Two Clark County Hospitals Provide Care Close to Home
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Vancouver residents have impressive choices when it comes to making health care decisions.
Named in 2007 as one of the nation’s top 100 hospitals for the sixth time, Southwest Washington Medical Center is one of only 40 hospitals across the nation – out of 3,000 eligible – to earn such distinction.
“We continue to offer comprehensive professional services not normally found in the community environment,” says hospital spokesperson Ken Cole. The comprehensive stroke center provides the latest in clot-busting drugs and rehabilitation services, while bypass surgery is offered through the hospital’s heart and vascular center.
SWMC marks its 150th year in operation in 2008, making it the oldest operating hospital in the Northwest. The center is launching the da Vinci Surgical System, a minimally invasive robotics surgical tool common in prostate and gynecological surgeries. Expansion of the cardiac care and intensive care units is also on the horizon in 2008.
Patient satisfaction remains uppermost. “We work to meet and exceed the expectations of our patients,” says Cole. “We want to find out what excellence means to them, so that every caregiver in the hospital knows. This has made a real difference in patient care and satisfaction.”
SWMC is a community-owned and -operated 360-bed hospital employing 3,350 people and approximately 600 active medical staff.
Vancouver’s newest health care offering comes from Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital, which opened in 2005 with 151 beds. With 324 nurses and almost 400 active and associate doctors on staff, the hospital is a pioneer in paperless charting; it is totally electronic.
This paperless concept brings additional job requirements, says Lannie Gaskill, LSCH director of nursing. “Our RNs are highly trained in electronics and have blended their nursing skills with computer skills,” she says.
Gaskill is especially pleased with three new programs the hospital is offering. The first, which was recently accredited by the Joint Commission, is a stroke symptom protocol that results in better recovery. “We are now recognized as a hospital that provides exceptional care,” says Gaskill of the hospital’s stroke treatment program.
Also under way is the total joint program, in which orthopedic surgeons and joint/spine coordinators in the Rebound Clinic guide hip and knee patients through the pre- and post-operative phases.
The Post Partum Care Clinic, known as P2C2, provides follow-up contact with mother and baby to make certain everything is going well following the birth and hospital discharge.
“We have brought the concept of family-centered care, and the staff has embraced that,” says Gaskill, noting that most of the staff members who opened the hospital are still on board. “There’s something about starting a hospital that brings everyone together.”
Story by Betsy Williams
Photo by Wes Aldridge
