Three Rivers Hospital reflects on 2017 year of achievements

BREWSTER— “2017 has been a really great year.”
Those words from Chris Majors Business Development Manager for Three Rivers Hospital (TRH) sums up a year of goals met, and a solid groundwork laid for 2018.
“We have made strides in achieving our strategic priorities: Quality & Safety, Culture, Community Partner, Financial Viability, and Collaboration,” said Majors. “All of these objectives help achieve our three Wildly Important Goals to provide the ideal patient experience, to bring our best every day and operational break-even.
A real financial benchmark for TRH was to be out of registered warrants to Okanogan County as of the end of June 2017 and remain out of them into 2018.
When CEO Scott Graham began his tenure in mid-2014, TRH was more than $2 million in warrants, and it has been a long hard road to positive cash flows.
“Scott is particularly proud of the team effort in keeping costs down even during the busier months,” said Majors, “which has helped carry us through the recent lower patient volume months of November and December. “
Graham is also pleased to hear more and more people say they choose TRH because of the quality of care they receive.
“That we’ve had such a good year is a real tribute to our community; it’s a real tribute to our staff. We are really proud of what they have been able to accomplish. The challenge is not to have just one good year, but to build each year,” said Graham.
TRH expanded its Orthopedic team, hiring Dr. Jonothan Miller, Dr. James Lamberton, and Rob Lamberton PA-C. The hospital has also initiated a major upgrade of its electronic medical records system with Evident, an EMR service.
“This upgrade will lead to more streamlined workflows, better care, and help us to better communicate with other health care providers across the region,” Majors said.
Said TRH Chief Operating Officer Melanie Neddo: “I am very proud of the work we accomplished in 2017, upgrading our patient hospital rooms with new furniture and TVs, growing our Orthopedic practice, enhancing our care delivery through our partnership with the Providence Tele-stroke Program, and crossing the threshold into a position of positive cash.”  
Hospitals are one of the most regulated industries in the United States, said Majors.
“It takes constant effort to comply with regulations from federal and state entities such as Medicaid, Medicare and the Department of Health,” said Majors, “and the cost of compliance is significant.”
“TRH is not out of the woods yet, and we know there will be some challenges in 2018,” said Majors, “so we will continue to manage as efficiently as possible, while also continuing our work to improve the care we offer our community.”
“Because we cater to those in our community who are sick or need other medical services, they don’t just need them when its 8 to 5,” said Graham, “they need them any time of the day or night, and in order to provide those services 24-7 in a competent and safe way we have hired very very smart, educated, and dedicated people.”