care { } SURROUNDING OUR COMMUNITY WITH
2014 ANNUAL REPORT
{ } dear friend and neighbor,
My colleagues and I are proud to share the past year’s strides in clinical care, education, community support, and technology. Pursuit of our mission means working hard to provide you with new physicians, additional services, and greater access to care.
2014 provided another year of hard work and expansion for our organization. As we acquired new physicians, we also grew current services lines and developed new ones. Orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Stuart Blankenship, a Martin County native, joined the Highlands Orthopaedics’ team, working alongside Orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Daryl Larke, and Orthopaedic and Sport Medicine surgeon, Dr. Rob Royalty. Board-certified neurologist, Dr. Ryan Owens, also joined the Highlands’ family, offering treatment of ALS, brain tumors, epilepsy, MS, and more to the community. Like Dr. Owens, three other Floyd county natives, Dr. Jessica Branham, OB/GYN, Dr. Nick Francis, Internal Medicine, and Dr. Tara Newsome, Family Practice, returned to the area to serve the people of the Big Sandy Region.
Highlands continues to provide education and community support through our recent partnership with the March of Dimes. This was made possible after our implementation of the Worth the Wait program, an initiative that began in Kentucky over 7 years ago. Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait is now a signature project for the March of Dimes. Highlands is proud to have received this partnership and share in the care of healthy babies. The Highlands Center for Autism celebrated 5 years of services to the community. The Center for Autism continues to win numerous awards for their strides and recognized nationwide for their exclusive use in Kentucky of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in a clinical setting. Beyond daily ABA treatment for students, the Center provides ABA based intervention trainings for parents, caregivers and professionals now included among the many services that the Center for Autism provides the Big Sandy.
Our IT department led the charge this year with advancements for health care technology to bring you the best in not only healthcare exchange information, but also access to your medical records in a safe, secure manner. They won national awards, reached new stages within our electronic medical record system, and provided information securely through the patient portal. This year, we were able to provide access to more patients from more places than ever before, while facing the same cost and regulatory pressures as hospitals nationwide. But we are learning to work faster, better and more efficiently. Our goal is to offer you and your family the best experience possible, without being far from home.
Harold C. Warman, Jr., FACHE President & CEO, Highlands Health System
new {physicians} During 2014, Highlands surrounded our community with care by expanding our physician team and in turn, our service lines. Now, we can offer you an even more robust Orthopaedic team with the knowledge and advanced skill set of Dr. Stuart Blankenship, additional gynecology and obstetrics services with the addition of Dr. Jessica Branham, meet all your internal medicine needs with Dr. Nick Francis, administer complete family care with the services of Dr. Tara Newsome, and provide complete neurology care from Dr. Ryan Owens.
Dr. Stuart Blankenship, Orthopaedic Surgeon This year, Highlands Orthopaedics proudly welcomed Orthopaedic Surgeon, Stuart Blankenship, MD. Dr. Blankenship joined fellow surgeons, Dr. Daryl Larke and Dr. Rob Royalty, and also offered a convenient second location to the community in Paintsville.
Blankenship’s specialties include anterior muscle preserving hip replacement, cartilage repair, fracture treatment, joint replacement, ligament reconstruction, and reconstructive surgery. A Martin County native, Dr. Blankenship completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at Southern Illinois University College of Medicine in Springfield, IL, his doctorate at University of Kentucky College of Medicine in Lexington, KY, and his Bachelor’s of Science from Centre College in Danville, KY. His post graduate professional development includes an Orthopaedic Trauma Association Trauma Course for Residents, Arthroscopy Association of North America Resident Course, and AAOS Resident Board Review Course, and he is a member of the Mid-America Orthopaedics Association. In his free time, Dr. Blankenship enjoys spending time with his wife and son. He also likes golf, basketball and soccer.
Dr. Jessica Branham, Obstetrics and Gynecology A Floyd County native, OB/GYN physician, Jessica Branham, DO, also became a Highlands’ physician in 2014. Earning her undergraduate degree at the University of Kentucky, she then completed her Doctorate at the Kentucky School of Osteopathic Medicine in Pikeville. During her time there, she was involved in numerous medical organizations including President of the American Medical Women’s Association school chapter, and a member of KYCOM OB/GYN Club, Student Osteopathic Medical Association, Kentucky Osteopathic Association, Kentucky Medical Association, and American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians.
Branham completed her Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Pennsylvania, where she was the Chief Resident of Undergraduate Medical Education. Upon finishing residency, Branham began practicing at Whitesburg Women’s Center in Whitesburg, KY, before recently joining the Highlands’ team. Branham’s services include adolescent gynecology, gynecology surgery, obstetrics, prenatal care, preventative medicine, and general women’s health. This year, Dr. Branham and her husband, Evan, welcomed their first child, a daughter, Lydia.
new {physicians} Dr. Nick Francis, Internal Medicine Nick Francis, DO, came to Highlands after completing a three year residency at CamdenClark Medical Center in Parkersburg, WV.
A Floyd County native, Francis completed his medical degree from the University of Pikeville College of Osteopathic Medicine. His undergraduate degree is from Morehead State University. There, he obtained a Bachelor of Science, with an area of concentration in Biology, and graduated Cum Laude. Francis is also a member of the American Osteopathic Association, American College of Osteopathic Internist, and American College of Physicians. Dr. Francis and his wife, Lisa, welcomed their first son, Gabriel.
Dr. Tara Newsome, Family Practice Tara Newsome, MD, returned to her native Floyd County in 2014. Newsome joins Highlands from King’s Daughter Medical Center. Prior, Newsome was the Chief Medical Officer at the Shelby Valley Clinic of Big Sandy Health Care; and staff family physician for Trover Health System in Madisonville, KY. Dr. Newsome completed her residency at Trover Health System, her doctorate at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, and undergraduate at Morehead State University, with a degree in Biology, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Professional Memberships include American Academy of Family Physicians, Kentucky Academy of Family Physicians, American Medical Association, and Kentucky Medical Association. Dr. Newsome adores time with her husband and their three children.
Dr. Ryan Owens, Neurologist Certified neurologist Ryan Owens, MD, joined Highlands from private practice, Georgetown Neurology, in Georgetown and from the University of Kentucky, Department of Neurology, in Lexington, where he was an adjunct professor.
Dr. Owens completed his residency at the University of Kentucky, Department of Neurology, his doctorate at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, and undergraduate at the University of Kentucky, where he completed two undergraduate degrees in Biology and Psychology, graduating Summa Cum Laude. His honors and awards include Neurology Chief Resident, graduate of J. Kiffin Penry Epilepsy mini-fellowship, Resident Chair for Commonwealth Neurology Society, Abraham Flexnor Teaching Award, member of Kentucky Medical Association, and member of American Medical Association, to name a few. In his free time, Dr. Owens enjoys spending time with his wife, Danelle.
{ } new services
Labor & Delivery/March of Dimes The March of Dimes Greater Kentucky Chapter has announced a partnership with Highlands Regional Medical Center to implement the Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait program.
The program provides education for pregnant women, perinatal providers, and the community on the problem of preterm birth, risk factors and strategies for reducing risk. In addition, Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait provides a supportive structure for implementing bundled, evidence-based preterm birth prevention interventions. Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait is a component of the March of Dimes prematurity campaign, a nationwide effort to address the growing problem
of premature birth, which is the leading cause of newborn death and a major cause of serious health problems. The March of Dimes also is funding research to find the causes of premature birth. Premature birth, birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy, is a health problem that costs the U.S. more than $26 billion annually, according to the Institute of Medicine. It is the leading cause of newborn death. Babies who survive an early birth often face the risk of lifetime health challenges, such as breathing problems, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities and others. Even babies born just a few weeks early have higher rates of hospitalization and illness than full-term infants. At least 39 weeks of pregnancy are important to a baby’s health, because many important organs, including the brain and lungs, are not completely developed until then. The March of Dimes announced that Kentucky’s preterm birth rate was 12.6% percent in 2013, down from 15.1% in 2006, the year the national rate peaked. Kentucky again earned a “C” on the March of Dimes Premature Birth Report Card. The national preterm birth rate fell to 11.4 percent in 2013 – the lowest in 17 years – meeting the federal Healthy People 2020 goal seven years early. Despite this progress, the nation still received a “C” on the annual report card and still has the highest rate of preterm birth of any high resource country. The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. For more than 75 years, moms and babies have benefited from March of Dimes research, education, vaccines, and breakthroughs.
Speech & Language Expand Services Highlands administrative leaders and board members heard from the pediatric team that our area was in need of speech and language services. After some research, data analysis and with the leadership of Amber Fleming, the health system was able to create a new services line to better meet the needs of the community. The new Speech and Language Therapy department at Highlands provides comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services for both children and adults. Services include receptive and expressive language disorders, articulation and phonological disorders, motor speech disorders, swallowing disorders, cognitive or other developmental delays, oral motor and feeding disorders, aphasia treatment/poststroke or TBI, pragmatic or social language issues, and modified barium swallow studies. “Our goal is to maximize our client’s potential and improve quality of life by working collaboratively with families and other professionals” says, Amber Fleming, MS-CCC-SLP, Director of Speech & Language, Highlands Health System.
{ } Highlands Center for
Autism
Highlands Center for Autism Celebrates Five Year Anniversary
2014 proudly marked the 5 year anniversary for the Highlands Center for Autism (HCA). HCA provides treatment for children with autism, and support and education for their families. HCA held an event to honor the 5 years of service to the community. The event included tours of the facility, presentations from parents, and program director, Dr. Shelli Deskins, along with acknowledgments from Highlands Health System President & CEO, Bud Warman.
The Master of Ceremonies was Kathy Rubado, Executive Director of the Highlands Foundation, who has worked diligently to raise funds for HCA. Her efforts include the annual Highlands Jigsaw 5K, and Highlands Golf Classic, among several others. Tyler Hall, whose children Maggie and Jacob attend HCA, also spoke at the event about the improvements he and his wife have seen in their children since beginning treatment. Hall also joins the HCA Board of Directors for 2014. Many attended the celebration, including numerous community members, HCA parents and family, and Highlands employees. Kentucky House Representative Jeff Greer also attended and spoke during the engagement. Representative Greer has been instrumental to the autism community as he sponsored House Bill 159, which mandates insurance companies pay for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services. Highlands Center for Autism is the first center-based program in Kentucky exclusively using ABA, a science based on the principles of learning used to make improvements in socially significant behaviors, such as communication, social skills, academics, and adaptive skills. ABA also relies on objective data to make decisions about treatment.
{IT } information
technology
“ Best Hospital IT Departments” Award
Highlands Information Technology is one of the best small IT teams in the country as a Healthcare IT News “Best Hospital IT Departments” award winner. Despite challenges related to the healthcare facility’s remote location, such as limited bandwidth and lack of high-speed connections, Michael Roberts, Chief Information Officer, Highlands Health System has made sure his eight-member squad is up to delivering the services Highlands medical professionals need in timely fashion. “Everything revolves around customer service,” Roberts says. “All team members are selected based on their customer service and people skills. Dedication to serving hospital personnel supersedes all other skills,” Roberts says, “because it is integral to the IT team’s effectiveness.”
“Technology is always changing, so past or current skills in particular technologies aren’t necessarily an indication of future success,” he says. “Hiring the right type of person – one who is focused on our customers and doing whatever it takes to serve them – is key.” Roberts also credits the Highlands organization for “making a significant investment in IT” in order to advance healthcare service capabilities and quality of care for the region. “It has created a facility that is ahead of others in IT implementation, which directly impacts our staff since they are implementing and supporting a wide range of IT services,” he says. “We were particularly pleased this year when we achieved HIMSS Stage 6.” Yet, reducing overall IT operating costs is a vital issue and an ongoing challenge, Roberts concedes. “We have made a large investment in IT over the past 10 years and are well ahead of most hospitals with our technology, but costs have continued to increase,” he said. “Reimbursement changes are forcing us to reduce our expenses. Now, as we migrate away from being just an inpatient hospital with several outpatient facilities, we must find a way to continue expanding while reducing IT spending at the same time.” Having the right people on staff relieves some of that pressure, Roberts says. By giving each individual as much freedom as possible and letting everyone take ownership of assignments, he says, it builds a culture of pride and commitment.
HIMSS Analytics Honors Highlands with Stage 6 Recognition Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Analytics announced Highlands Health System has achieved Stage 6 on the EMR Adoption ModelSM (EMRAM). HIMSS Analytics developed the EMR Adoption Model in 2005 as a methodology for evaluating
the progress and impact of electronic medical record systems for hospitals in the HIMSS Analytics™ Database. Tracking their progress in completing eight stages (0-7), hospitals can review the implementation and utilization of information technology applications with the intent of reaching Stage 7, which represents an advanced electronic patient record environment. Stage 6 hospitals also have achieved a significant advancement in their IT capabilities that positions them to successfully address many of the current industry transformations, such as meaningful use criteria in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, claims attachments for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, pay for performance, and government quality reporting programs. “We are so pleased with this accomplishment. The Highlands team has made significant strides in order to complete Stage 6 and with our EMR capabilities as a whole,” states Roberts.
Highlands Patient Portal This year, Highlands also offered patients the ease of accessing their medical records through a safe and secure environment. Highlands’ patients simply needed to provide an email address at registration. After receiving the initial email, they could set up a personal, secure account and access important health information at their convenience. This allowed patients to manage their health with ease – whether reviewing results from a recent test or asking a question, patients are now able to get the answers they need on a computer or smart phone. The patient portals also allows you to receive reminders of important care items, view lab results online rather than waiting for them in the mail, access your health records in one place, such as procedures, scans, x-ray reports, immunization, medications and allergies, and download health records to easily share with other doctors.
{ community benefit report } persons
total benefit
Community Health Education – General Cancer Education
594 $12,460
CPR & First Aid
46 $909
Diabetes Education
93 $1,766
Donation of Used Laptops Family Parenting & Sibling ED Health Fairs Heart Disease/Healthy Heart Education Meeting Room Usage Nutrition & Weight Management
$2,500 15 $369 7,838 $69,607 161 $13,216
$59,600
240 $740
School Based Programs
5,521 $84,029
Seniors Education and Outreach
1,087 $18,299
Tobacco/Smoking Cessation
153 $428
Worksite Based Programs
590 $2,437
Health Care Support Services – Meals/Nutrition Services Charity Food Trays
3,101 $31,351
Financial Donations for the Community Financial Assistance (includes Bad Debt at cost)
$3,705,972
Subsidized Services
$1,045,690
Unreimbursed Medicaid Services
$8,566,464
TOTAL COMMUNITY BENEFIT $13,612,600
{board members and trustees }
Highlands Health System Board of Directors
Highlands Center for Autism Board of Directors
Harold C. Warman, Jr., FACHE PRESIDENT & CEO Dewey L. Bocook, Jr. CHAIRMAN Dennis T. Dorton VICE CHAIRMAN Edward R. Nairn SECRETARY Paul D. Nunn TREASURER Robert M. Duncan Mark E. McKenzie Gregory A. Wilson
Harold C. Warman, Jr., FACHE PRESIDENT & CEO K. Kate Shutts, M.D. CHAIRPERSON Edward R. Nairn VICE CHAIRPERSON Moriah Kinzer SECRETARY & TREASURER John Burich Tyler Hall Mary Karin Stumbo Gregory A. Wilson
Highlands Regional Medical Center Highlands Foundation Board of Directors Board of Trustees Harold C. Warman, Jr., FACHE PRESIDENT & CEO Edward R. Nairn CHAIRMAN Gregory A. Wilson VICE CHAIRMAN Robert M. Duncan SECRETARY Paul D. Nunn TREASURER Charles Arnett, M.D. Sabrina Arnett Dewey L. Bocook, Jr. James Booth Dennis T. Dorton Mark E. McKenzie Bertie Kaye Salyer Joanna Santiesteban, M.D. CHIEF OF STAFF, HIGHLANDS REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
Chris Tackett Mark J. Veronneau, D.O.
Highlands Home Health Board of Directors Harold C. Warman, Jr., FACHE PRESIDENT & CEO Edward R. Nairn SECRETARY Jack Blackwell TREASURER Charles Arnett, M.D. Burl W. Spurlock
Harold C. Warman, Jr., FACHE PRESIDENT & CEO Dennis T. Dorton CHAIRMAN Edward R. Nairn SECRETARY Connie Prater TREASURER Robert Allen II Sabrina Arnett Lindsey Case Harry Childress Fran Jarrell Mark E. McKenzie Dwayne Moore John Reed Bob Shurtleff Beau Spurlock Burl W. Spurlock Chris Tackett Joseph Buz Tharp III Neil Turner Lisa Veronneau Gregory A. Wilson