Updates for 2017
For 2017 the Digestive Health Center will continue to focus on service, quality, patient satisfaction and remaining a great place to work. We will continue to work on growth of practice along with reorganization of staff which is necessary any time that there is change in the practice. We will continue to work on outreach clinics through Grundy hospital, Independence and potentially other areas. Jenni Friedly, COO; will be more involved in the Central Iowa Health Care so will be working with the transition of the Marshalltown hospital to UnityPoint Health. Jan Hahn will take over responsibilities previously done by Jenni (for DHC).
As far as healthcare, in general we expect to see a decrease in inpatient stays and an increase in outpatient volume. The complexity of care needed for our patients continues to increase. It is important that we treat our patient in wholeness and not just as disease. Counseling for our patients is needed in this regard. Our nursing staff is well prepared for this responsibility
We will continue to focus on care coordination with nutrition as an important aspect in GI health. We will continue to work on treatment of clostridium difficile and expand the role of fecal transplant. A couple of other areas that we will focus on will be our motility program and biofeedback. Hepatitis C treatment will continue to be at the forefront of our priorities. There will be IT changes as healthcare continues to analyze data in an effort to improve.
As far as quality is concerned we will work on involvement in SGNA, ASGE and potentially the EURP program. We will be seeing changes in Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act as the year evolves and with the new administration.
In regard to Digestive Health Center one of the key areas for endoscopy will be infection control. We have scrutinized our protocols in the area of infection control and will continue to monitor our protocols and continue to require staff competency in this area. We will prepare for Joint Commission visit this year at UnityPoint Hospital Waterloo and Digestive Health Center. We will continue to work on the new website as a communicator tool for those we serve and those we work with.
Sincerely,
Barbara K. Burkle, MSN, ARNP, FNP-BC
Director of Digestive Health Services
2016 Memories:
- Weddings – Allison and Dr. Alardin
- Babies – Julie, Amy, Jordan
- SGNA certification – Sheila, Mindy, Julie, and Kim
- ARNP – Kelli
- Infection Control Champion – Holly
- 4 education sessions with great staff participation
- Election of Holly to MSGNA as the eastern division co-chair
- Adopt a family for Christmas
- Successful physician debate
- Combining pathology and endoscopy reports: an effort to improve patient-provider communications
- Collaboration with pathology/ER/radiology
- Fibroscan utilization
- GI Quic tracking
- Impact Grant: increasing patient education and decreasing waiting times by making technology such as iPads available to patients
- Welcome new staff and goodbye to others