During 2015, Good Samaritan Medical Center adopted new minimally invasive procedures, earned several prestigious awards, and hit a major milestone by celebrating 95 years of service to the community as the oldest, still-standing hospital in Palm Beach County.
Starting off the year, Good Samaritan served as the official 2015 host hospital of the 24th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. The event took place in Downtown West Palm Beach, and all funds raised helped support breast cancer research, provided information and services to the public, and gave women access to various screenings and treatment.
In February, The Cancer Institute at Good Samaritan Medical Center earned a three-year accreditation from the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) for maintaining levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive, patient-centered care. Later in the month, the hospital served as a co-sponsor of the 2015 Ovarian Cancer Survivor Course hosted by the Foundation for Women’s Cancer. The event provided cancer survivors and their family members with the opportunity to hear from medical experts in ovarian cancer research talk about clinical trials, future treatments and survivorship.
Towards the middle of the year, Good Samaritan teamed up with Acreage Pines Elementary School to develop the first-of-its-kind medical science academy in Palm Beach County, dedicated to educating and developing future physicians and veterinarians. The program provides students in kindergarten through fifth grade with a medical and veterinary themed curriculum that is integrated into their regular syllabus to teach job-specific medical skills and increase awareness of health-related professions.
In June, the hospital hosted its Healthy Over Hungry Cereal Drive. According to a study released by Feeding South Florida and Feeding America in 2014, there are meals missing from the tables of 15.4 percent of the South Florida population. Good Samaritan was able to collect more than 6,300 servings of cereal to donate to those in need.
Continuing into summer, Good Samaritan Medical Center’s Comprehensive Lung Health Program began offering a minimally invasive procedure using Covidien’s superDimension™ System. With the assistance of the navigation system, LungGPS™, physicians can perform Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy™ (ENB) procedures to obtain lung tissue biopsies. The technology is designed to navigate and access difficult-to-reach areas of the lungs from the inside, so patients with cancer can receive treatment as soon as possible, and those with benign lesions can avoid unnecessary procedures.
In the beginning of fall, the hospital earned the the Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment and success in ensuring that stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines.
Additionally, Good Samaritan Medical Center was the first hospital in Florida to adopt the Acessa procedure, a minimally invasive treatment alternative for women suffering from symptomatic uterine fibroids. The procedure addresses all fibroids like a hysterectomy, but with Acessa, there is no cutting, suturing or removal of the uterus itself. Good Samaritan also acquired the SAVI SCOUT Surgical Guidance System as a treatment option for tumor localization during breast cancer procedures, including lumpectomy and excisional biopsy. The system has the potential to reduce surgical delays, improve patient satisfaction and optimize surgical planning.
Finishing the year off strong, the hospital was awarded an “A” for the Fall Hospital Safety Score by The Leapfrog Group for the 3rd consecutive time. The Hospital Safety Score rates how well hospitals protect patients from errors, injuries, and infections and is compiled under the guidance of the nation’s leading experts in patient safety. Good Samaritan was also featured in The Joint Commission’s 2015 annual report, “America’s Hospitals: Improving Quality and Safety,” as a 2014 Top Performer on Key Quality Measures®. The hospital was recognized for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical care, venous thromboembolism and stroke.
Good Samaritan Medical Center is dedicated to providing comprehensive care to the Palm Beach County community and is looking forward to new technological advancements, services and accomplishment in 2016.
