Looking over drawings of planned renovations at Clearfield Hospital are, from left, Brad Anderson, director of engineering services; Dennis Lloyd, director of materials management and special projects; and David J. McConnell, president and chief executive officer.

The hospital will undergo a series of improvements as part of a recently completed strategic plan.

The plan, which was developed over eight months, focuses on initiatives that will strengthen the hospital’s current clinical programs.

“Our goal is to ensure that Clearfield Hospital remains a valued asset to the community. To that end, through strategic planning, we developed a set of priorities that will help us change and grow to continue to meet the healthcare needs of our community,” David J. McConnell, president and chief executive officer, said.

In July 2007, Clearfield Hospital engaged the consulting firm of Tripp Umbach of Pittsburgh to help develop the strategic plan. The process involved an analysis of current clinical programs, a review of financial performance and a close look at the hospital’s primary market area (Clearfield County and Philipsburg/Moshannon Valley).

Input was gathered from physicians, staff and community members through focus groups, written questionnaires and random phone surveys. An engineer who specializes in healthcare buildings evaluated the hospital’s facilities.

After analyzing the information, Tripp Umbach, the hospital’s board of directors and senior leaders agreed on several key imperatives, with a focus on physician recruitment and facility/equipment upgrades.

“The mission of Clearfield Hospital is to positively impact the health status of the region by providing quality healthcare coupled with quality service. The strategic planning process we just went through allowed us to assess key imperatives and develop a long-term plan to successfully achieve our mission. It will be our road map for the next five to 10 years,” stated William E. Wood, chairman of the board of directors.

Physician recruitment has been and continues to be a top priority.

“The hospital’s sustainability depends on its ability to recruit new physicians. Through the strategic planning process, we’ve come up with a fresh approach and specific commitment to recruiting doctors that will position us for successful recruitment,” stated Jon Steen, vice president of human resources/professional services.

That approach involves the addition of a physician recruiter; the creation of a recruitment committee made up of hospital representatives and community leaders; and the addition of a chief medical officer to assist in communicating with candidates.

The hospital has engaged additional physician recruiting firms in its search for primary care physicians, internal medicine physicians and surgeons, among other specialties.

Senior leaders and the Clearfield Foundation for Health have also established a program that provides financial aid to local students who are pursuing medical careers on the condition they return to Clearfield to practice.

“Recruiting physicians to rural Pennsylvania is a challenge. Many are not interested in living in a small town, while others don’t want to come to Pennsylvania because of malpractice insurance rates. A sad reality is that only 3 percent of Pennsylvania medical school graduates remain in the state to practice medicine,” Mr. Steen said.

He continued, “We will continue to face these challenges, but are optimistic that improving the way we search for and react to candidates will make a big difference.”

Facility upgrades will be implemented in phases

Facility upgrades will be implemented in five phases over the next eight years. The first phase will get under way this summer and will take approximately 24 months to complete. Highlights of this phase include:

• Offering outpatient services on the second floor of the Nathaniel D. Yingling, M.D., Cancer Center, including digital mammography, osteoporosis screening, ultrasound and laboratory services.
• An expansion of the chemotherapy clinic.
• Renovation of the Medical Arts Building to provide additional medical office space as well as a medical library and physician lounge.
• The construction of an employee parking lot near the fairgrounds. This additional lot will free parking spaces near the hospital for public use.

Dennis Lloyd, the hospital’s materials management director, will oversee the facility improvement projects.

Another major initiative, an electronic medical records system (EMR), will get under way in phase one. An EMR is a secured computer file of patient history, medical transcription notes and other information needed for a complete patient profile.

Benefits of EMR include better productivity, lower operating expenses and improved regulatory compliance.

“More importantly, EMR will improve patient care by placing information at healthcare providers’ fingertips – meaning doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers can access a patient’s complete medical history and the results of diagnostic testing quickly,” stated Kathy Simmons, chief nursing officer.

After phase one is done, plans call for expansions of the emergency, laboratory and imaging departments; renovations to the pharmacy; improvements to the registration area and process to make it more patient-friendly; and improvements to the ambulance area and main entrance. New medical equipment/technology will complement these plans.

Addressing the healthcare needs of the community has been a long-standing tradition at Clearfield Hospital. Projects in recent years include a new comprehensive cancer center; obstetrics department renovations; the addition of an inpatient behavioral health unit for older adults; and the implementation of a Fast Track service in the Emergency Department.

Undertaking the strategic plan projects will come with a hefty price tag. Phase one of the facility plan will cost approximately $3.4 million, while the electronic medical records system is estimated at $6.6 million.

The hospital plans to pay for the improvements using a combination of its current investment earnings, grants and low-interest loans.

Robert Locke, chief financial officer, said the key is to keep the hospital financially strong while moving through the plan. After each phase is completed, senior leaders and the board will evaluate the financial performance of the organization before entering the next phase.

“Our goal is to fulfill the objectives of this plan while maintaining a solid financial position. Based on our past and current financial performance, we believe strongly that we will see all of our plans come to fruition in the timeframe proposed,” Mr. Locke said.

Mr. McConnell said hospital leaders plan to keep the community updated about projects through the media and the hospital’s Web site, www.clearfieldhosp.org. He is available to speak to community groups about the strategic plan. To schedule a presentation, please contact Amy Duke, marketing manager, at 814.768.2827.