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The excellent quality of care our Veteran patients receive at the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center (WPB VAMC) is a result of the hard work and dedication of all our staff, volunteers and partners in the community. We are especially proud of the following accomplishments achieved for Fiscal Year 2015:Access
– Established new Primary Care Clinics in Clewiston and Moore Haven.
– Installed audiology booths in four of our six Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) and either expanded or established walk-in audiology clinics at the main campus/CBOCs.
– Established Dermatology Clinic at our Port St. Lucie Clinic.
– Established extended hours for Mental Health, Medicine specialties, Imaging and Pharmacy.
– Expanded the delivery of health care through telehealth with 13 new clinics.
– Increased by 10% the number of Veterans utilizing secure messaging to communicate with their health care providers.
– Increased the number of HUD-VASH (housing) vouchers for our homeless Veterans by 65 and improved the turnaround time.
Quality
– Succeeded in obtaining Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) 3-year recertification for both our Blind Rehabilitation Center and Psychosocial Rehabilitation & Recovery Center; fully complied with FDA National Mammography Standards.
– Established a rapid action performance improvement workgroup, which was successful in reducing the overall hospital complication rate.
– Reduced hospitalizations for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions (CHF, COPD, Diabetes, Pneumonia, etc.).
– Reduced registered nurse turnover by improving internal and external recruitment processes.
– Established ALS and CHF interdisciplinary outpatient clinics.
– Held Research Week poster session highlighting the scholarly activities of VA staff, students, interns and residents with 43 posters on display.
– Collaborated with Alzheimer’s Community Care (ACC) to provide continuing medical education credits for physician attendees to the 2015 ACC Annual Conference.
– Implemented Live Process – an electronic call cascade notification system.
– Implemented VOCERA in Nursing Service to improve internal communication.
– Conducted active threat training and participated in Emergency Management community drills.
Satisfaction
– Activated a separate 12-bed Hospice Unit
– Arranged for the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall to visit Palm Beach County in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War.
– Held Welcome Home event for returning Veterans.
– Continue to participate in providing volunteer support for Honor Flights.
– Supported the participation of a number of Veterans in national adaptive sport events sponsored in part by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
– Initiated a series of Health Promotion Disease Prevention classes for managing stress.
– Hired a Cultural Transformation Coordinator. This individual conducted several staff and Veteran focus groups and established a Patient and Family Advisory Council.
– Held quarterly Town Hall meetings to listen to the “Voice of the Veteran”.
– Implemented Veterans Transportation Program.
– Created a health E-newsletter for women Veterans.
– Established daily inpatient rounding by the Women Veterans Program team members.
– Received Healthcare Equality Index (HEI) Leader Status recognition from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.
– West Palm Beach VA youth volunteer was selected nationwide as the recipient of the 2015 James H. Parke $20,000 Scholarship Award for logging more than 800 volunteer hours.
Employer 0f Choice
– West Palm Beach VA employee won the Employee of the Year Award from the South Florida Federal Executive Board.
– Resolved over 89% of workplace concerns/issues raised by staff via the Alternative Dispute Resolution Program.
– 33% of new hires were Veterans.
– Hosted 115 students for Bring Your Child to Work Day.
– Celebrated 20th Anniversary of the medical center.
Cost Savings/Efficiencies
– Implemented ICD-10 codes.
– Implemented a one-call work order system.
– Streamlined Beneficiary Travel payment process for Veterans eligible for travel pay.
– Conducted Green Belt training course for the Florida Network of VA medical centers.
– Conducted an organizational 5S Day to promote efficiency, recycle/reuse supplies, promote Lean and – Six Sigma Tools, improve safety and cleanliness, reduce waste, optimize productivity and promote organization.
– Completed 28 LEAN projects.
