Grundy County Memorial Hospital | Live Well | Spring 2020

>> health NEWS Maintaining the programs that support your best health is our year-round focus. This publica- tion is dedicated to keeping you informed of steps you can take to “Live Well.” So it was with great reluctance that wellness program- ming was suspended in early spring—both to keep our community members safely at home and in the interest of preparing our hospital to serve those who are affected by the coronavirus disease, or COVID-19. Since late February, we’ve worked to plan for a potential surge of patients who may become ill with the virus. Our leaders arrived at a plan to protect our community and our workforce as concerns about the virus grew. We closed the hospital for all but essential services. We acquired necessary supplies. We made plans to repurpose parts of the hospital. Caregivers were reassigned and cross-trained to maximize emergency and inpatient care. All of this preparedness came with a silent prayer that none of it would be necessary. Adam Scherling, MHA, GCMH Administrator L E A D E R S H I P C O R N E R A re-set for health care A desire to earn the communi- ty’s trust as a high-value choice for health care prompted Grundy County Memorial Hospi- tal to seek formal accreditation. The hospital turned to Det Nor- ske Veritas (DNV) Healthcare, which is well-known for its role in identifying and measuring best practices in patient safety and quality care. DNV conducted an on-site visit before granting accreditation to the hospital in late 2019. GCMH is among fewer than 10 rural Iowa hospitals who have earned this distinction for quality and safety. “I’m proud of how our team embraced the accreditation pro- cess,” remarks Jody Schipper, Director of Clinical Services. “They recognize that receiving the distinction from an outside organization validates the high quality of care that our patients can expect.” High standards for quality of care DNV’s annual inspection and review process is an alternative to the state Department of Inspection and Ap- peals’ hospital reviews conducted every five years. DNV is one of the accreditation agencies recognized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and an increasing num- ber of hospitals are opting to adopt the alternate approach to inspection and review. “The accreditation process through DNV is a very thor- ough and collaborative approach,” Schipper says. Hospital Administrator Adam Scherling adds that the new approach to inspection and review is meant to improve an already exemplary commitment to quality. “The opportunity to enlist DNV is a way to benchmark our organization for meeting very high standards for quality of care,” Scherling says. “Accreditation differentiates us from our peers and validates the focus that we place on patient safety and high-quality care.” DNV Healthcare is recognized worldwide as a trusted partner in improving health care quality and facilitating patient-centered, safe care. The hospital will undergo annual reviews from DNV as a part of the accreditation process. National accreditation awarded to GCMH Hospital earns quality and patient safety distinction By working together with experts across UnityPoint Health, cooperating with local health authorities and asking ourselves, “What’s possible?,” the Grundy County Memorial Hospital team remained focused on what matters most—you, your families and your neighbors in rural Iowa. As we refocus priorities to meet a pandemic head-on, my wish for you is that as you’ve adapted to the health crisis, you’ve also found a chance to re-establish your priorities to what matters most. From all of us at Grundy County Memorial Hospital, please stay well. At the time this newsletter was printed, Grundy County Memorial Hospital and other health care organiza- tions were awaiting state government and public health guidance on when services such as outpatient surgeries, nonessential diagnostics and procedures, and routine specialty clinic visits may resume. Please contact the hos- pital schedulers at 319-824-5081 if you have questions about the availability of health care services. 2