Community engagement boosts hospital revenue, quality

by Alicia Caramenico, FierceHealthcare
A common theme emerged last month in news coverage on FierceHealthcare: the importance of community and the role community involvement plays delivering quality care.
Media reports typically recognize hospitals for serving as a dependable source of jobs and economic activity for local communities. But in the same way, hospitals and health systems rely on their communities for the support and resources they need to succeed.
For example, Georgia's Athens-Limestone Hospital knows first-hand the value of supporting local business as a way to encourage the community to use its emergency services.
"It is so important to keep things local, and I strive every day to tell people that if you can use Athens-Limestone Hospital, please use it," Kelli Powers, CEO of the 101-bed nonprofit hospital, told the News Courier.
And when it comes to implementing major initiatives, such as facility renovations and advanced IT systems, community buy-in is key, writes Raymond Hino, vice president of Healthcare Advisory Services and FierceHealthcare Editorial Advisory Board memberent Hospital Impact post.
Read the full article at FierceHealthcare

Source: hospital impact - February 6, 2013 Category: Health Managers Authors: Wendy Johnson Source Type: blogs