Southern Ohio Medical Center (SOMC)

Southern Ohio Medical Center is an active member of the communities it serves and is involved in various programs and activities throughout the area. Community is what drives somc to achieve excellence in healthcare and to make a difference in the lives of those around us. The economic, educational, recreational and cultural activities of the local area show the wide sweep of somc's community involvement and their efforts to build and maintain strong relationships. All patients are treated reguardless of their ability to pay.it's through these relationships that somc has been recognized for many outstanding accomplishments, receiving such notable honors as ancc's magnet recognition, osha's vpp star status, press ganey's distinctive workplace award, as well as being named one of fortune's 100 best companies to work for. Key decisions made at somc are guided by five strategic values: safety, quality, service, teamwork and finance. Relationships shape many facets of customer service and the care that is provided within the hospital. It is the hospital's goal to listen and partner with customers to make a difference to those we serve. Additional feedback is also gathered through focus groups conducted by the somc community relations department, as well as the somc executive team's "open door policy," which both provide the opportunity to gather information and suggestions to improve hospital services and understand technological needs. Somc partners with the national research corporation (nrc) to provide transitional care support following acute and ambulatory encounters. Nrc's connect care transitions platform performs post-discharge call-backs, leveraging automated outreach to contact patients in the critical timeframe of 24-72 hours after leaving our facility. The natural voice recognition follow-up call seeks out opportunities to improve the patient experience through addressing any remaining service concerns or clinical questions after discharge. Any concerns identified trigger an alert from the care transitions solution to an rn member of our clinical case manger team who personally returns a call for resolution or triaging. Call prompts address key issues after discharge such as prescriptions, follow-up appointments, discharge instructions, worsening health status, service concerns, post-procedural pain, etc. The connect program impacts somc's strategic values by reducing readmissions, improving patient experience and perceptions of care, and improving quality and safety outcomes. As a function of the clinical case management department, connect serves to improve clinical integration by bridging the gaps between acute, emergent, and procedural settings and the patient's home environment.somc establishes working relationships with organizations throughout the tri-state area to focus on the health and wellness of the community. Somc and its employees participate in a variety of community-based organizations including the scioto county health coalition, the portsmouth area chamber of commerce, rotary club, Southern Ohio performing arts association, the portsmouth area arts council, literacy programs, school boards, committees and churches. Other participatory programs include local little league groups, leadership portsmouth, task force on domestic violence, portsmouth kiwanis service club, scioto residential services board, paramedic advisory board, salvation army, habitat for humanity and choice housing for the developmentally disabled. Somc also maintains close relationships with Southern Ohio correctional facility ministries, arthritis foundation, Medical reserve corp, parish nurse network, Southern Ohio diabetes coalition, portsmouth bicentennial board, the shawnee state university board and the Southern Ohio correctional facility community advisory board. Somc has opened 6 pharmacy to serve the public. They are located in wheelersburg, south campus, main campus, vanceburg, west union and our retail pharmacy at the main campus. This enable us to serve our patients more efficiently and quicker, we have a meds to beds program which brings patients need meds to this room upon release so they don't have to make stops once the leave the hospital. We have walk in clinic at the some location as the pharmacies which enables patients to receive treatment from 8 am to 8 pm and then pickup any prescriptions prescribed at the same location before they leave. Many benefits are created through these partnerships including sponsorships for cultural affairs, community health and wellness programs, health screenings, education, children's programs and youth activities. One such collaborative effort allows somc to provide adult immunizations for influenza, pneumonia and hepatitis b to hundreds of community members each year. The hospital often donates used equipment to local schools. Nurses and physicians volunteer their time and effort to travel around the somc region and to third-world countries to provide services free of charge or at a reduced rate to populations who greatly benefit from their annual visits. Somc Medical care foundation is organized and operates exclusively for charitable, educational and scientific purposes for the benefit of somc, an Ohio non-profit corporation including (a) providing Medical, surgical and other health care and treatment of the sick, disabled, and injured, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, handicap, sex, or the ability to pay for services; (b) conducting educational activities related to healthcare and treatment of the sick, disabled, injured and to promote and carry on Medical, scientific and clinical research related to health care and treatment of the sick, disabled, and injured; and (c) engaging in any lawful activities for which corporations may be formed under chapter 1785 of the Ohio revised code that are not consistent with the foregoing.our community relations department posted several articles on facebook and other social media informing the public of ways to stay safe. They have a weekly spot on local radio to educate our commjnity on information pertaining to cancer, diabetes and many other Medical issues previlant in our local area and offer info on services provided by somc for detection and treatment of said issues. We also have spot on wsaz to educate the tristate area on this same issues. Somc development foundation renders services to Southern Ohio Medical Center of portsmouth, Ohio and its patients and assists the hospital in promoting health and welfare of the community in accordance with the objectives established by the governing board of trustees of Southern Ohio Medical Center. In addition, somc development foundation creates, receives and maintains a fund or funds of real or personal property or both, to use and apply the whole or any part of the income therefrom and the principal thereof exclusively for the use and benefit of Southern Ohio Medical center.due to the life changing experiences everyone has suffered through this year, somc decided to conduct a targeted needs assessment in the schools instead of the coat drive. The needs assessment reached out to 15 local area schools in our surrounding communities. The results showed that the school kids needed a variety of things such as socks, shoes, school supplies, hand sanitizer, and even pillows. After review of the data, somc decided to grant each school funding to be used for specific needs of the children. The funds are provided by the somc community health & wellness fund. This fund is designed to offer support to projects that will positively affect the health and wellness of those living and working in our community. The community health and wellness department also actively seeks grants that can be used toward specific community-wide programs. The susan g. komen grant for the hands of hope program provides free or reduced fee education, screenings and mammograms to promote early detection of breast disease. It links breast cancer patients to resources after breast cancer treatment. Somc is dedicated to educating its appalachian community on self-breast exams providing clinical breast services and diagnostic testing, with a focus on yearly mammograms. For example, october is annually known as breast cancer awareness month and often features many programs, screenings, commercials, flyers and activities that focus specifically on that topic and its education.