Ascension Sees Lift Among Veterans From Ad Blitz
Thanks to its recent ad campaign in light of the new Veterans Choice healthcare program, Ascension, the nation’s largest not-for-profit hospital system, has served 1,600 military veterans since March. The media campaign was targeted at 21 of the network’s major markets and was its largest integrated campaign ever, according to its chief marketing and communications officer, Nick Ragone. According to Modern Healthcare, the three-year, $10 billion Veterans Choice program is funded by Congress to improve access to healthcare and reduce wait times for vets who rely on the Veterans Affairs Department healthcare system for services.
Two Mercy Health Hospitals Get New COOs
Mercy Health has announced Jason Asic will serve as the new chief operating officer of its 1,300-employee West Hospital in Green Township, Ohio and Justin Kreuger has been named the COO of its 1,500-employee Fairfield Hospital, reports the Cincinnati Business Journal. Asic most recently served as assistant chief financial officer at West Hospital, a position he held for six months after moving on from his role as site finance director, which he held for two years. Asic replaces Rita Bunch, who served as COO since 2015. Kreuger most recently served as COO at Aiken Regional Medical Centers in South Carolina, a role he held for two years. He replaces R. Wayne Reid, who served as COO since June 2015 and is now the COO of Mercy’s Lourdes Hospital in Kentucky.
St. Francis Hospital in Topeka Wants Someone to Take Over Operations
Sisters of Charity Leavenworth Health System, the faith-based nonprofit that runs St. Francis Hospital in Topeka, says it is seeking proposals to assume responsibility for the 378-bed facility. WIBW reports SCL Health is looking for a partner to enable the facility to “evolve in a healthcare environment that rewards value rather than volume.” The organizations say they are seeking a provider that will stay committed to its mission to not only fulfill the healthcare needs of the community but also provide charity care services to meet community needs and make investments in appropriate capital projects and information technology needs. SCL has involved Citi, a national expert in healthcare transactions to manage the process of collecting proposals.
Adventist Health System Recognized For Excellence in Employee Engagement
Adventist Health System and all of its hospital campuses, including Calhoun, Ga.’s Gordon Hospital, has received the 2016 Gallup Great Workplace Award for the 6th year in a row, which recognizes organizations for an extraordinary ability to promote engaged workplace cultures that drive positive results. Employee engagement is evaluated based on nine performance outcomes, including customer ratings, productivity and quality, noting that engaged employees are emotionally connected to their company’s mission and purpose. These employees are passionate, creative and entrepreneurial, which fuels growth. Adventist and the rest of this year’s winners averaged a ratio of engaged employees more than seven times what Gallup found in U.S. polling and more than 21 times it discerned in workforces globally, the Calhoun Times reports.
Walla Walla General Hospital Leader Moving on to New Job
Walla Walla General Hospital, a member of Adventist Health, has announced its CEO Monty Knittel has left the organization to become president and CEO of Feather River Hospital, another Adventist Health Facility in Paradise, Calif., effective June 6, 2016. Knittel served in the role at Walla Walla for nine years and a total of 30 at Adventist Health thus far. He oversaw several big changes at the facility, including the installation of a cardiology unit, which was the first of its kind in the area, according to the Walla Walla Union Bulletin. No replacement has yet been named, but Bob Beehler, a VP of Adventist Health since Feb. 2014, will step in as interim.
