STYLE Media and Design

Marilyn Schock, MBA, OTR
Chief Executive Officer
McKee Medical Center
Photography by Warren Diggles

Dear Northern Colorado Reader,

As a 26-year resident of Northern Colorado, I have seen many changes in our community, particularly in healthcare. Now it appears more changes are on the horizon as Congress continues to debate national healthcare reform.

Through these changes, however, one constant is the quality of care McKee Medical Center provides to its patients.

Did you know McKee boasts one of the highest patient satisfaction scores in the nation? Our patient surveys routinely rank McKee among the top 10 percent of hospitals in the country when it comes to the patient experience.

Of course healthcare is about more than surveys. It’s about the friendly, reassuring clerks at the registration desk, the soothing voice from your bedside nurse and the skilled physician overseeing your return to health. These elements combine to ensure the highest quality of care. Our philosophy is that healthcare is a calling and every employee in every department plays an important role in the healing process.

To help our employees provide you the best care possible, in 2009 we made considerable investments in technology. McKee implemented the most advanced electronic medical record system in Northern Colorado, allowing physicians to have immediate access to your records from their office or their home. We purchased the most advanced da Vinci surgical robot on the market, providing our patients with less invasive treatment options for prostate and gynecological procedures.

McKee also acquired a new computed tomography (CT) scanner used by physicians to make diagnoses of people who are sick or injured. The scanner uses up to 40 percent less radiation than other models, an important benefit, especially for children.

We worked closely with our physician partners on these changes and we will continue to work with them to ensure we have everything they need to deliver the best care.

As we look to the future, many of the strategies we put in place will have a regional focus. In addition to McKee in Loveland and North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley, Banner Health has hospitals in Brush and Sterling. By working together, we are able to more effectively serve the healthcare needs of our urban and rural communities and meet our mission of making a difference in people’s lives through excellent patient care.

Perhaps the best example of our regional philosophy is the successful CardioVascular Institute of North Colorado (CVI) based at North Colorado Medical Center. They have established protocols with the Brush and Sterling hospitals, as well as other outlying rural facilities, to streamline and standardize the care of patients experiencing a heart attack. These protocols, based on best practices, ensure patients get the best care possible whether it occurs at the rural facility or the need is more critical and they are flown to NCMC for treatment.

McKee-based CVI cardiologists can perform most medical treatments at McKee, but in rare instances where patients needs a higher level of care, such as open heart surgery, they can be taken to NCMC where they have continuity of care with the same physician practice.

Another example of our regional strategy is simulation training. McKee-based staff members take computerized mannequins that mimic symptoms and physiological responses of human patients to other Banner facilities where medical staff can practice complex procedures.

We will continue to take the simulation training on the road in 2010 as needed, even as we open the first phase of the Banner Simulation Center at McKee, a permanent simulation training center inside the hospital where Banner Health nurses and doctors can practice their skills in a setting that mirrors their everyday work experience. This will be the only facility of its kind in the region and demonstrates our commitment to providing the most advanced training possible to our staff.

I am excited about the opportunities awaiting us in the year ahead. McKee will continue to invest in the resources necessary to provide the best care possible for our patients. That means hiring the best people, partnering with our physicians, acquiring the latest technology and working closely with our counterparts in Northern Colorado to ensure Banner Health continues to be the top provider of healthcare in the communities we serve.

It is an honor and privilege to assist you in your healthcare journey.

Sincerely,

Marilyn Schock, MBA, OTR
Chief Executive Officer
McKee Medical Center