The 31-member Cook County North Shore Hospital and Care Center Value Statement Taskforce has spent the last couple of months meeting and working on identifying and creating value statements that reflect the organizational mission of the hospital/care center, and their work is now complete.
“The Value Statement (VS) Taskforce recommend the adoption of the following Value Statements for CCHN and Care Center,” Hospital Director Kimber Wraalstad said to the hospital board at its May 22 meeting.
Consisting of four points, the VS is brief and to the point. 1. We value and serve each individual with compassion and understanding, and work collaboratively to meet the needs of our community. 2. We are respectful, honest, trustworthy, and professional in our words and actions. 3. We clearly communicate in an open, timely, and positive manner. 4. We provide a high standard of care through continuous improvement in our skills, process efficiencies, and use of resources. The board passed a motion unanimously to accept the VS and commended the group on its work.
Renovation plans moving ahead
Plans for the $20 million renovation and construction for the hospital/nursing home are picking up steam.
If all goes well, a construction management firm will be selected by July 24. The hospital board authorized advertisement for construction management services and hope for responses by June 13 with June 17 as the date that interviews will take place.
The board will be looking for a firm that can provide preconstruction services including schedule development, document review, design budget/estimates, group purchasing contracts, value engineering, construction staging and site management planning and construction phase services.
Telemedicine equipment acquired
Wraalstad recommended the purchase of telemedicine video conferencing equipment that will help employees keep up to date with the latest information in their fields.
The cost is $37,737.75, but Sisu Health Care, who submitted an application to the USDA-RUS Distance Learning and Telemedicine 2011 Grant Program on behalf of 14 rural healthcare facilities, obtained $25,73775 for the hospital, leaving the county’s obligation at $11,851.52. All of the equipment will be purchased through Video Guidance, who will install it and provide a three-year service contract.
“A Patient Portal is nearly in place,” explained Wraalstad.
“The patient Portal is a webpage that uses encryption and other security measures designed to keep unauthorized persons from reading communications, information, or attachments. Secure messages and information are designed to be read only by someone who knows the right password or pass phrase to log into the Patient Portal site,” she said.
The Portal includes options to view or print electronically transmitted lab results, updates about health information, updates about medications received while hospitalized, current problems, and or/past history, and has an online pay link to pay for services obtained at Cook County North Shore Hospital. It also includes an electronic copy of a patient’s “Continuity of Care Document” or “Health Summary.”
Hospital job descriptions reviewed
Wraalstad said job descriptions are outdated and in some instances not representative of job responsibilities. She said a template is being developed that will be used as a basis for every position description, which will include a position summary, major job responsibilities; shared expectations, behavioral expectations, qualifications, knowledge, skills and abilities, and physical demands and environment. Included will be the mission and value statements throughout the positions descriptions, she said.
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