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Hospital strives to meet changing needs

In healthcare, each day is filled with new discoveries and possibilities, a spirit we embrace at Willamette Valley Medical Center, despite the inevitable challenges.

We are inspired each day to deliver amazing care to our community. We are constantly evolving as we strive to find new ways to support the health and well-being of all the people we serve in McMinnville and Yamhill County.

Guest Writer

Guest writer Peter Hofstetter Peter Hofstetter is the chief executive officer at McMinnville’s Willamette Valley Medical Center, a Joint Commission-accredited facility now owned by LifePoint Healthcare. With more than 30 years of experience as a hospital CEO, and a record of active involvement in a variety of professional and civic organizations, he continues to create health care access and opportunities for the community with the help of WVMC’s passionate team. In his free time, he is an avid skier, hiker and golfer.

This past year featured a number of transitions for our hospital. While changes can be difficult, creating uncertainty as they are being made, we feel confident what we accomplished as a team in 2018 has laid the foundation for exciting momentum as we continue forward into 2019.

Last year, WVMC expanded the services it provides and welcomed several new physicians, including hospitalists, primary care providers, general surgeons, anesthesiologists, ophthalmologists, radiologists and a plastic surgeon.

With these new additions, our medical staff now counts more than 120 physicians strong. This vibrant community is one of extraordinary talent and passion for elevating the quality of care available to the region.

As with every business, occasionally we must also say goodbye to some of our accomplished providers, as they begin new journeys of their own. We are grateful to these physicians for their many years of service to our community and wish them the best.

While we’ve experienced some departures, notably through the retirement of long-time community physicians in our obstetrics, hospitalist and emergency departments, we continue to recruit new clinicians in their stead. We have focused on critical areas such as general surgery, orthopedics, pediatrics and primary care.

Our growing medical staff has allowed us to expand vital services regionally.

Our bariatric, plastic surgery and joint replacement programs continue to grow. Looking forward, we plan to expand our cardiology capabilities as well. And our Hoover Cancer Center oncology and radiation programs will serve more patients than ever, allowing local families access to vital services close to home during difficult times.

In addition to adding new services, we have enhanced our patient safety and quality control efforts across the board. We have instituted ongoing education and training focusing on ensuring a culture of high reliability and safety as a first priority.

We are witnessing great results from this initiative. The hard work of our dedicated team has led to a safer hospital for all.

Prior to embarking on expansion of our services, we evaluated community requirements and made some changes in our allocation of space. Most importantly, we reduced our total number of beds from 88 to 60, of which 50 are devoted to acute care services and 10 to geriatric psychiatry services.

This shift reflects a national trend from inpatient to outpatient care. It allows us to direct more resources where our patients need them most.

Across the U.S., healthcare is moving away from inpatient care, due to better techniques and evolving strategies in the delivery of care. As a result, more than half of WVMC’s revenue originates from outpatient services, and we envision this increasing in the years to come.

We welcomed a number of new leaders and innovators to the team in 2018, including a new chief quality officer, emergency department nursing manager, assistant chief financial officer, environmental services manager and marketing/PR coordinator. We also streamlined our management infrastructure to ensure we were maximizing our bedside care resources.

We have assembled a close-knit group of individuals dedicated to the health and care of community residents as well as one another. At all levels, in all departments, we are united in a commitment to caring for our patients and their families as we would our own.

WVMC continues to maintain contracts with most major insurance carriers, so our patients don’t need to risk their health by traveling long distances for treatment. In fact, we are seeking to expand the kinds of coverage we can accept.

We are excited to launch a new product through PacificSource to further expand payor options and enhance our patients’ abilities to receive great care close to home. We have also signed a contract with Kaiser, allowing many of its patients to be seen at WVMC.

As a proud member of the region we serve, we are committed to having a positive impact on the place we live, work and play.

WVMC currently employs more than 600 individuals, adding to the economic vitality of the area. As the second largest taxpayer in the city of McMinnville, and third largest in Yamhill County, we pay more than $1 million annually in taxes.

However, our commitment to community reaches beyond the tax base. This past year, we provided more than $13 million in charity care and community benefits, combing health education and training programs with direct contributions to local organizations. And we will continue to seek ways to be a good partner to our community moving forward, supporting local causes and initiatives that reflect our own dedication to making the people in our region healthier.

We are proud of our long history of service to McMinnville and Yamhill County. We are honored to be part of the lives of so many in this region.

It is our goal to continue to supply the very best for our patients and their families. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for supporting our work and sharing our passion for a healthy community.