Lawrence Memorial Hospital of Medford (Mass.) CEO Susan Sandberg, RN, penned a letter to the editor saying a Medford Transcript article contained "some misinformation and unvalidated opinions" about planned changes to the hospital's campus.
Here are five takeaways:
1. Ms. Sandberg said the plans to develop an ASC and add internal medicine, family medicine and specialty physicians will "revitalize the campus." The ASC in particular reflects what she called "the reality of healthcare today" and patient preference for outpatient settings.
2. Research shows patients who receive care in their community instead of through an inpatient hospital stay are healthier, and delivering care in the right setting increases quality while lowering costs, Ms. Sandberg said.
3. Community members and groups had a "positive response" to the plans that wasn't reflected in the Medford Transcript's previous article, according to the CEO. Anonymous sources in the previous article said certain employees would be fired as a result of the health system's decision to close an "underutilized" satellite emergency facility.
4. Ms. Sandberg defended the hospital's decision to close its satellite emergency facility. She said data from recent years showed the facility was the least-visited emergency department in the state, averaging under one visit per hour.
5. Most cases in the satellite emergency facility are better suited for Lawrence Memorial's urgent care center, which will expand its hours when the emergency site closes, she said.
More articles on improving performance:
How to keep your ASC operational during renovations — 7 tips
Where in the US are physicians paid the most? 10 statistics
5 must-read articles for the ASC industry this week: Nov. 9-15