STYLE Media and Design

Rick Sutton, MS, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer
North Colorado Medical Center
Photography by Warren Diggles

Dear Northern Colorado Reader,

In the midst of the many proposals for change in healthcare through national healthcare reform discussions in 2009, North Colorado Medical Center (NCMC) has continued to focus on five basic priorities: Employee Engagement, Patient Satisfaction, Quality Healthcare, Physician Friendly Service and Financial Strength. This focus has resulted in the continued growth and improvement of healthcare services available to our patients, our community and our region.

During 2009, we again achieved verification as a Level II trauma center by the Committee on Trauma of the American College of Surgeons. Receiving verification means NCMC has voluntarily met criteria that assure trauma care capability and institutional performance.

The CardioVascular Institute of North Colorado at NCMC was recognized by independent rating agencies for excellence in heart care procedures and outcomes as well as by the American Heart Association.

Renewal designation as Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence® by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and the Surgical Review Corporation was received. The renewal came after a thorough, detailed examination of the bariatric program components and outcomes, including an on-site survey by medical professionals. Patients can be assured that we have a well-established program dedicated to providing the highest quality care, the most highly skilled providers, appropriate equipment for this patient population and support of successful weight loss outcomes.

You will read in another article in this publication that several milestone projects in facility and technology development were completed in 2009. We are extremely proud of the opening of a new and expanded Western States Burn Center, the only burn center in Northern Colorado; the completion of the Endoscopy Center which offers state-of-the-art procedures for patients; and the Endovascular Surgery suite which is used for minimally invasive endovascular procedures and open surgeries and provides patients with the safest possible approach to vascular surgery. All of these services provide great technology and quality patient care in showcase facilities.

It is, indeed, satisfying to receive recognition for quality and to provide the latest technology. However, the services and quality we provide to you cannot be achieved without a highly qualified healthcare team of physicians and staff. We continue to be committed to ensuring that you have the physicians and healthcare professionals available to meet your healthcare needs.

A major emphasis in 2009 was our focus on recruiting highly specialized physicians who want to live in our community and provide services to the residents in the community and all of the areas we serve throughout the region.

With a number of physicians joining our medical staff, we have expanded the Neurology Clinic to include three neurologists who, in addition to general neurology expertise, specialize in memory disorders, multiple sclerosis and head injury. The CardioVascular Institute has expanded to open clinics with full-time cardiologists at McKee Medical Center in Loveland and Sterling Regional MedCenter in Sterling. Highly qualified cardiologists, orthopedic surgeons, general surgeons, anesthesiologists, hospitalists, burn surgeons, family practice physicians and radiologists have joined our medical team to enable you to receive the highest level of healthcare available.

In the coming year, we will continue to recruit additional physicians and healthcare professionals to our team. We will focus on working to provide regional services with McKee Medical Center and the other Banner Health hospitals in our region.

Patient satisfaction survey numbers tell us that we have made significant improvement in patient satisfaction, but it is even more obvious when you walk around the hospital. When you speak to the patients themselves and hear their stories about how we have touched their lives, we can tell we are making a difference in people’s lives every day.

When you receive care at NCMC, you will experience quality healthcare. Whether it is technology, physicians, employees, quality or service, you can count on us to deliver your care with dignity, compassion and excellence.

It is our goal to provide you with a healthcare experience that results in positive outcomes such that you would continue to personally choose or recommend us to others in need of healthcare services.

May God bless you, the United States military and the United States of America.

Sincerely,

Rick Sutton, MS, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer
North Colorado Medical Center