The Cook County North Shore Hospital Board last met the morning of December 15, 2011—the day that a shooting occurred at the Cook County courthouse.
At the start of the Cook County North Shore Hospital Board meeting on January 19, 2012, Hospital Administrator Kimber Wraalstad reminded the board of the incident on the afternoon of their last meeting. Wraalstad detailed the hospital’s response and said when the first victim arrived by personal vehicle, the hospital did not know if more patients were coming—or how many there would be. Wraalstad said the hospital was immediately locked down. She said the lock-down was for a variety of reasons—because it was unknown if there was a shooter or shooters running around the community and because it was unknown how family, community members and the press would respond.
Wraalstad said the hospital’s emergency responses are being reviewed, noting that when someone comes to the emergency rooms, nurses respond without thought of their own safety. “There is a natural tendency for nurses and health care workers to want to help. That’s what we do,” said Wraalstad, who was an EMT, adding, “But we need to be more aware of scene safety.”
The emergency room entrance procedure will be reviewed, as will the lock-down procedure.
Wraalstad also informed the board that the hospital has a number of silent alarm buttons that can be used to contact Cook County Law Enforcement. She said the hospital sometimes has to deal with patients or family members with alcohol or drug problems, with mental health issues, or domestic abuse situations. “That does provide a sense of security,” said Wraalstad.
Board Member Tom Spence noted that the county is facing the issue of security, as perhaps the city and the school are. He asked if the hospital could work with the other entities to complete a security/safety inventory or assessment. “It’s expensive, but we need adequate security. Not New Yorkstyle security, but adequate.”
Commissioner Fritz Sobanja, the county board hospital liaison, said the county is waiting to hear recommendations from Sheriff Mark Falk and the court system. Spence reiterated, “It would make sense to all work together on this, to ensure we’re all on the same page. It could possibly cut some costs as well.”
Sobanja and Wraalstad agreed to contact the school to meet to discuss safety and security. “We do look at things differently now,” said Wraalstad.
Renovations considered to improve patient care
The board discussed visits from engineering firm DSGW Architects and from Rex Stromquist, an engineer with the Minnesota Department of Health, regarding possible renovations to the hospital. In addition to using additional rooms as hospital/care center “swing beds,” patient transport, infection control, and the nurses station’s proximity to the emergency room were discussed.
Spence said he attended a very interesting session at the recent Minnesota Hospital Association Trustee Conference about hospital layout. “What struck me,” said Spence, “is how disjointed this facility is.”
He said it does not make sense to have the hospital nurses’ station so far from the emergency room when the same nurses staff both areas. Wraalstad agreed and noted that another flaw in the current design is that patients being admitted to the hospital from the emergency room must be wheeled through the lab and X-ray waiting area, which can be uncomfortable for some people. Wraalstad said the increased awareness of infection control is leading to more single-patient hospital rooms.
The hospital board had earlier taken a tour of the radiology department and the new digital mammography equipment. Wraalstad referred to the changes the new system brought and said, “You’ve seen how technology changes. That needs to be taken into consideration.”
She said it has been 15 years since the last construction at the hospital.
In other business:
. The board reviewed a “purchase of service contract” from Cook County Public Health and Human Services, noting that the payment for home health care services is being reduced 3 percent and is now $40,439. The reimbursement was also reduced 3 percent in 2010. Board member Kay Olson asked what happens if the hospital does not accept the reduced contract. Administrator Wraalstad said, “In reality we still take care of these folks, but without the contract, we wouldn’t get reimbursed. As Nathan Christianson [of Home Health Services] said, ‘I’ll take $40,000 over nothing! ” said Wraalstad.
. The board accepted the recommendation of the hospital medical staff and granted privileges to Claudia Engler, MD, Radiology and Pamela Wymore, MD, Radiology. The physicians are affiliated with Consulting Radiologists Limited (CRL).
. At the start of the meeting, the hospital board had its annual election of officers. After Chair Howard Abrahamson was nominated, there was discussion regarding whether the chair position should be rotated among board members. Olson said the recent Minnesota Hospital Association Trustee Conference suggested that it would be beneficial to have a new chair each year. Spence said he and Howard Abrahamson both serve on the Arrowhead Electric Cooperative, Inc. and that board does rotate the role of chair. The board ultimately agreed to leave things as they are but will discuss rotating the chair position at future long-range planning meetings.
. Wraalstad reported that a group of stakeholders interested in developing assisted living housing had met. The meeting was called by Sue Futterer, director of Public Health and Human Services, and will be part of a series of meetings to try to determine what the community’s needs for assisted living are. Wraalstad said there are representatives from all areas of the county, to which Spence replied, “I’m glad you are not just looking at Grand Marais, but at all of Cook County. Sometimes those of us on the West End feel like Cook County ends in Grand Marais.”
Commissioner Sobanja answered, “Sometimes I feel that it ends at Lutsen.”
Spence replied, “Maybe we should move the county seat to Lutsen,” to which Abrahamson quipped, “Maybe we could rotate!”
Leave a Reply