Year-end results proved positive for Allen County Regional Hospital. TRUSTEES spent a portion of their meeting discussing marketing opportunities. While word of mouth works well, a professional campaign targeted at specific services would be more effective, Baker said.
Trustees saw upticks at their meeting Monday night in the number of patients admitted to the hospital and using its emergency room.
A strong turnaround has been seen in the hospital’s radiology and therapy departments, said Ron Baker, hospital chief executive officer.
Now that an MRI machine visits three times a week instead of two, more are taking advantage of its services, he said.
“We’re seeing a total upward trend for bone density scans, mammograms, CAT scans, ultrasounds and MRIs,” he said. “Overall, radiology looks good since our low mark of 2010. It’s been the best year for radiology services since 2005.”
With only six months of a new therapy department, “it’s been the best year since who knows when,” Baker said.
“In just six months, the numbers have skyrocketed,” he said.
Physical and occupational therapy especially have seen a strong surge. “Occupation therapy just eclipsed our best year ever,” he said.
Three full-time employees were hired to help staff the therapy department.
The successful program helps keep patients in the local hospital instead of being transferred elsewhere to receive care after surgery, Baker said.
Cindy Parks of Parks Communications, Kansas City, Mo., handles the hospital’s public relations.
Hospital shows off strong start in 2013
