BENTON — Doctors and administrators at Saline Memorial Hospital say some Saline County residents travel outside the community for medical treatment, and the medical center is conducting a survey to find out why those patients are not seeking care locally.
The hospital in Benton has hired two companies to conduct a communityhealth-needs assessment to gather information and identify health factors that affect county residents.
“We can meet 80 percent of the health care needs locally,” said Bob Trautman, CEO of Saline Memorial Hospital.
“We want to know what they are goingto Little Rock to receive.”
Trautman said the facility is seeing more heart patients since establishing a partnership with Arkansas Heart Hospital in Little Rock, creating a five-day-a week clinic at Saline Memorial and helping the hospital’s emergency department offer around-the-clock coverage for acute cardiac care.
“Guided by the results of this important community survey, we can have a more complete understanding of the health needs of the community, which will help us focus our resources on how to improve health,” Trautman said.
The information is being gathered by Catalyst Healthcare Research and Stratasan, both companies from Nashville, Tenn. The resident survey is being conducted by phone calls to random residents by Catalyst.
Rebecca Jones, director of marketing for Saline Memorial, said the Catalyst survey offers a template of questions that have been added to and adjusted by hospital staff.
“The questions survey the awareness and perceptions of health services available,” said Sheila King, research director for Catalyst. “We ask who provides the best services, the best doctors and the best quality of care - those kinds of things.”
Trautman said many people think the biggest cities have the better doctors and better care.
“Actually, people from other areas who are treated at the hospital rate us significantly higher in services than do local residents,” Trautman said. “It is a perception based on what they are accustomed to experiencing.”
Jones said doctors at the hospital and their co-workers will be asked questions on issues of public health.
King also said the survey conducted by the research firm inquires about the health of the community and what residents believe are the issues that impact their health, such as smoking or obesity.
“The survey will be looking at what the concerns are as seen through the eyes of the residents of Saline County,” Trautman said.
Once the survey is complete, a community summit will be scheduled. Jones said he had hoped to have the summit with Benton city officials and area business leaders in June but now expects the meeting to be held in July. The meeting will be facilitated by members of Catalyst Healthcare Research.
King said data from the research will be presented at the meeting so priorities for action can be determined by the hospital.
“Our community assessment is not meant to produce a document that gets shoved onto a shelf and gathers dust,” Trautman said in a news release about the study. “It is meant to create the foundation of an action plan to help us truly improve the lives of the people in our community.”
Staff writer Wayne Bryan can be reached at (501) 244-4460 or wbryan@arkansasonline.com.
Tri-Lakes, Pages 55 on 06/21/2012