December 27, 2007

Progress and Accolades Cap Eventful Year for Mercy

Mercy Medical Center—Sioux City marked an eventful year of national honors, and clinical progress in 2007.

Judging from news headlines during the past year, Mercy’s regional and national reputation as a provider of world-class health care became even more prominent.

In February, Mercy Medical Center was once again awarded national certification as a stroke center by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.  Mercy first earned JCAHO’s “Gold Seal of Approval” for primary stroke care in January 2005.   Mercy is the only hospital in the Siouxland region to have earned JCAHO’s prominent certification as a stroke center.

Mercy was one of 277 hospitals in the United States recognized in the July 23 issue of US News & World Report by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With the Guidelines (GWTG) program for its performance achievement in stroke care.

In October, Mercy Medical Center was the recipient of six national awards for specialty excellence in cardiac care, coronary interventional procedures, vascular surgery, orthopedic surgery, joint replacement, and general surgery, according to a new comprehensive study by HealthGrades, the nation’s leading independent healthcare ratings company. 

Mercy was the only hospital in Iowa to receive all six recognitions for excellence. The medical center was also the only hospital in the state to receive the Vascular Surgery Excellence Award three years in a row, 2006 through 2008, and was the only healthcare facility in the state to be recognized with the 2008 Orthopedic Surgery Excellence Award.

The independent study also found that Mercy ranks number one in Iowa for overall cardiac services, heart surgery, cardiology services, coronary interventional procedures, joint replacement surgery, and overall orthopedic services.  This marks the fourth year in a row that Mercy has ranked first in the state for coronary interventional procedures.  Mercy is also rated best in northwestern Iowa for general surgery.

According to the Tenth Annual HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America Study, Mercy Medical Center—Sioux City ranks among the top 10 percent nationally for overall cardiac services, and vascular surgery.  Mercy ranks in the top 5% of the nation’s hospitals for orthopedic surgery and general surgery.  The study, the largest of its kind, analyzed patient outcomes at virtually all of the nation's 5,000 hospitals over the years 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Also in October, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) presented Mercy with a Medal of Honor recognizing the hospital for its efforts in organ donation.  Mercy earned the recognition for achieving and sustaining a donation rate of 75% or more of eligible donors.

The Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) granted continued approval to the oncology program and tumor registry at Mercy, which is currently the only Siouxland hospital to have a cancer care program that bears the prestigious approval of the ACS.  In order to meet the exacting standards necessary for approval, Mercy underwent a rigorous evaluation and performance review.   That on-site assessment revealed no deficiencies.  In fact, surgeon reviewers gave Mercy eight commendations in such areas as outcomes analysis, clinical trial research, prevention and early detection, and cancer-related improvements.

Mercy also earned national accreditation for perioperative services following an on-site American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) inspection to verify that the medical center complies with very stringent regulations set forth by the association.

Mercy is one of just 21 hospitals in the United States to hold the prestigious AABB accreditation.  Siouxland’s leading hospital is also the only facility in Iowa, Nebraska or South Dakota to hold the distinction. 

Later in the year, the Committee on Trauma of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) reverified the Mercy Trauma Center as a Level II trauma center, the highest-level trauma care facility in the Siouxland area.  Successful reverification by the Committee on Trauma “recognizes the hospital’s continued dedication to providing optimal care for injured patients,” according to the ACS. 

Mercy also advanced health care in the Siouxland region during 2007 with new initiatives and partnerships.

In February, Mercy launched a major initiative to protect as many young women as possible from cervical cancer by ensuring they have access to a new vaccine.  Mercy’s effort to make sure all young women between the ages of 9 and 26 in the Siouxland area can get the series of three Gardasil vaccinations regardless of their insurance coverage or their ability to pay for the shots is being supported by a $500,000 gift from Siouxland area businessman Mark Nylen and his wife, Mary Ellen.

In November, Curaquick, a Sioux City-based healthcare provider specializing in retail delivery of basic health services, and Mercy Medical Center—Sioux City announced a new partnership agreement establishing joint ownership and operation of all Curaquick Clinics in the Siouxland area.  Under terms of the agreement, Mercy acquired a 49% shareholder interest in the Sioux City area Curaquick Clinics effective Dec. 1. 

Among other highlights noted at Mercy Medical Center in 2007:

• The open-heart surgery team at Mercy marked a milestone on June 1 when 60-year-old Ramon Sundquist of Sioux City became the 7,000th patient to undergo a cardiac surgical procedure at the hospital.  Mercy is home to the only cardiothoracic surgery program in Siouxland.
• Early in 2007, Mercy launched a major new workforce health initiative that would better align the medical center’s services and programs with the specific health-related needs of Siouxland area employers and their employees.            Mercy Business Health Services coordinates the proactive new effort that involves and represents nearly every department and service at Mercy Medical Center.
• Last summer, Mercy announced it would join Mercy Medical Center—Des Moines in establishing an eICU program, a state-of-the-art enhancement of critical care.  The two medical centers, both ministry organizations in the Iowa-based Mercy Heath Network, will be the first hospitals in Iowa to use Baltimore-based VISICU Inc.’s eICU technology, which will allow intensive care physicians, called intensivists, to remotely monitor patients in multiple intensive care units (ICUs).  Mercy plans to have the eICU program fully in place in February 2008.
• More than 3,000 tickets for Mercy’s seventh annual Women’s Night Out were sold out just over an hour after they went on sale at the Tyson Events Center box office and through Ticketmaster.  The yearly event, which seeks to promote the health and well being of women in a luxurious, experiential fashion, has proven extremely popular.
• In November, the Mercy Medical Center Foundation hosted a sold-out crowd for its 2007 Gala, “A Festival of Wine in Bordeaux.” A record 530 people attended the 2007 event. 
• Also in November, Mercy unveiled its newest weapon for the state-of-the-art diagnosis of disease and injury with the introduction of a new 64-slice dual source Computed Tomography (CT) scanner. Mercy is the first healthcare provider in the Siouxland area to invest in this leading-edge diagnostic tool, which produces sophisticated cross-section CT images in less time.
• Late in 2007, doctors at Mercy performed a revolutionary new procedure that corrects atrial fibrillation (AF), a common form of heart rhythm abnormality and a major cause of stroke.  The new minimally invasive microwave ablation Maze procedure is a considerably more patient-friendly alternative to traditional open-chest “Cox-Maze” procedures and offers new hope to many AF patients.

“It was an exciting, rewarding year for the entire Mercy family as the hospital celebrated many honors and continued to carry out its mission with great success,” said Paul Dougherty, Mercy’s president and CEO.  “We were blessed to realize great progress, thanks to the expertise and dedication of our staff members and physician partners.”

“As we begin a new year, we will continue to make every effort to raise the quality of care available to Siouxland residents to an even higher standard,” Dougherty adds. “With that as our objective, we can perhaps look forward to celebrating and giving thanks for those exciting innovations and milestones yet to come.”