The Hospitality House on The Medical Center Campus to Open in January

Ribbon Cutting and Open House scheduled for December 21

Construction is complete on the Hospitality House located on The Medical Center campus. The 12 private guestroom, private bath facility will open in January and serve the family members and caregivers of seriously ill patients receiving treatment at The Medical Center and Commonwealth Regional Specialty Hospital. A Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting and open house will be held on December 21 at 9:30 a.m. The Hospitality House is located at 501 High Street across from Rosewood Health Care Center.

In January 2010, Commonwealth Health Foundation announced the Extending Home Capital Campaign with a goal of raising $3 million to cover the costs to construct and furnish the Hospitality House and establish an endowment to ensure ongoing operation. To date, the Foundation has raised over $2.9 million in donations and pledges.

“We are truly grateful to those in the community who have provided the financial support to make the dream of opening the Hospitality House a reality,” said Connie Smith, Chief Executive Officer of The Medical Center and Chief Operating Officer of Commonwealth Health Corporation. “Soon the families of patients being cared for at The Medical Center and Commonwealth Regional Specialty Hospital will enjoy a warm and inviting place where they can rest and recharge between visits to their loved one.”

“The response to the capital campaign from the community, both from individuals and businesses, to fund this much needed project has been overwhelming,” said Mike Murphy, Chairman of the Extending Home Capital Campaign Steering Committee. “Southcentral Kentucky has recognized the need for such a facility and rallied behind us. The Hospitality House is a perfect example of what great things can be done when community members come together for such a worthy cause.”

In addition to the 12 private guestrooms and baths, The Hospitality House features a large kitchen and dining room to accommodate multiple families, a prayer room, a community room with comfortable furnishings, and a business center with computers and internet access. There will not be a charge to stay at The Hospitality House; however, guests who are able to make a donation for each night they stay will be encouraged to do so.

To learn more about The Hospitality House and how you can support the Extending Home Capital Campaign, contact Commonwealth Health Foundation at (270) 796-5543 or visit www.hospitalityhousebg.org.

$30 Million Expansion of The Medical Center Complete

Project meets growing need for patient rooms

The Medical Center has completed a $30 million expansion project, featuring two new patient floors and 48,000 square feet of space. The new addition is entirely dedicated to patient care and includes 48 new private rooms. With these additional rooms, The Medical Center has the capacity to provide all 337 beds for which it is licensed with all private rooms throughout the hospital.

The two-year project, which began in the fall of 2008, enables the hospital to meet the increased need for healthcare services in Southcentral Kentucky. A growing population and continued expansion of available health care services at The Medical Center are two key factors driving this need.

“The Medical Center continues to be the hospital of choice for a large majority of Southcentral Kentuckians,” said Connie Smith, Chief Executive Officer of The Medical Center. “This expansion provides much needed space for patient care as we continue meeting the increasing demand for some of our key services.”

Two stories have been added to the current Emergency Department and Ambulatory Surgery wing of the hospital located along the High Street side of the hospital’s campus. The third floor of the new addition is dedicated to Orthopaedics and Neuroscience and features a physical rehabilitation gym. The gym will accommodate several patients at a time, enabling patients and family members to socialize and support each other during therapy treatments. Multiple therapists will work in a team-oriented environment with patients, providing greater communication and better management of the patient’s care.

The fourth floor is designed for Cardiothoracic and Vascular patients. Care will be delivered to patients who have undergone open-heart surgery or other thoracic and vascular procedures. The fourth floor features a new Open-Heart Recovery unit that is readily accessible from The Medical Center’s operating room suite. Open-heart patients will transition from the recovery unit into one of the new, spacious private rooms where they will remain for the rest of their stay.

Three rooms on each floor feature lifts, allowing for patients to be weighed and safely transferred to and from a wheelchair or the bathroom. One bariatric lift can hold up to 1,000 lbs. while the other two lifts can accommodate up to 550 lbs. Each floor also features two isolation rooms with a special ventilation system that generates negative air pressure. These rooms are designed for patients with contagious airborne diseases.

Several nurse stations are positioned throughout each floor. Remote telemetry is available on both floors with a central monitoring station. Pharmacy and patient supplies are housed in secure stations to allow convenient access for nursing staff. A tube system is used to transfer items to ancillary departments located in the main section of the hospital such as the Lab and Pharmacy. A satellite kitchen allows Food Services staff to prep meals and deliver to patients in the new section.

Both floors offer family members spacious, comfortable waiting rooms with an abundance of natural light. A conference room is available on the third floor where physicians can meet privately with families.

Overweight Children Physician Referral Program at The Medical Center Health & Wellness Center

Nearly one in three children and adolescents is overweight and in the last 20 years the number of obese children has doubled. The Medical Center Health & Wellness Center is working with local pediatricians to combat childhood obesity with the Overweight Children Physician Referral Program. This new program enables physicians to help children who need assistance with weight management through exercise and healthy nutrition by referring them to the Health & Wellness Center for nutritional counseling, the Walking Program, and The Medical Center Healthy Kids Club.

“The American Academy of Pediatrics has deemed childhood obesity our number one issue,” says Debra Sowell, M.D., a pediatrician with Graves-Gilbert Clinic. “Locally, we would like to model a program that has been successful in other areas of the state.”

Children prescribed nutritional counseling and their parents meet with a registered dietitian one-on-one to discuss a healthy and well-balanced eating plan. The dietitian also provides ongoing support for the children. The Walking Program promotes exercise and keeping children active. Children will walk on set days and times at the mall and will be encouraged to walk at other times at local parks or in their neighborhood. They will log their miles and receive monthly incentives. Annually, all participants will be entered into a drawing for a bike. The Healthy Kids Club is a membership program that supports children making healthy choices by promoting physical activity, healthy eating, safety and wellness.

"The Medical Center Health & Wellness Center is pleased to offer the newly formed Overweight Children Physician Referral Program. Our goal is to help one child at a time learn to make healthy lifestyle choices and to have the best health possible for a lifetime," said Linda Rush, Director of the Center.

The Medical Center Health & Wellness Center is located at Greenwood Mall. For more information, call (270) 745- 0942 or (877) 800-3824.

The Medical Center at Scottsville to Open Fountain Run Rural Health Clinic

Contact: Doris Thomas, Vice President, 270-745-1589

The Medical Center at Scottsville will open the Fountain Run Rural Health Clinic on Tuesday, June 1. The clinic, located at 47 Akersville Road in Fountain Run, will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Fountain Run Rural Health Clinic will provide services to treat a variety of illnesses and injuries as well as provide preventative health screenings. Appointments can be scheduled by calling (270) 434-4857. Walk-ins are accepted.

The clinic will be staffed by Jason Shuffitt, ARNP. Jason earned his master’s degree in nursing from Western Kentucky University and is pursuing his doctorate in nursing practice from the University of Arizona to be completed fall 2010. He is board certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

The Medical Center at Scottsville also operates the Scottsville Rural Health Clinic located in the Scottsville Medical Plaza at 466 Burnley Road next to the hospital. Shuffitt also will see patients at the Scottsville Rural Health Clinic along side Grover Dils, M.D, Michael Lang, D.O., Lynetta Stiltner, D.O. and Gwen Wright, ARNP.

The Medical Center at Bowling Green Notifies Patients of Breach of Protected Health Information

Contact: Doris Thomas, Vice President, 270-745-1589

The Medical Center is currently notifying 5,418 patients of a breach of personal protected health information. The breach involves the theft of computer equipment from The Medical Center’s Mammography Suite containing information on patients who underwent bone density testing at The Medical Center between 1997 and 2009. We have no reason at this point to believe the device was stolen for the information on it or that any personal information has been released or used.

On April 1, 2010, we discovered that a piece of computer equipment had been stolen from The Medical Center Mammography Suite. Upon learning of the theft, we immediately conducted a comprehensive investigation of the incident, and the theft has been reported to the Bowling Green Police Department.

We have determined the information on the device included each patient’s full name, date of birth, address, medical record number and physician name. Some patients’ records also included information such as social security numbers, weight, height and menopause age. The information on the hard drive was not encrypted; however, the hard drive was maintained in a locked, non-public, private area.

The Medical Center has stringent policies and procedures in place to protect patient information and takes very seriously its obligation to safeguard the personal health information of its patients. As a result of this breach, steps are underway to further strengthen the security of patient information. We will now archive data to a secure network, which will allow us to eliminate the need for use of a hard drive like the one that was stolen. Additionally, we will ensure that we do not have any other equipment configurations that utilize a portable hard drive containing non-encrypted data.

We regret the incident, and we are committed to prevent future such occurrences. However, affected patients are strongly encouraged to take the following steps recommended by the Federal Trade Commission to prevent any possible misuse of personal information.

• Monitor accounts and bank statements each month and check credit report on a regular basis.
  
• Stay alert for the signs of identity theft, like:
  
  • accounts you didn’t open and debts on your accounts that you can’t explain.
    
  • fraudulent or inaccurate information on your credit reports, including accounts and personal information, like your Social Security number, address(es), name or initials, and employers.
    
  • failing to receive bills or other mail. Follow up with creditors if your bills don’t arrive on time. A missing bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your account and changed your billing address to cover his tracks.
    
  • receiving credit cards that you didn’t apply for.
    
  • being denied credit or being offered less favorable credit terms, like a high interest rate, for no apparent reason.
    
  • getting calls or letters from debt collectors or businesses about merchandise or services you didn’t buy.
• You may obtain a free copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, TransUnion and Experian) by calling 1-877-322-8228; by mail at Annual Credit Report Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281; or by visiting the website: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp.

The Medical Center is following all of the requirements of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act which includes: notification of the U.S. Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services; notification of patients who may have had their personal protected health information accessed by the breach; public disclosure to the local media; and posting information about the breach on The Medical Center’s website.

We have established a toll-free number at 1-877-338-8525 for patients with questions about this matter who live outside the Bowling Green area and who desire to talk directly with The Medical Center’s Privacy Officer. Local residents may reach The Medical Center Privacy Officer at 270-796-2100. In addition, affected patients may visit The Medical Center’s web site at www.themedicalcenter.org where updated information about this breach will be posted.

Update as of June 9, 2010

The Medical Center has not received any reports of misuse of information related to the missing computer equipment. The police investigation of the theft remains open and active. Please check back to this site for future updates.

Update as of August 23, 2010

The Medical Center has not received any reports of misuse of information related to the missing computer equipment. The police investigation of the theft remains open and active. Please check back to this site for future updates.

Final Update: February 4, 2011

The Medical Center has not received any complaints of criminal misuse of stolen identity associated with the April 2010 breach of protected health information. These updates will be removed from the website on February 18.

The Medical Center Announces Women-in-the-Arts Award Recipients

Contact: Doris Thomas, Vice President, 270-745-1589

The Medical Center has announced the award recipients for its 20th annual Women-in-the-Arts Exhibit. The purpose of the exhibit is to recognize and honor the work and talent of area female artists. The 2010 exhibit features 57 artists entering 110 pieces of art.

Jane Ward Kehrt received the Special Purchase Award for her entry, "Kentucky Horses, Barns & Fences." The Special Purchase Award is selected each year by The Medical Center and is added to its existing collection of original art.

Merit Awards were selected by the juror, Mary Pat Turner, who is an art instructor at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. Merit Award recipients included: Misha Ambrosia, “The Grain Train at Shaker Tavern”; Roberta W. Clark, “My Wedding Cake”; Lynette Frey Haggbloom, “Road to Fargo II”; Kim Spradlin Hanna, “Sister Oaks”; Kim Jones, “White Noise and Maiden”; Jacqui A. Lubbers, “A Come A Part #10”; Cattie Lou Miller, “The Two Fence Menders”; and Alice Gatewood Waddell, “From the Bottom of the Top of the Hill.”

Honorable Mentions selected by the juror included: Pamm Douglas, “Comfort Zone”; Jane Ward Kehrt, “Fall Into Elkhorn Creek”; Leslie Nichols, “Hope”; Lynn Robertson, “Vineyard II”; and Kirsten Smith, “Hope.”

The Women-in-the-Arts Exhibit is free and open to the public on Friday, April 23 and Saturday, April 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, April 25 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in The Medical Center Auditorium. The Special Purchase Award, Merit Awards and Honorable Mention Awards will be displayed at the Ervin G. Houchens Gallery at the Capitol Arts Center from April 26 – May 14.

A majority of the works will be available for purchase. Twenty-five percent of each sale will benefit the Capitol Arts Center’s Visual Arts program.

Commonwealth Health Foundation Breaks Ground for Hospitality House

Contact: Doris Thomas, Vice President, 270-745-1589

Three months after announcing the Extending Home Capital Campaign, Commonwealth Health Foundation and representatives from Commonwealth Health Corporation (CHC) and The Medical Center, broke ground today for a Hospitality House on The Medical Center campus. The 12 private guestroom, private bath facility will serve the family members and caregivers of seriously ill patients receiving treatment at The Medical Center and Commonwealth Regional Specialty Hospital.

“The Hospitality House will be more than just four walls and a place to sleep. It will be a place where families can rest and re-charge between visits to a loved one. We are grateful to those in our community who are providing financial support to fund the construction and operation of the new Hospitality House,” said Connie Smith, Chief Operating Officer of CHC and Chief Executive Officer of The Medical Center.

“It’s great to finally see dirt moving and things going into motion as we prepare for construction,” said Mike Murphy, Chairman of the Extending Home Capital Campaign Steering Committee. “While we still need to raise nearly $1 million, it is an opportune time to begin construction in light of the unusually low building prices that are expected to increase as we move into summer.

”Commonwealth Health Foundation has raised $2.1 million in donations and pledges during the campaign. The campaign goal of $3 million will cover the costs to construct and furnish the Hospitality House and establish an endowment to ensure ongoing operation.

“We are moving forward with this project on the faith that the community will rally behind us to help us reach our goal and make this most worthy project a success,” said Murphy. Construction will take approximately eight months to complete. “If all goes well with the construction process, hopefully, we will provide one of the biggest Christmas presents ever to Southcentral Kentucky,” added Murphy.

In addition to the 12 private guestrooms and baths, The Hospitality House will feature a large kitchen and dining room to accommodate multiple families, a quiet room for prayer and meditation, a community room with comfortable furnishings, and a business center with computers and internet access. There will not be a charge to stay at The Hospitality House; however, guests who are able to make a donation for each night they stay will be encouraged to do so.

To learn more about The Hospitality House and how you can support the Extending Home Capital Campaign, contact Commonwealth Health Foundation at (270) 796-5543 or visit www.hospitalityhousebg.org.

About Commonwealth Health Foundation
Commonwealth Health Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit organization established as the philanthropic arm of Commonwealth Health Corporation (CHC). Commonwealth Health Foundation helps build relationships and partnerships across Southcentral Kentucky that will inspire charitable giving by individuals, foundations, corporations and organizations. These gifts help support the mission of CHC to care for people and improve the quality of life in the communities it serves. For more information about the Foundation, visit www.CommonwealthHealthFoundation.org or call (270) 796-5543.

About Commonwealth Health Corporation
Commonwealth Health Corporation is the parent company of The Medical Center at Bowling Green, Franklin, and Scottsville, Commonwealth Regional Specialty Hospital and various healthcare related entities throughout Southcentral Kentucky. With a mission to care for people and improve the quality of life in the communities it serves, CHC and its entities contributed $56.9 million in total benefits to the community in fiscal year 2009 including millions through charity care for the uninsured and shortfalls in governmental reimbursements (Medicare and Medicaid). To learn more about CHC, visit www.chc.net.

The Medical Center Receives Chest Pain Center Accreditation with PCI

Contact: Doris Thomas, Vice President, 270-745-1589

The Medical Center at Bowling Green received full Cycle III accreditation with PCI from the Accreditation Review Committee of the Society for Chest Pain Centers on March 20, 2010. The Medical Center is the 40th accredited Chest Pain Center in the nation and is the only hospital in Southcentral Kentucky accredited with PCI. Percutaneous coronary intervention, referred to as PCI, is the use of cardiac catheterization to treat the narrowed coronary arteries of the heart.

“While chest pain accreditation from the Society of Chest Pain Centers demonstrates the rigorous standards we meet in our treatment plan for heart attack patients, accreditation with PCI is of even greater value to our patients and their families,” said Dr. Gary Howerton, Medical Director of The Medical Center Chest Pain Center and Emergency Department. “PCI allows our interventional cardiologists to go directly to the source of a blockage, thus preserving heart muscle and potentially reducing mortality.”

“With The Medical Center, residents of Southcentral Kentucky have access to life-saving treatment without having to travel great distances,” added Marita Hockstedler, Chest Pain Center Coordinator and Clinical Manager of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab for The Medical Center. “In the event of a heart attack, time is of the essence, and quick treatment is critical in preserving heart muscle.”

Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the United States, with 600,000 dying annually of heart disease. More than five million Americans visit hospitals each year with chest pain. The goal of the Society of Chest Pain Centers is to significantly reduce the mortality rate of these patients by teaching the public to recognize and react to the early symptoms of a possible heart attack, reduce the time that it takes to receive treatment, and increase the accuracy and effectiveness of treatment.

The Chest Pain Center’s protocol driven and systematic approach to patient management allows physicians to reduce time to treatment during the critical early stages of a heart attack, when treatments are most effective, and to better monitor patients when it is not clear whether they are having a coronary event. Such observation helps ensure that a patient is neither sent home too early nor needlessly admitted.

With the rise of Chest Pain Centers came the need to establish standards designed to improve the consistency and quality of care provided to patients. The Society’s accreditation process insures centers meet or exceed quality-of-care measures in acute cardiac medicine.

The Chest Pain Center at The Medical Center has demonstrated its expertise and commitment to quality patient care by meeting or exceeding a wide set of stringent criteria and completing on-site evaluations by a review team from the Society of Chest Pain Centers. Key areas in which a Chest Pain Center must demonstrate expertise include:

• Integrating the emergency department with the local emergency medical system
  
• Assessing, diagnosing, and treating patients quickly
  
• Effectively treating patients with low risk for acute coronary syndrome and no assignable cause for their symptoms
  
• Continually seeking to improve processes and procedures
  
• Ensuring Chest Pain Center personnel competency and training
  
• Maintaining organizational structure and commitment
  
• Having a functional design that promotes optimal patient care
  
• Supporting community outreach programs that educate the public to promptly seek medical care if they display symptoms of a possible heart attack
  

About The Medical Center
The Medical Center at Bowling Green is the flagship hospital for Commonwealth Health Corporation (CHC). Located in Bowling Green, Ky., The Medical Center is a 337-bed, full service, not-for-profit hospital specializing in heart, cancer care, obstetrics and neonatology, and orthopaedic services. With a mission to care for people and improve the quality of life in the communities it serves, CHC and its entities including The Medical Center at Bowling Green contributed $56.9 million in community benefit in fiscal year 2009. The Medical Center treats patients regardless of their ability to pay and annually provides millions in community benefit through charity care for the uninsured and shortfalls in governmental reimbursements (Medicare and Medicaid). To learn more, visit www.themedicalcenter.org.

About the Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC)
The Society of Chest Pain Centers is a patient centric non-profit international professional organization focused upon improving care for patients with acute coronary syndromes and other related maladies. Established in 1998, the Society is dedicated to patient advocacy and focusing on ischemic heart disease. Central to its mission is the question, “What is right for the patient?” In answer, the Society promotes protocol based medicine, often delivered through a Chest Pain Center model to address the diagnosis and treatment of acute coronary syndromes, heart failure, and to promote the adoption of process improvement science by healthcare providers. To best fulfill this mission, the Society of Chest Pain Centers provides accreditation to facilities striving for optimum Chest Pain Center care. SCPC is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. For more information on the Society of Chest Pain Centers visit www.scpcp.org, or contact Kay Styer Holmes, RN, BSN, MSA, Director of Accreditation Services at (614) 442-5950 or kholmes@scpcp.org

Commonwealth Health Foundation Announces Capital Campaign for Construction of Hospitality House

Contact: Doris Thomas, Vice President, 270-745-1589

Hospitality House will provide a home away from home for families and caregivers of seriously ill patients at The Medical Center and Commonwealth Regional Specialty Hospital

Commonwealth Health Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Commonwealth Health Corporation (CHC), announced the Extending Home capital campaign today for construction of a Hospitality House. Funds raised through the Extending Home campaign will help build, furnish and staff the 13,564 square foot “home away from home” to be situated on The Medical Center campus at the corner of High and Fifth streets. The 12 private guestroom, private bath facility will serve the family members and caregivers of seriously ill patients receiving treatment at The Medical Center and Commonwealth Regional Specialty Hospital.

“The Foundation has worked diligently for the advancement of CHC’s not-for-profit healthcare initiatives in the area for the past nine years,” said Charles M. Moore, Jr., Chairman of the Commonwealth Health Foundation Board of Directors. “The Hospitality House has been a dream of the Foundation and CHC for quite some time, and the success of the capital campaign will depend on the commitment of our community and the friends of the Foundation, The Medical Center and Commonwealth Regional Specialty Hospital.”

The need for a Hospitality House has greatly increased as patients are traveling from all across the region to receive care at The Medical Center for various services including cardiac, cancer, orthopaedic and neonatology services.

“Nearly half of our patients reside outside of Warren County,” said Connie Smith, Chief Operating Officer of CHC and Chief Executive Officer of The Medical Center. “On average, those patients spend nearly five days in the hospital. And, while we try to make family members and caregivers as comfortable as possible, there’s nothing quite like having the comforts of home in such close proximity.”

In 2007 and 2008, an average of 8,600 patients from outside Warren County stayed at The Medical Center. Additionally, Commonwealth Regional Specialty Hospital – a long term acute care hospital located within The Medical Center – treats patients who require specialized, continuing medical care for chronic or complex medical conditions. The average length of stay for these patients is 25 days or more.

In addition to the 12 private guestrooms and baths, the Hospitality House will feature a large kitchen and dining room to accommodate multiple families, a prayer room, a community room with comfortable furnishings, and a business center with computers and internet access. The Hospitality House will also be available for patients receiving outpatient radiation therapy. It is not uncommon for some of these cancer patients to drive 50 miles one way for treatment. There will not be a charge to stay at the Hospitality House, however, guests who are able to make a donation for each night they stay will be encouraged to do so.

Mike Murphy of Scott, Murphy and Daniel serves as Chairman of the capital campaign committee, and Jerry Baker of Airgas serves as Honorary Chairman.

“Bowling Green is a hub for healthcare, and the Hospitality House will be a welcomed addition to our community,” said Mike Murphy. “In the midst of a medical emergency or lengthy hospitalization, families need the assurance that they will have a warm, safe and inviting place to stay during those trying times. The need for the Hospitality House is clear, and we can’t wait to see it come to fruition.”

To date, the Foundation has secured $1.7 million in pledges and donations for the Extending Home capital campaign. An estimated $2 million is needed to construct and furnish the Hospitality House. An additional $1 million is needed for establishment of an endowment to ensure ongoing operation. To learn more about the Hospitality House and how you can support the Extending Home Capital Campaign, contact Commonwealth Health Foundation at (270) 796-5543 or visit www.hospitalityhousebg.org.

About Commonwealth Health Foundation
Commonwealth Health Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit organization established as the philanthropic arm of Commonwealth Health Corporation (CHC). Commonwealth Health Foundation helps build relationships and partnerships across Southcentral Kentucky that will inspire charitable giving by individuals, foundations, corporations and organizations. These gifts help support the mission of CHC to care for people and improve the quality of life in the communities it serves. For more information about the Foundation, visit www.CommonwealthHealthFoundation.org or call (270)796-5543.

About Commonwealth Health Corporation
Commonwealth Health Corporation is the parent company of The Medical Center at Bowling Green, Franklin, and Scottsville, Commonwealth Regional Specialty Hospital and various healthcare related entities throughout South Central Kentucky. With a mission to care for people and improve the quality of life in the communities it serves, CHC and its entities contributed $56.9 million in total benefits to the community in fiscal year 2009 including millions through charity care for the uninsured and shortfalls in governmental reimbursements (Medicare and Medicaid). To learn more about CHC, visit www.chc.net.