JGH Honors “Employee of the Year”
Ruth Pistelli received recognition at this year’s Employee Appreciation
Picnic as the 2nd Annual James Payne Award of Excellence Winner. Ruth
has worked as Unit Secretary in the Med/Surg Unit for the past 18 years.
She was overwhelmingly supported by her fellow employees and
physicians in the number of nominations submitted on her behalf. JGH
CEO and Board of Directors members were present to honor Ruth with
this year’s top honors.
Dr James G. Gaal Named Charleston Newspapers
“Readers Choice for Best Doctors in the Valley”
Dr James G. Gaal
DO, FACP, FACOI
Charleston, WV -Jackson General Hospital's Dr James G. Gaal ,Internal
Medicine. Named Charleston Newspapers “Readers Choice for Best
Doctors in the Valley.
In The News
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Board Members L-R: Robert Fisher, Chairman Dr. James Hughes,
Gareth Smith, Recipient Ruth Pistelli, Dick Waybright, CEO Sandra Elza ,
and Luke Hunter.
Gareth Smith, Recipient Ruth Pistelli, Dick Waybright, CEO Sandra Elza ,
and Luke Hunter.
| Please check out JGH "Community Calendar of Events" |
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Jackson General Hospital 122 Pinnell Street Ripley, WV (304) 372-2731 Today... Tomorrow... for Life!
Jackson General Hospital is a vibrant member of the Jackson County
community and the medical community as well. We are continuously
sharing news and information with the local and national press about the
services and programs we offer. Please read the sampling of recent
press releases and news coverage to see what's new at Jackson General
Hospital.
community and the medical community as well. We are continuously
sharing news and information with the local and national press about the
services and programs we offer. Please read the sampling of recent
press releases and news coverage to see what's new at Jackson General
Hospital.
Jackson General is more than just a hospital; it’s a network
At first glance, Jackson General Hospital is a 41-bed, rural hospital, pretty
typical for a rural West Virginia hospital. But look a little closer at the Ripley
facility, says Jackson General Chief Executive Officer Sandra Elza, and you’ll
find a lot more.
“We’re part of something much more complex, much bigger,” Elza said.
Jackson General is a member of the Partners in Health Network, a coalition of
24 southern and central West Virginia hospitals and medical centers that have
chosen to put cooperation ahead of competition. The hospitals and other
managed care facilities share medical and administrative information, working
sometimes as a referral service to one another and sometimes as one, big multi-
county operation.
“Partners in Health is a great way for us to network and to talk about problems
and issues we all have,” Elza said.
“Whether it’s a medical question or a billing question, all we have to do is pick
up the phone and we can get answers.”
Partners in Health facilities are all over central and southern West Virginia. That
means, for example, that Elza has more than a professional colleague in
Deborah Hill, Summersville Memorial Hospital’s chief executive officer. She has
a partner.
“Partners in Health is an excellent way for all of us to connect with each other.
We’ve got a built-in referral system with our sister organizations,” Hill said.
“We have common issues that we discuss, and we get expert advice from
people who have ‘been there and done that’,” she said. “The major goal is
improved health care at all our facilities, and I believe that’s what we’re doing.”
This year, Partners has implemented three new quality initiatives: a program to
reduce the rate of severe sepsis in hospitals, including on site in-service
training, as well as training at Charleston Area Medical Center’s (CAMC)
simulation center; a program to reduce urinary track infections in hospitals; and
a program funded by Carelink to improve “well child” and postpartum care.
The Network has grown steadily during the past 13 and a half years, increasing
its services and its membership. Its vision, according to the Partners In Health
Internet site (www.pihn.org), is for the coalition to address “regional, strategic
and population-based planning, community needs assessment, better problem
solving, communication and access, and management of resources.”
The Network’s members, for example, sponsor a credentialing verification
organization.
“Credentialing is a great example of a function we do as a unit. Everybody has
to have someone doing this, but it’s not a full-time job at any place. Why not use
a common system and have one service,” Hill said.
She calls CAMC the “hub” of the Partners in Health Network.
“We all connect to CAMC. They have outstanding resources and they share
those resources with us. CAMC makes it work,” Hill said.
Sandra Elza, CEO at Jackson General Hospital, another Network member,
echoed Hill’s depiction that the Partners in Health Network exists because of
CAMC’s resources.
“CAMC is definitely the hub of this network, and the rest of us are spokes. And
through this network CAMC has opened up their resources to us,” Elza said.
“It’s nice that we’re associated with them, because they have the expertise and
resources that the larger organizations can afford and the small ones can’t. But
now we can pick up the phone and get information quickly, whether it’s a doctor
or the billing clerk calling. We know where to go to get information.”
Bob Whitler, the Executive Director of Partners In Health Network, credits the
work and dedication of member facilities for making Partners a success.
“Debbie Hill, as Vice Chair, provides outstanding leadership for a wide range of
issues,” Whitler said.
The Partners in Health Network has monthly meetings to discuss problems
common to all facilities. The Network, through The CAMC Health Education and
Research Institute, also offers a host of education opportunities for all types of
health professional.
The Partners In Health Network includes: Boone County Health
Department, Boone Memorial Hospital, Braxton County Memorial Hospital, Cabin
Creek Health System, CAMC Teays Valley Hospital, Camden-on-Gauley Medical
Center, Charleston Area Medical Center, Charleston Surgical Clinic (The Eye
and Ear Clinic), FamilyCare, Highland Hospital, Hygeia Facilities Foundation,
Jackson General Hospital, Montgomery General Hospital, New River Health
Association, Primary Care Systems (Clay County), Putnam County Health
Department, Roane General Hospital, Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital,
Summersville Memorial Hospital, Webster County Memorial Hospital, Women’s
Health Center of WV. The West Virginia Primary Care Association is an
associate member.
At first glance, Jackson General Hospital is a 41-bed, rural hospital, pretty
typical for a rural West Virginia hospital. But look a little closer at the Ripley
facility, says Jackson General Chief Executive Officer Sandra Elza, and you’ll
find a lot more.
“We’re part of something much more complex, much bigger,” Elza said.
Jackson General is a member of the Partners in Health Network, a coalition of
24 southern and central West Virginia hospitals and medical centers that have
chosen to put cooperation ahead of competition. The hospitals and other
managed care facilities share medical and administrative information, working
sometimes as a referral service to one another and sometimes as one, big multi-
county operation.
“Partners in Health is a great way for us to network and to talk about problems
and issues we all have,” Elza said.
“Whether it’s a medical question or a billing question, all we have to do is pick
up the phone and we can get answers.”
Partners in Health facilities are all over central and southern West Virginia. That
means, for example, that Elza has more than a professional colleague in
Deborah Hill, Summersville Memorial Hospital’s chief executive officer. She has
a partner.
“Partners in Health is an excellent way for all of us to connect with each other.
We’ve got a built-in referral system with our sister organizations,” Hill said.
“We have common issues that we discuss, and we get expert advice from
people who have ‘been there and done that’,” she said. “The major goal is
improved health care at all our facilities, and I believe that’s what we’re doing.”
This year, Partners has implemented three new quality initiatives: a program to
reduce the rate of severe sepsis in hospitals, including on site in-service
training, as well as training at Charleston Area Medical Center’s (CAMC)
simulation center; a program to reduce urinary track infections in hospitals; and
a program funded by Carelink to improve “well child” and postpartum care.
The Network has grown steadily during the past 13 and a half years, increasing
its services and its membership. Its vision, according to the Partners In Health
Internet site (www.pihn.org), is for the coalition to address “regional, strategic
and population-based planning, community needs assessment, better problem
solving, communication and access, and management of resources.”
The Network’s members, for example, sponsor a credentialing verification
organization.
“Credentialing is a great example of a function we do as a unit. Everybody has
to have someone doing this, but it’s not a full-time job at any place. Why not use
a common system and have one service,” Hill said.
She calls CAMC the “hub” of the Partners in Health Network.
“We all connect to CAMC. They have outstanding resources and they share
those resources with us. CAMC makes it work,” Hill said.
Sandra Elza, CEO at Jackson General Hospital, another Network member,
echoed Hill’s depiction that the Partners in Health Network exists because of
CAMC’s resources.
“CAMC is definitely the hub of this network, and the rest of us are spokes. And
through this network CAMC has opened up their resources to us,” Elza said.
“It’s nice that we’re associated with them, because they have the expertise and
resources that the larger organizations can afford and the small ones can’t. But
now we can pick up the phone and get information quickly, whether it’s a doctor
or the billing clerk calling. We know where to go to get information.”
Bob Whitler, the Executive Director of Partners In Health Network, credits the
work and dedication of member facilities for making Partners a success.
“Debbie Hill, as Vice Chair, provides outstanding leadership for a wide range of
issues,” Whitler said.
The Partners in Health Network has monthly meetings to discuss problems
common to all facilities. The Network, through The CAMC Health Education and
Research Institute, also offers a host of education opportunities for all types of
health professional.
The Partners In Health Network includes: Boone County Health
Department, Boone Memorial Hospital, Braxton County Memorial Hospital, Cabin
Creek Health System, CAMC Teays Valley Hospital, Camden-on-Gauley Medical
Center, Charleston Area Medical Center, Charleston Surgical Clinic (The Eye
and Ear Clinic), FamilyCare, Highland Hospital, Hygeia Facilities Foundation,
Jackson General Hospital, Montgomery General Hospital, New River Health
Association, Primary Care Systems (Clay County), Putnam County Health
Department, Roane General Hospital, Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital,
Summersville Memorial Hospital, Webster County Memorial Hospital, Women’s
Health Center of WV. The West Virginia Primary Care Association is an
associate member.
Partners in Health News Release