HMH Foundation marks 5th anniversary with $5.7 million raised
First corporate, seven-figure gift to fund breakthrough family-care project
ELIZABETHOWN, Ky., November 19, 2019 – During a presentation at the Hardin Memorial Health (HMH) Board of Trustees meeting, HMH Foundation (HMHF) leader Tracee Troutt, HMH Vice President and Chief Development and Marketing Officer, announced that the philanthropic organization raised more than $5.7 million in the last five years to fund breakthrough projects across HMH.
“Our region gives generously to the HMH Foundation because they believe in strengthening HMH,” Troutt said. “Fort Knox Federal Credit Union’s recent gift and partnership with HMH to expand services at HMH Medical Group’s Radcliff Family Medicine is a great example of both generosity and innovation.”
At the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce meeting earlier this month, Fort Knox Federal Credit Union (FKFCU) announced a 10-year, $1.5 million investment in military and community health through HMHF. FKFCU funding will be used to expand services available at HMH Medical Group Radcliff Family Medicine including behavioral health and social services.
HMH Medical Group Radcliff Family Medicine currently sees more than 3,000 patients annually in northern Hardin County, right outside Fort Knox at the Wilson Gate. The expanded clinic will serve as a model for other HMH family medicine practices across the 10-county region.
Dr. Tom Hustead, Medical Director of HMH Medical Group and Retired Colonel, United States Army, said the $1.5 million gift from Fort Knox Federal Credit Union will help HMH deliver holistic patient care that incorporates the latest in healthcare innovation.
“This first-of-its-kind clinic will offer high-tech, comprehensive, multi-disciplinary care that addresses not only physical health, but also mental, social and spiritual health. The timing for this expansion is ideal as transitions on post created the need for more providers nearby,” Hustead said. “We will even have community space inside the clinic for educational organizations and others to use.”
Also during the meeting, the HMH Board of Trustees unanimously approved a resolution which amended the agreement concerning the sale of HMH to Baptist Health. The Board also released the following statement:
We’re pleased to acknowledge that the agreement with Dr. Larry Hall to dismiss all outstanding legal actions allows us, finally, to move ahead with the formal closing of the sale of HMH to Baptist Health.
Both HMH and Baptist Health have been collaborating in a variety of administrative and operational areas during the delay, and we will now move with deliberate speed to accelerate that process.
The formal closing will occur sometime in 2020. As a result of the year-long litigation delay, we will have to restart the administrative process of calibrating such aspects as HMH pension payouts. This will take some time, which will affect the closing date. But we anticipate the closing date will be no later than December 1, 2020, and hopefully in advance of that.
Meanwhile, Baptist Health has informed us that it will begin immediately planning for significant investments in Hardin Memorial to better meet the needs of the people of Hardin County and surrounding communities. Among those planned investments will be building a regional Cancer Center, adding operating and cardiac catheterization suites, creating a new medical office building for physicians, and making leading-edge information technology investments with the installation of the Epic electronic health record and the MyChart patient portal.
This is outstanding news not only for the HMH team but also for all healthcare consumers in Hardin County, who will benefit directly from this historic alliance.
In other board news:
Patient Care Services Report
HMH’s Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer Sharon Wright presented the Patient Care Services report to the board. Wright discussed the annual report that highlights patient safety accomplishments and opportunities for improvement. HMH met or exceeded four of its goals related to patient safety including hospital-acquired infections including Clostridium difficile infections (CDI), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), and central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI). Opportunities for improvement exist related to inpatient falls and readmission rates.
Wright also mentioned that HMH received a “B” rating for Leapfrog’s Fall bi-annual hospital safety grade. That was an improvement from its Spring 2019 rating. The national nonprofit evaluates and reports the safety and quality performance of more than 2,600 hospitals nationwide. Of the 50 hospitals rated in Kentucky, 46 percent received an “A” or “B” rating. Wright added that this is an important reminder of the role patient visitors and their families play in the hospital’s patient safety.
“Providing the very best and safest patient care is a constant priority,” said Wright. “Everyone who comes to the hospital plays a role in infection prevention. We ask everyone to practice proper hand hygiene and follow visitor guidelines especially as we approach the flu season.”
Financials
Also at the meeting, HMH Interim Chief Financial Officer Pam Gallagher presented the financial report for October. During the month, HMH reported a net loss of $1.5 million compared to a planned $1.7 million gain. Gallagher attributed the variance in part to decreased inpatient volumes. She also noted that November volumes are starting strong.
Daisy Award
HMH’s Betty Mahanna, a registered nurse in HMH’s Labor and Delivery, recently received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. A co-worker and a Kentucky Organ Donation Affiliates (KODA) official nominated Mahanna citing her role in serving a liaison between a grieving family and KODA. She organized an Honor Walk for the infant and the family on the Labor and Delivery floor as a way of paying tribute to the family’s generous gift of organ donation.
Honey Bee Award
HMH’s Annetta Sorrels in Respiratory Therapy received the Honey Bee Award for October for the compassion and care after being recognized by a patient’s daughter. During the patient’s last days and moments, Sorrels’ unwavering care and keen awareness made an indelible impression on the patient’s family. The nomination also noted her ability to comfort the grieving family.
Ambassadors
Three HMH Ambassadors were recognized during the meeting. Carrie Filburn, an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) at HMH Medical Group Surgical Specialist, was nominated by a co-worker. The nomination praised her broad knowledge of medicine because of her experience in the inpatient and outpatient care. Filburn was also recognized as genuine and passionate about caring for her patients.
Victoria Adams, a registered nurse on HMH BirthPlace, was also recognized as an ambassador. A patient family nominated Adams and credited her with saving their infant daughter's life. On the day of scheduled discharge, Adams identified that the patient had an irregular heartbeat. Her findings resulted in a transfer of care and urgent surgical intervention. The family called Adams their daughter's "guardian angel."
Evelyn Cerniglia, an office manager at HMH Medical Group Hodgenville Family Medicine, was named an ambassador. A co-worker nominated Cerniglia citing her willingness to always help and pitch in where needed. She was also recognized for her commitment to the patients, families and co-workers and always giving 100 percent.