Nancy Farber, CEO Washington Hospital Healthcare System

(This message will also be included in the Winter 2010 issue of Health Signs.)
Washington Hospital’s Growth is Making a Healthier Community

During the past year, Washington Hospital has continued to grow and in the process has continued to deliver top-notch health care services. Having cared for more than 13,000 admitted patients, 46,000-plus who have sought help in our emergency room, and more than 4,000 surgical patients, we continue our more than 50 years of service by improving the high quality of care we provide in our efforts to meet the medical needs of our community. We are also focused on tomorrow, as we embark on a major expansion of our facilities.

Due to the outpouring of support for the programs that we've pioneered, the Hospital has been able to make critical and strategic investments in staff, equipment and technology. Because we operate under a not-for-profit status, and the Hospital does not receive any taxpayer support for its operations, all of the revenues that would otherwise be siphoned away as profit are re-invested directly into critical programs that have made Washington Hospital a world-class facility.

This success does not happen overnight. It is achieved through planning and only is realized when strategic initiatives are executed well. Washington Hospital has had a tremendously successful year due, in large part, to the fact that strategic initiatives started years ago have been executed effectively and have allowed the Hospital to become an improved and more fiscally sound healthcare system.

One example of this approach is the Washington Cardiovascular Institute. Its staff of experienced doctors understands how to identify, monitor and treat serious heart problems. These 13 interventional cardiologists specialize in screening and non-invasive testing. Our participation in important clinical studies and investment in state-of-the-art equipment allows us to deliver minimally invasive and technologically advanced treatments to the residents of Washington Township Health Care District. An example of this is the participation of Washington Hospital in clinical trials of the innovative Impella 2.5 Cardiac Assist Device, led by cardiologist Dr. Ash Jain. The device is designed to help a weakened heart to continue pumping while damage from a heart attack is repaired. We are one of eight sites in the United States participating in this clinical trial. Overall, our focus on improving cardiac care means that patients who are brought to Washington Hospital as a result of our designation as a cardiac receiving center for Alameda County get the best care available.

Another of our successful programs is the Taylor McAdam Bell Neuroscience Institute, where patients with tumors, aneurisms, spinal issues and other neck or head problems are treated. Our Gamma Knife Program physicians are internationally known leaders and use the most modern, minimally invasive techniques that enable patients to return to a good quality of life in a minimal amount of time.

Because of the success of our strategic investments and our not-for-profit status, we are able to enhance, improve and expand other offerings to our community. We are very proud of our Washington Women's Center, dedicated to improving the health of women, and our Breast Health Program which recently received a three-year accreditation making it the only center like it to earn this distinction in the Bay Area. In fact, the closest facilities that share the same accreditation are in Bellingham, Wash. and San Diego, Calif. We also have a birthing center, which includes a special care nursery for newborns. In fact, the Washington/Packard Children's Special Care Nursery was the first satellite facility in the Bay Area for Lucile Packard for the care of premature babies or for those in need of serious medical care immediately after birth. Our acclaimed mammography and pre-natal care provide critical services to the District's women who need and depend on our Hospital.

The growth of many of our programs and services along with strong financial management has enabled us to begin on some exciting changes to our facilities. While the recession has ground most construction projects in our area to a halt, and hospitals in the area are cutting services and closing their emergency rooms due to lack of funding, the opposite is taking place here.

As the Hospital continues to grow and our community grows, we have to expand our facilities to accommodate this growth. With the help of the general obligation bond approved by voters in 2004, Measure FF, we have begun the first phase of several major expansion and construction projects. This $190 million bond is providing partial funding for the re-construction of the first phase of the Hospital’s facility master plan so that we will be able to accommodate our community’s growing population, our desire to provide state-of-the-art facilities, and the need to meet California’s seismic standards.

I am excited to report that one of the first projects underway is the construction of the Hospital’s new Central Plant, which stands at the heart of the Hospital’s daily operations. This voter-funded program is on budget and on time—despite the economic conditions around us. This is especially exciting when we think about the fact that our progressive efforts to plan for our future have the added benefit of creating much needed jobs in our community.

Included in the first phase of construction, a new Center for Joint Replacement (CJR), will break ground in January 2010. While it is not being funded by proceeds from Measure FF, it is nonetheless a critical step in our overall capital improvement plan and also needed to continue to expand the service. The footprint for the current CJR will be utilized to build the new Emergency Room in our second phase of construction.

The groundbreaking of the Center for Joint Replacement will be a milestone to show that we are getting that much closer to an even more important component – after completion of the new CJR, Washington Hospital will move forward on the much needed, large-scale expansion of the ER and critical care units. The new, state of the art ER, ICU and CCU will be able to serve more patients, more effectively.

I am very pleased to report to you, the owners of this hospital, what’s happening at our Hospital. Our solid footing is allowing us to continue delivering high quality health care to the community, and prepare for tomorrow.