|
WHAT'S NEW Acclaimed heart health speaker who visited Fresno now featured in major publication Saint Agnes Medical Center has been pleased to bring nationally acclaimed speaker Joe Piscatella for several compelling heart health educational forums. One of the country’s leading authorities on lifestyle habits and heart health, Piscatella is one of the longest living survivors of cardiac bypass surgery. In fact, in July, he’ll celebrate his 33rd anniversary of bypass surgery. To commemorate this milestone, Baylor University Medical Center has included an article written by Piscatella in the July edition of its medical journal Proceedings. For a sneak peek of the article, click here! Piscatella is President of the Institute for Fitness & Health and lectures extensively. He is the author of 11 books, the host of three PBS television specials, and a frequent guest on television and radio programs, including CNN, Today, and Good Morning America. Posted June 15, 2010 ____________________ |
SAINT AGNES NAMED "PEOPLE'S CHOICE" FOR BEST HOSPITAL BY FRESNO BEE READERS For the sixth straight year, Valley residents have given Saint Agnes Medical Center their votes of confidence – naming us "Best Hospital" in The Fresno Bee's Central Valley's People's Choice Awards 2010. The Bee received 115,565 total votes from 4,074 ballots. Results were published in a special section of The Bee on Saturday, March 27. This recognition is a tribute to the dedication of our staff, physicians and volunteers all working together to look after the health and wellness of Valley residents. Since Saint Agnes Medical Center began its healing ministry in 1929, we have been blessed to be part of some of the most significant moments and miracles in Valley lives. It is a privilege we hold dear and a responsibility we take seriously. That's why we are so humbled to be named the People's Choice for best hospital six years in a row. On behalf of the countless individuals who have entrusted us with their care over the past 80 years, we thank you from the bottom of our heart. If Saint Agnes has touched your heart, we want to know. Share your story at saintagnesfaces.com.
Posted April 7, 2010
____________________ |
SAINT AGNES EARNS TWO BLUE SHIELD OF CALIFORNIA ACCOLADES Blue Shield of California has named Saint Agnes Medical Center a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery® and a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement®. Saint Agnes is the only hospital in the greater Fresno area to earn the Spine Surgery distinction, and among two Fresno hospitals to receive the Knee and Hip Replacement designation. "Blue Distincion Centers set themselves apart by adhering to best practices in patient safety and surgical care and producing consistently strong outcomes with fewer complications," says Michael-Anne Browne, MD, medical director for quality at Blue Shield of California. "Blue Shield of California is pleased to recognize the superior care that this hospital and its physicians deliver." Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate their commitment to quality care, resulting in better overall outcomes. Saint Agnes meets evidence-based clinical criteria, developed in collaboration with a panel of expert physicians and medical organizations. To see a complete list of selection criteria or to learn more about the distinction, visit www.bcbs.com. Note: Designation as Blue Distinction Centers means these facilities' overall experience and aggregate data met objective criteria established in collaboration with expert clinicians' and leading professional organizations' recommendations. Individual outcomes may vary. To find out which services are covered under your policy at any facilities, please call your local Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield Plan.
Posted April 7, 2010
___________________________
|
CICU EARNS PRESTIGIOUS AWARD
Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence®
This award was created by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) in 2003 to recognize adult critical care, adult progressive care, and pediatric critical care units that achieve high quality outcomes. To date, less than 250 hospital units nationwide have received this award, and the Saint Agnes CICU is the first adult critical care unit to earn this accolade in the Fresno area.
Beacon awardees are measured in six categories: recruitment and retention; education, training and mentoring; evidence-based practice; patient outcomes; healthy work environment; and leadership and organizational ethics.
Reviewers from AACN commended the CICU for the excellent examples and stories in its application that demonstrated actions of its nurses and interdisciplinary staff.
AACN applauds the efforts and success of Saint Agnes, which now serves as a beacon for other hospitals and healthcare facilities.
Posted March 4 , 2010
____________________
|
HEALTHGRADES STUDY RATES SAINT AGNES MEDICAL CENTER 5-STAR
FOR TREATMENT OF HEART ATTACK
Saint Agnes Medical Center is the only 5-Star rated hospital for the Treatment of Heart Attack in the Fresno Area, according to a comprehensive annual study released October 13 by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization. The HealthGrades study annually assesses patient outcomes – mortality and complication rates – at virtually all of the nation’s nearly 5,000 nonfederal hospitals.
|
 | |
According to the twelfth annual HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America study top-rated hospitals had a 52 percent lower mortality rate than the U.S. national average when looking at the patient outcomes of 17 procedures and diagnoses ranging from bypass surgery to treatment for heart attack. When the top-rated hospitals were compared to the poorest performers, there was an even greater difference, 72 percent lower mortality. Saint Agnes has achieved other notable heart attack care achievements in recent years, including being named a Mentor Hospital for Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI), otherwise known as heart attack, by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). Saint Agnes shares this distinction with 37 hospitals nationwide – and only three in California. Saint Agnes has also achieved stellar door-to-balloon (D2B) times – the time from when a heart attack patient enters the Emergency Department through the time it takes to open the blocked artery. The sooner blood flow can be restored, the less permanent damage to the heart. At Saint Agnes, the average D2B time for 2009 is 55 minutes, with a Saint Agnes record of 14 minutes. The national recommendation by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association is 90 minutes. Additionally, Saint Agnes was a recipient of the 2009/2010 Maternity Care Excellence Award and Ranked among the Top 5% in the nation for Maternity Care in The Sixth Annual HealthGrades Women’s Health in American Hospitals study released in June 2009. Further underscoring its quality work in women’s health, Saint Agnes has been rated 5-Star for Maternity Care five years in a row (2005 & 2006/2007-2009/2010). The new 2010 HealthGrades hospital ratings are posted on HealthGrades’ public Web site, www.healthgrades.com.
Posted October 13 , 2009
____________________
|
SAINT AGNES MEDICAL CENTER GOES 14 FOR 14
AS CONSUMER CHOICE AWARD WINNER
For the 14th consecutive year, Valley residents chose Saint Agnes Medical Center as a National Consumer Choice Award winner. Saint Agnes was one of a select group of hospitals nationwide to receive the 2009/10 award for overall quality and image, and is one of only 42 hospitals to receive this distinction 14 years in a row.
|
| This distinction is based on the Healthcare Market Guide conducted by National Research Corporation (NRC) of more than 250,000 households representing 450,000 people. This is the 14th year that NRC has named the top hospitals in markets throughout the United States, and the 14th year that Saint Agnes has been selected among the winners. “This vote of confidence is a testament to our staff and physicians, who have dedicated their lives to improving the health and wellbeing of Valley residents by providing excellent health care,” said Thomas Anderson, Acting President and Chief Executive Officer, Saint Agnes Medical Center. Saint Agnes is proud to share this Consumer Choice distinction with some of the nation’s finest healthcare facilities, including Johns Hopkins Hospital, Mayo Clinic and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. NRC is a recognized industry leader with more than two decades of experience in healthcare performance measurement and improvement. The Healthcare Market Guide is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive study of its kind.
Posted October 13 , 2009
____________________
|
 | |
PATIENT REGISTRATION SELF CHECK-IN KIOSKS
Saint Agnes is pleased to be the first hospital in the Valley to introduce our new Self Check-In Kiosks to the patient registration area. It took months of planning and testing before going "live" September 15. And so far, the reception among patients and families has been extremely positive! The kiosks are designed to expedite the care experience by allowing inpatients and outpatients who have preregistered for their visit to quickly and conveniently check themselves in, rather than stand in line. Using the touchscreen technology, patients can even complete paperwork and consent forms electronically. For added convenience, patients also have the option of making their co-pay upon self check-in. With the simple swipe of a credit card, the kiosk instantly posts the payment to the patient's account and generates a receipt. To better serve our diverse population, the kiosk service is available in English, Spanish and Hmong. Patients who prefer to check in with one of our friendly registrars may continue to do so. To see how easy it is to use this new tool, view the Patient Kiosk Demo.
Posted October 7, 2009
____________________ |
NEW TECHNOLOGY DEBUTS AT THE SAINT AGNES CANCER CENTER Cancer treatment options have taken another leap forward. In August 2009, Saint Agnes Cancer Center had its first patient undergo treatment with its new Trilogy® Rapid Arc linear accelerator. The Trilogy Rapid Arc combines imaging and radiation therapy in one device, giving patients access to both conventional treatments (smaller doses over several weeks) and stereotactic treatments (higher doses for smaller lesions or tumors over a shorter period of time). With the Trilogy, clinicians can take an image as the patient is being treated, so they know exactly where the tumor is. This helps target the tumor more precisely and protect healthy surrounding tissue. The system also incorporates technology that synchronizes treatment with the patient's natural breathing cycle. Patients can breathe normally and be confident that the dose is being delivered only when the tumor is in the right place. The Trilogy also delivers doses at least 60 percent faster than conventional accelerators, which improves accuracy and patient comfort. "This state-of-the-art equipment provides us with tremendous versatility and precision for customizing treatments according to the specifics of each patient's case," says Li Liu, MD, medical director of Radiation Oncology Services. "Along with the Medical Center's comprehensive stereotactic radiosurgery program, which is the first and only one of its kind in the Central Valley, local patients have the best cancer-fighting technology right in their own backyard." With the first Trilogy Rapid Arc now in use, construction will begin to prepare for the installation of the second Trilogy linear accelerator. Posted October 7, 2009 ____________________ |
TRINITY HEALTH RANKS IN TOP 10
OF U.S. HEALTH SYSTEMS Trinity Health, the parent company of Saint Agnes Medical Center and the fourth largest Catholic health system in the country, was recently named one of the nation's best performing hospital systems for the delivery of safe, high-quality services. Trinity Health is one of the 10 top-ranked health systems listed in the Thomson Reuters' 100 Top Hospitals® Health Systems Quality/Efficiency Study. This study reviewed 252 health systems (with a total of 1,720 hospitals) on five measures of clinical quality and efficiency: mortality, complications, patient safety, length of stay, and use of evidence-based practices. The top 10 benchmark systems represent the top 2.5 percent of the systems studied. "Trinity Health is among the top quality performers in the nation," said Joseph Swedish, President and CEO of Trinity Health, "because of the magnificent commitment of the physicians, nurses and associates at all our member hospitals to making continuous improvements in quality and safety." As a member of Trinity Health, Saint Agnes Medical Center leverages the collective clinical knowledge and best care practices of 45 hospitals across the country to improve the quality, safety and satisfaction of patients throughout the course of their care. Posted October 7, 2009 ____________________ |
 | | Chief Nursing Officer Nancy Hollingsworth |
TUNE IN FOR HEALTH WATCH From tips on diet and stress relief to guidelines for livesaving screenings, Saint Agnes Medical Center Chief Nursing Officer Nancy Hollingsworth shares all as the new radio voice of K-JEWEL Health Watch. Health Watch airs twice daily on 99.3 FM, Monday through Friday, with new topics to help Valley residents lead healthier, happier lives. Posted October 7, 2009 ____________________ |
|
|
|
