×

Hospital navigating recent changes

UnityPoint looks to better future

T-R file photo This file photo shows the entrance of the UnityPoint-Marshalltown downtown campus. President Jennifer Friedly said the hospital is a participant in an accountable care organization (ACO), which pays for value of care.

The changes at UnityPoint-Marshalltown have been felt by everyone in the community and concerns about the future of the hospital are known. The health care entity is navigating not only local changes but also national.

UnityPoint-Marshalltown president Jennifer Friedly said the hospital is a participant in an accountable care organization (ACO), which pays for value of care. She said payments are received each month for keeping patients healthy.

“No matter the health care need, doctors are incentivized to keep people healthy and get their wellness checks,” Friedly said. “There is a lot of focus on primary care.”

The UnityPoint hospital in Ft. Dodge was one of the chosen hospitals to help pioneer ACO care in the country.

“There is a steady movement to keep people healthy,” she said.

That also means less time is spent in the hospital. A few years ago, Friedly said the average length of time people would stay in the hospital was three days. Now, it is one day.

“Health care traditionally was a pay per service which incentivizes the wrong behavior,” she said. “We are redefining what health care looks like for the future. There will still always be a need for hospitals but people can spend less time in a hospital. We know patients do better at home. We do not need as many hospital beds.”

In order to make sure patients who are sent home remain healthy, Friedly said calls are made to ensure the patient receives home care or follows up with physicians afterward.

UnityPoint is utilizing a system which combines science with patient records. Friedly said based on the information provided by the system, hospital staff can determine when a patient is likely to return for medical care.

While the hospital navigate a changing healthcare atmosphere, UnityPoint — Marshalltown has experienced a significant financial turnaround.

In November 2018 the facility was looking at a $7 million loss but is now ahead of budget and is expecting a profit in 2020.

“We are very proud of that,” Friedly said, about the financial turnaround. “It has been a lot of hard work to redefine what our healthcare services would be. We had consultants identify what services we could and could not support.”

Some of the services that were determined to be unsupportable in the last year have been the cath lab, the intensive care unit and the obstetrics and gynecology department.

The latter had more to do with the inability to recruit providers than patients opting to give birth in other towns, Friedly said.

Hospital nurses have also been trained to fill different roles, whether it be in the emergency room or otherwise. Friedly said the hospital has also introduced electronic health records.

All of the changes have helped bring about a better financial outlook.

“We are going to be here for the foreseeable future and we will continue offering care for the community to use,” she said. “We are very proud of the work we have done. When we bought the Central Iowa hospital out of bankruptcy, we made a commitment to Marshalltown.”

The changing health care environment and potential to see hospital profit next year have helped create scenarios in which patients should be able to see lower medical bills, Friedly said.

Marshalltown mayor Joel Greer said he could not be more excited about the projected profit for 2020.

“I am very grateful as the mayor that UnityPoint stepped in, took over the hospital and is changing the health care landscape,” Greer said.

As UnityPoint continues to navigate changes and move through the approval process of moving to the southern campus, she said the hospital will continue to provide care.

The mayor said he is not surprised that the hospital is planning a move to a more energy-efficient and cost-saving building.

Hopefully, Friedly said there will be an announcement about the move by the end of the year.

“Health care is changing and not just in Marshalltown,” she said. “It is changing nationally and we will provide good quality care in Marshalltown.”

——

Contact Lana Bradstream

at 641-753-6611 or

lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.38/week.

Subscribe Today