The annual HealthGrades® Hospital Quality Study for 2008 ranks Tucson Medical Center among the top 10 percent in the nation for stroke and general surgery. The study also found that TMC is: • Recipient of the HealthGrades Stroke Care Excellence Award™ • Recipient of the HealthGrades General Surgery Excellence Award™ • Ranked Best (#1) in Arizona for Overall Critical Care • Ranked among the top 10 in Arizona for Cardiac Surgery, Overall Orthopedic Services, GI Services, GI Surgery “This recognition from HealthGrades validates the success of our quality efforts,” said Dr. Palmer Evans, chief medical officer. “Our physicians and staff members throughout the hospital have worked hard to earn these results.” The HealthGrades study, the largest of its kind, analyzed patient outcomes at virtually all of the nation’s 5,000 hospitals.
Also, TMC received these awards in late 2006: • CareScience Select Practice National Quality Leader, 2006 – in categories of ischemic stroke, medically managed acute myocardial infarction and pneumonia. (TMC is one of only 12 facilities in the country recognized in three or more separate disease group categories.) • 100 Top Hospitals, Cardiovascular Benchmarks for Success, 2006 – recognizing hospitals that have set national clinical and management benchmarks for fullservice cardiovascular programs.
Peppi’s House opens for hospice care Peppi’s House, the new 16-bed home for TMC Hospice, began accepting inpatients during 2007, after several busy years of planning, fund-raising and construction. Located on the northwest side of the TMC campus, 2715 N. Wyatt Dr., the facility features private patient rooms, including two specifically designed for pediatric patients; family rooms with kitchenettes, couches and TVs; access from each patient room to a patio surrounded by a garden; and a meditation chapel. While the majority of hospice care is typically delivered at home, the inpatient unit is used for respite care when a patient’s caregiver needs a rest or when there is a need for pain management or symptom control that cannot be effectively accomplished at home. A community capital campaign, launched by the generous donor who wished only to be known as Peppi, raised $5 million to build the facility.
Air National Guard’s Minuteman group names TMC Employer of Year
Dr. James Balserak, a surgeon with a long history of service at TMC, has completed multiple missions in Iraq.
The 162nd Fighter Wing of the Arizona Air National Guard recognized Tucson Medical Center as Minuteman 2007 Employer of the Year, focusing on TMC’s “outstanding support during the past years, but especially in the Wing’s most recent Air Expeditionary Force deployment,” according to the Air National Guard’s summary.
Report t o
5301 E. Grant Road Tucson AZ 85712
After tracking key measures and quality indicators for many years, TMC HealthCare has taken steps to be accountable and transparent to the public. TMC now posts its quality data on its public Internet site (www.tmcaz.com) to communicate the continuous emphasis on quality improvement. Just click on the link marked “Quality Information and Patient Resources.”
NON PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID TUCSON, AZ PERMIT NO 145
2007 TMC Successes & Awards
“TMC eagerly donated the necessary supplies, costing over $20,000, along with materials necessary to repair broken anesthesia machines,” the award summary states. “Their generosity enhanced the capabilities of the deployed medical troops and certainly saved lives.”
TMC joins national network of children’s hospitals As the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions accepted Tucson Medical Center for associate membership, the hospital introduced a new name for its comprehensive children’s hospital and health care programs – TMC for Children. TMC is one of 215 members and supporters of the nonprofit association, and the only NACHRI member hospital in Southern Arizona. TMC for Children includes: • the region’s only dedicated Children’s Emergency Center • the only pediatric special care unit • the only hospice offering pediatric inpatient services • the only pediatric Gastrointestinal Laboratory • inpatient and ambulatory surgery programs • dedicated pediatric anesthesiologists • child-life specialists • and the hospital’s acclaimed Newborn Intensive Care and Pediatric Intensive Care units.
As a nonprofit community hospital, Tucson Medical Center is here to provide services that improve health and the well-being of the community. TMC is governed by a board of community volunteers who are stewards of this important resource and I would like to thank them for their commitment and dedication. 2007 was a challenging year for Tucson Medical Center. But despite obstacles, the commitment to our mission remained firm as you will see in the pages of this Report to the Community. TMC distributed more bike helmets, loaned more car seats, developed an innovative senior program and provided more charity care than any other previous year.
As Tucson Medical Center’s charitable arm, the TMC Foundation is able to touch the lives of people throughout Southern Arizona. Last year, the Foundation, dedicated to improving the health and quality of life in our community, awarded $5.3 million in grants.
In 2007, the Foundation made $5,199,691.52 in 48 internal grants supporting the hospital and $200,000 in eight external grants.
2007
In 2007 more than 6,000 people received charity care from Tucson Medical Center. These are uninsured or under-insured members of our community who came to TMC in their time of need. And for those moms, dads, sisters, brothers, grandmothers and grandfathers, it is our mission to be here to provide the care they need regardless of their ability to pay.
Giraffe Omnibeds in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit
Gifts go toward funding the latest in life-saving medical equipment, improving facilities, providing educational programs for TMC patients and staff, and promoting community well-being and safety.
C o m m u n i t y
Dear Community,
“TMC allowed a group of skilled and dedicated professionals the opportunity to support their country through military service and overseas deployments,” the announcement noted. The award also recognizes TMC employees who made sure that Medical Group members deployed in Baghdad got the orthopedic instrumentation they needed to treat traumatic injuries.
t h e
2007 was a year for renewed focus on our hospital operations and the quality of care provided to the community. I am happy to report that operations are healthy, with the hospital reporting positive financial performance seven of the last eight months (August ‘07 – March ‘08, when this report went to press). This success was achieved while raising the bar in terms of the quality of care and service provided by our staff and physicians.
Homes from the Heart Brenda McGartland, a patient care tech on the Hospice inpatient unit, hammers at the frame of her new Habitat home. As part of the Homes from the Heart program between the TMC Foundation and Habitat for Humanity Tucson, each year at least one qualified TMC HealthCare employee will receive a new affordable home. McGartland and her son were the second TMC family to benefit from this relationship, with a third house currently under construction.
In these pages, we celebrate the many ways we provide unique and definable benefits to the community. Whether through charity care, child-safety programming, workforce development or supporting U.S. troops overseas, TMC knows that a healthy community requires investment beyond our hospital walls. This is our report to our community. This is our report to you. Sincerely,
Community Benefit Summary* Charity Care Unpaid Costs Community Benefit Services Breast Cancer Staff Activities Community Clinical Training Workforce Development Donations Total
Judy Rich Executive Vice President and Hospital Administrator
$3,618,239 $7,300,883 44,895 370,364 208,892 2,254,477 1,270,068 887,952 $5,036,648
$15,955,770 **
* 2006 figures as reported in 2007 tax filings. ** Does not include internal grants awarded by TMC Foundation.
Scope of Work Tucson Medical Center, licensed at 650 beds, serves as a regional resource for all of Southern Arizona. For more than 60 years, TMC has cared for health and the well-being of the community as a nonprofit, locally governed hospital. TMC has become the leading provider in the region for emergency care (including Tucson’s only Children’s Emergency Center) and many areas of specialty maternity care, pediatric care (including top-notch intensive care units for children and newborns), and many other specialty areas – including cardiac, orthopedic, and senior services. During 2007, TMC recorded • 34,000 hospital admissions (with 148,000 patient days)
Beyond the Hospital Walls
Community Benefit Tucson Medical Center reaches beyond its walls to educate and promote health, wellness and safety throughout Southern Arizona. Improving the health of the community is the core intent of all our efforts and the basis of our mission. TMC devotes many of its outreach efforts to three special
Seniors TMC Senior Services offers many ways in which older adults can make a difference in the lives of others. Senior Services participates in a variety of community events and collaborative projects throughout the year. Some notable 2007 events and programs include:
audiences: children and families, seniors and our Spanish-
• 6,500 cardiac cath lab and special procedures cases
speaking neighbors.
Community Care TMC HealthCare is committed to delivering caring, personalized, quality health care to all patients regardless of their ability to pay. As a nonprofit, community hospital, it’s our mission and our privilege to play this important role in our community. In 2007, TMC provided more than $5.2 million in charity care services. Our Community Care Program covers patients who lack the financial resource to pay for all or part of their bill and to process appropriate adjustments for hospital charges. Our financial representatives will consult with the patient and family to identify state or federal resources available to cover the cost of care. This frequently involves obtaining health coverage through the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, or AHCCCS. This financial consultation can occur either after care is provided or in advance of a planned hospital stay. If coverage is not available, the patient can request financial assistance. Requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis with eligibility determined based on the current year’s federal poverty guidelines. The current year’s sliding scale contains discounts applied up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level. For more information about our Community Care Program, visit www.tmcaz.com.
Taking Care of the
Neediest
She lost her own daughter in 2004 when a babysitter left her in an unattended car. Ryan’s daughter Aslyn Paige Ryan had just turned 1. As a result of her tragedy, she and her husband founded the Hot Spot program to raise awareness of the dangers of leaving children in unattended cars. “This program is very near and dear to my heart,” Ryan said. “I can’t stand the thought that another parent would have to live through what we lived through.”
Elderly Patient Coalition Forums: A collaboration of local community organizations provide educational sessions for professionals who work with older adults.
Desert Kids Safety Team is available for safety prevention visits to schools, neighborhood centers and private organizations. In addition, the program offers a number of hospital-based services including a car seat loaner program; distribution of bicycle helmets, gun locks and home safety products; and a children’s identification program.
• 6,700 babies born at TMC
Improving the well-being and health of the community often extends beyond the walls of the hospital. Dee Ryan, manager of the Mother/Baby Unit at TMC, knows this more than most.
Health Coaching: Trained volunteers help older adults set health goals and stay motivated during the process of improving their lifestyles.
Children & Families
• 21,000 surgery cases (both inpatient and outpatient)
Nationwide last year more than 230 children died as a result of being left unattended in a vehicle. Sadly, each of these deaths was preventable.
Seniors Helping Seniors: 70 volunteers provided about 6,000 contacts with frail older adults. These volunteers provided one-on-one support to older adults who simply need someone to talk to or visit with.
• 89,000 Emergency Department patients treated • 120,000 other outpatient visits
TMC RN starts Hot Spot program to save children’s lives
Last year, TMC distributed 3,500 car seats, 2,430 booster seats and 6,147 bike helmets throughout the community. TMC staff participates in health fairs, community events and school events throughout Southern Arizona spreading a message of health and safety to families and children.
Be Safe Saturday 2007 was another rousing success. More than 8,000 people attended the fourth annual event last March on the TMC campus. The free event offered activities throughout the day for children and families, including more than 60 information booths, live safety lessons, exercise sessions, CPR demonstrations, entertainment and snacks. Car seat inspections were also offered. Safe Kids Tucson is a network of area organizations whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury, a leading killer of children 14 and under. TMC spearheads the local coalition, which is part of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of more than 450 coalitions in 16 countries bringing together health and safety experts, educators, corporations, foundations, governments and volunteers to educate and protect families.
She is not alone in her efforts. The TMC Foundation teamed with the Children’s Miracle Network and TMC’s own Desert Kids Safety program to get Hot Spot started and find it a home under the Desert Kids Safety program umbrella.
Medicare Updates: A unique collaboration with Pima Council on Aging, Northwest Hospital, the Fountains and Green Valley Recreation Center. In 2007, the Medicare Update conferences served more than 800 older adults and family members.
The program continues to grow and reach wider audiences as it delivers the message that children should not be left unattended in a vehicle – Not Even for A Minute.
Memory Matters Health Fair: In observance of Alzheimer’s Awareness month, TMC sponsored this event for families and friends of those affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Medicare Part D Counseling: Trained volunteers provide one-to-one counseling and assistance with navigating the complex Medicare system. Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Project: A group of dedicated volunteers provide information and referral support to people and family members. In June 2007 we responded to community requests by forming two support groups: one for those diagnosed with the disease and a caregiver group for their loved ones. Healthy Living Connections – A TMC Senior Resource Center: Provides office and meeting space to government and nonprofit organizations who are working with older adults. The center also provides public access to the Internet in the Senior Resource Center.
International Services This TMC department focuses on local Spanish-speaking communities, patients from Mexico and retirees living in Mexico. It promotes our medical services, recommends Spanish-speaking physicians and provides costs for medical services. The staff interprets and translates for patients, physicians, nurses and staff. Neovida – Ten years ago, Carlos Flores, M.D., TMC Newborn Intensive Care Unit medical director, and Pat Brown, R.N., TMC NICU nurse manager, founded Neovida, a program to provide a newborn intensive care unit in Agua Prieta, Sonora. The partnership provides equipment and educational training for the facility in Mexico. It allows for timely care of the area’s sick newborns and helps keep patients and families together, instead of having to transport the infants to another facility – either in Tucson or in Hermosillo. Equipment Donation to the Red Cross of Jalisco: TMC donated more than $3 million worth of used equipment and hospital furniture for the Red Cross of Jalisco. The donation has helped Tucson’s sister city of Guadalajara and its neighbors.
Workforce Development In addition to providing acute care, TMC HealthCare helps meet the community’s medical needs well into the future by supporting educational opportunities. Hospital employees can take classes in health care careers through the on-campus TMC-U, which uses advanced clinical labs and classrooms, built by TMC, to offer accredited instruction in collaboration with area colleges. TMC also strives to develop new clinical workers through university affiliations, K-12 public education, and its own innovative welfare-to-work programs.
creating health
care staff members of tomorrow