Health care has captured most of the nation’s headlines for many weeks as President Obama attempts to jam his version of health care reform down the throats of Americans.
The president has said for months that he wanted a bill to sign before the August recess of Congress. Now, it is clear this will not happen, and the president is calling for a bill by the end of the year. Many question whether this extended timeline will be met because there are growing questions and unknowns relative to the more than 1,000-page legislation — which most members of Congress, as well as the president, acknowledge they have not read.
The costs of the plan are huge, staggering and, according to various polls, there is growing public concern and opposition to major change in this nation’s health care system, as well as less support for Obama’s socialization and government control of an individual’s health care.
On the flip side, a highly positive side of a health care story is what has happened and continues to happen at KU Hospital in Kansas City, Kan.
For years, this hospital struggled. The relationship between doctors, their private corporations and the hospital; the relationship between KU School of Medicine and the hospital; its location in what many Kansas Citians consider a blue-collar area of the community; poor housekeeping; some highly unfavorable conditions in its cardiac care services; a weak fiscal position; and other situation tarnished and damaged the hospital’s reputation.
Not too many years ago, the hospital was in serious trouble, trouble relative to patient numbers and profitability.
In October 1998, the hospital became an independent operation, not a state of Kansas entity.
Almost overnight, there was change, a change in enthusiasm, a change of vision and a change in operation.
Led by former KU Hospital CEO Irene Cumming, and with the enthusiastic, able and steady support of many associates, such as her eventual successor, Bob Page, there has been a complete transformation of the KU Hospital environment.
Members of the hospital’s board of directors held their regular monthly meeting earlier this week and designated it as their annual meeting to conduct numerous housekeeping and official requirements.
At the meeting, directors received reports on five power points that have helped guide the hospital’s climb from intensive-care-like troubles to one of national excellence — all in a period of 10 years.
In no particular order of importance, these power points cover service, people, quality, cost and growth.
Service deals with patient satisfaction. The hospital and its staff received a score of 98 percent satisfaction this past year with similar good marks in earlier years. Hospital officials have made a massive effort to stress the importance of taking care of patient needs and the needs and concerns of their relatives. This is a daily and weekly exercise, and it is obvious it is paying off with great customer satisfaction.
People refers to employee turnover. At the time the hospital became a nonstate operation, turnover was 33 percent. Now, that number is 11.58 percent, with an ongoing effort to make it even lower.
Quality refers to the mortality rate of KU Hospital patients compared with other academic hospitals with similar acuity indexes. KU Hospital currently ranks in the top 6 percent of all similar hospitals.
Cost refers to the cost of the hospital’s operation and how this relates to the costs for patients. Directors were told this has been an aggressive effort by hospital officials and that current results exceed original projections.
Growth refers to the number of individuals selecting KU Hospital for their medical care. KU Hospital showed a 7 percent increase in patient numbers this past year, considerably higher than other Kansas City hospitals.
In addition to these favorable figures, KU Hospital was cited earlier this week by U.S. News and World Report as being among the top 50 hospitals in the country in three areas: ear, nose and throat; heart surgery; and kidney disorders.
Kansas City’s St. Luke’s Hospital received one recognition as being among the top 50 in the field of urology.
KU Hospital clearly is Kansas City’s No. 1 hospital for overall patient care. There may be some hospital that exceeds it in a particular area, but, overall, KU Hospital is tops.
This comes after 10 years of hard work and despite the distraction of some at KU — in Lawrence and at the KU Medical Center — and a handful of Kansas City power brokers who tried to weaken KU Hospital and KUMC in order to strengthen St. Luke’s Hospital.
This effort failed, although it would be a major mistake for KU Hospital officials to believe that efforts to strengthen St. Luke’s at the expense of KU Hospital and KUMC have been abandoned. There are sure to be future attempts, whether subtle and behind the scenes or naked attempts, to put the squeeze on KU.
At a time when there is tremendous national attention on health care and attempts to change the American system of patient care, perhaps more national attention should be focused on the change at KU Hospital over the past 10 years and how this was achieved. It’s a great story.
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