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| Home > WorkingPages | |
New York Downtown Hospital 2005 Community Service PlanNew York Downtown Hospital (NYDH) is pleased to present its Community Service Plan report for the calendar years 2002-2004. NYDH is a 176-bed voluntary, not-for-profit community teaching hospital. As the only hospital in Lower Manhattan, NYDH is an essential community resource charged with ensuring the health and well-being of the people who live and work in Chinatown, the Lower East Side, Little Italy, Wall Street, Soho, Tribeca, and Battery Park City. The Community Service Plan reflects NYDH's ongoing commitment to implementing initiatives that (1) help meet communities' healthcare needs, (2) provide charity care services, and (3) improve healthcare access for the underserved sections of our city. Mission Statement Mission NYDH is a community teaching hospital dedicated to serving the people who live in, work in, or visit Lower Manhattan. As a community hospital, NYDH offers health care services tailored to meet the specific needs of the community with an emphasis on outreach and ambulatory services. As a teaching hospital, NYDH conducts graduate and undergraduate educational programs and provides clinical experience for physicians, medical students, nurses, and other health professionals. NYDH offers its patients, medical staff, and employees a caring environment that emphasizes patient dignity and professional pride. Vision To be a trusted neighbor who provides access to a full range of quality health care services to the community with special emphasis on Greater New York’s Chinese community. To be a center of excellence for ambulatory care, health maintenance, and primary care education for all who live in, work in, or visit Lower Manhattan. We will realize our vision through community-based facilities and related networks. The elements of this vision are as follows: Trusted neighbor: As a community-based healthcare organization, the Hospital has an obligation to act in a positive fashion to improve the health of its neighbors. It is our responsibility to reach out to the community and welcome it into the Hospital. Patients, visitors, and staff should feel that they have come into a caring environment. The patient who uses the Hospital should be able to say, “I was well served.” The staff member who works at the Hospital should be able to say, “I work with excellent staff. I recommend my Hospital without reservation.” Full range of healthcare services: The Hospital focuses its energies on providing access to the full range of health and social services. These services are performed through traditional forms of care, such as inpatient services, as well as non-traditional forms that include extended social services, assistance with housing, midwifery and other supportive activities. Center of excellence for health maintenance: At NYDH, health maintenance goes beyond what traditional hospital services provide to include preventive services, health screenings and education, early intervention, and other outreach activities. This approach builds on the tradition of full-service care established by Elizabeth Blackwell, M.D., whose New York Infirmary for Women and Children was a forerunner of NYDH. Chinese Community: NYDH serves the healthcare needs of the Chinese community. Culturally sensitive staff and targeted outreach programs are the cornerstone of our commitment to this patient population. Model programs addressing the specific needs of the Chinese community include specially designed health screenings, educational lectures, and immunization drives. Nonresident Community: NYDH provides a constant, life-saving presence for over 370,000 workers in the area and 7.6 million annual tourists. This population depends on NYDH to be available to serve them when an emergent need arises. This was amply demonstrated after the World Trade Center bombing in 1993 and again after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack. The Hospital received world-wide acclaim for its heroic actions as a front-line responder and has become a leader in disaster preparedness and emergency response. Values These values and principles are shared by the entire NYDH healthcare team: PatientFirst: All activities are aimed at earning and keeping the trust and confidence of our patients, their families, and loved ones through the provision of quality services in a caring environment. Integrity: We hold ourselves fully accountable for our professional actions and are honest and ethical in all of our dealings. We have high standards for ourselves and uphold the Hospital’s high standards of professional behavior. Respect for the Individual: We conduct our activities with patients, their families, and loved ones, community members, colleagues, and vendors with respect for the other person. Teamwork: We work for NYDH first, our departments second. We support each other and feel free to ask for input or assistance from our colleagues. Community Needs Assessment NYDH meets regularly with its Community Advisory Board, composed of Hospital executives, representatives from the state and local government, health department representatives, community organizations, and local businesses. Through these meetings, the health care needs of the communities are regularly assessed, and feedback on the Hospital’s performance is regularly obtained and subsequently integrated into its strategic plan. Strategic Plan: New Programs and Services Chemotherapy/Infusion Suite A new Chemotherapy/Infusion Suite opened at NYDH. The suite is designed for adult patients and offers chemotherapy and phlebotomy, as well as IV antibiotics, hydration, and iron infusions. Staffed by a full-time nurse, the new on-site suite enables NYDH patients to be diagnosed, hospitalized and treated in the same facility. The new Chemotherapy/Infusion Suite provides an intimate and connected approach to cancer care and treatment for NYDH patients. New Virology Clinic NYDH has opened a new Virology Clinic. The Virology Clinic presently focuses on HIV testing and disease management, but will expand to include care for other viral diseases including Hepatitis B and C. The new clinic is overseen by an infectious disease expert with special training in the field of HIV care. Patients will also benefit from consistency of care, as the same physician who treats them in an ambulatory setting will also be available if they require care as an in patient. Translators and social services will also be provided as needed. New EMG Technology & Services NYDH is now offering a new service to patients suffering from nerve and muscle disorders. The Hospital has acquired state-of-the-art electromyography (EMG) technology, as well as the equipment required for nerve conduction studies. Measurement of the electrical activity in muscles and nerves can help to detect the presence, location, and extent of neuro-muscular diseases such as herniated discs, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), myasthenia gravis (MG), carpal tunnel syndrome, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and post-polio syndrome. Patient Care Initiatives Patient First Initiative High-quality care for our patients is the reason that we come to work every day. It includes not only medical treatment, but also “customer service” for our patients. To that end, NYDH has recently completed a pilot program in Radiology to improve patient satisfaction. After being fine-tuned by the radiology staff and administration, the program is being extended to all Hospital employees. The program consists of three separate one-hour training sessions focusing on customer service. Sessions have been scheduled to accommodate staff members who work day, night, or evening shifts. Organ Donation Council In the United States, over 83,000 people are waiting for lifesaving transplants. A new patient joins the list every 16 minutes; every 96 minutes a person dies while waiting. As part of its core mission to save and enhance the lives of its patients, NYDH supports organ and tissue donation. A new Organ Donation Council has been formed in order to educate patients and staff about organ donation as well as to expand the Hospital’s capabilities in this important area of medicine. Televised Patient Education A new patient education initiative has been launched. Inpatients can now access health information via their bedside television sets. Three channels will offer general patient health information in English, Chinese, and Spanish. Topics include Hospital admission policies, health care proxies, pain management, high blood pressure, HIV, diabetes, high cholesterol, asthma, tuberculosis, and services available through the Kress Vision Program. Two additional channels, one in English and the other in Chinese, will focus on health issues related to newborns, including breastfeeding. Television service and the patient health education channels are all free for inpatients. “Watch and Listen for Your Health” Campaign The NYDH Chinese Community Partnership for Health Foundation has recently launched the Watch and Listen for Your Health Campaign, a pioneering series of culturally sensitive educational television and radio programs targeting the underserved Chinese population. The campaign consists of 26 health talks conducted by Chinese physicians in both Mandarin and Cantonese. The talks will be broadcast via Sino Television and AM1480 radio. Phase I of ER Project Completed Phase I of the Emergency Department renovation expansion project was completed in March 2005. It is the first major step in the creation of The Lehman Brother’s Emergency Center at NY Downtown Hospital – a $25 million dollar emergency facility which will serve as a vital life-line for everyone living in, working in, or visiting Lower Manhattan. Phase I entailed the construction of the present Emergency Department treatment areas in the space that was previously an outside courtyard. The new space was designed through close collaboration between ED physicians, nurses, clinical specialists, and administrators, and will improve patient flow and efficiency of care. All patient treatment rooms will meet or exceed standards with ample room for patients and for the ability to expand treatment areas. The Chest Pain Unit has also been upgraded and improved. The Phase I ED area will feature the latest in technology, including wireless communication, state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment, and global patient monitoring. A new area has been added adjacent to the main ED for the care of prisoners and psychiatric patients, away from the main flow of the general patient population. There will also be an improved and expanded “Fast Track” area for the treatment of relatively minor injuries and general medical or gynecological problems. Partnership with Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center As long as Lower Manhattan remains a showcase and symbol of America’s economic power, we are obligated to address its continued vulnerability to the kind of attacks that have occurred in the past. The Hospital is therefore working to increase its expertise in responding catastrophic events in order to provide a first line of defense as well as education for other organizations concerned with the protection their employees. To this end, we have engaged leading physicians and administrators from one of Jerusalem’s premier institutions, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, to share knowledge and strategies for protecting our respective communities. Shaare Zedek Medical Center is world-renowned for its expertise in the medical response to terrorism, and NY Downtown is unique among American hospitals in its experience of providing life-saving care under extreme disaster conditions during the single most damaging terrorist act in history. Our staff has been severely tested and has responded with courage and compassion under the most challenging circumstances. The evolving partnership between our two institutions will bring an exchange of information along with other very tangible benefits. These will include additional training for NY Downtown Hospital personnel; an enhanced database for disaster response in Lower Manhattan; and assistance with the architectural design of our facility to ensure maximum preparedness for widespread emergencies. The Hospital is also developing a team to train personnel of major corporations in responding to mass emergencies such as biological and chemical attacks and events involving radioactive material, to provide another level of protection for Downtown employees. We believe that safety and security are prerequisites to maintaining thriving businesses and flourishing neighborhoods, and are confident that our groundbreaking relationship with Shaare Zedek will help us to achieve the highest level of vigilance and safety for all of those we serve. Challenges Like many hospitals, NY Downtown faces an unprecedented set of financial challenges resulting from decreased Medicare and Medicaid payments; increased managed care activity; greater operating expenses; and growing numbers of uninsured patients. As the closest hospital to the September 11th disaster, we face the added challenge of the ongoing financial impact of the attack on our operations and our entire community. A major internal focus of the Hospital, therefore, is on strengthening our long-term ability to be a financially sound provider of high-quality health care. To achieve this goal, we have implemented an institution-wide stabilization plan to improve billing and collection processes; increase the efficiency of Hospital services and operations; reduce the cost of supplies and other operating expenses; increase market share and revenue; and expand programs and services. Through the stabilization plan, the Hospital saved $10 million in 2003 and over $13 million in 2004. Additional measures are underway to ensure a strong, financially stable hospital that is equal to the challenges of a revitalized Downtown New York. Organizational Measures of Success The continuing success of our Stabilization Plan and other efforts to create a sound financial foundation for the Hospital are critical to the institution’s overall well-being. We will monitor these efforts closely and make adjustments as needed to bring about the long-term stability necessary to provide high quality health care for our community. The Hospital does extensive outreach to the Downtown communities and meets monthly with its Community Advisory Board to encourage constructive dialogue with other community organizations. Other measures of organizational success include Patient Satisfaction Surveys, which are available in Chinese, Spanish and English, and contain 52 questions covering the entire hospital experience. All patients are asked to complete the surveys, whose topics include overall quality of health care, the degree to which patients feel informed by their doctors, quality of nursing, evaluation of blood drawing and other common procedures, staff courtesy and attitude, environment, food, and other areas. Patient complaints are relayed to department heads within 24 hours, and tabulated results of the surveys are analyzed and submitted quarterly to the Patient Satisfaction and Quality Control Committees, which work with staff to develop corrective actions. The Hospital also measures success through growth in patient volume; the amount of care provided for underserved populations; compliance with quality measures established by accrediting associations; the recruitment of high-caliber physicians; and growth in philanthropic support. Goals One of our major strategic goals is to achieve an increase of market share in residential neighborhoods through high quality women’s and children’s health services. Since the opening of our state-of-the-art Maternity Center in 1997, our Obstetrics discharges have doubled, making the Hospital the market leader in obstetrics in Lower Manhattan. We continue to seek cost-effective ways of improving services and attracting patients in order to remain a trusted neighbor for the Downtown community. To better serve the community, a number of further goals have been outlined: • to better serve the geriatric population, invigorate the hospitalist program, home visit program, geriatric outreach program; develop relationships with nursing homes and assisted living facilities; develop center of excellence in emergency and cardiac care. • to improve OR efficiency and performance, computerize OR Schedule; recruit physician leadership; obtain necessary new equipment; train present staff and recruit additional staff; renovate inpatient area. • to increase philanthropy by continued outreach to community and potential partners. • to establish a strong relationship with an academic medical center with a shared strategic vision that will work as an active partner. Providing Charity Care Services • NYDH serves a large percentage of uninsured and low income patients. Approximately 58% of all inpatients and 75% of emergency patients have no insurance or are insured by Medicaid. • At the request of patients, arranged for special payment plans for patients who had difficulty making payments. • Established sliding scale rates for patients scheduled for ambulatory surgery who fall within the federal poverty level. • The Emergency Department, both by previous practice and by EMTALA guidelines, has always provided immediate access to health care for patients without insurance or financial means. • The Downtown Family Care Center obtained a Dexascan to test for osteoporosis of the hip and spine and provided free testing for uninsured patients. • Project CARE provides outreach and education to the uninsured population of New York City. Meeting Community Health Care Needs • The Hospital’s service area also has the highest per capita incidence of heart attacks in New York City. Patients with chest pain account for 1,500-1,700 Hospital visits annually, and 10% of these are full-scale heart attacks. On average, a heart attack patient sent to NY Downtown will be diagnosed and treated within 30 minutes of the ambulance call -- 53 minutes quicker than the national average. • Downtown’s financial community – the country’s third largest business district – depends daily on the Hospital for emergency care; over half of our emergency patients come from area corporations and small businesses. The Hospital also offers in-office education on cardiac care and other pertinent health topics as well as convenient outpatient care for nearby employees. • Improvements have been made in hazardous materials decontamination, bioterrorism recognition and treatment, and incident command systems to better protect the community in the event of a disaster. • Improvements in staffing of the Emergency Department to include all Emergency Board Certified Physicians. • Promotion through the Corporate Services Department of outreach and education programs to local business and corporate health stations (health fairs, lectures, etc.). • Implementation of a grant program for post-September 11th social and psychological counseling for community victims. • Work by Dr. Goldschmitt with City Council as part of the Health Care Advisory Panel to ensure quality health care and disaster safety to the citizens of Lower Manhattan. • Creation of Internet web sites for access by the community to various Hospital Departments for information and feedback. • Organized more hospital outreach activities—including community health fairs, health seminars, and screening events—at schools, factories, and other community-based sites. • Responded to requests by key community leaders for assistance and special services, including patient visits, physician referrals, assistance with billing issues, and participation in various community events. • Helped to publicize new Hospital services by arranging more press conferences and media interviews. • Identified and collaborated with new partners, such as family, business, and social organizations in the community, to disseminate health care information and learn about the special needs of their members. Corporate Health and Wellness Program. The Hospital designs customized worksite health promotion programs, screenings, and lectures to employees of companies located in the Downtown area. Corporate Physicians Partnership Program. Downtown Hospital physicians provide on-site medical services to corporations seeking direct access to healthcare for their employees. Corporate Health Hotline.Through the Hotline, our Corporate Liaison Nurse maintains communication with the medical departments of Lower Manhattan firms. The nurse expedites care for employees by providing emergency staff with advance medical information on individuals on their way to the emergency room. The Corporate Liaison follows each patient’s care, updates the patient’s company on his or her condition, and helps in arranging follow-up care. Downtown HeartSavers. Hospital doctors and nurses bring cardiac health information to Downtown employees through lectures, blood pressure screenings, and nutritional counseling to promote heart-healthy habits among the fast-paced Wall Street workforce. Cardiac Care. Serving the area with the highest per capital incidence of heart attacks in New York City, the Hospital provides emergency cardiac care that is nationally recognized for excellence. NY Downtown Hospital also offers the only medically supervised cardiac rehabilitation program in close proximity to Downtown offices. Outpatient Services. Many employees in Lower Manhattan receive outpatient care from physicians based at NY Downtown Hospital. NY Downtown Hospital is also the largest provider of health care for the metropolitan area’s vast and growing Chinese community. The Hospital’s Chinese Community Partnership for Health, begun in 1993, has served over 100,000 individuals through community-based screenings for high blood pressure, cholesterol, vision and hearing; screening and treatment for breast cancer; health education workshops at worksites and community halls; maternal and child services; and a Chinese-language health Hotline. The Hospital’s Downtown Family Care Center provides primary care for a largely Latino population on the Lower East Side, and our Brooklyn Primary Care Center serves the growing Chinese neighborhoods in and around Sunset Park. Number of Individuals Served The following are numbers of patients served by NY Downtown Hospital in 2004: Inpatients: 12,000 Emergency room visits: 30,000 Ambulance Trips: 5,600 Outpatients: 100,000 Surgical Procedures: 7,000 Births: 2,500 Home Visit Program: 2,000 Improving Access to Health Care Services for the Under-Served NYDH is the only hospital fully dedicated to meeting the needs of the city’s vast Chinese population, which doubled over the past two decades. This community faces significant cultural and language-based obstacles to health care and information. The Hospital’s groundbreaking program, the Chinese Community Partnership for Health, has provided medical screening, follow-up care and health education to over 100,000 Chinese-speaking individuals. Through its Downtown Family Care Center, the Hospital offers primary care for a largely Latino population on the Lower East Side, which faces barriers to care similar to those of the immigrant Chinese population. For Downtown seniors – the area’s fastest-growing residential group — NYDH provides care on-site at housing complexes throughout Lower Manhattan, and our Visiting Doctors Program helps ensure high-quality care for homebound individuals of all ages. • Established patient courtesy van service to pick up and drop off patients—especially senior citizens—between Chinatown and the Hospital without charge. • Worked with Project Care to conduct more workshops in Chinatown to inform the underserved members of the community about Medicaid, Medicare, PCAP, and other health insurance benefits and helped them filed their applications. • Established Patient Advocate Translation service in Mandarin and Cantonese, 24 hours a day. • Expanded Brooklyn Clinic to provide health care to more members of the Chinese population. • Worked with physicians and Chinese media to publish more articles on special health issues in the Chinese media. • Planned and taped more health education programs broadcast on two Chinese language radio stations weekly. • Collaborated with more senior centers and social and community organizations to provide free on-site health care services such as health screenings, vision screenings, flu shots, and education seminars. • Organized more Hospital participation in activities and functions within the Chinese community of New York. • Held more NYDH events for the President and senior management officers to meet with leaders of the Chinese community to announce Hospital progress and new services as well as to learn the needs of the community. • Conducted more special seminars in family associations and community organizations in Chinatown to educate new immigrants about health care systems in the United States and to promote Hospital services. Corporate Structure New York Downtown Hospital is a 176-bed voluntary not-for-profit community teaching hospital located at 170 William Street, New York, NY 10038. The Hospital occupies 8 floors and encompasses 300,000 square feet near the Brooklyn Bridge in Lower Manhattan. The Hospital owns two residential buildings with a total of 250 apartments for staff. In addition, the Hospital operates primary care sites in Sunset Park in Brooklyn and in Essex Street in Lower Manhattan. The Hospital also operates a Methadone program on Trinity Place in Lower Manhattan and has administrative office space at 59 Maiden Lane. |
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