Quality Report Cards-Licking Memorial Hospital

Every month Licking Memorial Health Systems publishes a report card on different segments of the system's health care statistics compared to standard national benchmarks.

Several months ago my sister-in-law who works for a hospital in Georgia emailed me about one of her hospital's emergency physicians commenting to her one morning that there was a hospital in Ohio that reported it's statistics on the Internet and he could not believe it. She asked the name of the hospital he had found and he said it was some funny name, Licking Memorial. It is not typical for hospitals to publish their statistics compared to national standard benchmarks and publish the results.

You can review any the report cards by clicking here. Below you will find something interesting from the February 2009 Report Card, it may take a moment to read, but it does read something like the 1972 EMERGENCY television show. Click here to compare 1972 vs. now.

"LMH’s plan of care for cardiac patients in Licking County is called into action on a daily basis. One example was demonstrated last fall when John, a 65-year-old retired factory laborer, was working on the roof of his Newark home and began having chest pains, weakness, shortness
of breath and heavy perspiration. John has a history of coronary artery disease and had stents implanted several years ago. His true experience illustrates how efficiently the emergency and hospital staffs work together to save patients’ lives."

Friday, October 10, 2008
1:14 p.m. – John’s wife calls 9-1-1. John takes two aspirins.
1:23 p.m. – Newark EMS arrives at John’s residence. Newark EMS begins an IV.
1:36 p.m. – An emergency medical technician (EMT) gives John more aspirin and nitroglycerin.
1:40 p.m. – EMTs place 12-Lead EKG electrodes on John’s chest to see if he is having a heart attack and to monitor John during his transport to the ED.
1:43 p.m. – The 12-Lead EKG results are transmitted to the LMH ED and to Dr. Ahmed’s handheld Blackberry device.
1:46 p.m. – EMS arrives at LMH where an emergency bed is ready.
1:53 p.m. – An ED nurse alerts the “STEMI” team using voice-activated Vocera paging system and transfers John to a cardiac monitor in the ED.
1:57 p.m. – An ED medic starts an IV, and blood work is drawn to send to the Laboratory.
2:03 p.m. – John still has severe pain. He is alert and able to answer questions.
2:04 p.m. – ED Physician Mary Jane Scott, M.D., makes diagnosis of acute anterior wall myocardial nfarction (heart attack).
2:05 p.m. – Dr. Scott and Interventional Cardiologist Imtiaz Ahmed, M.D., discuss the risks and
benefits of angioplasty with John, and he agrees to the procedure.
2:09 p.m. – John is taken to the LMH Catheterization Lab (Cath Lab), accompanied by Dr. Scott and an ED nurse.
2:12 p.m. – The Cath Lab staff prepares John for the procedure that will open John’s artery.
2:22 p.m. – Dr. Ahmed begins the angioplasty procedure, inserting the catheter in John’s groin.
2:25 p.m. – An angiogram shows the left anterior chamber of John’s heart is totally blocked.
2:34 p.m. – The angioplasty balloon is inflated.
2:42 p.m. – A thrombectomy catheter is inserted.
2:44 p.m. – Under conscious sedation, John reports he has no chest pain or any other discomfort.
3:31 p.m. – The angioplasty balloon is inflated again.
3:38 p.m. – The catheter is removed.
3:55 p.m. – Dr. Ahmed reviews computerized images.
4:02 p.m. – The catheterization procedure is complete.
4:02 p.m. – John reports he has no chest pain or other discomfort.
4:04 p.m. – John is taken to the Intensive Care Unit for recovery.
Monday, October 13, 2008
11:40 a.m. – John is discharged with instructions to see Dr. Ahmed for a follow-up visit.