If you had to be admitted to a hospital, would you want to go to a facility that had been rated among the top 3 percent in the United States for patient satisfaction? If you answered “yes,” then you would want to go to Baptist Medical Center Princeton in Birmingham.
If you had to be treated for heart problems, would you want to go to the only hospital in Alabama named to the list of UnitedHealth Premium Cardiac Specialty Centers? If you answered “yes,” then you would want to be treated at Baptist Medical Center Montclair in Birmingham.
Both Baptist Health System (BHS) hospitals were recently notified of these awards. As outstanding as each is in its own right, the awards are more notable because they were achieved in less than ideal circumstances. For more than two years, Baptist Health System has lived with an uncertain future.
News accounts reported that BHS was going to sell the entire system. Then the system was not going to be sold. Then part of the system was to be sold. The turmoil caused the ouster of the chief executive officer. Deteriorating board relationships caused almost half the trustees to resign, including two chairmen within the past year.
At least one lawsuit has been filed among the disagreeing parties, and a good amount of finger pointing has been going on at all levels.
It is hard to stay focused on patient care when one works in such a stormy environment. The fact that doctors, nurses and other patient services’ staff members within the system have been able to do so is evidence of what BHS President and Chief Executive Officer Beth O’Brien calls the “extraordinarily dedicated, qualified and determined” clinical teams serving at BHS hospitals.
Recently, BHS directors determined to concentrate on what they call their core ministry — hospitals. That means some other ministries will be eliminated, producing various cost savings. Changes in what officials called their “supply chain” are anticipated to save millions of dollars annually. Corporate offices are being moved from suburban Hoover to downtown Birmingham, a move anticipated to save hundreds of thousands of dollars.
On May 19th, directors implemented another cost savings move — downsizing. About 200 employees learned their positions were being eliminated as corporate officials tried to match tasks and resources. O’Brien emphasized that no bedside registered nurse was included in the staff reduction and that the reduction will not impact the ability of any BHS facility to “provide the high quality health care … expected from Baptist Health System.”
More than 350 positions are being eliminated in the restructure but because some positions have been left unfilled, only about 200 current employees will be let go. That number is significantly less than the 500 employees some insiders predicted would be let go as recently as March.
Corporate level employees are hit hardest by the downsizing. Officials declined to give the exact number who would lose their jobs, saying only that the largest percentage of reductions will come from the corporate office. It is anticipated that the staff reduction will save about $10 million annually.
O’Brien said the restructuring reflects a change in corporate culture that is passing decision making and accountability back to local hospitals rather than the corporate office.
The chief executive officer admitted that 2004 has been a difficult year for BHS. Admissions are below budget for the year and below last year’s levels. That impacts financial resources. New administrative leadership is still coming on board for the hospitals as well as the corporate office. Governance issues consumed large chunks of energy.
With much of that work behind her, the BHS president is hopeful as the organization’s 2005 year officially begins July 1. She calls 2005 the first year of a three-year “renaissance” plan for Baptist Health System. O’Brien said the clearly defined mission set by the board of trustees helped eliminate some of the anxiety employees worked under for the past two years.
O’Brien pointed to the $20 million spent on upgrades of obstetric facilities for Baptist Montclair and Baptist Medical Center Walker as evidence of the system’s commitment to the future. She also noted that outpatient services are up and that some specialties are showing increased admissions over last year.
“These are little things right now,” she said, “but they give us a place to begin to renew this organization.”
We share the prayerful hope that Baptist Health System will be able to right itself and emerge from its recent storms. The mission statement of providing health care services that “witness to the love of God, revealed through Jesus Christ” is a needed ministry in today’s world.
The board of trustees, the administration, the hospital administrators all seem to be working toward the same goal. Of course, the key to any hospital is the medical staff. Baptist Health System hospitals have fine doctors and nurses as the recent awards attest.
Baptist Health System has a number of critical issues yet to face. No one is guaranteeing how this three years of “renaissance” will come out. What is agreed upon is that Baptists should be a vital presence in Alabama through faith-based health care, which ministers to the needs of people in their local communities and testifies to the love of God.
Please pray for BHS President Beth O’Brien, the trustees, for those who lost the jobs in the downsizing and all those who are a part of the Baptist Health System family.
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