The Medical Center Health & Wellness Center Receives Top Honors For Stroke Education and Prevention

The Norton Healthcare/UK HealthCare - Stroke Care Network has presented The Medical Center with the 2015 "Interstellar Award" for its work in improving stroke prevention and care for its patients. The Medical Center’s Health & Wellness Center screened and educated more than 600 children and adults about stroke, making its community outreach the highest in the Stroke Care Network.

At the Stroke Care Network’s annual summit, Dr. Michael Dobbs, Director of the Stroke Care Network, commended The Medical Center for outstanding work in educating their community about stroke prevention and care. "The Medical Center’s commitment to quality improvement and coordination of resources to provide their patients with the highest quality stroke care is to be commended," Dr. Dobbs said. "Everyone's goal is to provide the best care for stroke patients as close to home as possible and The Medical Center’s efforts embody that principle."

Bill Singletary, RN, The Medical Center’s Director of Care Coordination and Stroke Program Coordinator, said, “The Medical Center’s Health & Wellness team, led by Director Jenny Golden, truly exemplifies our mission to care for people and improve the quality of life in the communities we serve. Using evidence-based educational and screening resources for adults and children, their focus is on stroke awareness, personalized risk assessments, stroke prevention strategies, prompt recognition of the signs and symptoms of stroke and activation of 9-1-1 at the first sign of a stroke. As a certified Primary Stroke Center, we are so proud that our Health & Wellness Center team has been recognized for their commitment to stroke education, community outreach, and saving lives.”

The Stroke Care Network’s Director of education and quality, Lisa Bellamy, RN, CPHQ, notes that The Medical Center has made enormous strides in community education related to stroke prevention, recognition and treatment. “The Medical Center already had a well-established community outreach program, but when they joined the Network they enhanced their current process with the Network’s Stroke Community, Outreach, Prevention and Education (SCOPE) program. The SCOPE program offers three approaches to educate citizens about stroke: Stroke Screenings, Adult lectures and a pediatric program called The Brain Protector program.”

“The Medical Center has demonstrated a strong commitment to their community through affording dedicated resources to their outreach program,” Bellamy continued. “Despite being one of the newest hospitals in the Stroke Care Network, the Health & Wellness Center exceeded all other affiliates in the Network with regards to the number of individuals screened and educated about stroke during the last year.”

As an affiliate in the Stroke Care Network, The Medical Center has direct access to Norton Healthcare and UK HealthCare’s expertise and resources to support ongoing efforts locally to provide the best care for stroke for their citizens.

If you would like to schedule a SCOPE program activity or other health education event, please contact The Medical Center Health & Wellness Center at 270-745-0942 or 877-800-3824.

Caverna Memorial Hospital Set to Join The Medical Center

Caverna Memorial Hospital, which has served the citizens of Hart and surrounding counties since 1967, will become The Medical Center at Caverna in a move announced today by the hospital and The Medical Center in Bowling Green. The boards of directors for Caverna Memorial Hospital and The Medical Center have agreed to the acquisition by the Bowling Green – Warren County Community Hospital Corporation d/b/a The Medical Center and the transaction should be completed by the end of 2015. With the addition of Caverna Memorial Hospital to its family of hospitals, Commonwealth Health Corporation (CHC), the parent company of The Medical Center, will operate five acute care hospitals in Southcentral Kentucky and will employ over 3,300 healthcare workers with a medical staff that includes over 300 physicians.

Caverna Memorial Hospital is a 25-bed, not-for-profit critical access hospital which has remained an independent hospital since it was established by local residents 48 years ago. “Significant regulatory changes brought about by the Affordable Care Act and payment reform at the federal and state level make it increasingly difficult for small rural hospitals to remain independent,” said Alan Alexander, Chief Executive Officer of Caverna Memorial Hospital. “We are very proud of our heritage at Caverna Memorial Hospital and becoming a part of The Medical Center will allow us to raise the bar even further in terms of quality healthcare and expand our services to the community,” added Alexander.

The Medical Center is a 337-bed, not-for-profit regional referral hospital located in Bowling Green. “We are honored to have been invited into the Hart County community by the board of directors and management team of Caverna Memorial Hospital,” stated Connie Smith, President and CEO of The Medical Center and CHC. “I am so impressed with the staff I have met at the hospital. Their dedication and commitment to patients is evident in all that they do. Together, we will further our mission to care for people and improve the quality of life in the communities we serve,” added Smith.