December is here, the holiday season is upon us, and 2009 is just around the corner. North Fulton Regional Hospital looks forward to the coming year with great promise as it reflects on an eventful 2008.

The People…
New leadership helped drive some of the innovation that took place over the past year. Wes James joined the hospital team as Chief Financial Officer while Kathy Young, former Director of Quality Management for the hospital, was appointed to the position of Chief Nursing Officer.

The Technology…
Technological enhancements also served to push North Fulton Regional Hospital ahead as 2008 progressed. Some of these innovations included the custom-fit knee replacement option, 5-day targeted radiation therapy treatment and a recently adopted computer system to convert the radiology department into a virtually film-less operation. With the custom-fit knee replacement procedure, surgeons are able to preserve more bone and ligaments, allowing for better implant fit and alignment. Benefits include shorter surgery time, easier post-op rehabilitation and the potential for better longer term results. Patients receiving radiation treatment for breast cancer after surgery are now able to do so using a much quicker method. Using a 5-day, targeted radiation therapy model, physicians are able to achieve comparable results to traditional radiation therapy, which can take up to 6-7 weeks. Patients now have options for this method of radiation therapy, increasing flexibility and enhancing the level of care they can receive.

The Radiology Department has also seen its share of technological improvements. North Fulton Regional Hospital welcomes the addition of PACS, Picture Archiving and Communication System. This computer-based system digitally processes and displays medical images taken of patients.

“This acquisition is a big win for us here at North Fulton Regional Hospital,” says Judy Over, Director of Radiology. “PACS revolutionizes the way the organization, physicians, and patients handle medical images, allowing us to provide improved patient care and improve Radiology service levels.” The many benefits include less film usage and easy accessibility of images by physicians in multiple locations.

The Quality…
The most advanced technology in the world would not mean anything if the people utilizing it don’t adhere to the highest standards of quality and medical care. In 2008, North Fulton Regional Hospital was the recipient of numerous quality awards and prestigious designations, helping to once again set it apart from the many other hospitals in the state. From winning 2nd place in a contest of the Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) for achieving a 95.5% reduction in ventilator associated pneumonia through an infection control project, to being placed on GHA’s Honor Roll, to winning the Circle of Excellence Achievement Award through Tenet Healthcare, to being recognized for quality respiratory care by the American Association for Respiratory Care, North Fulton Regional Hospital has been busy. Other honors include distinctions from CIGNA Healthcare for the care of heart attack, heart failure, total hip replacement and adult pneumonia; UnitedHealth Premium® Specialty Center designation for Surgical Spine; American Academy of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Certification; Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center certification; and a listing with US News and World Report in their “Best Hospitals” issue.

Beyond the above distinctions, the hospital also earned the honors of gold performance achievement awards for heart failure and coronary artery disease as well as a silver performance achievement for stroke care by the American Heart Association. North Fulton Regional Hospital continues to be one of only two hospitals in the state of Georgia and one of only 29 in the country to have reached award status in all three of the programs the American Heart Association supports.

The Community Commitment…
While North Fulton Regional Hospitals excels at caring for patients who are in need of medical care, it also is committed to community education and outreach, helping to keep people healthy and informed and providing support wherever possible. In 2008, the hospital, along with Harry’s Farmers Market in Alpharetta, began a seminar series to address timely health topics. From stress management to supplements, baby safety to skin care, the Whole Body, Whole Health Seminar Series offers attendees direct communication with physicians and other health experts, all free of charge. The success of this program has led to its extension into 2009.

Other events, including the annual Roswell Woman Expo as well as the 50+ Health Expo, provided free health screenings for the community. This year also featured the first CPR Marathon at the hospital. The result: two full, back-to-back classes of newly educated community members—equipped with their own personal manikin and instructional DVD—ready to pass along their newly acquired knowledge to family members and friends. North Fulton Regional Hospital offers CPR classes at a nominal charge for those who wish to obtain a certification; however, these classes were free for those who wanted to gain the invaluable skills. Like the seminar series, this event proved so popular that it will be offered once again in June of 2009.

The Silver Milestone…
To help end the year on a positive note, North Fulton Regional Hospital celebrated 25 years of caring for the community. On November 6, joined by elected officials in the surrounding communities, hospital governing board members, community business members, friends, physicians and staff members, North Fulton Regional Hospital “cut the ribbon” to signify movement into the next phase of the facility’s history. The last 25 years have consisted of much growth, and the next 25 will surely be no different!

The Next Steps…
The end of one year signifies a fresh start and a new approach for the coming months. North Fulton Regional Hospital looks forward to 2009 and all it has to offer in high-quality patient care, new technology and new programs for the community. The hospital will leverage the many successes of 2008 and parlay them into new successes. From moving to a digital platform in mammography to expanding community services, the future already shines.

North Fulton Regional Hospital (NFRH), part of Tenet Georgia, is a 202-bed, acute-care hospital located on Highway 9, Alpharetta Highway, in Roswell. Opened in 1983, NFRH serves North Fulton and surrounding counties through its team of over 1000 employees, 400 staff physicians and 200 volunteers. NFRH is a state-designated Level II trauma center and provides a continuum of services through its centers and programs, including neurosciences, orthopedics, rehabilitation, surgical services, bariatric surgical weight loss, gastroenterology and oncology. The hospital is fully accredited and also is certified as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency.

For more information about North Fulton Regional Hospital, please call 770-751-2500 or visit www.northfultonregional.com.