French Hospital Medical Center - Who We Are

French Hospital Medical Center

W h o W e A re A journey from 1946 to today

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Our story: From Local Star to Nation’s Best French Hospital Medical Center’s rich history is infused with unparalleled accomplishments and improvements that have helped it become one of the nation’s Top 100 Hospitals as well as one of the nation’s Top 50 Cardiac Hospitals. With a clear mission and vision, the hospital has contributed to the wellness of our community by providing the highest quality of compassionate and affordable health care — a tradition it will continue into the future.

First French clinic circa 1950, Marsh St., San Luis Obispo

In 1946, Edison French, M.D., wanted to practice leading-edge medicine in San Luis Obispo. So, he purchased the San Luis Sanitarium on Marsh Street and renamed it French Hospital. He claimed to be the first surgeon in San Luis Obispo to use intravenous anesthesia, the first to perform a lung resection, and the first to do a collapsed lung therapy. He was also the first specialist to actively encourage other specialists to settle in the area.

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FHMC led the region in cardiac care when it opened its first Cardiac Center in 1981. Since then, the seasoned cardiac teams at the hospital have performed more than 27,000 cardiac procedures, including 5,955 open-heart procedures and 21,145 cardiac catheterizations.

Dr. French passed away in 1985 but is still remembered and loved today. His son, John French, is an honorary member of the French Hospital Foundation, as is Dr. Tedone.

After falling on some hard economic times in the early millennium, FHMC nearly closed its doors for good but the Central Coast community fought to keep its beloved hospital open. Fortunately, it was purchased by then Catholic Healthcare West (CHW), now Dignity Health, in 2004, making FHMC the only not-for-profit hospital in the city of San Luis Obispo. Since then, Dignity Health has made significant investments in new technology and in the local community.

With renewed hope, the hospital made considerable strides in its financial health over the next few years and established an all-volunteer Hospital Foundation Board in May 2005. The French Hospital Foundation was later named the best performing foundation compared to over 30 other Dignity Health foundations. In November 2008, the Foundation received the Lloyd Dean Philanthropic Challenge Award for showing the

Edison French, circa 1950

One of Dr. French’s first recruits was Lou Tedone M.D., a beloved pediatrician who likely cared for thousands of little San Luis Obispo County children. Eight other boardcertified specialists soon joined the French Hospital team and by 1972, the services and staff had grown so significantly, they had to find a new location. That year, Dr. Edison closed the doors to the Marsh Street hospital and opened the doors to a larger French Hospital on Johnson Avenue, where it is currently located.

French Hospital construction site, circa 1960

Frances French, choosing a color for the new hospital.

The Madonna family touring the hospital at the dedication,1972

Clinical laboratory, French Clinic, December 1965

French Hospital circa 1980

most improvement and growth over all Dignity Health Foundations in a three-year period.

The equipment incorporated in this center is continually updated with the latest, leading-edge technologies.

replacement, hip fracture treatment, heart attack, and gynecologic surgery.

Today, the FHMC Foundation has raised $16 million, which has contributed to the completion of the Copeland, Forbes & Rossi Cardiac Care Center; Hearst Cancer Resource Center; Digital Mammography; Healing Garden; Fitness Zone; as well as other projects that have contributed to the overall health of the San Luis Obispo community.

In early 2012, CHW restructured its governance and changed its name to Dignity Health to position the entire organization, including FHMC, for growth and success.

The mission, vision and values remained the same, as did the commitment to providing the communities of the Central Coast with excellent care.

All of these improvements, along with the dedication of nearly 1,000 physicians, employees, and volunteers, culminated in FHMC being named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals® and 50 Top Cardiac Hospitals® by Thomson Reuters in 2012. It was also named an Everest Award recipient by Thomson Reuters in 2012, recognizing FHMC’s incredible fiveyear improvement. FHMC is also ranked among the Top 5 percent in the nation for emergency medicine and joint replacement. Flip to page six for a complete list of our accolades.

By 2006, FHMC was the first acute care hospital in San Luis Obispo County to provide its patients with a 16-slice CT scanner. Since then, the hospital also provided more than $10 million in charity care and free health care service, and has given nearly $303,000 in community grants to nonprofit organizations in San Luis Obispo County that help provide critical health care and human services to residents here.

In 2007, the hospital installed the most advanced, state-of-the art technology for heart care in its Copeland, Forbes & Rossi Cardiac Care Center. It was the first and only hospital in the area to offer patients two state-of-the-art digital catheterization labs, an MRI with breast and cardiac imaging capabilities, as well as a 64-slice CT scanner.

With all these changes came countless awards and accolades, including awards for patient satisfaction, emergency services, and cardiac care, as well as Healthgrades awards for emergency medicine, clinical excellence, joint

But the hospital isn’t done yet. Now more than ever, French Hospital Medical Center remains committed to bringing the best and most advanced technologies and equipment to San Luis Obispo, without compromising its mission of providing compassionate, quality care.

Photos on the cover, page 1 and 2 were generously supplied by the Edison A. French Collection Who we are– French Hospital Medical Center

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UNPARALLELed Cardiac Care in our community The physicians and surgeons at the Copeland, Forbes & Rossi Cardiac Care Center use the latest technology to care for their patients, who put their hearts in French Hospital’s hands.

philanthropy, the Copeland, Forbes & Rossi Cardiac Care Center uses the following state-of-the-art technologies and equipment:

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner with Cardiac Capabilities: The MRI provides our physicians and technologists with superior image clarity for improved diagnostic capabilities. The scanner provides advanced cardiac imaging in addition to performing comprehensive breast exams, vascular assessments, neural scans, and abdominal imaging.

• “Step-and-Shoot” Computed Tomography (CT) scanner: With a long-time commitment to a heart-healthy community, French Hospital Medical Center (FHMC) built the first cardiac catheterization laboratory in 1981 and performed the first cardiac surgery in San Luis Obispo County. Since that time, the hospital has performed 5,955 open- heart cases and 21,145 cardiac catheterization procedures.

Then, in 2008, the hospital unveiled the Copeland, Forbes & Rossi Cardiac Care Center, which has changed the delivery of health care in San Luis Obispo County forever by bringing the latest technological advancements to the Central Coast. The center’s doctors and surgeons have the best and most up-to-date training, and the center continues to lead the way by using the latest leadingedge technology to increase patient safety and comfort.

When a heart attack happens, every minute counts.

FHMC recognizes this and strives to provide the best cardiac care in the U.S. The hospital was even named one of the nation’s Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospitals by Thomson Reuters in late 2011. FHMC was one of only two California hospitals to earn this designation and one of only 15 community hospitals in the U.S. to get the honor.

“Cardiac care is at the core of the hospital’s mission.

Through ongoing education and analysis of the systems that shorten times to treatment, we have continually improved the delivery of health care here at French Hospital and will continue to do so in the future,” said FHMC President Alan Iftiniuk.

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For more information about the Top 50 Cardiac designation and the Top 100 designation visit www.100tophospitals.com Due to incredible community donations, which are unprecedented in the history of local health care

This CT scanner reduces radiation exposure by up to 80 percent, and offers increased speed, accuracy, and patient comfort. Within seconds, an entire high-resolution body scan or individual organ scan is complete.

Typical CT devices can take up to twice as long and require patients to hold their breath longer.

“Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospitals provide measurably better care. Patients that seek treatment at these hospitals have better long term outcomes, are released from the hospital sooner and have lower 30-day mortality. The

top 50 hospitals have 23 percent fewer deaths than non-winning hospitals for bypass surgery patients and 40 percent lower rate of heart failure complications. This designation is

about outcomes and we are proud to be recognized for ours.”

Cardiologist Michael Famularo, M.D.

• Mobile C-Arm scanner: The c-arm is used during vascular surgery, providing superior imaging in procedures ranging from abdominal aortic aneurysm repair to revascularization in legs. In certain cases, before this system, patients would have to endure invasive procedures and face a lengthy hospital stay to recover.

With this imaging system, those patients can undergo non-invasive procedures, dramatically decreasing pain, recovery time and length of stay in the hospital.

• Siemens ACUSON SC 2000 4-D system: As one of the Top 50 Cardiac Hospitals in the nation, FHMC is the first and only hospital on the Central Coast to obtain the Siemens ACUSON SC 2000 Ultrasound System. The Siemens ACUSON SC 2000 4-D system introduces an entirely new level of non-radiation imaging technology that allows our physicians to instantaneously capture advanced and more accurate image resolution of the heart, with better clinical results than the currently utilized 2-D and 3-D technology. While traditional echocardiograms can take up to one hour, the ACUSON SC 2000 system allows our physicians to see an entire cardiac volume and capture all the data needed to evaluate and diagnose in a single heartbeat.

• GE Muse EKG System: This system provides immediate access to EKG results via wireless capabilities to cardiologists who can view them remotely from any location where there is an internet connection. This immediate access improves efficiency and outcomes.

With this technology cardiologists can view previous EKG results for comparison as well.

With the addition of these extraordinary systems and equipment, as well as the tremendous state-of-the-art

“The designation of FHMC as the county’s only STEMI Receiving Center, coupled with earlier diagnosis of acute heart attack by paramedics using field EKGs, and the efficiency of the Chest Pain Evaluation Center allows for the most rapid diagnosis of acute serious heart problems.

This has led to impressive times to delivery of acute heart attack treatment that is less than national standards and has resulted in more lives saved. French

Hospital has assembled a highly skilled team of Cardiologists, Emergency Room physicians, nurses and technical staff that are available 24/7 to provide state-of-the-art cardiac care.”

– Cardiologist Robert Doria, M.D.

technology of the hospital’s Catheterization Laboratories, FHMC added another level of excellence in heart care – a Chest Pain Center. A Chest Pain Center involves a multitude of diagnostic and treatment modalities to rapidly identify and treat heart disease and related illness.

These technological advancements allow FHMC to provide university-level care. The imaging found at FHMC is enhanced by weekly multi-specialty cardiac focused conferences highlighting performance advancements and clinical excellence.

FHMC is also San Luis Obispo County’s designated STEMI center. STEMI is actually a type of heart attack determined by an electrocardiogram (EKG) test. Having a designated STEMI center at the hospital means that STEMI patients can receive life-saving care in record time, eliminating wait times and reducing heart damage. When emergency responders answer a 9-1-1 call and determine that a patient is having a STEMI heart attack, they immediately call the nearest designated STEMI center to coordinate immediate and effective treatment before the patient even arrives at the hospital. The time saved using this protocol saves countless lives and improves overall recovery.

The hospital is licensed for 112 beds and provides safe, high quality, affordable health care to the communities it serves. Its 24-hour Emergency Department even received the highest patient satisfaction ratings in a recent statewide survey. The Emergency Department’s average wait time to see a physician is less than 20 minutes, compared to a 52-minute statewide average wait time.

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Acute Care Services • Ambulatory Care • Copeland, Forbes & Rossi Cardiac Care Center »» Cardiac Services »» Cardiovascular Surgery »» Cardiac Rehabilitation • Diagnostic Services »» CT »» MRI »» Ultrasound »» X-ray »» Nuclear Medicine • Family Birthing Center »» Breastfeeding Clinic • Gastrointestinal Laboratory • Hearst Cancer Resource Center • Hospitalist Program • Inpatient Physical, Occupational, Speech Therapy • Joint Replacement Program • Outpatient Laboratory Services • Outpatient Surgery • Respiratory Care • Women’s Health and Imaging Services »» Ultrasound »» Mammogram »» Bone Density/Dexascan »» Osteoporosis Resource Center • Specialty Surgery Services and General Surgery Services

»» Cardiovascular »» Dental »» GYN »» ENT »» Orthopedic »» Podiatry »» Eye »» Plastic »» Urology

24-hour emergency services Into the future, the hospital is committed to continuing this tradition of bringing the best technology to the Central Coast. Next on the list is an Advanced Cardiac Hybrid Surgical Suite.

“I went in for a routine exam. I had no idea I was on the verge of a heart attack. The award-winning cardiac team at French Hospital recognized the signs and I was admitted that day for a bypass surgery. Thank goodness I had access to such top-rate care, and it is right here in our community.”

—Reese T. Davies, President/CAO, Founders Community Bank

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Awards and Accolades French Hospital Medical Center (FHMC) has a growing list of accomplishments, awards and accolades from prestigious organizations. They are a testament to the hospital’s dedication to delivering high-quality, compassionate health care services to our community. The following are special recognitions FHMC has recently received, arranged by organization: • AdvisorMed »» Great California Hospital Award, 2011 • American Heart Association »» Community Innovation Award, 2009 »» Fit Friendly organization, 2009 • Avatar International »» Exceeding Patient Expectations, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 »» 5-Star Loyalty & Endorsement – Emergency Department Service Award, 2009, 2010

• Blue Shield »» Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care® • California Hospital Assessment Reporting Taskforce (CalHospitalCompare.org): »» Among Top 5% in state for patient satisfaction and care quality measures

• Dignity Health Patient Satisfaction Challenge, 2008

• Healthgrades »» Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical »» Excellence, 2012 Emergency Medicine Excellence Award, 2012 »» One of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for

Joint Replacement and ranked among top 5% in the nation, 2012 »» Ranked among top 5% in the nation for Emergency Medicine, 2012 »» Joint Replacement Excellence Award, 3 years running »» Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Heart Attack, 4 years running »» Five-Star Recipient for Joint Replacement, 10 years running »» Five-Star Recipient for Total Knee Replacement, 10 years running »» Five-Star Recipient for Total Hip Replacement, 3 years running »» Five-Star Recipient for Hip Fracture Treatment, 2 years running »» Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Pneumonia, 2 years running »» Five-Star Recipient for Carotid Surgery, 2012 »» Five-Star Recipient for Cholecystectomy, 2012 »» Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Sepsis, 2012 »» Five-Star Recipient for Emergency Medicine, 2012 »» Five-Star Recipient for Gynecologic Surgery, 2012

We believe in transparency and we believe your hospital should provide the highest level of quality health care and be held to a high standard for that quality and for safety.

The majority of our awards and accolades are unsolicited, unbiased and come from extremely reputable third party health care ratings organizations. For more information, visit www.frenchmedicalcenter.org.

• Leapfrog »» Hospital Safety Score of “A,” 2012 »» American Alliance of Healthcare Providers »» America’s Most Customer-friendly Hospitals, 2012

• National Research Corporation »» Consumer Choice Award, 4 years running

• Practice Green Health »» Making Medicine Mercury Free Award, 2009

• San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce »» Diversity Award, 2005, First business to receive this award

• Thomson Reuters »» 100 Top Hospital, 2012 »» 50 Top Cardiac Hospital, 2012 »» Everest Award 2012, recognition of 5 year improvement

»» 100 Top Cardiac Hospital, 2008, 2009

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Designation as Blue Distinction Centers® means these facilities’ overall experience and aggregate data met objective criteria established in collaboration with expert clinicians’ and leading professional organizations’ recommendations. Individual outcomes may vary.

To find out which services are covered under your policy at any facilities, please contact your health plan.

Who we are– French Hospital Medical Center

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Making the Difference, Together

Community on the move

Collaboration and a sense of community are vitally important to French Hospital Medical Center (FHMC). With valuable community partnerships, the hospital is able to further its mission of providing compassionate, high-quality health care services to San Luis Obispo and the surrounding communities. Here are just a few partnerships FHMC is proud of: Preferred choice of Cal Poly Athletics One such partnership is the recent collaboration with Cal Poly Athletics. In fall 2011, FHMC announced an exclusive five-year agreement with Cal Poly that named FHMC the “preferred choice of Cal Poly Athletics.” This powerful partnership benefits the community and the Cal Poly Athletics program in a multitude of ways. As part of the partnership, FHMC and Cal Poly will be presenting their Healthy Kids program to dozens of area elementary schools and middle schools to encourage healthy eating and recreation habits. The program also provides pedometers to each child and encourage them to achieve a usage goal. More information can be found at www.gopoly.com.

FHMC has always strongly believed in improving the overall health and wellness of the local community. One way it does this is by promoting physical fitness. The hospital took its commitment a step further by working with the American Heart Association to unveil its Start! Walking Paths in June 2009. Since then, FHMC has hosted the annual National Start! Walking Day in San Luis Obispo, inviting the community to make hearthealthy lifestyle changes one step at a time. Because of these efforts, FHMC has received the American Heart Association’s Fit Friendly Award and its Community Innovation Award. More information can be found at www.startwalkingnow.org.

French Hospital is a pillar of the community, and Cal Poly considers it an honor and a privilege to partner with such a strong and vibrant organization.

—Jeffrey D. Armstrong, President, Cal Poly

Having a partnership with French Hospital is great for Mustang Athletics. Cal Poly is one of the finest universities in the country, so partnering with one of the finest hospitals in the country just makes sense. It is amazing that we have two organizations like this that call the central coast home.

—Don Oberhelman, Director of Athletics, Cal Poly

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Riding for a cause

Raising funds to fight arthritis

Beating and treating cancer

The French Hospital Medical Center Foundation is excited to partner with San Luis ALPHA, a San Luis Obispo nonprofit organization, to present the 2012 SLO Granfondo. This long-distance, mass participation cycling event welcomes riders of all abilities to the diverse riding landscape of California’s Central Coast. The SLO GranFondo offers four fully supported routes to thrill both the recreational rider and the seasoned competitor.

Participants can enjoy beautiful coastline, green rolling hills, wine country and a chance to ride with the pros. All proceeds support ALPHA, which provides support and assistance during pregnancy and through a child’s first year, and the Hearst Cancer Resource Center at FHMC, which supports people living with cancer. More information can be found at www.slogranfondo.com.

A partnership with the Arthritis Foundation has led FHMC on an unforgettable path. This year alone, teams and individuals who participated in the 2012 Central Coast Arthritis Walk® raised more than $167,000 to fight arthritis, the nation’s most common cause of disability. FHMC is a proud sponsor of this event, and CEO/ President Alan Iftiniuk was even this year’s San Luis Obispo County honorary chair. The Arthritis Walk® kicks off in May during National Arthritis Month in communities nationwide to fund arthritis research, health education and government advocacy initiatives. Participants walk in honor of a friend or family member with arthritis.

More information can be found at www.arthritis.org/arthritis-walk.php.

Part of FHMC’s vision is to partner with other nonprofit organizations. The hospital has reached out to physicians, community leaders, cancer survivors, and cancer support organizations to provide the necessary guidance and community support essential to the Hearst Cancer Resource Center (HCRC). With unique partnerships, HCRC emphasizes a holistic approach to a patient’s well being during their cancer care. The center’s services include social services and support programs, nutritional coaching, holistic and alternative practices, spiritual and therapeutic social activities and so much more.

Some of the community partners include the American Cancer Society, Enhancement, Inc., The Wellness Community, and Cancer Connections of San Luis Obispo County. More information can be found at www.frenchmedicalcenter.org.

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Community BenefiT Imagine – then create – the best life possible French Hospital Medical Center contributes to the wellness of our community through the provision of quality services delivered in a compassionate and cost-effective manner. The hospital believes that the best we can imagine is the reality we can create.

Grants and programs for critical health services Excellent health care should be available to everyone, regardless of a person’s situation. While French Hospital Medical Center (FHMC) offers state-of-the-art technologies and extraordinary health care services, it recognizes that there are other nonprofit organizations that also provide critical health and human services to underserved residents of San Luis Obispo County.

This Annual Community Grants program, which is also administered at all Dignity Health hospitals, is designed to help our community provide support for underserved populations. The program, which is funded by contributions from its member hospitals, is another way Dignity Health supports and enhances the advocacy, social justice and healthier communities’ efforts of its hospitals.

With the help of these organizations, San Luis Obispo County remains a strong, viable and healthy community.

FHMC wants to help keep it that way. That’s why the hospital has proudly given more than $303,000 to such organizations since it began distributing the Community Grants in 2006.

Dignity Health also invested $500,000 in the past year in the San Luis Obispo County Housing Trust Fund (HTF), making its third investment to finance affordable housing projects exclusively in San Luis Obispo County. The donated funds were geared toward the $500,000 for the HTF revolving loan fund.

A resource to the community As a Dignity Health hospital, FHMC has access to unique resources that help it gauge where vital community resources are located, helping the hospital build coalitions with health departments, clinics, health associations, and neighborhood centers. With a comprehensive approach to promoting community health, FHMC addresses pressing local health concerns while also focusing on prevention and awareness of the underlying causes for health problems.

The most recent Dignity Health initiative to reduce readmissions for ambulatory care sensitive conditions was successfully completed this year. Costs for treating these conditions across Dignity Health’s network of more than 40 hospitals were more than $261 million in FY2010.

But between 2008 and 2010, Dignity Health hospitals, including FHMC, invested $5.7 million in preventive and disease management programs for patients who had been deemed at risk for hospitalization for asthma, diabetes, or congestive heart failure. This focus resulted in 8,917 individuals participating in disease self-management programs and a subsequent 86 percent reduction in or avoidance of admissions for the participants of these programs.

Building on these positive outcomes, Dignity Health implemented a new goal: Offer evidence-based chronic disease self-management programs (CDSMP) to avoid hospital readmissions for the most prevalent ambulatory care sensitive conditions.

In that vein, FHMC has been focusing on its Congestive Heart Failure Program, which provides education to patients diagnosed with congestive heart failure during their hospital stay in addition to providing discharge instructions. Patients enrolled in the program are provided with consistent telephonic follow-up and education, thereby decreasing the number of readmissions to the hospital. This program also serves cardiac patients through education, risk assessments and referrals. The goal was to demonstrate a 5 percent decrease in readmissions within 30 days for participants in the hospital’s Congestive Heart Failure Program.

The goal for FY2012 has been modified to enhance the telephone-based monitoring program by implementing

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the Philips Tele-monitoring System to prevent hospital readmissions within six months of enrolling in the Congestive Heart Failure Program.

FHMC also provided the following community benefit activities in fiscal year 2012:

• Lactation consultations were held for 2,054 mothers and childbirth classes were held for 1,583 mothers

Investing in the community

Reducing environmental impact

Dignity Health believes in investing in local communities to help improve overall health and quality of life.

Its Community Investment Program provides loans at below market rate interest to nonprofit organizations committed to increasing access to jobs, housing, education, social services and health care for people in lowincome communities.

The FHMC Environmental Action Committee (EAC) meets monthly and promotes environmental consciousness at the hospital. The EAC identifies ways that the hospital can continue to be a good steward of the environment and advocates for reducing the impact to our landfills by recycling, reducing and reusing.

• Community education classes were held for 736 members of the community

• One-on-one cancer education was provided to 479 individuals and self help cancer classes were held for 1,018 members of the community

• Hearst Cancer Resource Center support groups were held for 280 members of the community

This year, the Community Investments Program provided loans for the construction of 16,324 units of housing, and

• Health screenings were provided for 1,039 people

eight nonprofit facilities serving

• Cardiac wellness provided 344 free high risk

children, youth, women, fami-

assessment consultations and 185 free lipid panels to underserved individuals

• Diabetic education and support groups were held for 137 individuals

• The Congestive Heart Failure program served 189 members of the community

• Health Education and Prevention information was provided to 1,175 persons at Health Promotion events

• 1,620 free meals were provided to the Prado Homeless Day Center.

lies, seniors and individuals who are disabled and/or homeless. Emergency loans were provided to 28 Community Health Clinics during the California budget crisis.

1. Terracycle pen recycling: Used pens are deposited

in boxes throughout the hospital. Pens are then recycled to create new writing instruments for resale.

For each donation, Terracycle also donates .2 cents back to the FHMC Foundation to go towards patient programs and services.

2. Food Waste: FHMC has been monitoring and

weighing food waste to realize a baseline to help us cut down on food production therefore cutting down on waste.

3. Earth Day Activities: The hospital held its second

annual Earth Day Campus Cleanup. Participants received earth friendly tote bags made from 100 percent bamboo – the world’s most sustainable tree.

Participants who picked up the most trash received additional goodies such as an eco-friendly mug, sunscreen and French Hospital memorabilia.

4. By implementing the above initiatives, the hospital

The expansion of the CDSMP signifies a great success, and participants in the programs continue to enjoy improved outcomes and report improved quality of life.

saw a 38 percent decrease in solid waste over FY2010, which equates to a savings of more than $12,000.

The medical waste total decreased by 67 percent, which equates to a savings of more than $14,000, compared to FY2010.

Community benefits provided by FHMC French Hospital is committed to promoting good health in our community. To that end, various educational events, classes and activities are available to help you find your personal path to better health and vitality, including: • Community Health Fairs • Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Program • Diabetes Prevention and Management • Senior Health Lectures • Healthy for Life Nutrition Series

The committee helps guide the hospital toward smart growth as it plans to expand and meet the growing health care needs of the community in the coming years.

For FY2012, several initiatives were implemented that helped the hospital achieve its goals. Some of the initiatives included:

• Healthier Living: Your Life, Take Care • Cardiac Risk Assessment • Birthing Classes • Maternal Outreach

FHMC has received positive accolades for these efforts, including a generous grant from Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), which allowed FHMC to replace all its bulbs and ballasts with low energy wattage bulbs and ballasts.

For more information, visit www.frenchmedicalcenter.org.

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Inspirational work worth doing As a Dignity Health hospital, French Hospital Medical Center (FHMC) values its employees and volunteers, who display extraordinary compassion and offer outstanding contributions to the health care profession. While everyone associated with Dignity Health and FHMC works toward fulfilling the same mission, some display such an outstanding example of commitment and dedication to the hospital’s values and vision.

Values and vision FHMC and Dignity Health are dedicated to providing high-quality, affordable health care to the local community. It is our vision to provide a vibrant, national health care system known for service, chosen for clinical excellence, standing in partnership with patients, employees and physicians to improve the health of all communities served.

Above all else, we value:

• Dignity – Respecting the inherent value and worth of each person.

• Collaboration – Working together with people who support common values and vision to achieve shared goals.

• Justice – Advocating for social change and acting in ways that promote respect for all persons and demonstrate compassion for our sisters and brothers who are powerless

• Stewardship – Cultivating the resources entrusted to us to promote healing and wholeness.

• Excellence – Exceeding expectations through teamwork and innovation.

Compassionate volunteers Volunteers are the heart of French Hospital Medical Center and share a common spirit – the desire to use their life experiences, education and compassion for others to support the hospital’s patients, visitors and staff.

With about 85 volunteers strong, the hospital is truly a community hospital, one in which the community is proud to serve. On any given day, volunteers can be found greeting customers at the front desk reception, making the difference on various hospital committees, eagerly helping with office work, providing excellent customer service in our gift shop and so much more.

Anyone interested in volunteering can pick up a volunteer application at the Volunteer Front Desk located in the FHMC front lobby, or visit www.frenchmedicalcenter.org.

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Values in Action Each year, FHMC honors an individual or team within the organization who best reflect the hospital’s core values both on the job and in the community. The annual Values in Action Award pays tribute to these people. The award nominations are only open to FHMC employees, board members, volunteers, contract employees and Sisters at the hospital.

All nominees must demonstrate commitment that distinguishes them as truly exceptional. Award winners contribute to the organization through their personal commitment of time and energy, demonstrate Dignity Health values on a daily basis, are perceived by their peers as leaders who model the values of the organization, and have achieved at least one year of service at the hospital.

The 2011 Values in Action winner was David Majors from the hospitals’ engineering department. As a 33 year employee Dave exemplifies the values held by the organization as displayed through his unwavering commitment to not only helping to maintain the facility, but also to FHMC’s Emergency Preparedness program.

Past recipients include:

• Drew Washer, LSW, Case Management – 2005 • Ke-Ping Tsao, M.D., Community Board Member, Plastic Surgeon – 2006

• Eugene Keller, M.D., Vice President of Medical Affairs – 2007

• Rachel May, M.D., Emergency Medicine – 2008 • Randy Scott, R.N., Supervisor – 2008 • Tom Vendegna, M.D., Intensivist – 2009 • Lorraine Budge, R.N., Emergency Department – 2009 • Karen Trask, Quality Assurance Director – 2010

Excellent employees

Nominations for the 2012 award closed on August 24.

This year’s winner will be announced in October during the hospital’s Annual Employee Recognition Dinner.

Every month, French Hospital Medical Center names an employee of the month - someone who is dedicated to moving our mission forward and demonstrates our values and vision in everyday life. Without these dedicated staff members, our hospital would not be where it is today. 2012 Employees of the Month (so far): • January: Christian Martinez and Ray Diaz, EVS

• May: Raquel Coronado, Admitting

• February: Erikamai Barnes, ER

• June: Michelle Dion, front desk

• March: Shara Casillas, Pharmacy

• July: Earl Higbee, Bio-med

• April: Michael Pearson, Telemetry

• August: Mark Calxterio, EVS

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Road to Becoming Nation’s Best What does it really mean to have one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals® in San Luis Obispo?

French Hospital Medical Center (FHMC) was named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals® by Thomson Reuters in 2012. But what does this mean for our community?

It means patients can get the best care in the country locally. They don’t have to travel hundreds of miles. And patients who stay here know their doctor and can spend valuable time with their family and friends.

Additionally, being recognized as an excellent place for patients draws the next generation of highly trained physicians, nurses and technicians to the hospital, which in turn helps future generations of patients.

Only two hospitals in California earned the title this year.

Hospitals that earn this designation often achieve performance equal to or better than the Top 3 percent of hospitals in the country.

But in a competitive environment like the hospital industry, being a top performer is not enough. To earn this award, hospital leaders must understand their community, demonstrate value to consumers and payers, identify areas that need improvement and find ways to keep improving.

FHMC does just that.

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Overview of 100 Top Hospitals® Study

In this special publication,

Thomson Reuters, an independent, unbiased business data provider identified and studied nearly 3,000 U.S. hospitals and used quantitative research to identify the hospitals with the best facility-wide performance. The team of researchers – made up of epidemiologists, statisticians, physicians and former hospital executives – used public data sources to develop an independent and objective assessment. Hospitals do not apply and winners do not pay to market this honor.

you’ve learned all about

To understand what makes a top performer, the researchers studied the direction of performance change of all hospitals in the study over time. Through this research, the study found that all U.S. hospitals have made noteworthy performance improvements in patient survival, adherence to core measures and shortening patient stays. The study used only publicly available data from Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR), and from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare.

ments, recognitions and

The study found that if all of our nation’s hospitals performed at the same level as FHMC and the other winners:

its outstanding employees,

• More than 186,000 additional lives could be saved.

• Approximately 56,000 additional patients could be complication-free.

• More than $4.3 billion could be saved.

• The average patient stay would decrease by nearly half a day.

one of the nation’s 100

the history of French Hospital Medical Center, its technological advancepartnerships, how it furthers its mission and benefits the community, and what it means to have Top Hospitals® right here in our own backyard.

Everest Award: Climbing the summit Not only was FHMC honored with the 100 Top Hospitals® Award, it was also recognized for achieving both the highest current performance and the fastest long-term improvement over five years. It was one of just 12 hospitals that received the Everest Award out of nearly 3,000 studied.

This award recognizes the hospital’s board, executives and medical staff leaders who have developed and executed strategies that drove the highest rate of improvement, resulting in the highest performance in the country at the end of five years.

“When I joined the French Hospital team in 2004, we made tremendous changes to the organization, and over time those changes have vastly improved the quality of care we provide to patients here on the Central Coast,” said FHMC CEO/President Alan Iftiniuk.

Because of its marked improvements, FHMC has also helped set national benchmarks for the fastest long-term improvement on the Thomson Reuters’ national balanced scorecard. Even during a difficult economic downturn, the local hospital balanced short- and long-term goals to drive continuous gains in performance and value. It also increased transparency, strengthening the organization and the value of services to the community.

Coming Soon...

Stay tuned for our second special publication in The Tribune in the coming weeks, which will highlight significant donors who have helped make French Hospital Medical Center one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals®.

Who we are– French Hospital Medical Center

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1911 Johnson Avenue San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 frenchmedicalcenter.org 805-543-5353