Davis Islands Today

The National Research Corporation awarded Tampa General Hospital the prestigious Consumer Choice Award for 2008-09. The award identifies hospitals that healthcare consumers perceive have the highest quality and image in the country.

TGH, which has won this recognition for the third straight year, is the only hospital in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties to earn this award.

The National Research Corp. surveyed more than 200,000 households, representing 400,000 consumers, throughout the United States. TGH was one of 226 hospitals nationwide, and one of 16 in Florida, selected from among the 3,200 hospitals named by study participants.

Ron Hytoff, president and CEO of Tampa General, said the recognition was a reflection of the role teamwork plays in helping to shape the views and opinions of health care consumers.

“People have become very sophisticated when it comes to making decisions about health care,” Hytoff said. “Those decisions are shaped in part by their perceptions of not just doctors and nurses, but also the clinical techs that perform diagnostic tests, the people who clean the hallways and rooms, and the dietary staff that prepares the meals.”

The 2008-09 Healthcare Market Guide is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive study of its kind. No other study used to measure hospital performance and preferences contain more consumer responses than NRC’s study. The study has a margin of error of plus or minus 0.2 percent at a national level. Co-winners are named when scores fall within the statistical margin of error for a given market. This is the 13th year that the NRC has presented the Consumer Choice Awards.

National Research Corporation (NASDAQ: NRCI) is an industry leader, with more than two decades of experience in healthcare performance measurement and improvement. Find out more at http://hcmg.nationalresearch.com

Newly signed hockey player Steven Stamkos toured Tampa General Hospital to add a little excitement to many patients’ lives. Stamkos was the #1 Draft pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey Team.

Stamkos and entourage arrived at TGH on Davis Islands in a very long stretch limo. Stamkos and the patients were all smiles as autographed pics were handed out and many photos were shot. The buzz that the young hockey superstar has brought to the Tampa Bay area has been highlighted with a “SeenStamkos.com” campaign. The Ontario based player was given a tour of Tampa and our area beaches. Get more info at www.seenstamkos.com

See our photos at TampaGold.com

by Bill Sharpe

Tampa General Hospital Opens State of the Art Emergency and Trauma Center

With an expenditure of nearly $200 million and an addition of over 200 employees, Tampa General Hospital on Tampa’s Davis Islands opened a facility prepared for any large scale crisis. With an emphasis on comfort and convenience, the new center provides an increase in rooms and facilities, while keeping a ready eye on the potential for most any type of disaster Tampa could face.

For most patients, the hospital can now offer the convenience of 24 hour valet parking and a pager provided upon arrival. Comfortable seating and lounges with wifi greet customers immediately upon arrival. Waiting rooms have great views of Tampa’s waterways, and the waiting room has a beach themed pediatric play and theater area.

Each private room includes a door for privacy, and telephones, washroom, and television for privacy and comfort. The colors and designs continue with a beach and nautical theme, helping to chase away some of the uncomfortable feeling that a hospital visit can provide. Full registration will take place at bedside, rather than a waiting room.

While the appearance seems softer, the preparedness for possible catastrophic events is hard and ready. Formerly on ground level, the new emergency room is now 22 feet above sea level, settling concerns about flooding. The emergency center is almost double the size of the previous facility - six trauma rooms are combined with 66 private treatment rooms. Over 70 different additional locations exist for oxygen and other hookups. Many rooms are equipped with negative pressure facilities to assist in handling infectious diseases or other matter. Every room in the new center has the equipment necessary to handle double the planned patient capacity, and the hospital is now prepared to handle up to 250 patients.

The expansion also includes a doubling of the Aeromed Command Center. With over 2,000 flights per year, the helicopter program operates from three locations - Tampa General, Citrus County, and Sebring. In addition, the parking garage is equipped to quickly turn into a shower area to wash more than 200 patients per hour from hazardous material clean ups and assignment for medical care.

With over 5 years in the design and construction process, a life size 3d model was constructed in order to recreate the feeling of what parts of the facility would look like and to evaluate functionality. 5,000 suggestions of various types were made and incorporated in the final center. The new state of the art equipment is a source of pride among staff and has already been helpful in recruiting new staff members.

Tampa General Hospital treats over 68,000 patients per year, including about 100 major trauma cases each month. As the region’s only level 1 trauma center, Tampa General Hospital has taken a major leap in providing even better patient care with their new expansion. The economic impact of over $200 million in construction and over 200 new jobs is also a significant boost to Tampa.

From our friends at Tampa General Hospital:

Healthcare consumers have identified Tampa General as one of the region’s top hospitals when it comes to quality and image.

Based on these findings, the National Research Corporation for the second consecutive year has awarded Tampa General its prestigious Consumer Choice Award for 2007-08. The award identifies hospitals that healthcare consumers have selected for having the highest quality and image in the U.S.

The National Research Corp. surveyed more than 200,000 households, representing 400,000 consumers, throughout the United States. TGH was one of 223 hospitals nationwide, and one of 17 in Florida, selected from among the 3,200 hospitals named by study participants.

TGH was the only hospital to receive this designation from the four-county metropolitan statistical area of Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, and Hernando.

NRC Chief Executive Officer Michael D. Hays said winners are determined by consumer perceptions on multiple quality and image ratings collected in the company’s annual NRC Healthcare Market Guide® study.

“Consumers play an increasing role in selecting their healthcare facilities and services,” Hays said. “As more healthcare quality information is made publicly available, we expect this trend to increase. These organizations are selected for the Consumer Choice Awards by the community residents they serve. We are pleased to honor these facilities for their dedication to quality healthcare in the eyes of their patients.”

Ron Hytoff, president and CEO of Tampa General, said the distinction is a reflection of the hospital’s commitment to quality and to the teamwork and dedication of all employees.

“Our physicians and nurses are key components, but they do not work in a vacuum,” Hytoff said. “This effort includes everyone from the clinical techs who perform diagnostic tests on patients, to the people who clean the rooms, and the dietary staff that prepares the meals. Our patients and their families are keenly aware of all these elements when they come to the hospital.”

The 2007-08 Healthcare Market Guide is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive study of its kind. No other study used to measure hospital performance and preferences contain more consumer responses than NRC’s study. The study has a margin of error of plus or minus 0.2 percent at a national level. Co-winners are named when scores fall within the statistical margin of error for a given market.

From our friends at Tampa General Hospital:

Tampa General Hospital Executive Wins Statewide Honor

Deana Nelson, Tampa General Hospital’s Executive Vice President, Patient Care Services has been awarded the Florida Nurses Association Nurse Administrator Award for 2007. This award exemplifies outstanding leadership in nursing administration and is awarded to just one nurse administrator in the entire state of Florida.

Ms. Nelson has over 20 years of progressive clinical and operational management experience in complex health care organizations. Her career began as a staff nurse at Medical College of Ohio Hospital in Toledo and later came to TGH in 1983 as a staff nurse and where she has held a variety of positions. A Tampa resident, she received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing with honors from Bowling Green State University and her Masters of Health Care Administration from the Ohio State University.

She holds an Advanced ANCC Nursing Administration Certificate and serves on the Advisory Board for the University of Tampa College of Nursing. Her professional affiliations include the American Organization of Nurse Executives, Florida Organization of Nurse Executives, American College of Healthcare Executives and the Florida Nurses Association.

Congratulations, Deana!