Banner officials meet at St. Luke Hospital
A group of administrators from Banner Health System met Monday with various department heads at St. Luke Hospital.
The team is from the Colorado Region, which will oversee St. Luke through 2004. Previously, St. Luke operations answered to officials in Fargo, N.D.
Banner tried to divest itself of St. Luke in late 2001, to concentrate its attention in urban areas. After negotiations, St. Luke officials refused to release Banner from its lease agreement, which ends in 2004. With the Fargo office closing by April 1, Banner transferred corporate responsibility to the regional office in Greeley, Colo.
Scott Bosch, president of the region, said Banner remains dedicated to supporting St. Luke through the end of the lease.
"We're not here to diminish St. Luke as we back out," he said. "We want to leave a stronger facility."
Others who came to St. Luke included Sharon Scheller, Ed.D., director of human resources and learning; Carol Vanetti, MD, medical affairs; Paul Panico, Ph.D., strategic planning and information technology; Thomas Boudreau, finance; and Deb Harrison, home care.
They met with department heads, medical staff, and community members at a lunch Monday.
The Colorado office oversaw facilities in Greeley, Loveland, Brush, and Sterling, Colo. With the reorganization, they have taken on three hospitals in Wyoming, one in Nebraska, and St. Luke.
Bosch said adding the new facilities is exciting.
"It's a lot of work but there's a lot of new ideas that come out of new affiliations," he said.
Bosch said the goal is that the transition make little difference for patients and cause few disruptions to medical staff. Department heads and employees will be most affected as they learn new protocols through Greeley and answer to new corporate officials.
"We're trying to make the transition seamless," he said. "We're here to learn, listen, and develop relationships."
Bosch said the Greeley team was particularly interested in learning how St. Luke functioned with Fargo.
"We're used to an hour and a half drive to our farthest facilities, so we need to figure out new ways to remain in contact," he said.
The Colorado Division has become a leader in video medicine, where a medical expert in a distant city uses two-way video system to discuss treatment with the patient and on-site medical staff. Similar systems will be explored both for medical links and for staff conferences, Bosch said.
Support for some equipment purchases may be lessened. In the past, Banner sometimes provided financial support for large purchases, recouping costs through depreciation. Three years may not offer adequate time for that system to work, Bosch explained.
"The last thing we want is for the board to end up owing Banner the unrecouped amount," he said. "But we aren't going to abandon you."
Physician recruitment is a priority for the division. Vanetti said St. Luke could benefit from the division's residency program, which brings in eight medical students a year. About 25 percent of those students have been retained at a Banner facility, she said.
Other assistance includes market analysis, to determine if employee pay scales are competitive; a facility-wide survey to determine employee satisfaction or concerns; and a task force to find ways to reduce expenses.
The division also will provide long-range planning, including recommendations on funding for capital needs. This could be a mix of increased taxes (the facility is owned by a tax-supported district generating roughly four mills) and the option of a new management company after the lease ends.
In the end, Bosch said the facility must be dedicated to clinical quality and customer service at a competitive value.
"If you do those three things, you'll be successful," he said.
Thanks
The lunch meeting also marked the final meeting with Ellen Cooke, vice president for Banner. She is leaving the Fargo office and will return to full-time life in Minneapolis, Minn. She has spent the past several years commuting to Fargo.
Board members and hospital staff presented her with a copper and wood wheat sculpture from Trace of Copper, which Cooke said was an unexpected and touching gesture.
"I have so much enjoyed working with everybody here," she said. "This board in particular has been very special to me."
She credited the board and employees with placing St. Luke in a strong position.
"You're moving into the future with a lot of momentum," she said.
