Hospital CEO: Adventist has benefited Lodi
Adventist Health, negotiating with Rideout Health over a possible deal locally, entered into an affiliation with Lodi Memorial Hospital in 2015.
Although there have been a number of changes to the organization, a hospital official said the partnership has been nothing but beneficial to the community.
“Our affiliation with Adventist Health has become a very strong and positive partnership,” said Daniel Wolcott, CEO and president of Lodi Memorial Health. “Our company cultures and values were similar, so the fit was natural. That is part of the reason Lodi board and community members selected Adventist Health from the various partners they were considering. Since the affiliation, there has been a balance of maintaining our individual identity and taking advantage of being part of a system.”
Before the partnership, Lodi Memorial had been operating independently for 63 years. In 2012, hospital board members saw a need to join forces with a larger organization due to a changing health care industry.
Wolcott said the idea of an affiliation was a difficult concept to accept initially because of LMH’s “fierce independence,” but it ultimately proved to be the right decision.
“One of the valuable things about being part of a system is the ability to link up and connect with other hospitals and hospital leaders and staff across the region and system, to share best practices and implement new ideas to better serve our patients and community,” Wolcott said. “There is much work to be done to improve health outcomes, access to care and the health experience for our community, and being part of a system better enables us to make improvements in those areas.”
What’s different now?
Wolcott said many things have changed since joining the Adventist Health system, though some of the most important aspects of LMH have remained the same — such as the organization’s commitment to the community and how it treats patients and employees alike.
LMH, with the help of an Adventist partnership, has converted to an electronic health records system. Wolcott said it has also brought about the ability to add spirituality and prayer to the workplace, with an emphasis on “whole-person care.”
“Some of the most notable things to come out of the affiliation in the last two years include the ability to build and grow service lines, better recruit and retain physicians, a reduction in employee turnover, and the infrastructure we’re building for risk-based contracting,” he said.
There are changes occurring for Adventist Health, as well. He said the organization is adjusting its strategy to adapt to the changing health care environment.
Basically, he said, Adventist Health and its affiliates are working to better align their network of care to bring about more clarity, efficiency and accountability.
“We have begun referring to this journey toward alignment as ‘ONE Adventist Health.’ This includes standardizing tools, processes and strategies across the various hospitals and the creation of a governance structure,” Wolcott said.
LMH is in the process of rebranding — or changing its name — to Adventist Health Lodi Memorial. Wolcott said it was important to the organization’s leadership to keep its name because of what it stands for in the community, but rebranding will also reflect the connection to the larger system of care through Adventist.
“All of the hospitals within Adventist Health are going through this same rebranding and alignment process, so Rideout will be coming in at a great time,” he said.
Local control and input
During the affiliation process, LMH and Adventist officials held forums to inform employees and community members about the potential partnership. Those that participated in the forums had the opportunity to vote on whether to approve an affiliation.
Since the transition, Wolcott said many on the hospital’s board of directors are people who were around during the affiliation process, with a few additional members from Adventist.
“Some of the decisions are made at a local level and others are made at a regional or system-level with local input and involvement,” he said.
The current governance system is consistent with the effort to transition to “ONE Adventist Health,” he said.
Wolcott said Adventist Health is a firm believer that many decisions and discussions must happen at the local level for the entire system to be successful.
“Like Lodi, Rideout will find that Adventist Health is seriously committed to contributing to the communities where our medical centers and offices are located,” Wolcott said. “We have maintained our involvement and service to our local community, if not increased it due to the additional support and resources now available.”
Advice for Rideout and the Yuba-Sutter community
Rideout Health has yet to strike a definitive agreement with Adventist Health on an affiliation. Until a deal is finalized, it is unclear what changes Rideout might experience under a partnership.
Officials from Rideout and Adventist have said they are hopeful to strike a deal by early July. If an agreement is made, a final regulatory approval must come from the state’s attorney general.
Wolcott said though the affiliation process was a roller-coaster experience for LMH, it has only added to the hospital’s ability to serve Lodi residents.
“Joining a system is an opportunity for growth and longevity. It is not without its challenges — frustrations with learning new processes and changes in decisionmaking — but well worth the benefit of better serving the community,” he said.