Adventist Health: Committed to the community
Just as the pandemic hit the Mendocino Coast less than two years ago, Adventist Health stepped in to help keep the doors of the hospital and clinics open with essential services. Covid-19 dramatically changed the way we all access healthcare. Supply and demand for clinical personnel and access to care at every healthcare facility in the nation have been adversely impacted by the pandemic. Despite this reality, Adventist Health Mendocino Coast (AHMC), has been able to keep care local for thousands of patients. As the hospital continues transitioning the facilities and services into a more efficient system, access to local quality care remains top of mind.
“We’re also mindful that the process of transitioning systems to better serve patients for the long run can present challenges,” states Judy Leach, President of Adventist Health Mendocino Coast. “Just like significant delays caused when repairing deteriorating road conditions which occur to create a safer experience, AHMC’s changes in process and equipment have unfortunately caused delays for clinic patients. However, despite it all, Adventist Health Mendocino Coast Medical Offices saw more than 7,000 more patient visits last year compared to the previous year. The installation of new technology is paving a path for a more effective care process between specialists and the three hospitals in Mendocino County.”
Throughout recent months, AHMC has been addressing many challenges by further investing in resources and infrastructure to better serve the community. This requires the replacement of outdated equipment and facility upgrades.
“Through the most difficult of times, the local hospital, operated by a multistate healthcare system, has had greater access to supplies and essential staff than it would have had otherwise,” says Judson Howe, President of Adventist Health North Coast Network. “Our journey represents neighbors helping neighbors, in meeting the health and well-being needs of the local community.”
A $15 million investment from Adventist Health has recently been made to modernize the essential electronic medical records (EMR) system at the Adventist Health Mendocino Coast Medical Offices. When completed later this year, this transition into the Cerner EMR will provide enhanced patient care pathways and enable better communication between the outpatient clinics and the hospital. It will also provide patients with a dedicated, electronic portal called MyAdventist Health to access lab results and medical records.
Investments such as a new phone system at the clinics have already helped reduce scheduling and registration times. Since November alone, a partnering organization was hired to help the clinics answer phones and make appointments resulting in answering more than 14,000 phone calls and making more than 1,200 appointments. We have also resolved the alignment issues that prevented timely communication between clinic providers and local pharmacies.
AHMC also continues to welcome new healthcare providers and staff into the community. Healthcare has certainly not been immune from the ‘great resignation,’ and difficulties in staffing and recruiting continue to be a challenge for rural healthcare providers nationwide. We were nonetheless able to welcome 13 new providers to the coastal region in 2021, additions that not only provide patients with better access to care but also add more than $6 million dollars in annual salaries to the community. AHMC also established a dedicated provider recruiting team and is devoting significant resources to continue to bolster the number of new healthcare providers in the region including primary care, orthopedics, and GI services. Resources are also in place to communicate these changes and opportunities.
It’s within that spirit that we continue to invest in the community, and we’re committed to correcting our previous deficiencies quickly and holistically by implementing infrastructure and devoting resources to advance the quality of health care on the coast.