Forrest Health CEO releases statement on ER

(The following is a press release from FGH.)

Forrest General Hospital is truly blessed to have some of the most talented doctors in the country as members of our medical staff. As the only level-two trauma and a STEMI hospital in the region, we treat patients in a 19-county service area and beyond which encompasses over 600,000 people. From neurosurgeons, trauma surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, vascular surgeons, and many more specialties, we stand ready to meet the needs of the community we serve.

The Emergency Room (ER) is typically described as the front door of the hospital, generating over 80 percent of hospital admissions. Averaging approximately 85,000 emergency visits per year, Forrest General Hospital is the third busiest ER in the state. You, the public, have entrusted us with the care of you and your family. This is a responsibility that we don’t take lightly. Our mission is to “Do what is best for the Patient.”

Our response times in the ER for lower acuity patients (less ill) have not met our internal expectations, even considering the fact that we treat over 230 patients per day. Although we have provided great care, sometimes our wait times have caused frustration for our patients and families. We can do better. We have heard our patients, and we are going to make changes.

One of these changes is that we have partnered with Relias Healthcare to assist us in the improvement process. Relias, along with many of our existing Emergency Medical doctors, will implement fresh ideas to help improve our response times. Over the course of the next 12 months, we will also be training our nursing staff on the new processes. We are confident these changes will improve our patient satisfaction.

We appreciate your support as we work towards improvements to meet the demands of our patients. Again, we thank you for entrusting your care to Forrest Health, and we look forward to serving you in the future.

R. Andy Woodard President / CEO