So far, so good

It’s been two months.

There have been some hiccups, but the overall view from the IU Health Jay leadership is that the process has gone better than expected.

“It has gone exceptionally well,” said IU Health Jay president Dave Hyatt. “I couldn’t be more proud of the team here for how they’ve handled a tough integration.”

And the community response?

“I think it’s been really good,” Hyatt added. “The people that have talked to me have said they are glad we have chosen IU Health.

“I think our community is embracing us.

“There’s a new name on the building, but the care that we’ve always been known for, that doesn’t change. It’s still taking care of our families and neighbors. When it comes down to it, we’ve got the backing of a bigger system and yet we still have the same friendly touch that we’ve always had.”

Hyatt cited the new measure — likelihood to recommend — that the hospital is using to measure patient satisfaction. He said IU Health Jay is already at the benchmark and is among the top performers in the IU Health network.

As expected, though, everything has not been smooth sailing.

While it was quiet at midnight two months ago when the integration became official, there were issues with internet connectivity during the day on March 1. Essentially, the internet and phone lines seemed to be fighting with each other.

There have also been challenges of learning a new medical records system and some human resources issues, but Hyatt said staff at IU Health Jay and elsewhere in the hospital network have worked to resolve them.

Being part of the most expansive healthcare network in the state has been helpful for IU Health Jay employees, Hyatt said, because of the resources it offers. Now, if department managers have a question about something, they have the ability to reach out to their IU Health peers. It’s part of an effort to share best practices across the network.

Hyatt noted that the benefits go both ways, mentioning that IU Health Jay is the only small hospital in the network that operates a behavioral health unit. Plans are now in place for staff from IU Health White in Monticello to visit Jay County in an effort to determine if a similar unit would be viable there.

“We all learn together, and our knowledge pool just got a lot bigger,” said Hyatt. “We’re going to provide some knowledge. We’re going to learn from others. It’s just a really exciting time.”

The changes at the hospital were not limited to the integration date. They’ve continued in the two months since and will be ongoing for the rest of the spring and summer.

Upgrades have included new hospital beds, which tie in to a new nurse-call system, vital sign monitors and power stretchers in the emergency room. In total, Hyatt said, IU Health has already spent nearly $6 million on clinical equipment alone. (The integration agreement called for IU Health to spend $2 to $3 million in clinical upgrades in the first year.)

The hospital’s Dual-energy E-Ray absorptiometry unit (bone density scanner) was removed Wednesday and its mammography unit was taken out this morning. Both will be replaced with new equipment, and a new MRI will also be installed.

“This summer is going to be a lot of moving pieces and construction,” said Hyatt. “Hopefully the patients won’t see much of it. We want to stay kind of behind the scenes.”

The integration was the result of a more than year-long process of Jay County Hospital planning for its future in the face of mounting financial losses. The board hired an outside firm to assist with the process in early 2017, discussed priorities with community leaders and visited other medical facilities around the state. By August, it signed a letter of intent to integrate with IU Health, leading to several months of negotiations on an agreement between the two entities.

The agreement was finalized Nov. 20, when Jay County Hospital Board, Jay County Council and Jay County Commissioners all voted in favor. The integration went into effect at midnight Feb. 28, with Jay County Hospital becoming IU Health Jay.

While there’s still a lot of training to be done, Hyatt said he feels as if the staff is progressing well.

“We’re getting to that point where it’s like, ‘OK, we’re through this,’” said Hyatt. “Now we want to prove to everybody that we’re the best. And we’re ready to do that.

“We started out on March 1 crawling. We’re walking now. And in the next couple of months, we’re going to be ready to run.”