Areas of Need

CLINICAL ALLIED HEALTH EXCELLENCE AWARD

The Clinical Allied Health Excellence Award is an awards program for Allied Healthcare professionals to recognize outstanding excellence.

The award recognizes BH Allied Healthcare givers who maintain authorized hours and who are role models of the BAPTIST HEALTH five core traits; Honesty, Service, Respect, Stewardship and Performance.

Recipients will be presented their award as a surprise in their unit by Vice President of Patient Care, Nursing Director, Unit Supervisor and person making the nomination. The Award will include the following; a plaque, lapel pin and a selection of various prizes based on a $500 limit.

BAPTIST HEALTH SCHOOLS LITTLE ROCK
ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND

BAPTIST HEALTH Schools Little Rock (BHSLR) has been preparing healthcare professionals since 1921. We not only offer year-long certificate programs, but an affiliation with colleges and universities, a two-year associate degree and a number of baccalaureate degree programs are possible. We are very proud to have the largest RN program in the state and produce approximately 20% of the state’s RN graduates each year. Every year we are impressed by the dedication of our student population. In general, they are working, have families, are over the age of 25, and have come to us trying to better their lives and the lives of their families. Each year, BAPTIST HEALTH Foundation strives to provide financial support to many of our deserving students. As seen below, our enrollment has increased significantly over the last several years, but our scholarships have not kept pace.

Additional scholarship opportunities at BHSLR will help patients by easing the national shortage of nurses and enabling patients to continue receiving quality healthcare. Scholarships also help deserving students as they continue to work towards their educational goals.

Students submit their scholarship applications during the spring and early summer of each year. Recipients are selected by a Selection Committee, and a Scholarship Awards Reception is held during the fall semester for donors, faculty, staff, and students. Scholarship funds are transferred directly to each recipient’s BHSLR student account to be used for tuition and school-related purposes.

BAPTIST HEALTH SCHOOLS LITTLE ROCK
ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FUND

After the endowed funds are invested for one year, a portion of the interest earned is awarded on an annual and permanent basis. Our endowed funds maintained an 8.14% rate of return between 2004 and 2006.

PATIENT CEILING LIFTS

Every day, patients in a hospital environment must be moved or transferred. An electrical lift helps a patient transfer from bed to a wheelchair, gurney, or toilet. Lifts are also used for in-room physical therapy and to make wound care easier. The selected electrical lift by Guildmann, Inc. has a full-body sling and a ceiling-mounted track system. It accommodates up to 550 pounds.

Studies indicate 84% of nurses continue to work in spite of back pain, and 60% of nurses fear a disabling back injury. During a typical shift, a staff nurse lifts 20 patients into bed and transfers 10 patients from bed to a chair. Patients typically weigh more than 100 pounds – a load well above the weight that would be considered “safe” for industrial workers for this frequency of lifting. Often, it takes two or more staff to transfer a patient. In a recent position paper, the American Nurses Association states manual patient handling is unsafe and is directly responsible for musculoskeletal disorders suffered by nurses. Studies show patient lift systems improve employee retention and job satisfaction levels.

Our goal at BAPTIST HEALTH is to provide patients with a safer transfer system, to decrease healthcare staff injuries and sick days, and to increase staff retention by installing patient lift systems in 32 patient rooms at BHMC – LR. Lift systems were installed a few years ago at BHRI and several rooms at BHMC – LR. The staff and patients use these lifts constantly and are “thrilled” with them.

A lift system makes transferring a patient from a bed or chair much easier and safer for them and for the hospital staff. Patients are no longer fearful of being dropped, being turned unexpectedly, or slipping.

COMMUNITY HEALTH CLINICS (CHC)

Community Health Clinics (CHC) provide health care regardless of ability to pay, even with no health insurance. A CHC must be located in or serve a high need community, i.e. “medically underserved areas” or “medically underserved populations.” They must provide comprehensive primary care services as well as supportive services such as translation and transportation services that promote access to health care. Their services must be available to all residents of their service areas, with fees adjusted upon patients’ ability to pay.

In 1997 BAPTIST HEALTH recognized a significant need in the community of First Presbyterian Church in Little Rock to provide healthcare services. BAPTIST HEALTH agreed to cover the expense for one registered nurse one day a week. First Presbyterian Church agreed to host the clinic one day a week within their facilities. The clinic is open every Friday from 11:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

The purpose of the clinic is to provide basic healthcare and healthcare education to homeless individuals and families resulting in the prevention of widespread disease while encouraging healthy living behaviors. First Presbyterian Church is also home to the Stew Pot, a soup kitchen that provides hot lunch meals to approximately 150 homeless individuals and families Monday through Friday

Services at the clinic include:

Individualized Health Education
Blood Pressure Screening
Cholesterol Screening
Blood Sugar Screening
Health Monitoring
First Aid
Parasitic Treatment (lice)
Nutrition Counseling
Mental Health Assessment
Referral to appropriate resources

LOGIQ e ULTRASOUND

The LOGIQ e delivers the power and productivity of a full-sized ultrasound system but in a laptop size. With its small size, technicians can perform diagnostic exams practically anywhere. LOGIQ e means less re-scanning and better productivity. Image archiving is quick because LOGIQ e has on-board patient data management and wireless capabilities.

BHMC – A has only one ultrasound machine. Patients who need follow-up ultrasound (for diagnostic mammograms, venous studies, etc.) are often delayed in getting their diagnosis. Often they must return to the hospital at a later date when the ultrasound machine is available. The BHMC – A existing ultrasound machine is large and cumbersome. Because of the size, few if any patients ever receive ultrasound while in surgery. Patients in the emergency department and in hospital rooms must be transported to and from the imaging department for ultrasound.

Our goal at BAPTIST HEALTH is to provide patients with ultrasound imaging in the operating room, the emergency department, ICU or anywhere in the hospital and to help prevent delays in a patient’s diagnosis.

Patients will receive faster, more convenient healthcare imaging services and quicker diagnosis. Fewer patients will need to come back to the hospital for a “re-scan.”

DAISY AWARDS FOR EXTRAORDINARY NURSES

DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. The DAISY Foundation was formed to recognize and appreciate the value of the nursing force in our hospitals. The DAISY Award is the first national program established by patients and their families to honor nurses. It currently includes more than 50 hospitals throughout the United States. It publicly acknowledges a nurse’s extraordinary skill and compassion from the patient’s point of view. Many hospitals have DAISY Award displays in their lobbies and nursing stations.
The recipients receive a DAISY Award certificate, a pin, and a hand-carved stone sculpture shown on the right. It is created by Shona Tribe artists in Zimbabwe and is entitled “A Healer’s Touch.” These items will be purchased from the DAISY Foundation.

The DAISY Awards will increase nurse retention and job satisfaction. Other hospital administrators have reported to the DAISY Foundation that the award is "inspirational," "a great morale booster," "an excellent tool for nurse retention," and "a way to develop role models."

The DAISY Award will encourage nurses to be compassionate and caring in their patient care. A high retention rate among employed nurses also helps contain healthcare costs.

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT EXPANSION

The Emergency Department (ED) main entrance, waiting room, and triage/admissions area are the three components addressed in this area of need. The ED sees more than 50,000 patients per year and each patient brings an average of 2.3 family members with them.

Objectives of the Emergency Department Waiting Room Expansion Project include; to improve the efficiency of ED services, to construct an ED entrance with better visibility and to enlarge the waiting area, to provide more space between the entry, triage/admissions area, and waiting area, and to build a second family room, enlarge the restrooms, and create a separate area where waiting patients can lie down and/or be close to the restrooms.

Patients will find the ED entrance more readily. Their triage/admission process will be quicker and more confidential. They will be able to find a seat in the waiting area or have the opportunity to lie down in a quiet, secluded area and be close to the restrooms. Two families of trauma patients will have access to private family rooms.

FETAL HEART MONITORS

A baby's heartbeat pattern during labor often reflects his or her condition. For this reason and others, healthcare personnel attach an electronic monitor to a mother in labor. Sometimes, it is also used during delivery and recovery. The GE Corometrics 250 Series Maternal/Fetal Monitor continuously prints out a record of the mother's and the baby’s temperature, blood pressure, blood oxygen, and heart rate. It also measures the contractions and dilation. It is especially useful for women with “at-risk” pregnancies. In the case of twins, it can monitor both babies. The GE Corometrics 170 Series Fetal Monitor is used for non-stress testing of a baby before birth and when labor is proceeding without complications. It is compact and lightweight.

Each year more than 250 babies are born at BHMC – A, and the number is increasing. At any one time, three and sometimes four women are in labor at BHMC – A. However, only one fetal monitor is available for them. Moreover, it is six years old and it will not be compatible with the upcoming nurse station technology platform. The cost to repair a second monitor (portable) that is not working is higher than the price of a new portable monitor.

BAPTIST HEALTH’ s primary objective is to help bring healthy babies into the world by monitoring their vital signs (and their mothers, in some cases) during labor, and during delivery and recovery if needed. To purchase two monitors that fit the need and will be compatible with the new technology to be installed at BHMC – A nurse stations.

Fetal monitors can save lives. If a baby’s heart rate drops at certain times, the monitor will alert the staff. The obstetrician may need to perform an emergency delivery to save the baby’s life. Mothers will be able to rely on BHMC – A to provide the best vigilant care for them and their baby.

PROJECT FIT AMERICA

Project Fit America (PFA) is an academic program to schools, grades 1-12, that develops cardiovascular health and teaches fitness education for a lifetime. Under this program the following issues are addressed: self-esteem, smoking intervention, fitness as fun exercise, and understanding your body.

According to Centers for Disease Control, in 2004 15% of children and teens are considered overweight, a tripling since 1980. An additional 15% are at risk meaning they are just on the verge of obesity. Obesity causes diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, breathing problems and psychological disorders.

It is estimated that suicide among teenagers is largely a result of obesity.

One primary benefit is to give children a positive relationship with their bodies, as a deterrent to the at-risk choices which face our youth, as they grow older. This project will have a direct impact on improving the health and well being of our citizens and address the alarming statistics with regard to the state of our nation’s youth.

Other direct benefits include:

Teach lifelong fitness skills
Provide individualized educational programs based on youth’s specific case
Improve self-esteem as related to peer issues
Lower the risk of future diagnosis such as diabetes, cardiovascular and stroke
Decrease the risk of teenage suicide

PLANNED GIFTS

A planned gift is one that will be distributed sometime in the future. The process of gift planning includes listening to the goals and interests of the donor, assisting with their selection of the best asset for the gift, and crafting a gift arrangement that meets the donor’s family needs and philanthropic intent. Paramount to planned giving is the development of a trusting relationship with the donor before the gift is made and maintaining that relationship throughout his or her lifetime. BAPTIST HEALTH Foundation provides experience in estate and gift planning free of charge to individuals, families, and their professional advisors. The staff at BAPTIST HEALTH Foundation is one of the most seasoned in the state with a combined 65 years of estate and gift planning experience.

More than 80% of Americans contribute to the nonprofit groups of their choice throughout their lifetimes. However, according to research conducted in 2000, only around 8% of people chose to continue this support through a charitable bequest.

New findings, discoveries, better diagnostic and treatment tools are continually emerging in healthcare. To provide the best healthcare service to its patients, BAPTIST HEALTH must continually invest in new and often very costly equipment and the technology associated with it. Such expensive purchases cannot be a part of the annual operating budget. Planned gifts will enable BAPTIST HEALTH to access medical advancements in future years.

POSTPARTUM ROOM RENOVATIONS

Since 1992, more than 33,000 babies have been born at BHMC – LR. Expectant parents are first placed in the beautiful new labor and delivery rooms. These rooms were remodeled in 2004 with funds raised by BAPTIST HEALTH Foundation. After delivery, the parents move to a postpartum room.

Maternity patients often tour the labor, delivery, and recovery (LD&R) department in several hospitals before selecting one for the birth of their child. The BHMC – LR postpartum rooms are older than the postpartum rooms in all other healthcare facilities in the Little Rock area. Families that have an unfavorable impression of the LD&R, will sometimes elect to not return to the hospital for their future healthcare needs. New parents at BHMC – LR are pleased with the new L&D rooms and then are so disappointed when they arrive in postpartum where the rooms have not been updated for 20 years.

To improve the image of BHMC – LR among patients and their families who may elect to return to BHMC – LR for their future healthcare needs. To remodel and refurnish 28 postpartum rooms (approx. 180 sq. ft. x 28 = 5,040 sq. ft.).

More than 20,000 families over a 10-year span will have a more positive birth experience at the hospital. For example, more fathers will elect to stay overnight.

TRANSPLANT CENTER OF EXCELLENCE

The BAPTIST HEALTH Heart and Kidney Transplant Programs began in 1989. BAPTIST HEALTH is the only active adult heart transplant provider and the only adult Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) provider in Arkansas. To date, 148 people have received a new heart and the program expects to perform 14 transplants in 2007. BAPTIST HEALTH has also transplanted more than 690 kidneys. Live kidney donors can benefit from the innovative “laparoscopic donor nephrectomy” technique which reduces their recovery time and stress. Between 2005 and 2007, the wait time for kidney patients at BAPTIST HEALTH was dramatically reduced from 46 to 25 days.

Some patients in central Arkansas select another transplant center (further from home) rather than BAPTIST HEALTH because the waiting time for a donor organ is shorter, the survival rate is better, or their insurance coverage is better. However, should complications arise before or after the transplant, they need immediate access to their transplant team. For this reason, patients need to live near their transplant center. Because of the BHMC – LR physical limitations, transplant patients must be shuttled to various departments throughout the hospital. Transplant patient management is not coordinated in a comprehensive manner.

BAPTIST HEALTH hopes to construct a 5,000 sq. ft. facility for the transplant programs and by 2) joining the United Resource Network’s (URN) Transplant Centers of Excellence Network. The facility will be placed in an unfinished open space on the fourth floor of the Hickingbotham Outpatient Center.

URN provides well-designed strategies and resources such as group purchasing power, donor organ databases, and patient management systems. It also sets standards for excellence. As the URN explains it, “Patients with complex medical conditions are more likely to get better care when they are treated by experienced, knowledgeable physicians and better care leads to shorter hospital stays, higher success rates, faster recoveries and lower costs.”