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Now, more than ever, Arkansas Heart Hospital (AHH) staff are confident that their patients leave the hospital satisfied. In a recent federal survey comparing more than 30 Arkansas hospitals in 10 patient satisfaction categories, AHH received five first-place rankings.

Participation in the survey, conducted by the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA) in conjunction with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), will, in the future, be required of all hospitals, though in its first year reporting the quality data from patient surveys was voluntary.

Although AHH ranked number one in responsiveness of hospital staff, communication with nurses and cleanliness of the hospital environment, Tammy Corley, AHH director of marketing said that the hospital is most proud of receiving first place in the “Overall” and “Would you recommend this hospital?” categories.

As part of the MedCath Medical Group, LLC, AHH is one of a group of hospitals across the nation embracing the physician/partner model. The hospital celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2007 and continues to experience significant growth.  In January a new addition was completed increasing the total bed capacity to 112, and in June a sleep center opened.  Current renovations are underway to expand and enhance the Wound Center which houses two hyperbaric chambers.

Corley said one reason the patient satisfaction surveys are so high is because of the way AHH welcomes families, explaining that with private rooms and open visiting hours, patients and their loved ones are able to enjoy a convenience of care almost unmatched in the state. The average length of stay at the hospital is 3.5 days.

She said the true strength of the hospital, though, is the concentration of cardiovascular expertise found on site among the staff and physicians.  As of June, AHH had performed over 12,000 open heart surgeries. The hospital’s surgeons currently perform more open heart surgeries than anyone in state.  “We aren’t just a Little Rock hospital,” Corley said. “We get referrals from counties throughout the state.”

Dr. Bruce Murphy, medical director, attributes the success of AHH to its outstanding care. “We have physicians who super-sub-specialize in cardio care,” explained Murphy. “And we provide excellent service to our patients through our nursing care.”

Another point of success for AHH is the short-stay unit. Murphy described the short-stay unit as a place where patients with less severe heart disease are made comfortable in a unit separate from patients receiving critical care. “We want to treat acutely ill patients without inflicting the trauma of making them feel like a ‘sick’ patient,” said Murphy.  This practice puts patients at ease about coming in to receive treatment, particularly those who are hesitant to seek medical care.

Corley also emphasized that the hospital has a cadre of expert physicians from non-cardiovascular specialties, and is equipped to care for cardiac patients’ ancillary conditions as well.

With a nursing staff comprised mostly of registered nurses, Vice President Clinical Services, Chris Dent, echoes Murphy in asserting that the nursing care at AHH is another element of its success. “We follow a patient-focused model of care. We bring the services to the patient, which is a whole different mindset for staff,” said Dent. She explained that patient rooms are used for every test that can possibly be done in the room. This includes x-ray and GI procedures, although the hospital is equipped with six cath labs and three OR suites. In addition, nursing stations are strategically positioned to allow better patient monitoring, with seven patient rooms to one station.

Another focus of the hospital is community education, screening and prevention.  “You shouldn’t have to find out you have heart disease after you have a heart attack.  We encourage people to take a proactive approach to their heart health,” said Corley.
This philosophy fuels new and future developments that continue to propel the facility towards its goal of being a trusted resource for the community while improving outcomes and delivery.

To that end, AHH last year launched the “Keep the Beat” program, a screening and education service.  More than 1,235 people have taken advantage of the screening service since October 2007, and the program continues to draw patients from numerous counties in the state.

Keep the Beat is an affordable packaging of cardiovascular screening services comprised of nine elements: Lipid panel (total cholesterol, HDL, LDL & triglycerides); resting EKG; ABI - peripheral vascular screening (legs); blood sugar; blood pressure; nutrition assessment; body composition; HeartSaver CT scan; and a 10-year risk assessment.  The cost of the screening is $125 for men over 40 and for women over 45, however, patients under 40 can also be screened upon referral.  Patients are given their results to schedule a follow-up with their primary care physician if needed.

Locally, AHH is partnering with the American Heart Association to promote “City Goes Red”.  Events will be made available to the community throughout the year, affording local residents numerous opportunities for education about cardiovascular disease, treatment, detection and prevention.  Recently, AHH participated in a CPR training event and plans to further these efforts include a cardiovascular seminar, Heart Expo, and “City Goes Red at the River.”

“With everything we’re doing and have planned, I fully expect our high patient satisfaction scores to continue,” Corley said. “We are giving patients and families the highest quality care and commitment they deserve, and our recent rankings reflect that.


July 2008

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