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Report to Our Community event highlights TMC's new Orthopaedic and Surgical Tower
April 25, 2013 by Tucson Medical Center 2 Comments
Tucson Medical Center hosted this year's Report to Our Community event, which provides an overview of the annual report to community leaders, public officials and the media, detailing the many community benefit programs TMC has spearheaded in the prior year.
This year's event was special, as it was held in the lobby of the soon to be open, Tucson Medical Center Orthopaedic and Surgical Tower.
It was only appropriate to host the release of the Report to Our Community in the tower, as the tower is part of a strategic investment in the future of TMC and its ability to continue providing quality health care to the community.
Community tours of the four story building kicked off the event providing a first look at the new medical offices, clinics, private patient rooms and state-of-the-art surgical suites.
The tower is on schedule to open May 6 and will be the only orthopaedic and surgical facility of its kind in Southern Arizona.
"This building really speaks for itself, demonstrating the solid foundation and stability of Tucson Medical Center," said TMC Board of Trustee Chairwoman, Louise Francesconi.
Francesconi joined TMC President and CEO Judy Rich during the Report to Our Community to discuss how TMC has strategically positioned itself to service the health care needs of the community for years to come.
"Charity care is part of what we do as a community hospital. We take care of everyone who comes to us for care," said Rich.
In 2012, TMC recorded $48 million of community benefit costs, of which a large portion is charity care. On a net operating revenue of $448 million, TMC's community benefit was 10.8%, well over the 5% average expected to maintain non-profit status.
And the majority of this uncompensated care, which refers to charity care and bad debt, is a result of the thousands of people who were dropped from AHCCCS in 2011.
"Medicaid restoration, for us is critical. So we're going to be watching closely to see what happens with that," explained Rich.
TMC's stable leadership has been able to withstand the challenges of current legislation changes and tough economic environment, while establishing a framework to ensure the vitality of the hospital.
Over the last 5 years, TMC has invested $200 million dollars building the Orthopaedic and Surgical Tower, renovating hospital units, and adopting Electronic Medical Records (EMR) as standard practice, to name a few.
"We know that our roots grow very deep into this community and every decision we make is made on behalf of being here in the future. We're very well positioned with the technology we need, resources we need, and the facilities we need," said Rich.
Francesconi added that the investment TMC is making extends across a broad spectrum that begins and continues through TMC's employees and the health benefits that are necessary for the hospital to provide to the community.
Becoming an Accountable Care Organization and establishing Arizona Connected Care is one of the major ways in which TMC can improve care management, developing special measures to discharge patients with all of the information they need keeping hospital readmission rates low.
"It's extremely important to us, as a hospital, that we keep people out of here and at home and healthy," said Rich.
TMC has also taken notice and became involved in the Canyon Ranch Institute's Life Enrichment Program. This program was originally developed to help people who don't have the financial resources to go the Canyon Ranch Institute and be immersed in a curriculum promoting healthy lifestyle choices.
"We've training 11 of our own TMC staff to become mentors and coaches in this program, and selected our first group of patients in the community – patients who would not have otherwise had the opportunity to experience such a program," said Rich.
She went on to share an expression she's coined, 'nothing to me without me.'
"This means that we are here to serve people who have something to say about how we do that. We recognize that as a patient you have something to say about how we take care of you, what your needs are, and what the most important thing to you is. Our patients have a lot to add in how we provide care."
The Patient Family Advisory Council is in place to support the very thing that Judy's phrase addresses. This committee gathers information from families of patients and TMC professionals, and provides solutions so that the hospital cares for patients in a different more focused way.
The event wound down with a few questions from attendees and announcements that select tours of the orthopeadic tower and surgical tower would be offered immediately after the talk.
Francesconi and Rich offered a few closing remarks.
"The leadership and Board are confident in the partnerships and programs that TMC is engaging in, and that they truly are in the best interest of our patients and the people in our community," said Rich.
Filed Under: All, Community, General Tagged With: accountable care organization, ACO, Arizona Connected Care, AzCC, Judy Rich, Louise Francesconi, Report to Our Community, TMC Orthopaedic and Surgical Tower
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About TMC
Tucson Medical Center, licensed at more than 600 beds, has been Tucson's locally governed nonprofit regional hospital for more than 70 years.
TMC is Southern Arizona's leading provider for emergency care and pediatric care (including Tucson's first Pediatric Emergency Department), with top-notch intensive care units for adults, children and newborns.
Other specialty areas include women's, maternity, cardiac care, orthopaedic, neuroscience, hospice, surgical, vascular and geropsychiatric care.
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