ARMC raising funds for 2nd round of patient enhancements
Crystal NelsonAlpena Regional Medical Center's Development Council is working on its second round of vital patient enhancements to improve the quality of the patient experience at the hospital. In October, the fevelopment vouncil began raising funds for five new projects that will make visiting the hospital more pleasant, including health care transportation, equipment to monitor patients, evidence based physical rehabilitation equipment, digital mammography equipment and waiting room enhancements.
Development Director Ann Diamond said the council's goal is to raise $250,000 by June 30, 2011. She said having five different projects gives people the opportunity to donate based on what's important to them and allows them to support the hospital's employees with state of the art equipment.
"Some of these things are things on the hospital's capital budget that we can't afford to do," she said. "So the community can help provide the finest patient care."
The development council teamed up with Friends Together to purchase a van that will provide patients to the south and west of ARMC with transportation needs so they can receive treatment at the cancer center. Diamond said there is an American Cancer Society van available although it can only provide transportation to those in the north because of its service area.
"This van will be able to transport patients from the Lincoln-Oscoda area, Gaylord and up for cancer treatment, depending on what other needs that they have," she said, adding the van will be staffed by volunteers and is expected to be on the road as of Nov. 1.
The hospital's trustees approved for purchase the apexpro telemetry system at its board meeting Tuesday, which Diamond said is just the start of the project as the development council will have to raise funds for it. The equipment will allow patients to be monitored from different floors, instead of moving patients from floor to floor to be monitored, which Diamond said can be disturbing for both the patient and their family.
The evidence based physical rehabilitation equipment is computer generated and would simulate real life activities, measure the progress of patients in physical therapy and keep a patient's history so they can track their improvement.
The digital mammography radiology system would be an addition to the hospital's operating room. It would be able to analyze the lump or lesion after it's removed from the breast, saving the 15-30 minutes it might take to diagnose it in the lab and reduce the time the patient is under anesthesia. The equipment also would identify whether the whole lump or lesion has been removed.
"That kind of completes our digital breast health center of excellence that we have here," she said.
Waiting rooms will receive a general upgrade. According to Diamond, the waiting rooms are dated and these will be more comfortable for the families.
Fundraising for the first round of vital patient enhancements wrapped up early this year and those projects are almost all complete. The $500,000 raised by the development council went to the hospital's new comfort care suite, the At Your Request menu service, improvements to the intensive care unit's waiting room and upgrading patient rooms with new TVs and internet access for patients and visitors.
Diamond said some of the TV installation and patient room upgrades still are being completed because of the logistics of closing some of the hospital's wings.
The development council, comprised of about 50 community members, supports the hospital in numerous ways. Members of the council can be involved in its Keystone Society, Benefactors Circle, Business Honor Roll, Anchor Society and Community Outreach Committee.
For more information about vital patient enhancements or how to donate contact Diamond in the ARMC Development Office at 356-7738 or adimond@agh.org.
Crystal Nelson can be reached via e-mail at cnelson@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5693.
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jaxspp
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11-03-09 4:25 PM
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There is also censorship regarding ARMC by the Alpena News. I've written several letters to the editor over the years about ARMC and they have refused to publish them. I assume they feel there would be retaliation of some sort.
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amos57usa
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11-03-09 7:05 AM
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A vital patient enhancement would be "smoking or non-smoking". Now they will attack you for lighting up in the parking lot. Fanatics make the most noise.
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jaxspp
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11-03-09 6:06 AM
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Not sour grapes, actual statistics from www hospitalcompare hhs gov. Also the loss of a family member due to ARMC indifference and negligence.
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shakeweight
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11-02-09 10:00 AM
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We need to consider measures to stop the mass exodus of doctors, full stop. Sour grapes JAX
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jaxspp
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11-02-09 6:59 AM
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What are they going to do about the unions? It is the poor attitude of the union employees at this hospital and the inability of ARMC management to control them that makes it 15% worse than the national average in patient satisfaction.
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