Commentary: Hospital making progress

The elected board and management of the North Sonoma County
Hospital District have worked hard to improve the quality of
healthcare and improve the finances at Healdsburg District Hospital
which serves the citizens of and visitors to Cloverdale,
Geyserville, Healdsburg and Windsor. Teamwork between an excellent
management team and hospital staff, the board, medical staff, and
the North Sonoma County Healthcare Foundation has been the key to
our success. All are united in a unanimous commitment to a
multi-year business plan and other strategic initiatives to improve
our hospital and position it in a financially viable mode while
pushing the envelope on innovative healthcare delivery and
services.
The quality of healthcare has improved especially for our
children and in my case, grandsons and daughters through a unique
pediatric telemedicine partnership with UC Davis and their
children¹s hospital in Sacramento in which our Emergency Room uses
state-of-the-art telemedicine connections to help diagnose and
prescribe the appropriate treatment for juvenile injuries and
illnesses as well as directly communicating with the patient their
parent or grandparent.
Another quality improvement involves the establishment of a
prototype Hospitalist Program which is a panel of Board Certified
Internal Medicine or Family Practitioners. These doctors will be
available for all unassigned and pre-assigned acute inpatients
presenting at the Emergency Room within the scope of the hospital¹s
capability. The goals of this program are improved continuity of
care, convenience for patients, families and other referents by
reducing the need to transfer to hospitals in Santa Rosa and
beyond. Credit for leadership on this initiative goes to Chief of
Staff Dr. Steve Vargas and new CEO Evan Rayner.
Expanded new services have been added including the hospital¹s
17 bed Sub Acute Unit which handles a variety of patients requiring
total patient care and extended length of stays. This is the only
such facility in the county. ADA Modifications to several rooms
were required to obtain state approval. Dr. Judy Widger, who also
works at Alliance Medical Center, serves as the sub acute unit
medical director.
Surgical services have been expanded to a second surgical suite
with new equipment installed with foundation funding and is
expected to grow with the recruitment of various specialist and
services to provide convenience to the community
The construction plans for the modern new emergency room have
received final state approval and is currently out to bid. Tom
Nardi, project manager for this project is doing an excellent job.
Funding is also being provided by the North Sonoma County
Healthcare Foundation.
The state and federal governments have designated Healdsburg
District Hospital a Critical Access Hospital which changed our
Medicare reimbursements basis and substantially improved our
finances. Such a designation also affords the hospital a variety of
new opportunities to consider when recruiting doctors or partnering
with ambulance providers and clinics and other strategic ventures
due to this designation. Retired Director of Nursing Pat Carini led
us through the process to obtain this designation with a lot of
help from friends in Sacramento.
The elected board has worked well together without dissension or
differences. Former Board Chair Herb Polesky, M.D. and current
chair E. J. Neil have provided great leadership and devoted large
numbers of hours to hospital business as has the rest of the board.
All are committed to doing the best possible job for the
communities we serve and providing the best healthcare possible for
the north county at our hospital.
I have served on the Hospital¹s Board since 1998 when I retired
from the city and I have never felt more confident that we are on
the right tract.
Kurt Hahn is a board member of the North Sonoma County Hospital
District.