Looking back on 2023: A year in review
As we look back on the past year, there are many accomplishments to be proud of at LMH Health.
Patient first
- We realized a major milestone and celebrated the beginning of a Strategic Clinical Relationship with The University of Kansas Health System. Collaborations are underway with Maternal Fetal Medicine and Vascular Surgery and Kansas Sports Medicine, as well as the addition of foot and ankle orthopedic surgery.
- Dr. Adam Goodyear celebrated a milestone, completing 500 total joint replacement surgeries at LMH Health.
- In late 2023, we began rebranding our primary care clinics with a new name – LMH Health Primary Care – which will continue into 2024.
- We have also begun embedding palliative care providers in our cardiology and oncology clinics.
- Renovations to the Emergency Department entrance and waiting area were completed, providing increased comfort and capacity, as well as enhanced security for the hospital.
- Plans to renovate the Cancer Center took shape and the team is currently in the bidding process. Construction is expected to begin in February 2024.
- New physicians and advanced practice providers joined LMH Health, providing increased access to care.
- Providing high-quality care and ensuring patient safety are central to LMH Health’s purpose as a partner for lifelong health. We continue to realize improvements on Quality metrics, including a decrease in readmission rates.
- Surgical booms were replaced in operating rooms, improving patient safety. These ceiling-mounted systems serve as a centralized hub for lights and support equipment while eliminating clutter and optimizing the workspace.
- LMH Health implemented virtual nursing on the post-surgical unit (3-West) and ten rooms of the medical unit (2-North). Virtual nurses supplement the care nurses receive from the bedside team, including taking care of admissions and discharges, and conducting rounds.
- The addition of four beds in the Emergency Department provided increased capacity for staff to observe patients, thereby saving acute beds for more ill patients.
Provider engagement
- Dr. Kirk Sloan was appointed as Chief Medical Officer early this year.
- Russ facilitated a number of roundtable discussions with physicians, sharing information about LMH Health and receiving feedback about concerns.
- We began work to document and more clearly outline leadership roles and relationships among medical staff, LMH Health, the physician division, medical directors and other aspects of the physician enterprise.
Cultural beliefs
- LMH Health received the inaugural Health Equity Innovation Award from KFMC Partners. The award recognizes organizations or individuals who have created and implemented new and inventive ways to reduce health disparities and promote health equity in the community.
- The LMH Health Summer Leadership Academy returned for the fifth year graduating our 29th student from the program.
- Erica Hill, director for LMH Health equity, inclusion and diversity and LMH Health Foundation finance and strategic initiatives, and Sheryle D’Amico, LMH Health senior vice president of strategic integration, attended the National School Board Association (NSBA) Annual Conference in April. They shared a presentation on advancing educational equity beyond the classroom through the Summer Leadership Academy.
- We welcomed back Dr. Jabraan Pasha this fall for workshops on cultural humility and bias.
- We engaged Dr. Ashley Bloom to write an article sharing her insight about the impact of health literacy.
- We shared an article highlighting rural health disparities and the importance of having access to care.
Workforce support and excellence
- On December 8, Family Medicine of Tonganoxie celebrated 20 years of service to the community.
- The Fellowship program returned for the first time since the COVID pandemic.
- The Junior Volunteer program also returned to LMH Health in 2023.
- Valet services resumed in August, providing assistance to patients at the Main Campus.
- Construction was finished on the Nate Penny Memorial Rooftop Garden, located on the third floor of the hospital, including a mural painted by local artist Louis Copt.
- Local artists are again showcasing their work at the Main and West Campuses following the return of the Healing Arts Collaborative.
- Ways to enter the healthcare field through routes other than a four-year degree were shared with the community in media outlets including the Lawrence Journal-World and Lawrence Business Magazine.
- Created and initiated a nursing levels program promoting and recognizing advancement, tenure and mentorship across our inpatient nursing units.
Technology, learning and innovation
- LMH Health received a number of accolades:
Community leadership
- We celebrated the opening of the Treatment and Recovery Center, providing mental health services to Douglas County residents.
- We were selected by Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health to lead two of five aspects of the Community Health Plan, including Access to Health Care (shared with Heartland Community Health Center) and Low Birth Outcomes.
- Played a leadership role to develop and implement a homeless health clinic in coordination with other local agencies and seven providers from LMH Health.
- LMH Health received the USD 497 Community Illuminator Award in January for changing lives through the Summer Leadership Academy.
- Russ Johnson will serve as the Chamber of Commerce Board Chair in 2024.
- Our Community Outreach and Engagement team carried out a number of initiatives, including:
- Providing a booth at the Lawrence Farmers Market each month, staffed by a different clinic or department
- Continued participation in Gray's Anatomy and Stuffy Story Time and Clinic with Lawrence Public Library
- Annual Health Fair
- Regularly scheduled classes for community members, including childbirth, baby care, breastfeeding, and CPR
