News
CPMC Announces New Healthcare Services & Improvements
For the past year Colorado Plains Medical Center has seen numerous improvements – improvements that will benefit patients and visitors. Nearly two years ago, a medical office building, MOB, was constructed on the hospital’s campus for ease of access and convenience for patients and physicians. With it nearly 70% occupied by six physician practices, as well as an updated outpatient rehabilitation unit housing physical, occupational, cardiac, and pulmonary therapy, a Specialty Clinic, and emergency rooftop helipad, the once-quiet healthcare facility has announced plans for increased services.
“Our vision is becoming a reality. We have become a regional center and can serve all of Northeast Colorado,” emphasizes Michael Anaya, Sr., CEO of Colorado Plains Medical Center.
“To this extent, we have researched areas in which to better serve the residents of the communities within our region. Many people have told us that they would like to have closer access to specific healthcare services, such as a cardiac catheterization lab and a geriatric behavioral health unit.”
Along with the capabilities of now being able to offer PET Scans, CPMC is poised to be able to meet these demands.
Last month, CPMC entered into an agreement with Front Range Mobile Imaging to provide PET scans at the facility’s campus on a bi-monthly basis.
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Computed Tomography (CT) imaging technologies is an emerging trend in diagnostic imaging that is leading to better outcomes for oncology patients. The new system allows physicians to make more accurate evaluations of various cancers and help determine the most beneficial course of treatment. PET imaging has also been shown to help evaluate cardiac diseases as well as various skin and brain disorders.
While other diagnostic imaging modalities such as x-ray, ultrasound, CT and MRI show structural anatomy, PET presents metabolic activity within the body. These metabolic “hot spots” and corresponding functional abnormalities can reveal disease states before structural damage is evident. In some instances, this early detection can alter the course of action and have a major impact on patient outcomes.
The most common applications of PET in cancer patients are diagnosing disease when other tests are inconclusive, staging the extent of the disease, and detecting recurrent disease before it escalates or spreads through the body.
The PET scan is not the only new technology at CPMC. This summer, a diagnostic cardiac cath lab will provide diagnostic outpatient services, such as angiograms, locally. After successfully opening a Heart and Lung Center at the facility nearly two years ago and recruiting a general surgeon with vascular expertise, the next logical step was to advance by actually providing the cardiac procedures at the facility notes Anaya.
Additionally, this fall, a geriatric behavioral health unit will open to provide services to patients for who have a mental health diagnoses, including Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, and dementia and who require an acute medical stay. The new service will occupy the area that once housed an acute rehabilitation unit.
Colorado Plains Medical Center has seen a growth in market share, which has contributed only in part, to the construction and new services being offered.
“Although we have made great strides in technology and capital improvements during the past couple of years, it’s the people, the employees, who make the difference,” notes Anaya.
“We have a team of very committed individuals who see healthcare as more than just a job they punch a time clock for. It is more of a calling, a way of living in their minds. They recognize that it is the personal touch that they give that makes all the difference in someone’s recovery and life experience. This is something one doesn’t receive at a large metropolitan hospital. Not only can we provide the technology, we can provide the great care to go with it,” maintains Anaya.
Patient and employee satisfaction goals still remain high at the hospital, along with continuous improvement. Last year CPMC received an award from Solucient, an independent healthcare research company that identifies and recognizes hospital leaders who have instilled a true culture of performance improvement across their organization during five consecutive years (1999-2004). Performance Improvement Leaders (PI Leaders), as shown by objective statistical national comparisons, have led their organizations to improve hospital-wide performance consistently, year-over-year, at a substantially faster rate than peers across the United States in areas of clinical outcomes, patient safety, efficiency, financial stability and growth.
In addition, the hospital, once again, was re-accredited by JCAHO. Later this year the hospital will complete its re-certification process to maintain its status as a Level III Trauma Center, one of only two with this designation in northeast Colorado.
With Morgan County’s population growth, in particular, the aging population, there is an increased community demand for physicians and specialty physicians. Colorado Plains Medical Center continues an aggressive physician recruitment campaign with the goal of six new physicians in areas such as pediatrics, internal medicine, psychiatry, family practice and orthopedic surgery.
Last year a general surgeon, Dr. Timothy Ferrugia, and an obstetrician/gynecologist, Dr. Michelle Soriano, joined the CPMC medical staff on a full-time basis. In addition, new specialists in areas of neurology, hand surgery and rheumatology have been offering their services at the Specialty Clinic on a monthly basis.
“Doc Childre, who authored the Parenting Manual wrote, ‘When people are asked to remember a person who meant a lot to them in life – a teacher, a friend, a parent, a grandparent – they usually remembered a person who cared and understood them.’ Thanking back, I can name quite a few. What’s interesting to note is we, CPMC, have more than 200 of these folks who have meant a lot to a lot of people. . . Our people are our future and are making a difference,” says Anaya.