September 29, 2020
Hi Team –
I’m excited to announce that effective October 1, TriHealth Evendale Hospital – our short stay surgical hospital – will officially join the Good Samaritan family! With this change, Evendale will be added to the Good Samaritan Hospital license and will be re-named TriHealth Good Samaritan Hospital at Evendale. New signage will be installed in October to reflect the name change.
So why the change? As part of our journey to get healthcare right by delivering the right care in the most cost effective setting, we have invested in recent advances in orthopedic and surgical practice that now allow Evendale to perform the vast majority of surgical cases on an outpatient or short inpatient stay basis. This enables patients to leave the hospital after a one-night stay or less, which contributes to better patient outcomes and more affordable care. Because this is expected to continue, Evendale’s average daily inpatient census and average length of stay are at risk of falling below Medicare’s minimum requirement of two inpatients per day for with an overall average length of stay of two days. Moving Evendale under the Good Samaritan umbrella will allow us to combine Good Sam’s inpatient census with Evendale’s census, which very importantly will preserve Evendale’s acute hospital status.
While the Evendale name and signage will change somewhat, team members, physicians, and patients can expect the same exceptional Evendale quality and service they are familiar with and have come to rely on today and for years to come.
COVID prevalence remains stable in region. I’m happy to report that unlike some areas of the country and world, we’ve had another week showing signs that COVID prevalence and transmission remain stable in our region, as reflected in the sidebar chart to the right. This stabilizing trend was one of the factors that led to our recent decision to lift some COVID-19 imposed visitor restrictions in our hospitals, which was reported on last week by the Cincinnati Enquirer – click here to read the article.
As we approach flu season, we will need to continue to strictly adhere to COVID Always Behaviors (which will also help prevent spread of the flu!!) to avoid a second COVID surge over the next several months. And speaking of flu season...
Time to get your free flu shots: Now through November 6! While we continue to co-exist with COVID, it’s more critical than ever to get your flu shot. And for those of us working in healthcare, we have an obligation to get our flu shot in order to help protect our community and to “do no harm” as we deliver healthcare services and work to improve the health of our community! While many experts believe the COVID mitigation measures – wearing a mask, observing social distancing, etc. – will result in a decrease in flu transmission this year compared with previous years, getting the flu shot is still an essential action we must take to ensure we protect each other and our patients and community during this especially vulnerable time in which we also battle the spread of COVID-19. Therefore, as has been our practice in past years, the flu shot will be mandatory for all TriHealth team members, physicians, and volunteers, unless a documented medical condition prohibiting the vaccine is presented to Employee Health. Getting your flu shot is free and easy at TriHealth, with many convenient flu clinic locations available. Click here to access the full schedule on Bridge, and THANK YOU for doing your part to protect our patients and each other...One Shot – Big Impact!!
Thank You for Participating in Our Pulse Survey! We closed out our Pulse Survey last week with encouraging participation rates – 76% of team members completed the survey and we had a 67% response rate among physicians/Advanced Practice Clinicians! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We care about your thoughts and opinions and look forward to continuing to make meaningful improvements in areas you’ve told us matter most! In the coming weeks, we’ll share the system-wide survey results, and your leaders will be meeting with you to share your department’s results, as well as begin action planning to address specific areas of concerns. More to come!
Nominate TriHealth’s Best for Cincy Best Docs 2020 Recognition!
In a year that has underscored the heroic contributions of healthcare workers like never before, Cincy Magazine will be shining a light on doctors who serve as the model and benchmark for keeping our community happy and healthy. To do so, the magazine is introducing a new recognition program this winter, called Cincy Best Docs. This inaugural program will spotlight the Tri-State’s best physicians based on nominations and votes from the community – and we want our deserving TriHealth Physician Heroes to be well represented on the list!! So please join me in spreading the word to families, friends, and patients to recognize our exceptional physicians with a nomination. Anyone can nominate a doctor once each day throughout the nomination period, which is now through October 16 at 11:59 pm – click here to nominate! Once the nomination period ends, Cincy Magazine will pick the top three nominees in each category as finalists, and then the public will have the opportunity to vote for the winner in each category. All winners and finalists will be recognized in the winter issue of Cincy Magazine.
This is another great way to show the community what makes us TriHealth Strong – One Team. One Sacred Mission. One Great Health System! Thank you for all you do as we work together to continue to keep our community safe and well, always!
Congratulations to Our 2020 Healthcare Heroes!
This year we are all Healthcare Heroes, but these outstanding team members went above and beyond the TriHealth Way to SERVE our community and their fellow team members. Visit Bridge to join us in congratulating our top Healthcare Heroes and discovering all our worthy nominees!
Open Enrollment is Coming Soon
Save the date for the fall Open Enrollment for your 2021 benefits, which will take place between Oct. 26-Nov. 6. Open Enrollment is your opportunity to elect the benefits coverage that makes the most sense for you and your family. Any team members who do not participate in this active enrollment will not have benefits coverage through TriHealth from Jan. 1, 2021 to Dec. 31, 2021. Visit Bridge for more information.
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: Spotlight on Lynda Garcia
To continue our celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15), Lynda Garcia, TriHealth’s Senior Director of Organizational Effectiveness, provides her perspective on growing up in a Hispanic American family. Learn more about Lynda on Bridge.
Troop Care Package Drive
TAGS (TriHealth Armed-Forces Group and Supporters) has partnered with the GE Veterans Network’s on their 13th Annual Troop Care Package Drive aimed at supporting US service members deployed in hardship areas throughout the world. Care package donations continue through the end of October. Learn more on Bridge.