PIH Health Awarded NRC Health Path to Excellence Award for the Eighth Consecutive Year

PIH Health Hospital - Whittier was awarded the NRC Health Path to Excellence award for the eighth consecutive year in August 2017.

The Path to Excellence award recognizes healthcare organizations for their dedication to improving the patient experience. PIH Health was selected from NRC’s extensive database of members ranging from small specialty hospitals to large multi-hospital systems. PIH Health was recognized as a top performer in the category of hospitals with 300-plus beds. The award was based on patients’ responses to the survey question “How would you rate this hospital?”

“Patient care remains a top priority for PIH Health and we are honored to receive this award for the eighth consecutive year,” said Reanna Thompson RN MSN, chief operating officer and chief nursing officer of PIH Health Hospital - Whittier. “PIH Health continues to implement changes to improve patient care by utilizing the National Research Corporation’s measurement and quality improvement solutions."

For nearly 100 years, PIH Health has been dedicated to serving the community through innovative, compassionate and high-quality healthcare. It was our pleasure to attend the 23rd Annual NRC Health Patient-Centered Care Symposium in Boston, Massachusetts in August 2017.

PIH Health Physicians Opened its First Offices in Downey: Family Medicine, OB/GYN and ENT Available in the Brookshire Medical Office Building

Since the acquisition of our Downey hospital, PIH Health has brought numerous services to the city of Downey and its surrounding communities. The latest addition, now available adjacent to the campus of PIH Health Hospital - Downey, are Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN), Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose and Throat), and Family Medicine.

These primary and specialty practices are the first for PIH Health’s medical group, PIH Health Physicians, to offer outpatient services in Downey since the acquisition of the Downey hospital in 2013.

“We recognized that patients living and working in the Downey community were in need of key services to help make their healthcare journey more convenient,” said Andrew Zwers, PIH Health Physicians vice president of operations.

The Brookshire Medical Office Building, located at 11411 Brookshire Avenue, Downey, CA: Family Medicine and Women’s Center (OB/GYN) Suite 207; and Ear, Nose and Throat Suite 302.

“Our goal is to significantly improve the community’s access to integrated high-quality care. Adding these physicians to Downey was a vital first step in meeting that goal,” added Zwers.

PIH Health Hospital - Whittier Garners Highest Rating for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft + Valve Surgeries in Greater Los Angeles and Orange County Areas

PIH Health Hospital - Whittier had the best performance rating for coronary artery bypass plus valve (CABG + valve) surgeries in the Greater Los Angeles and Orange County areas. The hospital received the only “Better” rating in the geographic region by the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD). PIH Health Hospital - Whitter had the second largest number of cases, and a lower risk-adjusted mortality rate compared with several leading academic and research-based programs in Los Angeles and Orange County and many other local programs.

“We were pleased with this rating and believe it is indicative of the care provided at PIH Health,” said Rosalio Lopez MD, senior vice president, chief medical officer and chief strategy officer, PIH Health.

"Our team at PIH Health constantly strives to positively impact the health of our community," added Eduardo Tovar MD, cardiac-thoracic surgeon at PIH Health Hospital - Whittier. "We are proud to provide this level of care to our cardiac surgery patients."

The State of California has a Cardiac Surgery reporting system that helps the public decide which institution is best suited to care for them and/or their loved ones. Each of the states 127 Cardiac Surgery programs are mandated to report accurate data on cardiac surgery patients.

OSHPD then audits and verifies all submissions. The most recent data released publically is from 2013-2014, and includes outcomes for isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgeries and combinations of coronary artery bypass graft and CABG + valve surgeries. A computerized system establishes each patient’s risk and dependent upon the global risk of the entire group, the number of patients, and the mortality results, OSHPD then calculates whether the program is “Better,” “Average,” or “Worse” than expected. PIH Health Hospital - Whittier received one of only six ratings of “Better” in the entire state.

New Bloomfield Medical Office Building Opens in the City of Santa Fe Springs

In August 2017, PIH Health opened a new facility—the PIH Health Bloomfield Medical Office Building (MOB)—in the city of Santa Fe Springs. The Bloomfield MOB became the new home to our Family Medicine physicians and staff who relocated from our previous Norwalk office. The PIH Health Orthopedics and Sports Medicine office also relocated to the new facility, from its former office building on Telegraph Road.

“This new medical office building is our first large expansion into Santa Fe Springs,” explained Andrew Zwers, vice president of group operations. “The facility brings primary care and specialty services together, under one roof, so patients can access comprehensive care closer to work and home.”

The building is located at 12400 Bloomfield Avenue, at the corner of Imperial Highway and provides the following services to the community:

• Urgent Care Center
• Family Medicine
• Radiology
• Eye Care Center
• Pharmacy
• Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

In the new facility, one centralized lobby and check-in area welcomes visitors to expedite patient registration for all services. The new facility is centrally located between PIH Health Hospital - Whittier and PIH Health Hospital - Downey, making it a convenient one-stop shop for most health needs and concerns.

May 2017: Urgent Care Center Re-opened in the City of Hacienda Heights

PIH Health Urgent Care Center (UCC) Hacienda Heights reopened its doors in May 2017 and is now one of three PIH Health UCCs.

PIH Health Hospital - Downey Continues Work on Expansion of Emergency Department

Plans to update PIH Health Hospital - Downey’s Emergency Department (ED) have been well underway since PIH Health acquired the facility in 2013. However, in August 2016 PIH Health began construction to expand the ED to nearly double the present footprint by adding 5,000 square feet of space. Throughout last year, construction progressed.

The Downey campus’ current ED was constructed in 1998 to accommodate 25,000 patients per year. In fiscal year 2017, the facility handled approximately 50,000 patients.

To better serve the community, this project incorporates new and improved service areas, such as a “fast track” area to serve patients not experiencing life-threatening emergencies more rapidly, as well as 11 additional exam rooms, a new registration desk, modern nursing stations and state-of-the-art hospital equipment, including a new CT scanner. Capacity in the ED waiting room will also be increased from 37 seats to 80. The ED will continue to remain open throughout construction with completion anticipated in 2021.

PIH Health Named 2017 Most Wired Award Recipient

PIH Health Hospital - Whittier has been named a 2017 Most Wired hospital by Hospitals and Health Networks (H&HN), a monthly publication from the American Hospital Association (AHA). This is the fourth time that the hospital has received the recognition. And for the first time, PIH Health Hospital - Downey was also recognized, receiving an award for Most Improved.

These awards were based on the 19th Annual Health Care’s Most Wired® survey that measured the use of technology, i.e., smart phones, telehealth, and remote monitoring, to create more ways for patients to access healthcare services and capture health information. The survey consisted of 698 participants, representing more than 39 percent of all hospitals in the United States, and examined how organizations are leveraging Information Technology (IT) to improve performance for value-based healthcare in the areas of infrastructure, business and administrative management, quality and safety, and clinical integration.

“These awards are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff to refine and sustain a robust system,” said Davis Lee MD, PIH Health chief medical information officer.

PIH Health implemented “My PIH Health,” an Allscripts Follow My Health patient portal, to improve patient engagement, experience, and safety. This portal provides patients with the ability to add or edit demographic and insurance information, schedule or request an appointment, exchange secure messages, request medication refills with providers, share clinical information, view educational materials, and more.