Community Report 2008

Over the last year, Wise Regional Health System has made significant changes to the

hospital to provide Wise County and our surrounding communities with the very best in

medical care.

Our $55 million, 176,000-square foot expansion of the hospital has provided for

advanced technology, an emergency room that has quadrupled in size, an

intensive care unit that has doubled in size and a labor and delivery unit that has also

doubled in size and features fully-equipped delivery suites where moms stay during

labor, delivery and post-delivery. We also have a growing and diversified physician staff

and many new services.

No longer do residents of Wise County and beyond need to travel to the Metroplex for major medical care or specialized procedures. With our new facility, advanced health

care services are now available close to home.

Wise Regional Health System now operates 148 acute care beds in two facilities and

provides a wide range of inpatient and outpatient services to Wise and our surrounding

counties.

The new main hospital, or East Campus, features 99 private patient rooms with the most

advanced acute care equipment available. In addition, we have the ability to grow to a

250-bed hospital by adding two patient towers in the future.

The newly renovated West Campus operates inpatient rehabilitation and behavioral

health facilities, sleep studies, our WorkSTEPS program and the Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Center.

In February, we executed a formal affiliation agreement with Baylor Health Care System for an initial term of five years. This agreement maximizes the delivery of health care in

Wise County and provides residents with access to a full range of top quality health care

services.

The agreement specifically provides for continuing education for physicians, nurses and other clinical personnel; consulting by senior managers at Baylor Health Care System to

provide counsel on matters including quality improvement efforts and strategic planning;

assistance in physician recruiting and access to Baylor Health Care System’s group purchasing abilities, which provides significant savings for Wise Regional.

The agreement is a significant milestone in the history of Wise Regional as it formalizes

years of informal cooperation and mutual support with Baylor Health Care System. The affiliation ensures that 21st century health care will be a reality for years to come in our

region.

The Joint Commission on Accreditation Hospital Organizations has “Accredited” our

hospital since 1982. Once again, Wise Regional Health System received the Joint

Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval by the premium hospital accreditation agency in

the nation as meeting or exceeding established health care standards. We are especially

pleased as this marks our 25th consecutive year of achieving such a high honor.

This year we have seen a 30% growth in admissions, a 13% growth in Emergency Room visits and 4% increase in surgeries. And, these increases have been met with the same

commitment to patient care that has been a hallmark of Wise Regional from day one.

For example, our “Fast Track” clinic allows us to quickly assess and treat patients with

less urgent conditions and relieve unnecessary traffic in the department. The national

average length of stay in an Emergency Department, from triage to discharge, is 180

minutes. At WRHS, our average length of stay is 60 minutes less than the national

average.

This year also provided groundbreaking progress for WRHS. On October 9, Dr. John

Kuhn performed the first Coronary Artery Bypass Graft surgery in Wise County. This surgery is performed for patients that have significant narrowing and blockages of the

heart arteries.

The addition of our new physicians and specialized staff to the Cardiovascular Services

program has opened the doors to life-saving surgeries for Wise County residents.

The Intensive Care Unit is dedicated to providing high quality critical care to a wide range of cardiac, medical and surgical patients. Total patient care is provided 24 hours a

day by RN’s trained in critical care and a 2 to 1 patient/ nurse ratio is maintained. Each

room is private and equipped with an advanced cardiac monitoring system, full bathroom/ shower and a flat screen TV. The patients are monitored by the nurse from a

“POD” area between the two rooms that allows for optimal observation of the cardiac

monitor. Each patient will enjoy the focused attention of the nurse caring for them.

From pediatric to geriatric and everywhere in between, the Medical Surgical Unit at

WRHS offers compassionate, total patient care in a family-orientated setting. The health

care team is comprised of nurses, therapists and physicians who work together to

coordinate care.

This year, the hospital entered into a lease agreement to offer the latest in digital

mammography services. While funds are still being secured to purchase the equipment, through fundraising efforts, the hospital is able to provide our community with the most

powerful equipment that provides high-resolution screening images. These images are

unmatched in clarity, resolution and quality and provide diagnostic information that is far

superior to screen-film technology.

The new system allows for screening, diagnosis and biopsy to be performed on a single

unit. Unlike standard film x-rays, the digital mammography system transfers images to a

computer to be electronically enhanced, so a physician can zoom in, magnify and

optimize different parts of the breast tissue. The new high resolution imagery enables our

physicians to better pinpoint disease and plan treatment.

Diagnostic Imaging at Wise Regional encompasses several locations and modalities and

provides emergent, inpatient and outpatient services in the following modalities: X-Ray,

Fluoroscopy (surgical and diagnosis), Ultrasound, Echocardiography, Nuclear Medicine and CT. Wise Regional MRI provides our patients with the highest quality Magnetic

Resonance Imaging service available today.

The Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit is a 15-bed facility providing care for patients with a

variety of both neurological and physical conditions. Patients in the program are cared

for in a positive, safe and nurturing environment, so that they can achieve the highest

level of independence through the use of combined physical, occupational, speech and/or

recreational therapy.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, every year, one in five

adults suffers from mental illness. The Behavioral Health Services Unit is a 20-bed inpatient facility that provides services for adults and senior adults that are experiencing

emotional or behavioral problems and works to help each patient return to the highest

quality of life possible in a secure, comfortable and therapeutic environment. Gary B.

Watts, MD is the medical director for the program.

In an effort to expand our service area, Fit-N-Wise Physical Therapy recently acquired a

satellite facility in Justin. Located inside Fieldhouse Fitness on FM 156, the 1,000 sq.ft. facility offers a variety of treatment services for sports injuries, post-surgical conditions,

chronic pain, women’s health issues and more. Patients also have access to the 10,000

sq. ft. fitness facility for rehabilitation services.

Wise Regional Health System has established a rapidly expanding Chronic Kidney

Disease care and Hemodialysis program that is of the highest quality and convenient to the citizens of Wise County. Our medical director, Dr. Aamir Zuberi, is a board

certified Nephrologist and is trained to provide the full continuum of Chronic Kidney

Disease Care.

Fit-N-Wise Bariatric Solutions has expanded its services to include not only Lap-Band® and Gastric Bypass weight loss surgeries, but a medically-supervised weight loss

program as well. All of the programs offer extensive patient education, personalized diet

and exercise programs, use of the Fit-N-Wise fitness and aquatic facility and support group services. Scott Stowers, M.D., ACOS, ASMBS, is the medical director of the

Bariatric Program.

Our partnership with LifeStar Emergency Transport Service to be the on-site provider of immediate patient transportation to our facility and other facilities has also seen new

changes.

Earlier this year, LifeStar brought in a bigger and faster helicopter to serve our region.

The new helicopter has a widened cabin for patient and care provider comfort, and the

possibility to transport a patient’s family member. It also offers a computerized system to

better monitor and regulate speed and weather conditions and a more advanced patient

monitoring system.

Patient satisfaction is always of utmost concern for Wise Regional. This year, we rolled out a new room service program that allows our patients to order what they want – when

they want it. The TrulyTexas program provides each patient with a restaurant-style menu

based on their individualized diet order and patients can order their selections by phone

when they are hungry.

Our employees now number more than 700, and we’re continuing to grow. Our hospital,

as the largest employer in Wise County, continues to positively impact the regional

economy and serves as a great source of career potential in Wise and surrounding counties.

In addition to the expansion of our staff we have significantly increased the number of physicians affiliated with the hospital. These physicians’ specialties include adult internal

medicine, pediatrics, cardiothoracic surgery, anesthesiology, physical medicine and

rehabilitation, cardiology and orthopedic and spine surgery.

In addition to all of the positive changes, one thing has remained constant: the

outstanding, compassionate care provided by our nursing staff. The nursing department

at Wise Regional Health System is recognized by the Texas Nurses Association as a “Nurse Friendly Hospital.” This distinction celebrates the excellence in nursing that we

provide to our patients.

Wise Regional recently partnered with a national firm to conduct and analyze our

inpatient satisfaction surveys. Press Ganey currently partners with over 7,000 health care

facilities and assists them in collecting and using patient, resident, employee, and physician evaluations in their quality improvement initiatives.

As a non-profit, community hospital, we are accountable to you, the community, and

know that it is our duty and mission to provide for the medical needs of you and your

loved ones.

We take great pride in providing increased access to the very best medical care in our

region.Our laboratory quadrupled in size with the expansion and features a chemistry analyzer to substantially enhance processing of results and includes an advanced blood

work inventory and management system.

Our community outreach efforts were numerous in 2007, including a health fair and education programs that were free to the public offering a variety of educational and

screening services.

On November 8, the hospital will host a Community Health Forum at the Decatur Civic

Center to provide an opportunity for the community to learn about the latest equipment,

technology and services available through Wise Regional. The event will feature Wise

Regional physicians Dr. Jeff Gladden of Cardiovascular Services, Dr. Scott Stowers of

Bariatric Solutions and Dr. Edward Middleman of Medical Oncology. The forum series

will continue into next year and feature a variety of services.

2007 was also an award-winning year for Wise Regional. The hospital received a Telly

Award, a premier award honoring outstanding local and regional video and film

productions, for our Foundation Gala video. The video showcased our new facility and

the people we serve. This was the third Telly Award in a row that Wise Regional has

received.

This year, Wise Regional honored Bill Wiley for his service to the community by naming

our imaging facility, the “Wiley Imaging Center.” Mr. Wiley served on the Hospital Authority Board for 32 years, before retiring last year. Mr. Wiley has been a tremendous

supporter in the growth of health care services in our region.

The Wise Regional Health Foundation which was developed to raise funds on behalf of

WRHS, hosted two major fundraising events including a New Year’s Eve Gala and a

Team Wellness Challenge.

The use of the funds raised varies from facility renovation to the purchase of medical

equipment and beyond. This year, the Foundation focused on raising money for new digital mammography equipment for the hospital and fundraising and marketing for

Mary’s Gift, a Foundation-sponsored program that helps to provide screening

mammograms to underserved women in Wise County.

In July, the Foundation launched a Planned Giving Society to support Wise Regional

Health System in providing quality health care to our communities for years to come.

The Foundation accepts gifts of all sizes and are tax deductible as allowable by law. As a

donor you may designate your donation towards a specific program or purpose. Our

most common form of gifts that we receive are in memory and in honor donations.

Donors have the option of giving gifts in any of the following forms: cash donations, pledges, bequest, real estate, bypass trusts, charitable remainder trusts, life insurance and

corporate sponsorships.

The Hospital Volunteer Auxiliary members are an integral part of the hospital team who

volunteer thousands of hours each year to assist in the delivery of quality care and

customer service. With more than 60 members, the volunteers also help raise money for

hospital equipment and for our expanding services.

As this year comes to an end, we look forward to continuing to serve you and thank you

for your support of and partnership in our efforts at Wise Regional Health System.

Additional Items included:

Joint Commission Accreditation

WRHS is proud to announce its continued accreditation with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

Joint Commission standards deal with organizational quality of care issues and the

safety of the environment in which care is provided. Anyone believing that he or she has

pertinent and valid information about such matters may request a public information

interview with the Joint Commission’s field representatives at the time of the survey

Information presented at the interview will be carefully evaluated for relevance to the

accreditation process. Requests for a public information interview must be made in writing and should be sent tot he Joint Commission. The request must also indicate the

nature of the information to be provided at the interview. Such requests should be

addressed to:

Division of Accreditation Operations

Accreditation Service Specialist

Joint Commission on Accreditation of

Health Care Organizations

One Renaissance Boulevard

Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 800-994-6610

The Joint Commission will acknowledge such requests in writing or by telephone and will inform the organization of the request for any interview. The organization will, in

turn, notify the interviewee of the date, time and place of the meeting.

Wise Regional Health System Board of Directors

Robert Isham, President

Stephen Wren, Esq., Vice President

Jeanine Eaton, Secretary/Treasurer Christopher Forbis, Esq.

Loraine Burton

Loyd Jackson Jon Walker, M.D.

Jay Bearden

Bobby Wilson

James Wood

Wise Regional Foundation Board of Directors

Jay Bearden

Wynona Branson

Kerry Clower

Denny Deady

Mark Duncum

Jim Eaton Patti Gage

Kevin Haney

Marianne Henderson

Beverly Lindsey

Mickey McMaster

Jerhea Nail

Andrew Rottner

Andrew Sandford Lonnie L. Seipp

Brian Stephens

Steve Summers Colleen Walker

Judy Wilson

Jason Wren

To learn more about the Foundation,

please call 940.626.1384.