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The Path to a Top 100 Hospital

emily.griffin
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Fortune Magazine and Merative, a data, analytics and technology partner for the healthcare industry, included Genesis HealthCare System in its prestigious Top 100 Hospitals list for 2022. Here’s a look at one of the Genesis HealthCare System initiatives that helped Genesis earn this recognition.  

Heath Herron, R.N., who has worked for Genesis for more than 15 years in various patient-facing roles and participates in the Patient Safety Committee, said, “We set a goal to provide the best patient care and to continually get better.” 

One of the ways that Genesis is continually achieving excellence is that the health system has created a culture where anyone on the Genesis team can suggest improvements. Bedside nurses, technicians, doctors and everyone else can suggest improvements at any time. After a suggestion is made, the Patient Safety Committee reviews the ideas and establishes teams to implement solutions that result in better, safer patient care. 

The Patient Safety Committee is typically analyzing five to six improvement opportunities at any time.  

One example of these efforts involves blood thinner medicines, which lots of patients use to lower the risk of harmful blood clots. These medicines require physicians, nurses and pharmacists to analyze many factors to make sure these medicines are safely given. The team identified an opportunity to standardize how these medicines are ordered and used powerful data tools to add automated safety checks.  

The result is an increase in safety for patients on these life-saving medicines. Genesis is one of the first health systems in the country with this capability, and it is all because of the power of Genesis teams.  

Genesis Chief Nursing Officer Shon Bender, R.N., and Genesis Chief Medical Officer Scott Wegner, M.D., spearhead the team that reviews suggestions. “However, they don’t make final decisions,” Herron said. “They bring solutions to a larger team for a vote. It’s a powerful thing when frontline staff sees changes within a week. It makes them feel good to make a difference beyond their normal responsibilities.” 

“We have great people with great suggestions,” said Dr. Wegner. “It’s become part of our culture for everyone to speak up. Improvement is an ongoing process.”  

The direct lines of communication Herron referred to go beyond Genesis. Genesis also shares challenges and successes with other hospitals. “Who gets the credit is not important. Only that we can provide the best care,” said Dr. Wegner. “We’re going to keep getting better. If we are recognized with awards, well, that is okay too.”   

Using independent public data and proprietary analytics, the Top 100 Hospitals study recognizes hospitals that have clearly demonstrated top performance in care, efficiency and community value. 

path to a top 100 hospital

Here’s a look at one of the Genesis HealthCare System initiatives that helped Genesis earn this recognition.  

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Growing Through the Years for You

emily.griffin
Submitted by emily.griffin on

Orthopedic and neuroscience care has transformed to a higher level of quality care in the 25 years Genesis has been in existence. Through the years, these two types of healthcare services evolved to be comprehensive programs with physicians and staff dedicated to ensuring you and your family have the best care available, right here at Genesis. 

As the new Genesis Hospital was planned, we met with patients and families to learn what you needed, and the same was true for what was to become the Genesis Neuroscience & Orthopedic Center. The two programs were housed in the same space in the Physician Pavilion. Patients could see their orthopedic, neurology or neurosurgery physicians without needing to enter the main hospital. The continuum of care, from diagnosis to treatment and rehabilitation if needed, became a seamless path, making the experience a smoother one for patients and their families. 

In the seven years since the Neuroscience & Orthopedic Center opened, the Orthopedic and Neuroscience programs have grown immensely. More physicians and advanced practice providers (certified nurse practitioners and physician assistants) joined the teams. This growth enabled us to care for more people from our community. 

We soon realized our growth was only limited by physical space. The answer? Build a new facility for Orthopedics, enabling both programs to continue to grow and provide high-quality healthcare for you. 

New Genesis Orthopedic Center 

The Orthopedic program moved into a new facility of its own in December 2021 at 2904 Bell St., Zanesville. Now all orthopedic providers – surgeons, advanced practice providers and sports medicine surgeons, physicians and athletic trainers – are in one modern, convenient location. Imaging tests can be performed in the center as well as some treatments. A dedicated rehabilitation gym for physical and occupational therapy is in the center, as well as an Orthopedic Walk-in Clinic for those minor injuries and problems. 

Genesis Outpatient Rehabilitation 

Another area that has been growing through the years is Genesis Rehabilitation Services. To meet the increased need for physical, occupational and speech therapy, we opened Genesis Outpatient Rehabilitation in 2020. Located at 3297 Maple Ave., Zanesville, the new facility features welcoming spaces for therapies and programs like Parkinson’s disease, women’s health, sports therapies and more. There are now five locations for outpatient rehabilitation in our service area, with a sixth opening in the Coshocton Medical Center in the spring of 2023. 

Genesis Neuroscience Center 

When the Orthopedic program moved, the Neuroscience program remained in the same location, now called the Genesis Neuroscience Center. The team of neurosurgeons, neurologists, advanced practice providers and support staff remain dedicated to providing the best neurological care possible to you and your family. An example of this dedication and commitment is the purchase of ORBEYE, a 4k-3D video microscope system that shows high resolution images on large video screens during surgery. Neurosurgical patients benefit from the use of this technology. 

Looking to the future 

Our Orthopedic and Neuroscience programs have come a long way in improving the quality of care we give you and your family. We appreciate that you and your family rely on us for high-quality care. We will continue to build on our promise – our mission – to you and our communities for the next 25 years and beyond. 

Providing high-quality orthopedic and neuroscience care.

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Going Beyond Healthcare to Keep the Community Healthy

emily.griffin
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Living healthy lives is hard for patients when they have personal obstacles that can prevent them from seeking healthcare. Therefore, Genesis’ Chief Population Health Officer Linda Supplee is dedicated to creating programs that remove barriers outside of Genesis to enable everyone to receive the care they need. 

Genesis has a 25-year history of supporting community health. Several years ago, the campus went tobacco-free and the health system often collaborates with the local health department on projects. “Most recently, Genesis supported the community by establishing COVID-19 testing and vaccination clinics. We also quickly launched virtual visits during the pandemic as part of our digital health services, making it easier for patients to obtain care in a safe and effective way,” Supplee said. 

Removing obstacles 

“We examine factors that make it difficult for people to seek healthcare, like finances, food security and transportation issues,” Supplee said. “It’s a broader view to include overall wellness and the issues that impact health, including the ones outside healthcare’s control.” 

Genesis collaborates with the community to provide resources that address obstacles. As healthcare reimbursement changes, Genesis shares responsibility for individuals and how they seek care, how well they are and the cost of care. “That’s us addressing social determinants or obstacles in their lives,” Supplee said. 

In the last couple of years, while Genesis simultaneously dealt with COVID-19, it developed a community health needs assessment in collaboration with five local county health departments. 

“We are working with various government agencies, local providers and health departments,” Supplee said. 

“In addition, Genesis facilitates a Social Determinants of Health Steering committee for the community where we review data to determine why people do not seek healthcare in our community.” 

The committee regularly meets and includes representation from area transportation, the health department, food banks, the United Way and the housing community. “Bringing attention to the problems is the first step to overcoming them,” Supplee said.   

Healthcare for everyone 

“We examine all populations in our community that might need support. Right now, we’re closely monitoring the aging and substance abuse disorder populations. In addition, we focus on assisting local employers. During COVID-19, we launched several new services for employers to keep their employees safe and healthy and to keep production moving. Our services were available to a wide range of employers, including education, food services and manufacturing,” Supplee said. 

For the aging population, Genesis has also developed a post-acute care network with town hall meetings every other month. “Our health partners include skilled nursing, long-term care and assisted living. We are committed to ensuring our aging population can receive care as their needs change,” Supplee said. 

Genesis Population Health is committed to ensuring an excellent patient experience through routine screenings, care, hospitalization and chronic condition management. 

“All aspects of care are considered and addressed. In the last two and a half years, we built a system-wide care management team consisting of nurses and social workers,” Supplee said. “We have a group of care managers on the in-patient side and transitional care managers to help patients transition from hospitals to other levels of care. We also have chronic disease care managers and procedure care managers. We have someone to help individuals at every stage of receiving care.” 

“We’re focused on achieving the Genesis mission. We are keeping healthcare affordable, making sure it’s exceptional and that we treat patients with compassion,” Supplee said. 

Chief Population Health Officer Linda Supplee describes how Genesis is addressing factors outside of healthcare to improve our community’s health.

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Positioning providers to provide the best care

emily.griffin
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Being a physician is demanding, but the Genesis Medical Group makes it easier. “Sometimes called the Physician Network, we’re essentially a group of nearly 200 physicians and almost 200 advanced practice providers (APPs) led by Genesis HealthCare System,” said Genesis Chief Medical Officer Scott Wegner, M.D., Fellowship-trained and Board-certified Oncologist. “We’re committed to the Genesis mission, to provide compassionate, exceptional and affordable healthcare.” 

Unlike private practice groups, medical groups have no individual economic incentives. The Genesis Medical Group’s sole focus is to provide the best medical care. “We’re a cooperative group that works well with each other to help our patients. It’s a great organization,” Dr. Wegner said. 

“As opposed to a lot of hospitals that interact with privately employed physician groups, we have alignment with our physician group, and that is critical,” said Physician Network Chief Operating Officer Chris Schoelles, R.N. “It allows us to do things other systems can’t do.” 

Providers only focus on patients 

“At Genesis, physicians can focus on their patients while the administrators take care of the staff, the building and everything else,” said Schoelles. “That’s a huge difference because it allows our physicians to do what they do best -- care for patients.” 

Dr. Wegner said physicians in private practice see their patients and then do the payroll, work with insurance companies, code and bill and ensure the staff is happy. 

“Due to our model and success, we only recruit and retain the highest quality physicians and APPs.” – Scott Wegner M.D. 

“All I have to do when I’m a Genesis-employed physician is take care of patients because the Genesis administrative team takes care of the rest,” he said. 

Dr. Wegner said it’s a nationally evolving trend that many physicians want the opportunity to care for patients without distractions. “When I came here 12 years ago, there was only a handful of employed physicians,” he said. “We made a commitment to grow the group to become a patient-focused, mission-driven medical group.” 

The Genesis Medical Group is an attractive place to work. “Due to our model and success, we only recruit and retain the highest quality physicians and APPs,” Dr. Wegner said. 

The key to a medical group’s success is the dyad partnership, whereby physicians assume primary responsibility for the organization’s clinical vision, and administrators support that vision. “In all phases of our group, in all specialties, we have partnerships between physicians and talented administrators,” Dr. Wegner said. 

 Leading the way is the Medical Group Leadership Team, composed of physicians from all specialties. It charts the course for the medical group’s operations. 

“We provide high quality, technically advanced care to the highest degree in Zanesville. That’s a huge accomplishment,” Schoelles said. 

“No matter where Dr. Wegner and I go together, we’ll run into one of his grateful patients. It’s always heart-warming to see that level of engagement in a community hospital,” Schoelles said. “I’ve worked other places, and that’s not always what happens.” 

Providing accessible care to rural communities 

The Genesis Medical Group is growing because the health system is expanding into Perry County, Coshocton and Cambridge. 

“Our expansion into rural areas that need care the most is a challenge for most medical groups,” Schoelles said. “We’ve done extremely well recruiting, retaining and allowing physicians to go to those areas in need and establish successful practices.” 

Schoelles said by moving into rural areas, Genesis is able to provide care to families that previously did not have easy access to healthcare and may not have seen a doctor in years. “That’s a big step forward,” he said. “We can help so many more people.” 

Chief Medical Officer Scott Wegner, M.D., and Chief Operating Officer Chris Schoelles, R.N., share why the Genesis Medical Group is best for patients.

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Providing the Highest Quality Care

emily.griffin
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“Running a hospital and practicing medicine is one of the most extraordinarily complex undertakings in the world,” said Genesis Chief Medical Officer Scott Wegner, M.D. “Human beings are complicated, and human beings with illnesses are even more complicated. Maintaining a safe and high-quality environment is a never-ending job.” 

Learning from the best 

Over the last several years, the top health systems in the world moved to adopt a more standardized approach to treating patients. The idea is to reduce inconsistencies in care and ensure every patient receives the best care every time. The philosophy came from the aviation industry, which pioneered this process-focused approach to ensure safety. Through exhaustive research, airlines determined the best ways to do everything that impacted safety and made it standardized to do each one of those things the same way every time. They also recognized the importance of empowering every employee to identify and call out safety issues. The result was safer flights. 

Incorporating this method into medicine means that teams of healthcare employees, from doctors to nurses to technicians and beyond, work together to identify and implement best practices to treat serious conditions like heart attacks, strokes, cancer and more. The goal is to remove any risk of deviation from the best treatment plan and utilize the experience and knowledge of all team members to benefit the patient. 

“With our standardized approach, we have been able to teach and perform the best method of treating illnesses to the point that the best approach is our only approach.” – Scott Wegner M.D. 

“At Genesis, our employees latched onto the idea of creating a culture of quality,” said Genesis Chief Nursing Officer Shon Bender, R.N. 

“They all realize the next patient in the door could be their neighbor or a loved one, and they want to make sure every patient receives the best care.” 

So, Genesis HealthCare System adopted this standardized approach to medicine and continues to practice and perfect it daily. One example is at the start of every shift, healthcare teams huddle together to discuss the patients in the hospital to ensure all employees are current on each patient’s conditions and care plans. This enables every doctor, nurse and everyone else to continue providing the proper care to get the patient well quickly. 

National recognition 

This standardized approach to quality improvement generated exceptional clinical outcomes for patients and resulted in Genesis being named a 100 Top Hospital by Fortune Magazine and Merative Health. Merative is an independent organization that evaluates how hospitals perform in many areas of quality and safety, such as the number of hospital-acquired infections, length of hospital stay and care-related complications. For details on the award, refer to the A community win for all article on page 8 of this publication. 

“As with anything in life, there are often many ways to accomplish your goal,” said Dr. Wegner. “With our standardized approach, we have been able to teach and perform the best method of treating illnesses to the point that the best approach is our only approach.” 

“I am so proud of our teams,” said Shon. “Over the last 25 years, they have transformed Genesis into a place that delivers the same level of care as the best hospitals in the nation. In fact, with the recognition of the 100 Top Hospital award, we have been designated as one of the best. It makes me happy to think we provide that level of care to our community.” 

Bender and Wegner

Chief Nursing Officer Shon Bender, R.N., and Chief Medical Officer Scott Wegner, M.D., describe how Genesis reached one of the highest levels of quality in the nation.

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A community win for all

emily.griffin
Submitted by emily.griffin on

You can feel confident in choosing your healthcare close to home, right here in Southeastern Ohio. Your community hospital is one of the top 100 in the nation. 

According to Fortune Magazine and Merative, a data, analytics and technology partner for the health industry, Genesis HealthCare System is top among its peers for excellence in clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, patient experience and overall financial health. 

Merative, formerly IBM Watson Health, established the list to help identify best practices that may help other healthcare organizations achieve consistent, balanced and sustainable high performance. 

Merative has identified the top hospitals from a rigorous evaluation of 2,650 short-term, acute care, non-federal hospitals in the U.S. 

Winning the top award despite COVID-19 challenges 

For more than two years, we have been working as a community to battle COVID-19. We were in good company with every other health system in the nation. Challenges included the virus, supply and business disruptions and workforce shortages. Those challenges make this year’s 100 Top Hospitals list, based on 2020 data, unlike any other in the study’s 28-year history. 

“Recognition as one of the Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals demonstrates Genesis’ ongoing commitment to prioritizing patient-centered care.” -Scott Wegner, M.D. Chief Medical Officer, Genesis HealthCare System 

Quality measures reflect high performance 

According to the Merative study, when compared to similar hospitals, Genesis had better results on key clinical and operational performance indicators. These include survival rates, patient complications, healthcare-associated infections, 30-day mortality and 30-day hospital-wide readmission rates, length of stay, throughput in emergency departments, inpatient expenses and ratings from patients. 

Community health measures 

The Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals list also incorporates a community health measure into its ranking process. 

Hospitals were surveyed across three components: 

  • Assessing hospital contributions to community health as a provider of critical services for community health and preventive care. 
  • Identifying ways that hospitals contribute to community health as a community partner by teaming up with local organizations to implement critical programs. 
  • Focusing on ways that hospitals promote community health through their practices as anchor institutions supporting local economic and social progress. The community health measure is weighted equally with other ranking measures. 

Genesis also won the prestigious Everest Award 

The Everest Award winners are a special group of the 100 Top Hospitals award winners that, in addition to achieving benchmark status for one year, have simultaneously set national benchmarks for the fastest long-term improvement on a national balanced scorecard. In 2022, Genesis was one of only 25 organizations to achieve this level of performance. 

Frontline employees drive quality and safety 

The High-Reliability Patient Safety Council and the Care Coordination Council empower frontline workers to implement best practices once they determine solutions to issues. Standardizing care has led to efficiencies and a higher quality of care. 

Epic, Genesis’ electronic medical record system, has propelled the health system forward by enabling the power to track results and then develop evidenced-based practices based on the scenario. 

What if all hospitals were of the highest quality? 

Based on comparisons between the 100 Top Hospitals study winners and a peer group of similar hospitals that were not winners, it was reported that if all hospitals performed at the level of this year’s winners: 

  • Over 104,000 additional lives could be saved in-hospital 
  • Over 55,000 additional patients could be complication-free 
  • Over $12.5 billion in inpatient costs could be saved 
  • The typical patient could be released from the hospital almost a half-day sooner 
  • Over 18,600 fewer discharged patients would be readmitted within 30 days 

The national award and the Everest Award are based on a set of measures that reflect performance across the whole organization. 

Using independent public data and proprietary analytics, the 100 Top Hospitals study recognizes hospitals that have clearly demonstrated top performance in care, efficiency and community value. 

Learn more at genesishcs.org/top100. 

Genesis Top 100 LiveWell

Genesis is a Top 100 Hospital in the nation.

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Genesis Coshocton Medical Center - opening early 2023

Kyle.Norton
Submitted by Kyle.Norton on

Construction of the Genesis Coshocton Medical Center is making significant progress. The new facility at 48439 Genesis Drive, Coshocton, will open in early 2023. The Genesis Coshocton Medical Center will bring together 200+ employees, including the region’s best:

  • Physicians
  • Advanced Practice Providers (Nurse practitioners, physician assistants)
  • Nurses
  • Technologists
  • Support Staff

 

Comprehensive, high-quality healthcare

Services will include:

  • Emergency Department open 24 hours a day, seven days a week
  • Outpatient Surgery Center
  • Overnight Observation Unit
  • Imaging: MRI, CT, X-ray, Mammography, Ultrasound
  • Laboratory
  • Cardiac diagnostics such as echocardiograms, stress tests and vascular ultrasound
  • Respiratory Therapy, including pulmonary function tests
  • Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapies
  • Medical Office Building – Physician Specialists

 

Current providers and more are on the way

While the Genesis Coshocton Medical Center is a new addition to the area, Genesis has been providing healthcare to the residents of Coshocton and surrounding counties for decades. Below is a look at the physicians currently taking care of patients in Coshocton. Some of these providers will move into the Genesis Coshocton Medical Center when it opens.

  • Genesis Heart & Vascular Group (420 DowntownerPlaza, Coshocton)
  • Genesis OB/GYN Services (410 Main St., Suite A,Coshocton)
  • Genesis Primary Care (410 Main St., Suite A, Coshocton)
  • Genesis Urogynecology (420 Downtowner Plaza, Coshocton)

 

We are also opening another Genesis Primary Care Coshocton office in late summer 2022. This new primary care and internal medicine practice will be in the shopping area near Walmart. Other Genesis services will also be available in this office in the future.

 

Watch construction as it happens

Want to see the progress of the new Genesis Coshocton Medical Center construction? Check out the camera that captures both a live image of the site and a time-lapse view dating back to the first days of construction. Visit genesishcs.org/coshocton for the camera views and more.

 

Community focused


Twenty-five years, a breadth of experience and one ambition.

To care for her community.

Tisha Babcock started at Genesis HealthCare System in 1997 as a nursing tech while still in college. Over the past quarter of a century, she held positions at Genesis in critical care, heart and vascular, nursing support services and pulmonary before becoming the Coshocton Facility Administrator for the new Genesis Coshocton Medical Center scheduled to open in early 2023.

 

“I am honored to be associated with the Genesis Coshocton Medical Center,” said Tisha. “My family attends church in the Coshocton community, so I am very connected to the area. By opening the center, we will provide quality medical care for emergencies, therapies, surgeries, testing and access to specialists. Although Genesis Hospital is not far away, being even closer to home makes a huge difference when minutes count in an emergency.”

 

When asked why she remained with Genesis for so long, Tisha said, “There was never a reason to leave. Genesis thrives on relationships that are part of the foundation for small towns. The attitude of caring for each other starts in homes and spreads to neighborhoods and into Genesis. It is a way of life. A patient is always someone’s relative or friend. So, there is always a need to provide the best care.

 

“Due to community support, Genesis has emerged among the nation’s leaders in healthcare technology. Our teams have access to the latest equipment. When you combine our technology with our culture, I am where I am supposed to be and where I can make a difference,” said Tisha.

 

Learn more about our new facility and Tisha Babcock, the Coshocton Facility Administrator.

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A history of designing around patients' needs

Kyle.Norton
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Private rooms. Warm, inviting, open spaces. Calming colors and plenty of windows allow sunlight to brighten the interior. Nursing stations centrally located on units. These are just a few benefits our patients and visitors noticed the day the new Genesis Hospital opened on Saturday, June 27, 2015.

 

The day was historic as years of planning and construction came to fruition in a modern facility designed around the needs of patients. “When we began to plan the new hospital, we talked with patients, their families, doctors, nurses and others in the community,” said Matt Perry, President & CEO of Genesis HealthCare System. “We wanted to know what they wanted in a hospital – what was important to them. Their input drove how we designed everything, from the main lobby to surgery to every detail of patient rooms and more.”

 

An example of this approach is evident in the Genesis Cancer Care Center. Patients receiving chemotherapy sit in comfortable chairs in an area that overlooks the beautiful Gorsuch Fitness Trail.

 

Each chair has heated massage options to provide comfort. Instead of having patients make trips around the center to see members of the care team, the care team comes to them in the chemotherapy area.

 

Even with all these physical improvements, perhaps the most important feature of the new hospital was how our staff redesigned over 400 patient care processes that dramatically improved their ability to provide each patient the very best, highest quality care. After all, our dedicated team of healthcare professionals are Genesis, and we were determined to provide a facility design that enabled them to provide you the very best care.

 

Building a future in Southeastern Ohio

“The entire team of healthcare professionals at Genesis is committed to caring for you like family to exceed your expectations every day.”

 

While Genesis Hospital has been the largest construction project in Genesis’ 25 years, it is not the only one by far. Several new facilities have been built, each designed to meet the needs of the people in their community. The Genesis Perry County Medical Center opened as a 24/7 Emergency Department in Somerset in 2018.

 

All of Genesis’ orthopedic providers moved into the new Genesis Orthopedic Center located on Bell Street in Zanesville in December 2021. Patients see their orthopedic specialists, have therapies and even visit the Orthopedic Walk-in Clinic without traveling from building to building.

 

Genesis is set to open a new facility in Coshocton – the Genesis Coshocton Medical Center – in early 2023. The center will feature a 24/7 Emergency Department; an overnight observation unit, physician specialists such as surgeons; an outpatient surgery center; physical, occupational and speech therapies, a lab draw center and more.

 

“Healthcare has gone through tremendous changes in the last 25 years. Genesis has evolved through the years to meet the challenges and fulfill our Mission: We serve our community by helping each person achieve optimal health and well-being by providing compassionate, exceptional and affordable healthcare services,” said Matt. “The entire team of healthcare professionals at Genesis is committed to caring for you like family to exceed your expectations every day.”

 

 

Designing

Building a future in Southeastern Ohio.

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Maximizing technology to maximize health

Kyle.Norton
Submitted by Kyle.Norton on

Why do hospitals invest in the latest and greatest advancements in technology? Is it to increase efficiency? To ensure safety and precision? To reduce pain and improve healing? Well, yes, all of those. But most importantly, the teams at Genesis HealthCare System believe technology enhances compassionate healthcare.

“Some people think that when you start using technology, you lose human touch and human connection, but the opposite is true,” said Ed Romito, Chief Transformation Officer at Genesis HealthCare System. “At Genesis, we aim to maximize human connection and health by utilizing the benefits of technology.”

Ed began his information technology career with the hospital 27 years ago, just before Good Samaritan and Bethesda hospitals merged to form Genesis. Back then, computer networks were in their infancy, and Genesis initially had only 300 personal computers (mostly used for finance). Today, as Genesis celebrates its 25th anniversary, the organization has approximately 4,000 personal computers, and the technology has grown to impact and improve nearly every touchpoint in patient care.

Pairing technology and hospital care: An Epic undertaking

For the past five years, CHIME (the College for Healthcare Information Management Executives) has recognized Genesis as one of the Most Wired Health Systems. Genesis is also listed on the national Top 100 Places to Work in IT by IDG Computerworld. Both distinguished designations became possible because of innovative technology advancements made during the past 25 years.

 

“Genesis is a progressive, innovative organization – never stagnant. We’re always looking to be the most sophisticated community hospital and use technology to enable safer, faster and better healthcare.”

 

For example, examine our electronic medical system, Epic. It’s the best in the world. When we implemented Epic in 2010, Epic was typically only used in large academic medical centers. Still, Genesis decided to move forward and bring this world-class technology to Southeastern Ohio,” Ed said. “We are continually innovating, using the best technology that is powered by our phenomenal team of IT professionals, the best in the country.”

Our vision is One Patient – One Record. Genesis advanced from paper to electronic medical records to enable a single medical record for each patient allowing quick access to current patient records to every member of the patient’s care team and our patients via MyChart. This provides for more coordinated and efficient care. The “epic” undertaking is just one of many advances.

For example, over a decade ago, Genesis invested in robotic-assisted surgical instruments called the da Vinci Surgical System. Bringing robotic technology into operating rooms expanded possibilities beyond what’s possible with the human eyes and hands. With 3D high-definition, surgeons see crystal-clear views magnified ten times stronger than the natural human eye. Plus, tiny instruments offer greater control and range of motion than human hands, making less invasive, smoother and more precise movements.

“The da Vinci Surgical System allows us to deliver safer surgical treatment to our patients, enabling shorter recovery times that allow our patients to get back to their normal lives more quickly. It’s amazing,” Ed said.

Since 2010, Genesis surgeons have completed more than 2,000 surgeries using the da Vinci technology.

Increasing knowledge and health with artificial intelligence

Advancements in technology at Genesis continue moving at a very rapid pace but as the technology increases in capabilities, so does the amount of collected data. To ensure the data is analyzed, organized and used to best help patients, Genesis is enlisting artificial intelligence (AI).

“It’s impossible for a human to fully consume and understand the massive amount of information available. So, we’re using computers to do what computers do best, analyze and present information in a more usable format– and that allows our teams to focus on the human connection in caring for patients,” Ed said.

For example, Genesis uses AI to monitor hospitalized patients on more than 80 data points, like vital signs, lab results, medications, etc. When data points identify potential problems in a patient’s health, the AI alerts the medical team so the patient can receive fast, early assistance. “There’s no way a person could monitor all 250 patients in the hospital on all these points of health. This kind of AI  provides warning signs and alerts the care team so they can take action before the situation becomes serious,” Ed said.

The future looks techy and terrific

In the past 25 years, Genesis has made tremendous investments in state-of-the-art technologies at a very rapid pace and will continue to bring new advanced technology to provide safe, innovative, life-saving technology to southeastern Ohio.

“I believe we’ll continue an upward trajectory of healthcare technology. I don’t see it stopping or slowing down, which is exciting. I look forward to seeing what happens at Genesis during the next 25 years.” Ed said.

 

Ed Romito, Chief Transformation Officer at Genesis HealthCare System, talks about technology advancements.

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Genesis HealthCare System celebrates 25 years of caring

Kyle.Norton
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It began as two healthcare organizations merged into one, then two hospital buildings merged into one, but the singular purpose within Genesis HealthCare System remains the same: Helping each person achieve optimal health and well-being by providing compassionate, exceptional and affordable healthcare services.

“At Genesis, we help our community obtain optimal health,” said Sharon Parker, Chief Operations Officer (COO) at Genesis. “However, providing treatment is not enough. Over the last 25 years, I’ve been blessed to work with amazing colleagues to evolve our services. My focus is to provide care the way I’d want to be treated if I or a family member were the patient. Every team member at Genesis supports that concept.”

Sharon began her medical career as a patient care technician in Zanesville while attending nursing school nearly 43 years ago. She has played a key role in advancing Genesis services, first as director of the Cancer Care Center and now as COO for all Genesis services. Over the years, she has experienced the care at Genesis through various procedures for herself, her husband and their children.

“I helped start the cancer services program and we designed it with our patients’ perspectives in mind. Patients and families wanted all medical providers working together for the best possible outcomes for each unique individual. We spent a lot of time conducting research and then worked with an architect who could make the vision come to life,” said Sharon.

Genesis Cancer Care Center: Close-to-home care for the entire cancer journey

With cancer diagnoses increasing in the United States, having state-of-the-art cancer care close to home is essential. That’s why, in 2015, Genesis opened a dedicated Cancer Care Center to provide personalized, comprehensive expertise and treatment.

“By bringing in additional physicians, we developed a strong multidisciplinary team that offers cancer patients a convenient, close-to-home place to receive coordinated care. Patients could potentially have imaging, lab work, palliative care, medical oncology and radiation oncology visits all in one day here, saving them valuable time and energy,” Sharon said.

The patient-centered, nationally accredited center also includes nurse navigators, an in-house pharmacy and certified surgeons. Beyond treatment, we also addressed the psychological elements of care. The new center includes private chemotherapy pods that are a calming oasis with floor-to-ceiling views of our nature trail that wildlife often visits.

Having all cancer care services available in one center provides convenience for patients and increases communication between cancer care team members. “Our patients rave about the coordination of care, and our physicians appreciate the quick access to their colleagues. It’s routine for our physicians to have conversations about treatment plans so they’re all on the same page. The closeness ensures each patient receives an evidence-based plan of care personalized for their situation,” Sharon said.

A dedicated place for heart health and healing: The Genesis Heart & Vascular Institute

Modeled after the same comprehensive structure as the Genesis Cancer Care Center, Genesis developed a dedicated heart and vascular center. The Genesis Heart & Vascular Institute opened in 2015 and sits opposite the Genesis Cancer Care Center on the Genesis Hospital campus.

The Genesis Heart & Vascular Institute includes the Congestive Heart Failure Clinic, Vein Center, Anticoagulation Clinic, cardiac rehabilitation gym, cardiac catheterization lab, electrophysiology lab and nutrition services.

“Whether patients need open-heart surgery, cardiac rehabilitation or nutrition counseling, they can get it all here. Plus, patients enjoy that hometown feeling at Genesis and the fact that top-quality healthcare that’s close to home costs less than larger facilities that are farther away,” Sharon said.

The Genesis Heart & Vascular Institute became the first fully accredited chest pain center in Southeastern Ohio in 2009. Known for advanced care, the institute’s fellowship-trained, board-certified physicians perform groundbreaking roboticassisted and minimally invasive treatments. By using innovative technology and techniques, patients benefit from smaller incisions, less risks and quicker healing.

Quality and compassion

With its Cancer Care Center and the Heart & Vascular Institute devoted to the best treatment options, it’s no wonder Genesis’ outcomes and patient experience scores rank among the highest in the state and nation.In addition to providing excellent results, Genesis focuses onproviding an excellent healing environment.

“Having dedicated buildings where all physicians and services are available in a close-knit space ensures compassionate, wrap-around care. So, when a patient is diagnosed with a health challenge, we can wrap our arms around them and take care of everything – coordination, communication and quality treatment. They don’t have to worry about anything,” Sharon said.

For the past 25 years, Genesis has served residents in Muskingum, Morgan, Perry, Coshocton, Noble and Guernsey counties with that mission in mind.

 

Sharon Parker, Chief Operations Officer, reflects on the past 25 years at Genesis HealthCare System

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