[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 71 (Thursday, May 17, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3271-S3272]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MORNING BUSINESS
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to a period of morning business, with Senators allowed to speak
therein for up to 10 minutes each.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, today I wish to honor the Pikeville
Medical Center for its continued commitment to providing superior
medical care to the people of Kentucky. Pikeville Medical Center has
been named National Hospital of the Year, making it the only repeat
winner of this prestigious award. The 261-room hospital has over 2,000
employees, including more than 270 physicians and residents, and its
superior facilities, equipment, and staff have drawn in qualified
medical professionals from around the country.
In January 2011, Pikeville Medical Center became affiliated with
Cleveland Clinic's Heart Surgery Program, which has been ranked number
one among heart programs in the United States for 16 years. This recent
affiliation has allowed PMC to provide cutting-edge technology and
treatments to its patients.
Prior to receiving this award, Pikeville Medical Center was named
12th in the Nation of Top 100 Best Places to Work by Modern Healthcare
Magazine and first on the Best Places to Work in Kentucky list by the
Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. Individual units of the Medical Center
have also received recognition. The Heart Institute is one of the first
10 hospitals in the United States and the first in Kentucky to reach
the highest distinction awarded by the Society of Chest Pain Centers,
and the Stroke Center is one of 10 Kentucky recipients of the American
Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get with the
Guidelines--Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. Along with
this, the Leonard Lawson Cancer Center was awarded the ``Outstanding
Achievement Award'' 2 years in a row.
While the Pikeville Medical Center has much to be proud of, it
continues to strive for excellence. The hospital recently completed a
$10-million emergency department expansion and renovation, and is
currently undergoing a $100-million construction project to provide new
offices and outpatient surgery units. This is all part of the
organization's mission to ``provide quality regional health care in a
Christian environment.''
Mr. President, I would like to ask at this time for my colleagues in
the Senate to join me in recognizing the Pikeville Medical Center.
There was recently an article published in eastern Kentucky's local
periodical magazine, the Sentinel-Echo: Silver Edition, highlighting
the center's many successes. I ask unanimous consent to have printed in
the Record said article.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
[From the Sentinel-Echo: Silver Edition, Nov. 2011]
Pikeville Medical Center
Pikeville Medical Center, now affiliated with Cleveland
Clinic Heart Surgery, is the nation's only repeat winner of
the National Hospital of the Year. President and Chief
Executive Officer Walter E. May has always encouraged PMC
employees to dream big and big things will happen. After
winning the award, he aid, ``It doesn't get much bigger than
this. This is like winning the Super Bowl, the NCAA Final
Four or the World Series for a hospital.''
As a true leader and innovator in the health care industry,
Pikeville Medical Center continues to raise the bar of
excellence. Currently employing more than 2,000 people, PMC
has hired over 550 employees just during the past year. PMC
is a 261-bed facility, and a $100 million construction
project is under way, producing 1,500 temporary jobs and 100
permanent jobs. The new medical office building will house
nine floors of office and clinical space for outpatient
surgery, exam rooms and primary and specialty care
physicians, and the enclosed parking garage will have space
for more than 1,000 cars.
The combination of first class facilities, the best
equipment available and a highly motivated support staff has
enabled Pikeville Medical Center to recruit some of the
nation's most qualified physicians. More than 270
credentialed professionals--physicians and residents--are
authorized to practice medicine at Pikeville Medical Center,
and the number continues to grow. Over the past year we have
recruited over 30 physicians and added six new services.
Among the newer service lines are: gynecological oncology,
otolaryngology, rheumatology, pediatric endocrinology, hand
surgery and nephrology.
The Heart Institute
According to the American Heart Association, heart disease
is the #1 killer of Americans, making heart health a top
priority for Pikeville Medical Center. In January 2011,
Walter E. May addressed a standing room only crowd during a
special called press conference and announced Pikeville
Medical Center is now affiliated with Cleveland Clinic's
Heart Surgery Program.
The Cleveland Clinic heart program has been ranked #1 in
the nation for the last 16 years by U.S. News and World
Report. The affiliation has enhanced PMC's opportunities to
provide new treatments and therapies to patients and has
accelerated Pikeville Medical and Cleveland Clinic's mutual
accomplishments in leading cardiac surgery care. Currently,
PMC staff is attending training at Cleveland Clinic and
enhancing their abilities to deal with complex medical
situations, while utilizing new technologies and innovations,
The two facilities are also sharing surgical outcome data and
research.
In addition to the affiliation with Cleveland Clinic's
heart surgery program, PMC continues to make great strides in
heart care:
One of the first 10 hospitals in the nation and the first
hospital in Kentucky to be designated a Level III Accredited
Chest Pain Center, the highest distinction given by the
Society of Chest Pain Centers
THe cath lab has celebrated the 10th anniversary of the
first cath procedure performed at PMC.
Median ``door-to-balloon'' time averages around 65 minutes
(well below the standard of 90 minutes set by the American
Heart Association and the Joint Commission).
The heart team is comprised of Cardiologists,
Interventional Cardiologists, Cardiothoracic and Vascular
Surgeons and an Electrophysiologist. PMC's Heart Institute
operates offices throughout the region in Pike, Mingo and
Johnson Counties.
Stroke Center
Pikeville Medical Center has received the American Heart
Association/American Stroke Association's Get With The
Guidelines'-Stroke (GWTG-Stroke) Gold Plus Quality
Achievement Award. Only 10 hospitals in KY have earned this
accreditation, and no other KY hospital east of Lexington has
earned this prestigious distinction.
The award recognizes PMC's commitment and success in
implementing excellent care
[[Page S3272]]
for stroke patients, according to evidence-based guidelines.
To receive the award, PMC achieved 85 percent or higher
adherence to all GWTG-Stroke Quality Achievement indicators
for two or more consecutive 12-month intervals and achieved
75 percent or higher compliance with six of 10 GWTG-Stroke
Quality Measures, which are reporting initiatives to measure
quality of care.
``With a stroke, time lost is brain lost, and the Get With
the Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award
demonstrates PMC's commitment to being one of the top
hospitals in the country for providing aggressive, proven
stroke care,'' said Dr. Naveed Ahmed, Medical Director of
Pikeville Medical Center's Stroke Unit. ``We will continue to
provide care shown in scientific literature to quickly and
efficiently treat stroke patients with evidence-based
protocols.''
Leonard Lawson Cancer Center
Once again, Pikeville Medical Center's Leonard Lawson
Cancer Center received the ``Outstanding Achievement Award''
from the Commission on Cancer of the American College of
Surgeons. PMC is one of only three hospitals in the state of
Kentucky to ever achieve this award, and is the only hospital
in Kentucky to be honored twice and consecutively.
PMC has been recognized by the Commission on Cancer of the
American College of Surgeons for offering: The full scope of
multi-disciplinary services required to screen, diagnose,
treat, rehabilitate and support patients with cancer and
their families; A high quality, comprehensive team approach
by cancer care professionals; Complete range of state-of-the
art services and equipment; Access to information about new
treatment options and ongoing cancer trials; Access to
prevention and early detection programs, cancer education and
supportive services.
The cancer center has also instituted program enhancements
and improvements including opening a new Paintsville Oncology
Clinic, offering genetics counseling and opening a
gynecological oncology service.
``The Cancer Center at Pikeville Medical Center is not just
a group of employees, they are a team. They continually
strive to provide excellent quality care. One of their goals
is to provide a special kind of friendship along the way. A
friendship that starts with a disease as serious and
devastating as cancer and evolves, during their time at PMC,
into a special relationship we refer to as the PMC family,''
said Roxanne Hale. Director of the Cancer Center.
Emergency Department
In preparation for achieving Level II Trauma Center
certification, Pikeville Medical Center has completed a $10
million emergency department expansion and renovation. This
new facility encompasses nearly 23,000 square feet, includes
two trauma bays, three triage bays, provides physiological
monitoring and a 32 flat screen tv in every room and has CT
scanning and digital x-ray on-site.
Over the past year, PMC's ED patient satisfaction scores
have reached nearly 100%, and while the new facility is
impressive, it's PMC's employees who make this recognition
possible.
The Journey of Excellence Continues
Pikeville Medical Center's employees are guided by the
mission statement ``to provide quality regional health care
in a Christian environment.'' ``This is more than just a
slogan,'' said Chief Operating Officer Juanita Deskins, ``it
is a prescription for the work lives of our employees.'' It
is primarily because of this work ethic that PMC regularly
receives recognition and awards, such as: 12th in the nation
of the top 100 Best Places to Work by Modern Healthcare
Magazine (the second year in a row PMC made the top 100
list); the number one hospital in the state on the Best
Places to Work in Kentucky list, compiled by the KY Chamber
of Commerce; three employed physicians listed among the
nation's Best Doctors; for the third consecutive year PMC'
has been selected as a Hospital of Choice; Patient
Satisfaction Award from the Pike County School District
Superintendent; the prestigious Excellence Award from the
Kentucky Center for Performance Excellence, following the
strict criteria set forth by the nationally-acclaimed Malcolm
Baldrige Award; the Insight Award fur outstanding service in
Inpatient Oncology and Inpatient Rehabilitation; the gold
seal of approval from the Joint Commission for Primary Stroke
Centers.
While those accolades are impressive, Pikeville Medical
Center will not rest on its laurels. There is always room for
improvement and our institutional vision has not yet been
fully realized--our journey is not over.
Pikeville Medical Center will continue to improve and grow,
and will always pursue excellence. Technology will evolve and
we will continue to recruit the country's best doctors and
add specialty services to assure the best health care
possible for our patients. In the words of Walter E. May,
``We aren't trying to provide health care that's `as good as'
anyplace else . . . we're working to provide health care
that's better than these patients could get anywhere else. At
Pikeville Medical Center, we're proud to say . . . we're
still the one!''
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