HJNO Mar/Apr 2019

dialogue 16 MAR / APR 2019 I  Healthcare Journal of NEW ORLEANS   Editor What areas of care does EJGH do exceptionally well? Parton  According to independent ranking services, we are Louisiana’s #1 hospital in overall medical care, overall hospital care, general surgery, heart failure treatment, major bowel procedures, gastrointestinal care, pulmonary care, and orthopedic care. We are also recognized as a regional leader in oncology, diagnostic radiology, and mini- mally invasive surgery. Editor  Are there areas of care, or specialties, that EJGH may improve to keep pace with the competition? Parton  Of course. Constant improvement is the only way to ever achieve excellence. Last year we were extremely proud to be ranked #1 in seven categories. This year it grew to eight categories, and we are already working to see howwe can improve in more catego- ries next year. When it comes to healthcare, constant growth and improvement is the only goal. Editor  Can you talk a little bit about quality, and how EJGH uses technology to measure quality and outcomes? Parton  Changing technologies now impact not only the measuring of quality, but the quality of care itself. Technologies such as our UroNav system, which allows for MRI guided biopsy of the prostate, is just one of the ways we are leading the way in treat- ing prostate cancer while reducing the life- style side-effects men fear. Enhanced digi- tal mammography, our special 3D hybrid surgical suite, our MAKOOrthopaedic Sur- gical Robot, and our daVinci Surgical Sys- tems, are all examples of how we are using robotics and technologies in ways that give patients the safest/shortest stays, better outcomes, and faster recovery. Add to that the fact that now so much is digitized, track- ing patient data and measuring quality is all tied to this better way of caring for patients. Editor  How have hospitals evolved over the past 20 years? Are the changes primarily payor driven? Parton The evolution of care has only been equaled by the changing methods of how patients access and pay for that care. Unfor- tunately, it is not becoming a simpler pro- cess. As an industry, we need to strive to provide simpler bills, improve access, and give people as much transparency as pos- sible. Our programs such as MD Save give patients the ability to pay one price online and present a voucher for the procedure so the whole process is simple. Editor What do you see as the future of hos- pitals, and in particular, the future of EJGH? Parton  One of the areas we are most proud of is delivering personalized care. In just the past year our Cancer Financial Navigator has found more than $2 million that went straight to cancer patients trying to pay for care. Our Integrative Medicine Program offers preventive and holistic therapies that help patients deal with treatment better and prevent future ailments. Through another grant we offer free nutritional counseling to every cancer patient we see. That is a tre- mendous aid in helping themwin their cur- rent cancer fight and prevent future ones. We will continue raising the bar in clinical and technological excellence, while never forgetting to put the patient first. Our main competitors like to call themselves systems. We are very proud of the fact that we deliver the same or better care, but we are people and a culture, not a system. I don’t see any- thing on the horizon that will make EJGH anything other than a preferred destination hospital for the people of our region. n “When it comes to healthcare, constant growth and improvement is the only goal.”