No matter the measuring stick, there is no mistaking the impact of St. Vincent’s St. Clair inside and outside its doors over the past four years.
Stories by Carol Pappas
Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr.
and from the Discover Archives
Replacing an aging building that had become obsolete by today’s medical standards, the new St. Vincent’s St. Clair opened in Pell City in December 2011 to great fanfare. And rightly so. It ushered in a new era in health care for the entire region.
“This is a great community, and we are proud to be here,” said Michael Korpiel, who just took the reins of St. Vincent’s St. Clair and St. Vincent’s Blount as their president. He had been serving as president of St. Vincent’s East, but a strategic restructuring added two more hospitals to his administration. And the fit is not just good in terms of geography but in the services they can provide together.
“I’m excited about how we can make all three hospitals work more closely together,” he said. As an example, he cited St. Clair’s certification as a chest-pain center, stringent standards that mean when time is of the essence, lifesaving procedures kick into action quicker than ever before.
St. Vincent’s is the first health system in the country to be certified under these new standards, and they enable emergency department staff to begin care for a patient suffering from chest pain – often a sign of a heart attack – even before they reach the emergency room.
Once they are assessed at St. Clair, they can be transferred to a sister facility, if necessary, in a matter of moments, saving critical time through a coordinated effort in treating one of the biggest killers in the United States, Korpiel said.
Specifically, St. Clair has many more advancements that continue to keep the hospital and the care its patients receive on a progressive track.
Specialties added since opening are continuing an upward trend. A female obstetrics and gynecology doctor is opening a practice in the adjoining Physicians Plaza. Dr. Kim Cox Gorman will practice at St. Clair and deliver babies at St. Vincent’s East.
Plans are under way for St. Vincent’s St. Clair Transitional Care, a “swing bed” program, which allows patients to receive skilled nursing services within this acute care hospital setting. “It enables us to better manage care for patients without transferring them to a nursing home or other hospital,” Korpiel said.
It basically involves designating beds when the 40-bed hospital is not at capacity for use as continuing care. If a patient needs longer term care, the designation of the bed simply changes, and the patient never has to leave the room. That system would allow more patients to remain close to home for post-acute care services.
“The addition of transitional care beds would strengthen our position as the provider of choice for the people of St. Clair and nearby counties,” according to a release announcing the plans. “It’s better for the patient, and it’s better for us” in providing the continuum of care, Korpiel added.
Bariatrics is “going strong” at the hospital with 30 surgeries targeted for this year. Combined with education and a support system, it is helping patients lose weight en route to healthier lifestyles.
Dr. Gaylyn Horne-Ballard has opened her pain management practice in Physicians Plaza, performing 20 to 35 procedures a day.
Gastrointestinal services are being performed at the hospital as well, with several physicians from Birmingham offering outpatient procedures at St. Clair.
Partnerships have strengthened with local practices as well. “Northside Medical Associates continues to be a great partner,” Korpiel said, noting that such specialists as those with Birmingham Heart Clinic have established clinics within Northside.
And Pell City Internal Family Medicine, housed at Physicians Plaza and at the Publix shopping center “have done a great job” in delivering services, he said.
As for the future, it’s looking better than ever. More specialties in urology, orthopedics and ear, nose and throat are on the horizon.
He acknowledged that while he has been “blown away by the support of this hospital,” he would like to see greater strides in the Emergency Department. It is not unlike national numbers. The lowest statistics for satisfaction are in the area of emergency departments because of long waits and more expensive care.
“My goal is to improve service through the Emergency Department,” he said. Through the hospital system’s Lean initiative, those improvements are already being seen. Delays in lab and radiology results are being eliminated. Transfer time for patients needing emergency services for a heart attack has been cut by 20 minutes, something that is critical to the patient.
The goal for turnaround time for troponin lab tests, which help rule out a heart attack diagnosis, was 30 minutes. It is now being done in 23 minutes.
And overall, 30 minutes has been shaved off Emergency Department times for services rendered.
What all that means is better care and better results for patients close to home at a hospital that consistently rates in the top 10 percent of hospitals in the St. Vincent’s Health and Ascension Health systems across the country for patient satisfaction.
Nationally, it means Joint Commission Accreditation and Joint Commission’s Top Performer Award on Key Quality Measures for the local hospital.
“My vision for St. Clair as the county continues to grow and Pell City continues to grow,” Korpiel said, “is to enable this hospital to provide as many comprehensive services as possible” so that patients get the care they need “close to home.”
For more stories on St. Vincent’s St. Clair four-year anniversary, read the print or full digital edition of the December 2015 and January 2016 edition of Discover The Essence of St. Clair Magazine
