Physicians Regional Medical Center from the air
Hey everyone! I’ve enjoyed reading your blog posts and
imagining where you all are in your residencies. This is an exciting time.
Rachel and I have loved it here in Knoxville. The people are funny, the weather
is great, and the internship has been phenomenal. It’s been nice to be near her
family in Atlanta and my dad in SC. Claire is now walking/running everywhere,
so our lives have become a bit busier trying to keep track of her. She likes to
put my hospital badge around her neck and waddle around the house. I knew she
was destined for healthcare!
My preceptor is the COO of the hospital and has been a huge
supporter. He’s a VCU grad so he hasn’t quite received the caliber of training
that we have (haha), but he’s really invested in ensuring that the residency is
a great experience. HMA entered the Knoxville market in October 2011 after they
bought the 7-hospital Mercy Health Partners system. Mercy was formed in 2008
from the merger of two faith-based health systems. HMA has encouraged the
hospitals to keep the faith-based culture, so many of our meetings begin with a
spiritual thought and a prayer. Very interesting to see that. It’s been
fascinating to speak with associates about the changes they’ve faced from
transitioning from a deep-rooted faith-based organization to being part of an
investor-owned company. That will be a post for another day. All in all, HMA
acquired 7 hospitals and 29 clinics in Knoxville and the surrounding areas. I
am located at the 400-bed Physicians Regional Medical Center, about 10 minutes
from downtown Knoxville.
The hospital (and HMA) has had few, if any, administrative
interns in the past, so I’ve been given a lot of freedom to do whatever will
give me the best experience. I love that. I’ve spent time with employees in each
department to better understand their role, their challenges, and what keeps
them coming to work every day. Some of the more notable experiences are: I
watched a laparoscopic robotic surgery, I put on a hair net and apron and
helped on the tray line of the cafeteria (I was definitely the bottleneck there
– who knew there were so many types of jello?), and I spent a shift with the
security officers. As I go to each department, I’m humbled by how little I
really know about healthcare delivery. There is so much that goes on behind the
scenes, even though I only really think about the patient, nurse, and doctor. It’s been an eye-opening experience.
I have two main projects right now. When Mercy Health
Partners was formed in 2008, they closed the doors of one of their large
hospitals. This created a void in providers for the South Knoxville area, so an
outpatient facility was built to recoup some of those losses. The facility currently has
about 8,000 square feet of vacant space, and my project is to determine how to
best utilize that space. I’ve been doing market research to better understand
the demographics and healthcare needs of the areas the facility serves. Next
week I will speak to physicians practicing there to gauge their interest in
expanding their services. Ultimately I will provide recommendations and create
a business plan for the service to be implemented there.
The second project deals with improving throughput in the
ED. I’ve been observing patient flow and recording timestamp data to understand
where the inefficiencies are. Sandy would be so proud! (I almost called her
last week to ask a question, but couldn’t quite do it). The goal is to cycle
admitted patients through the ED in less than 180 minutes, but the majority
aren’t being admitted until 250-300 minutes. I don’t think they’ve really ever
collected this data, so there’s a huge opportunity. HMA looks at the ED as the
entry point to the hospital, so hopefully this project will have a lasting
impact on the whole organization.
Sorry to write a novel, but this is the last (and most
interesting) part. Since I was a little kid, I’ve dreamed of flying in a
helicopter. Well that dream came true on Tuesday! I spent a 3-11pm shift with
the LifeStar helicopter crew, and it was AWESOME! I drove to their base in
Sevierville, about an hour from the hospital. Once I arrived, we suited up and
were called out to transport a man who’d had a massive heart attack. We dropped
him off in downtown Knoxville and then flew around the city for a while. We
circled Physicians Regional (hence the picture at the top) and then they asked
where I lived. We flew to my apartment complex and Rachel came out to see us.
It was pretty funny how excited I was. We got another call later for a 17-year
old who had a self-inflicted stab wound to the heart. We went to a landing zone
in the mountains and picked him up to transport him to UT. This one was a bit
more serious, and I was amazed at how quickly and efficiently the flight nurses
handled everything. All in all, it was an incredible experience. They said they
have ride-alongs all the time, so you all should ask around and go out if you
get the chance! Here are some pictures:
Don't mind the floods. The suit was a little small
Another view of Physicians Regional
In the air
Our apartment complex. Rachel is on the bottom of the screen.
Good luck everyone. I can't wait to hear about all the great things you are doing in your residencies!
