Public Meeting Reveals Positive Financial Status, Dedication to Patient Care

Jersey Shore, PA - Despite the worsening economy, Jersey Shore Hospital's annual public meeting revealed positive news about service, operations and financials.

During Thursday evening's public meeting, the hospital's board of directors, head of nursing, CFO and CEO/president gave brief comments on the hospital's behalf, especially with the recent opening of the new 45,000-square-foot addition.

During the fiscal year 2008, the hospital ended the year with a profit of nearly $1.6 million, growing from the previous year. Jersey Shore Hospital also continued overall growth in patient services.

Chief Financial Officer Kurt Williams said that the "star performer" of the hospital's outpatient services was the radiology department who saw a 6.2 percent increase in procedures.

In surgical cases, the hospital's same day surgery unit leads the outpatient surgical program with an 85.2 percent representation.

New physician recruitments for the hospital have been positive as well, with Dr. Lisa Strawser, DO, and Dr. Nicholas Fasano, M.D., as Jersey Shore Hospital Radiology Associates; Dr. Thomas Connolly, M.D., FACS, as an orthopedic surgeon; Dr. Ralph Korkor, M.D., as a general surgeon; and Dr. Todd Stefan, M.D., operating the vascular clinic.

Betsy Crossley, vice president of nursing services, spoke about patient care. "Patient care comes to us very naturally. We are very compassionate, and this is why we get high, consistent grades," she said. "We all have the same perspective when it comes to patient care."

Crossley also focused on a few imperatives in patient care safety such as having a preventative nature, safety of medication usage, establishing a common abbreviation system amongst doctors and involving patients in their own care.

Mike Halstead, regional vice president of Quorum Health Resources, a national advising and managing service for about 200 hospitals in the country including Jersey Shore, also made remarks, stating that the next year's focus will be on facilitating the hospital's strategic plan.

Closing remarks were made by Board Chairman Hubert Valencik who said that first-class patient care, such as that found at Jersey Shore Hospital, continues to strengthen each year.