton Plant Hospital Names New COO

Source: Tampa Bay Online

TAMPA - Morton Plant Hospital has hired Kristopher Hoce as its chief operating officer. Hoce, CEO of Pardee Hospital in Hendersonville, N.C., will begin his new duties Jan. 3.

Pardee is about one-third the size of Clearwater's Morton Plant, which has 687 beds. Hoce, 51, has 28 years experience in the industry and will fill the spot left vacant by Hal Ziecheck, who was named chief operating officer for Morton Plant North Bay Hospital in New Port Richey.

Morton Plant is part of the BayCare Health System, which also includes St. Joseph's and Mease Countryside hospitals

Client News: St. Joseph's Hospital's 2010 Georgette's Holiday Fashion Show

Join St. Joseph's Hospitals Foundation and Georgette's & The Shoe Salon for the 22nd Annual Georgette's Holiday Fashion Show, presented by Georgette Diaz and Tasha Diaz. Watch Tampa Bay's top celebrities model the latest fashion trends and then wrap up your holiday shopping!

This exciting event is the perfect start to the holiday season, featuring a Broadway-style fashion show with special guest models, entertainment, 50/50 raffle drawings and live and silent auctions.

Individual tickets are $75. Table sponsorships start at $1,000. All proceeds will benefit the St. Joseph's Women's Hospital Shimberg Breast Center.

It's not too late to reserve your seat today! For more information, please call the St. Joseph's Hospitals Foundation at (813) 872-0979.

WHEN: Thursday, December 9, 2010; 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

WHERE: Hyatt Regency, Downtown Tampa

CHAIRS: Sally Sierra and Lisa Pearson

Client News: St. Joseph's Hospital's 2010 Cruising To A Cure

Join us for an event like no other. Watch culinary talents from three Tampa Bay restaurants compete for the title of "Tampa Bay's Top Chef" aboard Holland America's cruise ship the ms Ryndam. Each chef will have 15 minutes to prepare and present their restaurants' signature dish to Tampa Bay area food critics inside the ms Ryndam's state-of-the-art Culinary Institute. Just like a Food Network kitchen set, the Culinary Institute is set up theatre-style with a camera over the Chef's shoulder so that the audience is part of every slice, dice and puree. Once the competition is over, guests will proceed to the dining room for their own taste test and wine service while waiting to hear who will be named "Tampa Bay's Top Chef."

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Children's Cancer Research Group (CCRG), which helps fund childhood cancer research at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital. St. Joseph's Children's Hospital is the only community hospital in Florida, and one of a very few non-university hospitals in the United States, with a research laboratory dedicated exclusively to pediatric cancer research.

Individual tickets are $75 and sponsorships begin at $500. It's not to late to reserve your seat today! For more information, please contact the St. Joseph's Hospitals Foundation at (813) 872-0979.

WHEN: Sunday, November 7, 2010; 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

WHERE: Holland America ms Ryndam, Cruise Terminal, Port of Tampa

Client News: BayCare Behavioral Health's Rockin' Recovery 2010

Rockin' Recovery 2010

In recognition of National Recovery Month, BayCare Behavioral Health is hosting the 2010 Rockin' Recovery on Saturday, September 25, 2010 at Higgins Hall in Tampa, Florida. Rockin' Recovery is an evening filled with dinner, dancing and a silent auction. Hosted by CBS News Channel 10 News Anchor Ginger Gadsden, the event will feature keynote speaker and emcee, Baseball Legend Darryl Strawberry, and entertainers Early Clover, the lead vocalist of Cornell Gunter's Coasters and Amanda Mason & MoBetta live in concert.

The purpose of National Recovery Month is to raise awareness of the benefits of alcohol and addiction treatment to communities and to recognize the dedicated professionals in the field. Your support will help the BayCare Behavioral Health's Veterans Initiative and help meet the recovery needs of local veterans and their families.

Individual Ticket Special Limited Time Discounted Rate: Now $25. It's not too late to reserve your seat today! Register online now!

WHEN: Saturday, September 25, 2010, 6-10 p.m.
WHERE: Higgins Hall, 5221 N. Himes Avenue, Tampa, FL

Fore more info, click here.

Client News: BayCare Health System Names Tim Thompson Chief Information Officer

Source: BayCare Health System Press Release

BayCare Health System, the largest community-based health care system in the Tampa Bay area, today announced that Tim Thompson has been appointed Chief Information Officer (CIO) effective Sept. 7, 2010. Thompson joins BayCare from the Methodist Hospital System in Houston, where he also served as CIO and Senior Vice President.

At BayCare Thompson will be responsible for developing and implementing strategic information services (IS) initiatives. He also will oversee BayCare’s clinical transformation to an electronic medical record (EMR) system.

“Tim offers an effective balance between IS operations and strategic thinking,” said Tommy Inzina, chief administrative officer at BayCare Health System. “His background and experience with large, complex multi-hospital systems that are similar to BayCare make him a natural fit for our organization.”

Prior to working at Methodist, Thompson was the CIO and Senior Vice President at both Adventist Health System in Orlando and Palmetto Health in Columbia, South Carolina. In addition he held senior management positions at The Cleveland Clinic, Dynamic Healthcare Technologies, Inc. and Proctor Healthcare Incorporated.

During his career, Thompson has implemented EMRs in more than 30 hospitals. While at Adventist, he successfully rolled-out EMRs in 27 hospitals in 10 states over the course of four years. Most recently at Methodist, Thompson launched a Health Information Exchange, which enables physicians and hospitals to access patient information and data from a centralized location.

“BayCare is well known in the health care industry, and I am excited to become a part of a leadership team that is looking to drive technology advancements for the benefit of its patients,” said Thompson. “The system’s commitment to technology can make a tremendous difference for patients, and improve quality and safety.”

Thompson earned his Bachelor of Management degree from the University of Illinois and is a member of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) and Healthcare Information and Management System Society (HIMSS).

Thompson and his wife are looking forward to relocating to the Tampa Bay area. They have two adult daughters who live in Orlando.

About BayCare Health System:

BayCare Health System is a leading community-based health system in the Tampa Bay area. Composed of a network of 10 not-for-profit hospitals, outpatient facilities and services such as imaging, lab, behavioral health and home health care, BayCare provides expert medical care throughout a patient’s lifetime. With more than 195 access points conveniently located throughout Tampa Bay, BayCare connects patients to a complete range of preventive, diagnostic and treatment services for any health care need.

BayCare’s family of hospitals are: Mease Countryside, Mease Dunedin, Morton Plant, Morton Plant North Bay, St. Anthony’s, St. Joseph’s, St. Joseph’s Children’s, St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, St. Joseph’s Women’s, and South Florida Baptist. For more information, visit BayCare on the Web at www.BayCare.org.

Client News: Florida Hospital for Children Launches Healthy 100 Kids

Pictured on left, Annika Sorenstam

Source: Florida Hospital Press Release.

ORLANDO, Fla., June 24, 2010 - Children between the ages of six to 10 took to the lawn in front of Florida Hospital for Children running in an obstacle course with legendary golfer Annika Sorenstam. This unique display was designed to visually show the types of challenges that parents often face when trying to care for the health of their child.

Florida Hospital for Children is launching a comprehensive, first-of-its-kind health initiative called Healthy 100 Kids to help families gain better access to health and wellness experts in one convenient location. Healthy 100 Kids is designed to help kids stay active and provide parents with valuable information, tools and resources about healthy living. The Healthy 100 Kids program is made possible due to the generous donations of community partners including Annika Sorenstam and the ANNIKA Foundation, the Martin Andersen - Gracia Andersen Foundation, the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation and others.

"The goal of Florida Hospital for Children's Healthy 100 Kids program is to create a comprehensive approach to answer a need in our community for better access to health and wellness programs for children," said Marla Silliman, administrator of Florida Hospital for Children. "Florida Hospital has been caring for patients for more than 100 years and we see first hand how many obstacles patients face. Our goal is to eliminate those obstacles and make it as easy as possible for parents to have access to the care they need for their children."
"The ANNIKA Foundation strives to teach children about the importance of healthy living and an active lifestyle," said Annika Sorenstam. "I am so excited to partner with Florida Hospital for Children's Healthy 100 Kids program because together, I think we can help kids' live healthier lives. It is our vision that steps we take against the largest pandemic facing America's youth will one day be best practices implemented nationwide."

The Healthy 100 Kids program is about more than just losing weight; it is about giving parents and children the tools they need to change their lifestyle. The Healthy 100 Kids team consists of four health professional who specialize in pediatrics and weight management, nutrition, exercise and psychology. The medical director of Healthy 100 Kids, Dr. Angela Fals, is one of a handful of pediatricians in the country who specializes in pediatric weight management, or bariatric medicine. The other experts on the Healthy 100 Kids team include Dr. Celine Passeri, a child clinical psychologist, Lindy Moore, an exercise physiologist, and Tamara Sims-Dorway, a registered dietician. Together, this team will provide a comprehensive approach to care for children and their families dealing with unhealthy lifestyles, overweight challenges and associated medical complications. Additionally, the Healthy 100 Kids program has partnered with the Florida Hospital - Sanford Burnham Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes to research the causes of childhood obesity. This strong research partner will help the program by conducting research to help us better understand the causes of childhood obesity.

The Healthy 100 Kids' physicians, clinicians and medical staff will tailor a program with the goal of giving children and families the best chance of living to a healthy 100. The interconnectivity between nutrition, fitness, relaxation, relationships and body image will lay the foundation for new household habits. While there may be short-term incremental goals, the program offers all participants long-term support and encouragement through a variety of means because "staying healthy" is a lifetime commitment.

To continue reading, click here.

For more information on Healthy 100 Kids, click here.

Client News: BayCare Health System adding 850 jobs between St. Joseph's Hospital-North and a soon-to-open psychiatric hospital

BayCare Health System is adding upwards of 850 jobs, split between its brand new St. Joseph's Hospital-North in North Tampa — Tampa Bay's first new full-service hospital in 30 years — and a soon-to-open psychiatric hospital in Pasco County. Another hospital approved to serve the Apollo Beach area of Hillsborough County will break ground soon.

View article: "Health care hiring defying jobs slump"
By Robert Trigaux, Times Business Columnist
Published Friday, March 26, 2010
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