Charitable Care and Collaborative Health Care Delivery Recognized
Citing expanded services, unprecedented charity care and groundbreaking collaborations to expand access to quality care in the community, Business NH Magazine named Catholic Medical Center the 2015 Healthcare Business of the Year. The award recognizes CMC’s economic growth while maintaining a warm and welcoming environment where patients are cared for with compassionate excellence.
“This is a tremendous honor, and it is truly the result of the outstanding physicians, nurses, administrators and support staff at CMC,” said Dr. Joseph Pepe, President and CEO of Catholic Medical Center, who noted the recognition coincides with the 40th anniversary of CMC as the outcome of the merger of two hospitals. “Our mission then and now remains unchanged: to provide health, healing and hope to individuals and communities throughout the state.”
2014 was a remarkable year for Catholic Medical Center. The hospital expanded primary, specialty and chronic care services in the community. It opened:
• A new primary care practice inside Executive Health and Sports Center.
• A new Breast Care Center in Bedford featuring screening equipment not available anywhere else in the state. This brand new technology uses low doses of radiation to take precise images with fewer chances of false alarms.
• A new integrated practice in Hooksett with convenient access to primary care, physical therapy and laboratory services.
Through collaborations with small rural hospitals in New Hampshire, CMC is working to ensure no service is out of reach to someone in need. The newly implemented Patient Transfer Center coordinated 1,800 transfers from NH hospitals in 2014. An expanded transfer center and dedicated AMR ambulance with real-time remote medical monitoring means better care for more complicated patient cases no matter where they are in the state.
Catholic Medical Center is a leader in its devotion to charity care. In 2014, CMC invested $73 million in community benefits through various programs. For example, $12 million was given as charitable or uncompensated care of poor or underserved populations through programs including Healthcare for the Homeless, Poisson Dental Facility, Westside Neighborhood Health Center, and the Pregnancy Care Center. “This is reflective of our role and responsibility in greater Manchester,” explains Dr. Pepe. “Based on a foundation of Catholic faith, our goal is to help those populations who are unable to help themselves.”
In addition to charity care efforts, CMC’s Parish Nurse Program operates in 18 churches with 29 nurses and 25 lay ministers offering outreach, education and support to those in need.
Even with the unprecedented amount of time and services provided to the community through charity care, the business operations of CMC enjoyed a highly successful 2014. Despite a national industry outlook that remains poor, Standard & Poor (S&P) raised CMC’s long-term bond rating from BBB+ to A-. Expert analysts report the improved rating is a result of three years of good operating performance, stable market share and growing inpatient volume. This is the first time since the 1990s that CMC has received an “A-” rating from S&P.
“We have enjoyed a year of growth and success, but we have much more to accomplish to meet the goals of higher quality care at a lower cost,” explains Dr. William Goodman, Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs for CMC. “Our goal is to see that CMC is no longer simply a hospital, but instead a continuum of health that reaches into the lives of individuals and families in their communities, workplaces and living environments.”
CMC is developing programs for individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes and cholesterol, which may increase a person’s risk for heart attack or stroke. New programs offer wrap around services that integrate disease management into every level of care, whether it be the Pregnancy Center, Cath lab, Amputee program, or Wound Center.
“Our deepest thanks to Business NH Magazine for this recognition,” says Pepe. “It is our vision to become the finest patient experience, lowest cost, best outcome provider in the region.”