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Stopping migraines and preventing strokes. Do you get migraines accompanied by an aura? Have you had a stroke for which a cause was never identified? You may have Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO), also known as a hole in the heart. Everyone is born with one (it’s part of the baby’s development inside mom). For 20 to 25 percent of the population the hole doesn’t close after birth, putting them at increased risk for migraines and strokes. If this is you, talk with your physician about a new test to detect PFO, now available at Salem Hospital.
Earning our excellent cancer-care reputation. Our Cancer Center is more than a place. It’s a synergy of ideas, technology, and incredible talent focused on a single objective: providing quality cancer care. We consistently achieve successful outcomes for the people we serve, and our cancer results continue to exceed National Cancer Data Base statistics in the four major cancer groups. Learn more at www.salemhospital.org.
Volunteer here! The Chaplain’s office is seeking volunteers for two programs. The Stephen Ministries program provides spiritual and emotional support to patients, while advance-directives volunteers follow up on referrals for advance directives for patients in the hospital. Call 503-561-5562 to learn more.
We’ve added a new volunteer service to help family members of ER patients. From 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. our Family Support Volunteers help answer questions and keep family members informed while loved ones are seeking treatment. To learn more about this volunteer opportunity call 503-561-5277.
Don’t have cash? Our food outlets can now accept debit and credit cards! We added this service to make visiting the hospital more convenient for you.
 Caring for sick babies. Experienced Neonatal Nurse Practitioners ( NNP s) are extremely difficult to recruit, and they’re an asset in any Special Care Nursery, like ours. We’ve recruited a new NNP and will be sending some of our current Special Care Nursery nurses to special graduate training in neonatal nursing to enhance our services.
Retaining employees. One way to reduce costs and increase quality is to maintain a stable workforce. In 2004 our employee turnover was about 10 percent, similar to our 2003 rate. And our registered nurse turnover rate for both years was 8.2 percent. Both of these important employee turnover rates are well below national averages and also below years prior to 2002.
Improving medication management. Salem Hospital Home Care was recognized for its success in educating patients and family members, leading to greater skill in taking the right medications, in the right amount, and at the right time. National success rates are 39 percent, and Oregon rates are 36 percent. Our rates are now at 48 percent. The award came from OMPRO, which contracts with Medicare to support effective, evidence-based healthcare for Medicare patients in Oregon.
Dallas hospital honored. West Valley Hospital recently received the “Most Improved Business of 2004” award from the Dallas Chamber of Commerce. Congratulations to everyone at WVH for attaining such an important recognition.
Leadership in information technology. Chief Information Officer Dennis Sato received first-runner-up as the IT E xecutive of the Year for Oregon, in a competition sponsored by the Society for Information Management and CIO Magazine. The cornerstone of Sato’s efforts was Salem Hospital’s clinical information system, which will make patient information available more quickly and help improve patient safety.
Increasing interest in Family Birth Center. The number of people attending FBC tours has increased by 150 percent over the past two years, so we added Sunday tours to help meet demand. Spanish-language tours have seen five times more participants than in the past, while the expectant-parent and infant-CPR classes have experienced a 50-percent increase in attendance.
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