National Hospital System's Support and Funding Make a Difference for Clay County Residents

National Hospital Systems Support and Funding Make a Difference for Clay County Residents

Adventist Health System, Manchester Memorial Hospitals parent company, is investing $9.4 million in a new medical building to provide the community with quality care right at their doorstep.

Manchester Memorial Hospital (MMH) has been serving the residents of Clay County and the surrounding community for decades with an approach to care delivery based on the Christian principle of whole-person health. This 63-bed community hospital is part of one of the largest health care systems in the country, Adventist Health System (AHS), an integrated health care network with 45 hospitals across nine states, and a stated mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ.

Recently, Adventist Health System President/CEO Terry Shaw made the trip to Manchester Memorial Hospital, the systems only hospital in the state of Kentucky.

Manchester Memorial Hospital is a special place that has long been a pillar of the community in Clay County, and is actually one of the very first hospitals I visited when I joined Adventist Health System more than 30 years ago, said Shaw. Its good to be able to spend time, once again, with the caregivers here who are so dedicated and enthusiastic about providing quality, whole-person, compassionate care.

Adventist Health System is a national leader in quality, safety and patient satisfaction, with its hospitals sharing the same clinical, technology and business practices and systems. Being part of this large, sophisticated system provides the resources that enable MMH to offer services and advanced treatments more commonly available in larger hospitals. Thus, residents have access to some of the latest clinical and technological advancements, coupled with the convenience of receiving the medical care they need without having to leave the local area.

The visit allowed Shaw, who was accompanied by members of his executive cabinet, to spend some quality time with hospital leadership and team members to discuss the future vision of AHS, the fulfillment of the organization's mission and ways to work better together to serve patients and the community.

It was an honor to have the president of our organization take the time to visit our facility, said Manchester Memorial Hospital President/CEO Erika Skula. The support we have received as part of Adventist Health System is tremendous, and we are so excited about the future of our hospital and the organization as a whole as we work to make an even greater impact in our community.

The only hospital in Clay County, MMH's impact extends beyond the hospital walls. The hospitals community outreach efforts and initiatives foster multi-faceted programs that provide direct education and assistance to the most vulnerable community members. One such initiative is the water kiosk at Red Bird Mission, where the hospital collaborated with the faculty and students of the University of Tennessee's colleges of Architecture, Engineering and Nursing, along with the Clay County Emergency Management team, to design and build a communal water kiosk to serve remote-area residents and provide WASH-related education. Built in 2015, the kiosk has already provided 10,000 gallons of water to the residents of this clean water deficient area.

The hospital has also fully embraced the philosophy of CREATION Life (CL) and has launched various initiatives to that effect. There are two vehicles, a wheelchair access bus and a smaller compact van, that provide transportation to the residents to and from the hospital, clinics and pharmacies across the county. This CREATION Life Transportation program that started on 17^th June 2013 has provided transportation to 2,929 individuals to date, traveling well over 77,000 miles. Through the CREATION Life Patient Experience Program on the PCU floor, patients are not only educated on the principles of CREATION Life and how to lead healthier lives, but are also exposed to a variety of choices (ranging from gowns to slippers, flowers and fruit baskets to iPads) that empower them to control their stay while in the hospital. Partnering up with the hospitals Transitional Care Program, it reinforces a continuum of care, as the CL team stays in contact with the patients and their families post discharge, through emails, phone calls, e-zines and other face-to-face interactions. The Live It Up Program in the middle schools is another successful program, which is carried out for 9 weeks at a time to educate the children on the simple principles of CREATION Life and how making smarter choices can enable them to lead better, healthier and more fulfilled lives. Expanding in 2017, the hospitals community outreach department aims to reach out to 1000+ middle schoolers in 5 different schools within 3 counties.

These are just a few examples of how the hospital is working to improve issues that affect the community.

Though the hospital is the catalyst, our Christian mission is not confined to the facility. We are intentional about finding ways to uplift and positively impact the community. I am proud of the fact that this community, like the others we serve, is healthier because we are here, Shaw explained. The work that Manchester Memorial Hospital does to enrich the lives of those in the community exemplifies how a hospital can invest in others to make an even greater impact through well-executed community outreach programs.

Adventist Health Systems latest investment in the area is the construction of a $9.4 million physician clinic building, set to begin this September. The new medical building will help further address the health care needs of residents by offering services that include, pediatrics, women's care, internal medicine and family medicine.

This is a wonderful community, and the people here have supported the hospital just as the hospital has supported them, said Skula. The new medical building is just the latest example of how Adventist Health System is investing in our community and the well being of our people, and I am elated that soon those who live here will have access to additional services and avenues to receive care.