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Every year Marshall works
diligently to offer our community improved services and more advanced technology
so we can provide excellent healthcare.
In
response to community feedback concerning wait times in the emergency department
(ED), Marshall took action toward reducing these wait times. An urgent care
area within the ED, known as a “fast track”, was created to operate in the
emergency room during the busiest hours. The fast track is an expanded area of
the ED, staffed by nurse practitioners, physicians’ assistants and clinical
technicians, designed to help get the less seriously ill patients seen more
quickly. During the fast track hours of 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., patients with
minor injuries only wait behind other patients of the same priority. Some of
the conditions that would be candidates for the fast track include minor
lacerations, sprains, certain closed fractures, sore throats, headaches,
earaches, bladder infections and rashes.
Marshall installed an
all-digital x-ray system called the Multi-Diagnost, from Phillips Medical
Systems. It features an advanced form of angiography (the examination of blood
vessels with x-rays) known as Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA). This
equipment provides complete digital imaging of several different body regions
and systems including digestive, skeletal, urinary, reproductive, respiratory
and circulatory.
The results of the 2001
Patients’ Evaluation of Performance in California (PEP-C) project, the largest
and most comprehensive hospital patient survey ever released to the public, were
released on August 29. Marshall Medical was one of 113 hospitals in California
that volunteered to participate. Designed to evaluate the hospital experience
from the patient perspective, the survey questioned more than 20,000
Californians who were hospitalized in the year 2000.
Marshall received the
highest rating available for the overall experience of maternity patients. The
hospital also received the highest rating in the category of respect for patient
preferences, which is an indication of whether the patient felt treated with
respect and as a partner in the healthcare process.
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2001 started with the
celebration of the International Year of Volunteers and ended
with many
volunteer efforts on the community level to deal with the disastrous effects of
September 11.
The Marshall Hospital Auxiliary currently has 138 members and volunteered 22,
088 hours of service in 2001. With the funds generated from the Auxiliary
fundraisers and their gift shop sales they were able to present Marshall with a
check for $45,000. This completed their five-year pledge of $300,000 toward the
purchase of the Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) equipment that was
installed in the hospital in 2001. They also donated $1000 to the Community
Health Library and the $1000 to Marshall’s Child Life Specialist.
Marshall’s 99 junior volunteers worked 2539 hours in 2001. Marshall recruited
about 50 Community Volunteers. The Palliative Care volunteer program was
started and has grown to 20 volunteers.
Volunteers started two new programs: Mended Hearts provides peer counseling to
heart patients and Amputees Caring Together (A.C.T.) counsels amputees or
patients facing possible amputation.
Other new projects included staff volunteering to handle phones for the KVIE
Pledge Drive, volunteers who provided repair and maintenance to patients’ homes,
Make a Difference Day projects that involved the whole county, and volunteers
helping with fundraising events for various agencies throughout the Western
Slope. Marshall employees came together and raised over $5000 for the September
11 relief efforts for the American Red Cross in New York and Washington D.C.
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Board of Directors 2003
The
Marshall Medical Board of Directors is responsible for setting hospital policy,
maintaining the hospital’s financial stability and making decisions that affect
the future of the organization. They are a volunteer
group of community members who provide their time and experience to ensure that
the hospital is meeting and providing for the healthcare needs of the community.
Board President Jack
Tammi, CPA,
was
named to the hospital board in 1995. He has practiced public accounting in
Placerville since 1966. Jack has served as president of the El Dorado County
Chamber of Commerce and the Placerville Kiwanis Club. He served as
Board Secretary before being elected Board President.
Vice President Charles Stephens,
Board President in 1998, 1999 and 2000 is the owner of Randolph Jewelers and
joined the hospital board in 1992. He has served as a past president of the
Downtown Association, chairman of the City Planning Commission, and president of
the Marshall Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees.
Board Secretary George L. Cook, Jr.
is president of El Dorado Savings Bank and has been with the bank in the
Placerville area for 28 years. He joined the
board in March 1998.
Chief of Staff at Marshall
Hospital is Craig Thayer,
M.D. He has been a general surgeon at Marshall since finishing his residency
training at U.C. Davis Medical Center in 1992. He was the chair of the surgery
department for four years before becoming Chief of Staff Elect for the last two
years. He’s a member of the American Cancer Society Board of Directors for the
Western Slope, the medical director of Marshall HomeCare (the hospital’s home
health department), a Placerville Rotarian and a master’s water polo player.
Jerry Bennett,
registered pharmacist, was the owner of Robinson’s Pharmacy in Placerville for
40 years. Now retired, he is a longtime Placerville resident, having graduated
from El Dorado High School. He served on the Placerville City Council for 17
years, including the position of Vice Mayor.
Jerry Arnold, M.D.,
has been a Radiologist at Marshall Hospital since 1988 and is associated with
Placerville Radiology. He is on multiple hospital and medical staff committees.
Dr. Arnold was Chief of Staff at Marshall Hospital for two years.
Bob Ferguson.
has been the Superintendent of the El Dorado Union High School District since
1998. He moved here from Santa Barbara, where he served for seven years on the
board of Cottage Hospital. He lives in Shingle Springs and is a member of the
El Dorado Hills Rotary Club. He is also on the board of Job One.
Former Marshall Hospital Chief of
Staff Gary Cutter, M.D.
will return as a member of
the board. He served as the Chief of Staff-Elect from January 1998 to December
1999 and served as Chief of Staff from January 2000 to January 2002. He has
been a member of the medical staff since 1990. Dr. Cutter has been active on
the Surgery Review and Anesthesia Review Committees.
He served on the Board of Directors of El Dorado Medical Associates for six
years.
David Combellack.
previously served on the board from 1981 to 1991, including a term as Board
President from 1985-88. He is a partner in the law firm of Combellack and
Craig, a general, civil practice. He has been an attorney in Placerville since
1975 and a member of the Placerville Rotary since 1978.
Kim Beal.
is vice president of Dorado Land and Development and an independent real estate
broker. She came to El Dorado County in 1966 and currently lives in Cameron
Park. She is a past president of the El Dorado County Association of Realtors
and a founding member of the El Dorado Forum.
Kathleen Peek.
has been a resident of Camino for 35 years. She was the founding
President of the El Dorado Community Foundation, a
past President of the Board of Directors of New Morning Youth and Family
Services, and a member of the original Marshall Hospital Foundation Board.
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Marshall Hospital
and Blue Cross of California Agree to Three-year Contract
Placerville, Calif. (May 24, 2002)
– Blue Cross of California (Blue Cross) and Marshall
Hospital today announced the signing of a multi-year agreement for
healthcare services in El Dorado County. The new contract takes effect
June 1, 2002 and allows Blue Cross members continued access to services
from Marshall Hospital.
“Representatives from Marshall
Hospital and Blue Cross have put forth great effort in negotiating an
amicable contract that meets the needs of everyone involved,” said Steve
Melody, Blue Cross’ vice president of network development for Northern
California. “This contract strengthens long-term network stability for our
members in El Dorado County”
“We both approached these
negotiations in good faith and are especially pleased that our long-term
relationship will continue through this multi-year contract,” said
Marshall Hospital’s chief financial officer James Whipple.
Marshall Hospital is an
independent, nonprofit community hospital located in the heart of the
Sierra Foothills between Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe. Marshall is a
fully accredited acute care facility with 103 beds and several outpatient
facilities. The hospital has approximately
162 affiliated
physicians representing 28 specialties and a team of 860 employees
providing quality healthcare services to more than 100,000 residents of El
Dorado County. Marshall Hospital annually delivers 600 newborns, performs
111,700 outpatient procedures and receives 19,600 emergency department
visits.
Blue
Cross of California and its California affiliates, with more than 6.6
million medical members, is an operating subsidiary of WellPoint Health
Networks Inc., one of the nation’s largest publicly traded health care
companies. WellPoint serves the health care needs of
more than 13 million medical members
and approximately 42.6 million specialty members nationally.
WellPoint offers a broad spectrum of
quality network-based health products including open access PPO, POS and
hybrid products, HMO and specialty products. Specialty products include
pharmacy benefit management, dental, utilization management, vision,
mental health, life and disability insurance, long term care insurance,
flexible spending accounts, COBRA administration, and Medicare
supplements.
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Antivenom Shortage
Heightens Snakebite Danger
A national shortage of
snakebite antivenom makes this an especially dangerous year to incur a
venomous snakebite.
“One of the main producers of antivenom suffered some problems with their
production process,” said Bob DiPonti, Pharm.D., pharmacy coordinator at
Marshall Hospital in Placerville. “We currently have some available but
we are very low. The
manufacturers are expecting to finish production and release some by the
end of June, but it’s always possible that there may not be any available
the rest of the year. We are on the list for the first available shipment
of the drug. We just want folks who work or recreate outdoors,
especially up here in the foothills, to be extra careful this year.”
Marshall
typically sees about six to eight snakebite cases a year. The antivenom
is used in cases involving poisonous snakes such as rattlesnakes. The
chances of getting bitten by one of these snakes is actually quite rare
and nearly all venomous snakebites are preventable. To avoid getting
bitten, snakebite experts recommend the following precautions:
·
Hikers
should wear sturdy boots or shoes that extend beyond the ankle when in snake territory.
·
When a
snake is encountered, it should be left alone! One should not approach a
venomous snake, whether to catch it or kill it. Half of all U.S.
snakebites occur when a person knowingly puts himself in the way of the
snake.
·
When in
snake territory, people should not put their hands behind rocks, under
fallen branches or in any hidden openings where snakes may be lurking.
·
To
remove a venomous snake from one’s home or yard, call the local Animal
Control, Fire Department or the Public Health Department for assistance.
Any individuals bitten
by a snake should immediately go to the nearest hospital emergency room.
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The Breastfeeding
Specialty Store at Marshall Hospital has changed its name to The Mom Shop
and to kick of the new name, the store held a Mother’s Day Open House
Event.
“We wanted a new name that
was more representative of our entire product and service line,” said
store manager Belinda Brent. “While our main focus is still
breastfeeding, we also have a wonderful selection of new merchandise
including gifts for new mothers, nursing fashions and a broad selection of
breastfeeding supplies. The Open House Event was really fun. We had it
on the day before Mother’s Day so that everyone, not just mothers and
mothers-to-be, could come by and see what we’re all about.”
The Mother’s Day event
featured a full schedule of events including a “Nutrition for Nursing
Moms” class, a Nursing Wear Fashion Show, ongoing product demonstrations
and free baby weight checks. The Mom Shop also gave free gifts to
breastfeeding moms and moms-to-be, offering a 20% discount on all
merchandise (gift certificates, rentals and consults excluded) and holding
a raffle for nursing gifts ($100 Gift Basket, Boppy Pillows, Gift
Certificates and more.).
Until this store opened on
August 20, 2000, finding breastfeeding products and accessories was
difficult or impossible in this area. The Mom Shop carries many items
that can be extremely helpful to new moms as they start to breastfeed and
when they go back to work or school. The Mom Shop at Marshall can provide
a lovely and useful gift for a daughter or daughter-in-law, sister or
niece that is expecting a baby.
The store offers gift
registry services, gift certificates, custom gift baskets, free gift-wrap
and delivery to new moms at the Marshall Hospital BirthPlace, and the
latest styles in nursing wear from Bravado! Designs, Leading Lady, Majamas,
Mums & Blossoms and CareWear. To make sure baby is stylish as well, the
Mom Shop carries a selection of charming baby hats from Flap Happy. Gift
items available include baby calendars, hand and footprint kits, lotions
for mom and baby, books, baby slings, Avent bottle sets, Boppy nursing
pillows and a full line of nursing supplies from Medela, including breast
pumps for sale or rent.
The Mom Shop at Marshall
Hospital is open Monday through Friday, 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday,
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lactation consultants are available at the store to
answer questions and to schedule individual consultations. The store is
located across from Marshall Hospital on Marshall Way in Placerville. The
Mom Shop is a not-for profit enterprise of Marshall Hospital. All revenue
generated goes to supporting Breastfeeding Support Resources and the
Lactation Department at Marshall Hospital. For questions or to make an
appointment with a Board Certified Lactation Consultant, please call (530)
621-4317.
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