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A: Consistency and Structure. Whether your goal is to lose weight, feel better overall, build lean muscle mass, or all three of these and more, you must first have structure and follow that up with consistency. Get a realistic workout regimen for yourself based around the time you can commit to it, your interest, and what’s available to you. Decide one or two areas you can improve nutritionally, it may be portion size, improving snack choices, or eating more nutrient-dense foods. Once you have a workout and nutrition plan in place focus on consistently hitting those et targets. Think if you have a vehicle and you only took it in for maintenance work half the time, the vehicle is much more likely to break down and not get you to where you need to be versus if you had it regularly serviced. Set a minimum target of hitting 80% of your weekly workout and nutrition goals to best achieve results. Wooster Community Hospital’s HealthPoint Health & Wellness staff can help you set goals, and structure, and keep you accountable for being consistent in these areas. Contact us at 330.202.3318.

Many have recently heard of Bruce Willis stepping away from his acting career following a recent diagnosis of “aphasia.” Some of you may be asking, what is aphasia? Our speech-language pathologists (SLP) at HealthPoint are glad you asked!

Aphasia is an acquired neurogenic disorder often seen following a stroke, traumatic brain injury, or a brain tumor, for example. According to the National Aphasia Association, “aphasia is a communication disorder that affects an individual’s ability to process and produce language but does not affect intelligence.” According to the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA), impairments can be seen in spoken language expression and/or comprehension, written expression, and reading comprehension. Cognitive skills such as memory, executive functioning, and attention skills are not affected. One unique type of aphasia, Primary Progressive Aphasia, is a type of dementia, which would affect the individual’s cognitive skills.

Our speech-language pathologists at HealthPoint are fully equipped to provide education, treatment, and home programs via a person- and family-centered approach that is specific to the individual and their lifestyle. Our goal is to ensure our patients can become active communicators in their life by reducing potential feelings of isolation due to their communication disorder. If you had a stroke, traumatic brain injury, or another neurological diagnosis and are having difficulty with word finding, understanding spoken language, or have writing and reading difficulties, we are happy to answer any questions that you may have.

Your Speech Language Pathologists,

Becca Ebert, Emily Relic, and Jamie McClain

Young eyes, small hands, big talents...

Now through April 30, 2022, Wooster Community Hospital (North Side, Pharmacy Entrance) is proud to offer a very special art exhibition featuring Parkview Elementary School’s Kindergarten-through-Fourth-Grade students. Our staff and recent visitors have been knocked out by the bright, colorful and sometimes whimsical creations of these talented young artists. Now it’s your turn to see the world through their eyes as you stroll down the Outpatient Pavilion Concourse on the ground floor at WCH... or peer in through the big windows from outside on a soon-to-be-sunny day. Brought to you in collaboration with the Wayne Center of the Arts, new pieces will rotate in from time to time. We hope you’ll find a moment to enjoy this very fresh look at life and art.

[Wooster, Ohio, March 15, 2022] – Wooster Community Hospital been awarded on Newsweek’s list of World’s Best Hospitals 2022. This prestigious award is presented by Newsweek and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. The awards list was announced on March 2, 2022 and can currently be viewed on Newsweek’s website.

Newsweek and Statista developed a complex methodology to ensure the quality and validity of the ranking. Three data sources were used for the evaluation:
• Hospital recommendations from peers: an international online survey sent to more than 80,000 doctors, hospital managers & health care professionals
• Patient experience: surveys measuring patient satisfaction with hospitals
• Medical KPIs: patient safety, hygiene measures, and quality of treatment

The World’s Best Hospitals 2022 recognizes the best medical institutions across 27 countries: USA, Canada, Germany, France, UK, Switzerland, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Australia, Israel, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Thailand, Italy, Brazil, India, Spain, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Colombia, Austria, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Wooster Community Hospital is ecstatic to be recognized on Newsweek’s list of World’s Best Hospitals 2022. “We are proud to AGAIN be included on this list of outstanding hospitals from around the world. It demonstrates that a community hospital can have outcomes on the same level as some of the most prestigious hospitals around the globe, and it also shines a light on our employees, physicians and community,” said Bill Sheron, Wooster Community Hospital CEO.

2022 Winter Community Focus

Why I left a large system and CHOSE WCH for ALL my HEALTHCARE NEEDS

After her heart attack in 2017, Diana wasn’t taking any chances with her cardiovascular health. While traveling in May 2021, her Apple smartwatch notified her that she was showing signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib), or irregular heartbeat. Diana contacted her cardiologist in Cleveland as soon as she returned home to Medina, Ohio.

Unfortunately, the cardiologist was not available for an appointment for many weeks. At her daughter’s recommendation, Diana made an appointment at Wooster Heart Group at Wooster Community Hospital (WCH). Within just a few days, she was able to see Dr. Cyril Ofori and discuss her AFib concerns.

“He’s just wonderful,” Diana says.

Although no longer in AFib at the time of her appointment, Diana did go into AFib again the next day. Dr. Ofori met her at the WCH emergency room, where he was able to monitor her and determine the best course of action.

Diana has been particularly concerned about blockage around her heart. “I saw four cardiologists before coming to WCH, and [Dr. Ofori] was the only one that assured me that I would be okay,” Diana says. The other cardiologists knew about the blockage, but “they wouldn’t even address it,” she says.

Under Dr. Ofori’s care, Diana is currently on the appropriate medication for AFib, and is getting regular checkups. She has not had another episode of AFib since June 2021.

Thanks to her experience with Dr. Ofori and the WCH staff, Diana has moved all her healthcare, including her family doctor and gynecologist, to Bloomington Medical Services, an affiliate of Wooster Community Hospital Health System. Her previous family doctor with a large health system in Cleveland often did not have appointments available for up to six months.

Diana became concerned about her husband’s heart health when he was symptomatic and became winded walking up the stairs. She knew he needed a cardiologist appointment soon, and Dr. Ofori was quickly available. He performed a heart catheterization and confirmed the need for urgent bypass surgery. “I attribute
my husband’s improved quality of life to Dr. Ofori,” Diana says. “I just feel that if we hadn’t gone to him, my husband would possibly have had a heart attack.”

Navigating a larger health system can get overwhelming, which is not a problem at WCH. “It’s a hometown hospital,” Diana says. “I just feel more comfortable there.” Being able to see a physician promptly with a very competent office staff is so important.

In addition, “the staff has made the most impact on us. I don’t care who I talk to, everyone is so pleasant and nice,” she says. “[Dr. Ofori] and the staff at Wooster Heart Group and Wooster Community Hospital, you just can’t beat it.”

In 2020, Janice and Anthony Gallagher brought their gloriously eclectic, deeply inspiring artwork to Wooster Community Hospital for all to enjoy.

Now, you can explore new works of a lifelong “Art Family” who reside right here in Wooster, as we host a new exhibition by Janice and Anthony. (And, if you liked the first one, you’ll be bowled over by this next installment.)

Janice’s work reflects her lifelong passion: fashioning marvelous art from discarded items. Anthony’s is more focused on the sacred, echoing classic images from past centuries in his own inimitable style.  Together, it is a powerful and moving art experience. Please visit the exhibition, now hanging in WCH’s Outpatient Pavilion through January 18. For more information, please contact Angela Rincon, Director of Development, at 330.263.8701.

Wooster Community Hospital is an unprecedented seven-time winner of IBM Watson’s “100 Top Hospital” award. We humbly invite you to visit for the art (and maybe a cup of coffee at the Breakaway Café), and discover how much quality care can mean right here in your own community Hospital. 

The Wooster Community Hospital (WCH) Women’s Pavilion has opened a new milk drop site for donated human milk. Starting Tuesday, September 28, 2021, donations from healthy, lactating women can be made at 1761 Beall Avenue in Wooster. WCH will store donated human milk in a freezer before transferring it to a milk bank located in the OhioHealth Eastside Health Center in Columbus, at no cost to the donor.

This initiative has been launched in partnership with the OhioHealth Mothers’ Milk Bank, under the guidelines of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA). This project provides pasteurized human milk to infants whose mothers are unable to provide their own milk.

To read the full article, click here!

Wooster Community Hospital's HealthPoint (HP) facility would like recognize the lifesaving actions taken by HP staff members. Since opening in 2003, there have been many firsts at HP.  Recently, we had our first cardiac arrest, while this may be a common occurrence at the hospital, I assure you it was not a typical morning for HP. All staff members at HP are trained in CPR and AED,  and,  their readiness was apparent.

Health & Wellness member Mike Hartel was exercising in the main gym at HP when Sean Hartzler, physical therapist, recognized Mr. Hartel wasn’t breathing and gently placed him on the floor and activated EMS.  The entire staff sprang into action with a sense of urgency that was palpable, yet focused.  Jeremy Brantner called the EMS, Brian Musselman grabbed the AED, Justin Gasser started compressions and Eric Graham started breathing for Mr. Hartel and delivered his first AED shock.  Abby and Kelseigh waited for EMS at the front door and directed them to the patient.  April Manley was in charge of praying; I think their family motto is time is muscle.

Brian Coote, Director of HealthPoint received an e-mail from Kristen Brockway, one of the first responding Firefighter/Paramedics that stated, “This is a phenomenal team resuscitation! The patient’s survival undoubtedly falls on the early recognition and treatment of cardiac arrest administered by the HealthPoint staff! Well-done." 

Coote adds, "To be honest, I couldn’t have been prouder of the entire HP team, from the initiation of EMS, to when the Wooster Fire Department arrived was less than 10 minutes but felt much longer."

This award is an international award from ILCA (the International Lactation Consultant Association) and IBLCE (International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners, The IBLCE exam is the premier, internationally recognized measure of knowledge in lactation consulting and ILCA is the independent professional association for health care professionals who care for breastfeeding families.

This global award requires facilities to not only hire and utilize IBCLC's but also have a dedicated lactation program, complete an evidence-based project that protects, promotes, and supports breastfeeding and the IBCLC credential, and produce proper documentation for said project. It also requires the achievement and documentation of a specific breastfeeding training program for health professional staff who care for new families which is separate from the said IBCLC project.

Last round, the United States produced only 149 hospitals to receive this recognition and of those 149 Ohio had ten the majority were large health systems. We are extremely proud to be able to enhance Wooster Community Hospital's portfolio of Award-winning quality health care close to home.

If you'd like to read the full article, click here!

The Commission of Cancer (CoC), a quality program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) has granted Three - Year Accreditation to the cancer program at Wooster Community Hospital.  For the full release, click here the read the full article.

WCH - Commission on Cancer Accredited Program

To visit our Comprehensive Cancer Care, click on this link!

Read the Community Benefit Report 2020 here!

WCH just got better by making life easier! The Pharmacy Drive-Thru went live on May, 24th. This is located on the north side of the main campus by Outpatient Pavilion. We're looking to provide service with ease and to help you be on your way.

Wooster Community Hospital has received its Commitment to Excellence award which is a feat to achieve! All applicants were rigorously evaluated by an independent board of examiners in seven areas defined by the Baldrige Excellence Framework: leadership; strategy; customers; measurement, analysis, and knowledge management; workforce; operations; and results. The evaluation process for each of the recipients included more than 1,000 hours of review and a three-day virtual site visit by a team of examiners to clarify questions and verify information in the application.

To read the full release click here!

Experiencing Stroke Symptoms? Don’t Delay Getting to the ER

Wooster Community Hospital Health System (WCH) is commemorating Stroke Awareness Month this May. A stroke is a serious medical emergency that is best treated within 4.5 hours of showing symptoms. WCH median time to treatment with IV t-PA (clot busting medication) is 45 minutes, 15 minutes faster than the national benchmark for acute ischemic stroke treatment.

WCH is the only Primary Stroke Center in Wayne County offering a full spectrum of stroke care. WCH also partners with the OSU Wexner Medical Center in a “telestroke” program that helps the ER doctor diagnose and treat stroke or decide to transfer the patient if necessary.

For more infomation, click here:Stroke Awareness WCH article May 2021

Own the Bone Provides Tools for Success to Address Growing Major Health Crisis

Wooster, OH – [April 27, 2021] – Wooster Community Hospital Health System (WCH) announced today that it has implemented The American Orthopedic Association’s Own the Bone® Program. Own the Bone™ is an evidence-based quality improvement program intended to prevent future fractures in patients with current fragility fractures (broken bones that result from a fall from standing height or less). The program aims to better identify, evaluate and treat patients that suffer from an osteoporosis- or low bone density-related fracture and to reduce the risk of secondary fragility fractures.

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), up to 50% of all women and 25% of men over the age of 50 years will sustain a fragility fracture. Studies show that patients who have had a fragility fracture are 2 to 4 times more likely to experience another fracture than those who have never had a fracture. Yet, 80% of Medicare patients do not receive recommended osteoporosis care following a fragility fracture.

By joining the Own the Bone Program, WCH is now one of over 270 health care institutions nationwide bringing attention to the severe health implications of fragility fractures to ensure patients receive effective, comprehensive care. Through the Own the Bone program and its national web-based quality improvement registry, WCH has received tools to establish a fracture liaison service (FLS) and to document, track and benchmark the care of patients who experienced fragility fractures.

Through an FLS program, a care coordinator, such as a nurse or physician’s assistant, ensures that fragility fracture patients are identified, evaluated and treated. By simply entering information in the web-based registry, improvements in patient care can be documented, tracked and quantified.

Own the Bone uses current, evidence-based guidelines established in the NOF Clinician’s Guide to the Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis and highlighted in the 2004 Surgeon General’s Report on Bone Health and Osteoporosis. WCH has also incorporated Own the Bone’s 10 prevention measures to improve patient care, including:

• Calcium supplementation
• Vitamin D supplementation
• Physical activity counseling
• Fall prevention education
• Smoking cessation counseling
• Education on limiting excessive alcohol intake
• Bone mineral density testing and DXA scans
• Pharmacotherapy for osteoporosis, when appropriate
• Physician referral to endocrinology, when appropriate
• Providing education materials to the patient

“WCH has an extraordinary orthopedic program and now through the Own the Bone program we will be making an impact on preventing secondary fractures,” says Candy Mori, PhD, RN, APRN, Director of Advanced Practice Nurses and Education at WCH. “We are absolutely thrilled to have Drs. Joseph Borruso and Toni King collaborating to address this emerging epidemic of osteoporosis related fragility fractures by reducing the incidence of future fractures and focusing on osteoporosis treatment.”

"The Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals® annual study program has named Wooster Community Hospital as one of the highest-performing Hospitals in the nation.

Using independent public data and proprietary analytics, the newly released 100 Top Hospital study recognizes hospitals that have clearly demonstrated top performance in CARE, EFFICIENCY and COMMUNITY VALUE. The study objectively gauges leadership impact and organizational health by assessing the ability to drive consistent, outstanding performance versus the performance of industry peers.

As a 2021 100 Top award winner, our leadership team, medical staff and employees — together as a team — have set national benchmarks for  the highest balanced performance in the US."

-Bill Sheron, Wooster Community Hospital CEO/President

Darby Buehler was a recent patient here at Wooster Community Hospital.  She was suffering from serious back pain and was looking for a solution and fast.  Wooster Community Hospital accomplished this feat and more for Darby.  She was kind of enough to share her story as well.  If you'd like to take a read her story, click on the link down below.

Darby's Story

Wooster Community Hospital (WCH) Health System welcomes new Vice President of Human Resources, Tina Myers.

Tina brings over 23 years of human resources experience to the role. Her previous position was Director of Human Resources for the Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital in Dover, Ohio. She has held several other HR roles over the years. Tina earned her bachelor’s degree from Malone University and her master’s degree from Argosy University.

Tina currently lives in Bolivar, Ohio, with Sean, her husband of nearly 25 years, and three “furry” kids. They hope to relocate to Wayne County to keep a hobby farm and venture into beekeeping. Tina enjoys traveling, reading and spending time with her niece and nephew.

“I am most excited about returning to an independent hospital committed to its patients, employees and community,” says Tina. “I have been overwhelmed by the friendliness of everyone at the hospital as well as the passion and commitment to excellence. I am blessed to have been invited to join this tremendous organization.”

About Wooster Community Hospital

Wooster Community Hospital (WCH) is a 172-bed, full-service and acute-care facility. Located in Wooster, the hub of Wayne County, Ohio. WCH is a 6-time IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospital that offers a complete range of inpatient and outpatient services. We have continued to expand facilities and add services to meet the needs of our community. We’re the second largest employer in Wayne County and, most recently, was named by CMS (Centers for Medicare Services) as a 5-Star facility and recognized as part of Newsweek’s annual list of World’s Best Hospitals for 2020/2021.  For more information, visit www.woosterhospital.org.

Wooster Community Hospital has been named to the list of 100 top Hospitals by Fortune/IBM Watson Health. This is the 6th time Wooster Community Hospital has been recognized with this honor as one of the top performing hospitals in the U.S. The annual list was unveiled on Fortune.com.

IBM Watson Health has identified the top hospitals from a rigorous evaluation of 3,134 short-term, acute care, non-federal hospitals in the U.S. The annual list recognizes excellence in clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, patient experience and financial health. IBM Watson Health established the list to help identify best practices that may help other healthcare organizations achieve consistent, balanced, and sustainable high performance.

“When I heard this news, my first comment was ‘Wow, we did it again’. We believe this is THE most objective, balanced and prestigious quality award any hospital can win.  It considers not only how strong your performance is in comparison to other U.S. hospitals, but it also demands that you continue to perform better over time.  Not only did our scores improve over our high levels from previous years, but our aggregate score was at the 99.9^th percentile.  You simply can’t do any better – our results are second to none.  The fact that we have now won this award a total of six times – including the last three years in a row – is a clear and resounding testament to the work done by our outstanding staff and our continuing commitment to improving patient care.  Many hospitals would be honored to win this award once. I hope the public appreciates just how difficult and special this is,” said Bill Sheron, Wooster Community Hospital CEO/President.

This recognition demonstrates Wooster Community Hospital’s ongoing commitment to prioritize patient-centered care, particularly during this very disruptive and challenging time. According to IBM Watson Health, as compared to similar hospitals, the hospitals included on the Fortune/IBM Watson Health100 Top Hospitals list had better results on key clinical and operational performance indicators. These include survival rates, patient complications, healthcare associated infections, 30-day mortality and 30-day hospital-wide readmission rates, length of stay, throughput in emergency rooms, inpatient expenses, profitability, and ratings from patients.

“Hospitals, health systems and the dedicated clinicians and staff who work at these organizations have emerged as true heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic and we are grateful to be able to recognize these extraordinary leaders at this time,” said Kyu Rhee, M.D., M.P.P., Vice President and Chief Health Officer, IBM Watson Health. “From small community hospitals to major teaching hospitals, organizations on this list demonstrate a relentless commitment to high value, patient-centered care and innovation. It is clear that the COVID-19 crisis will be a catalyst for reinvention, and we believe these top performing hospitals are positioned to emerge stronger and smarter out of this crisis.”

For more information, visit http://www.100tophospitals.com/.

About the Fortune/IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals® List

The Fortune/IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals list is determined using independent and objective research to analyze hospital performance. Organizations do not apply or pay for this honor or pay to promote their award.  Award-winning hospitals and health systems serve as a model of excellence for the industry.

About IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals® Program

The IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals Program’s annual studies include the Fortune/IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals list, IBM Watson Health 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals and IBM Watson Health 15 Top Health Systems. Organizations do not apply or pay for this honor or pay to promote their award. Award-winning hospitals and health systems serve as a model of excellence for the industry. Visit 100tophospitals.com for more information.

About IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals® Program

The IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals Program’s annual studies include the Fortune/IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals list, IBM Watson Health 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals and IBM Watson Health 15 Top Health Systems. Organizations do not apply or pay for this honor or pay to promote their award. Award-winning hospitals and health systems serve as a model of excellence for the industry. Visit 100tophospitals.com for more information.

About Wooster Community Hospital

Wooster Community Hospital (WCH) is a 172-bed, full-service and acute-care facility. Located in Wooster, the hub of Wayne County, Ohio. WCH is an award-winning hospital that offers a complete range of inpatient and outpatient services. WCH is the second-largest employer in Wayne County and was recently named a 5-Star Hospital for patient quality by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, received an ‘A’ from the 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction; and, was recognized as part of Newsweek’s annual list of World’s Best Hospitals for 2020. This prestigious award is presented by Newsweek.  To learn more visit www.woosterhospital.org.

Read our most recent Community Focus Magazines containing patient stories and services provided at WCH here:

Winter 2022

Fall 2021

Spring 2021

Fall 2020

Winter 2020

Fall 2019

Winter 2019

Fall 2018

Winter 2018

Fall 2017

Wooster Community Hospital and the Wooster Community Hospital Foundation are partnering with nonprofit organization Whit’s End Community Place to provide free support services for fighters/survivors of cancer and their caregivers.

This collaboration ensures cancer fighter/survivors are not only given expert treatment, but that they and their caregivers receive compassionate care as people.

Under this partnership, a cancer support group usually meets on the first Thursday and third Tuesday of every month at 6:15 p.m. in the WCH auditorium. However, during COVID-19, Whit’s End is offering free teletherapy sessions with a licensed social worker.

Fighters/survivors of cancer or their caregivers can contact the program coordinator, Kat Little, at 330.287.2787 for more information.

“We are pleased to be partnering with Whit’s End. We have been involved with some of their programming since the beginning and have great respect for their sense of passion. This can only enhance the mission of both organizations, and benefit our community,” says Bill Sheron, hospital CEO/president.

“We are so excited to cement the foundation of our already great partnership,” says Sandy Kline, co-founder, Whit's End Community Place. “This will most certainly provide sustainability and growth to our services for the community. Our missions align and the partnership makes sense. We love the community and the people we serve, and we do not want anyone touched by cancer to walk alone.”

“Since the birth of Whit’s End, Wooster Community Hospital has been there for us every step of the way, so it only makes sense to make it official,” says Cathy Hershey Ballinger, co-founder, Whit's End Community Place. “One community, with one focus, to help people. Our motto has always been ‘Hands Held Tight, Together We Fight.’ I cannot think of a better organization to collaborate with and help us fight that fight.”

To shop the online uniform sale visit www.robertsmed.com

Use login code: WCH920

American Heart Association Award recognizes Wooster Community Hospital Health System commitment to quality stroke care.

Wooster, August 5, 2020 ― Wooster Community Hospital (WCH) Health System has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines^®-Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.

WCH earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.

“Wooster Community Hospital is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our stroke patients by implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke initiative,” said Karrie Boss, Clinical Nurse Specialist. “The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.”

WCH additionally received the Association’s Target: Stroke^SM Honor Roll award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke. And, received the Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed with more than 90 % of compliance for 12 consecutive months for the “Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score.”

“We are pleased to recognize Wooster Community Hospital for their commitment to stroke care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee and Executive Vice Chair of Neurology, Director of Acute Stroke Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

About Wooster Community Hospital

Wooster Community Hospital (WCH) is a 172-bed, full-service and acute-care facility. Located in Wooster, the hub of Wayne County, Ohio. WCH is an award-winning hospital that offers a complete range of inpatient and outpatient services. WCH is the second-largest employer in Wayne County and was recently named a 5-Star Hospital for patient quality by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, received an ‘A’ from the 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction; and, was recognized as part of Newsweek’s annual list of World’s Best Hospitals for 2020. This prestigious award is presented by Newsweek.  To learn more visit www.woosterhospital.org.

About Get With The Guidelines^®

Get With The Guidelines^® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with tools and resources to increase adherence to the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 9 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org/quality.

Wooster Community Hospital Nationally Recognized with an ‘A’ for the Spring 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade

WOOSTER,OH, April 30, 2020 – Wooster Community Hospital was awarded an ‘A’ in the spring 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade a national distinction recognizing Wooster Community Hospital’s achievements providing safer health care. The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization committed to health care quality and safety. The Safety Grade is a letter grade assigned to all general hospitals across the country and updated every six months, assessing how well the hospital prevents medical errors and other harms to patients.

The Leapfrog Group is a nationally respected non-profit organization – founded more than 20 years ago by large employers and purchasers – whose goal is to improve the safety and quality of American healthcare. They analyze 28 hospital performance measures, across six domains, to develop their rankings.  These include inpatient care, inpatient surgeries, infection rates, medication safety and pediatric and maternity care.  Their overriding concern has always been patient safety.

“To receive an “A” ranking from this group is a significant accomplishment, especially in this time of concern over hospital safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Bill Sheron, Wooster Community Hospital President/CEO. “This ranking, along with our numerous other national quality awards, further underscores the excellent care and safe patient environment provided by the physicians and staff at Wooster Community Hospital. We are proud to receive this designation.”

“As the Nation copes with a challenging pandemic, our gratitude extends to hospital leadership and health care workers everywhere for their tremendous dedication,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We hope this ‘A’ helps to thank the people who work and volunteer for Wooster Community Hospital. They are role models in putting patients first, and their service has been extraordinary in our country’s time of need.”

Developed under the guidance of a national Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses up to 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.

Wooster Community Hospital was awarded an ‘A’ grade today, when Leapfrog updated grades for spring 2020. To see Wooster Community Hospital’s full grade details and access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter and Facebook.

About The Leapfrog Group

Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey and new Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Survey collect and transparently report hospital and ASC performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog’s other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents and infections.

Due to the high incidence of Influenza in our community, we have recognized the need to limit visitations within our hospital in an effort to protect our patients’ well-being.

As of 2/6/2020, the follow restrictions are in place:

• Only healthy visitors over the age of 12 will be permitted to visit with patients. (Children are capable of transmitting the flu virus for some time before onset of illness.)

• People experiencing fever, chills, headache, cough, sore throat, and/or muscle aches are contagious; therefore, we ask these people to refrain from visiting our patients in person.

Thank you for understanding.

CMS has updated their Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings for 2020, giving 407 hospitals a rating of 5 stars. There are more than 4,500 hospitals nationwide that were ranked based on the performance of their reviews.

For Ohio, there were 23 hospitals that reached a 5-star rating and Wooster Community Hosptial was one of them! To read the article from Becker’s Hospital Review, click here.

Read our Community Benefit Report for 2018

Wooster, OH – March 4, 2019 – Wooster Community Hospital (WCH) was this week named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by IBM Watson Health^TM. The study spotlights the top-performing hospitals in the U.S. list based on a balanced scorecard of publicly available clinical, operational and patient satisfaction metrics and data.

The Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals® study uses independent and objective research to analyze hospital and health system performance in 10 clinical and operational areas addressing: risk-adjusted inpatient mortality index, risk-adjusted complications index, mean healthcare-associated infection index, mean 30-day risk-adjusted mortality rate, mean 30-day risk-adjusted readmission rate, severity-adjusted length of stay, mean emergency department throughput, case mix- and wage-adjusted inpatient expense per discharge, adjusted operating profit margin, and HCAHPS score (patient rating of overall hospital performance). The study has been conducted annually since 1993. This is the fifth time WCH has been recognized with this honor.

“This coveted award sets a national benchmark for performance excellence for all hospitals to aspire to.  It measures not only the quality of care delivered, but also operational efficiency and patient satisfaction.  Perhaps more importantly, a hospital must not only have best in class results – which we clearly do – but they also must evidence ongoing improvement over time to achieve this recognition.  This is truly a team award, and a cause for celebration.  Having received this award five times in the last eleven years certainly demonstrates a culture of excellence that exists within our hospital and health system. It is a special day for our dedicated employees, medical staff, and community,” said Bill Sheron, WCH President/CEO.

Based on the results of this year’s study, we extrapolate that if all Medicare inpatients received the same level of care as those treated in the award-winning facilities:

• More than 103,000 additional lives could be saved;
• More than 38,000 additional patients could be complication-free;
• More than $8.2 billion in inpatient costs could be saved; and
• Approximately 155,000 fewer discharged patients would be readmitted within 30 days.

“At a time when research shows that the U.S. spends nearly twice as much on healthcare as other high-income countries, yet still has poorer population health outcomes , the 100 Top Hospitals are bucking the trend by delivering consistently better care at a lower cost,” said Ekta Punwani, 100 Top Hospitals® program leader at IBM Watson Health. “The hospitals on this list represent the current vanguard in value-based care and we applaud their commitment to quality.”

The winning hospitals were announced in the March 4^th edition of Modern Healthcare magazine.

For more information, visit www.100tophospitals.com.

About Wooster Community Hospital

Wooster Community Hospital (WCH) is a 172-bed, full-service and acute-care facility. Located in Wooster, the hub of Wayne County, Ohio. WCH is an award winning hospital that offers a complete range of inpatient and outpatient services. We have continued to expand our facilities and added services to meet the needs of patients in our community. We’re the second largest employer in Wayne County and, most recently, was named a Community Value Top 100 Hospital for 2018 by Cleverley + Associates.  For more information, learn more by visiting www.woosterhospital.org. 

About IBM Watson Health

Watson Health is a business unit of IBM that is dedicated to the development and implementation of cognitive and data-driven technologies to advance health. Watson Health technologies are tackling a wide range of the world’s biggest health care challenges, including cancer, diabetes, drug discovery and more. Learn more.

The following article was published in The Daily Record

WOOSTER — Time is of the essence when someone is having a stroke, making Wooster Community Hospital’s recent distinction as a Primary Stroke Center by DNV-GL Healthcare of utmost importance.

“Every 40 seconds somebody has a stroke in the United States,” said Karrie Boss, a critical care clinical nurse specialist and the hospital’s stroke program coordinator.

“It’s the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. and the leading cause of disability,” Boss said.

“Two million brain cells die every minute during a stroke,” she said. “That’s a lot to lose in a short amount of time.”

But the message she has to share is upbeat — helping people understand the warning signs and the importance of getting to the hospital as quickly as possible.

“The key thing to remember,” she said, is that a stroke victim experiences a “sudden onset,” for example, a sudden inability to speak; a sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body; a sudden vision disturbance or a sudden acute headache; as well as confusion, trouble walking and loss of balance or coordination.

The acronym F.A.S.T. — Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty and Time to call 911 — may be helpful in identifying a stroke.

Risk factors include hypertension, high cholesterol and obesity.

“When the patient comes in (to the hospital), the clock starts ticking,” she said, triggering the urgency to administer the special drug for treatment for those patients who meet the criteria within a short window of opportunity.

“We’re always trying to improve patient care,” said Shelly Huff, chief nursing officer, and Wooster Community Hospital is the only Primary Stroke Center in the county.

Stroke care will be further enhanced at Wooster Hospital by partnering with Ohio State’s TeleStroke services, allowing consultation by camera in the emergency department with an OSU neurologist evaluating patients alongside the hospital’s own physicians and nurses, Huff said, “usually (within) five minutes, guaranteed in 10.”

The collaboration will begin in July, Boss said.

“We (will) have these (additional) resources,” Huff said.

Wooster Community Hospital was first designated as a primary center in 2009, but DNV-GL’s certification carries extra weight because, according to a press release, of “a disciplined management system, combined with the relevant clinical best practices.”

“They are all about the continuous improvement process,” Huff said, “in line with our mission.”

“They focus on quality metrics,” Boss said.

Community education is another important component of the hospital’s stroke care initiative.

The push in the community, said Boss, is “to treat a stroke as an emergency.”

The method is helping to educate emergency services personnel “all the way to community members.”

Huff also pointed out an entire stroke team is assembled when alerted that a stroke victim is on the way to the hospital, rather than waiting until he or she arrives.

— Reporter Linda Hall can be reached at lhall@the-daily-record.com or 330-264-1125, Ext. 2230. She is @lindahallTDR on Twitter.

One of Wooster Community Hospital Health System's newest orthopedic surgeons, Dr. Joseph Borruso, brings a procedure to Wooster that decreases the pain following total knee replacement. "It's for anyone who is thinking about having a total knee replacement who does not want to take narcotics afterwards," said Dr. Borruso. He and Orthopedic Physician Assistant Matt Wayt will be doing the relatively new procedure at Healthpoint.

Iovera is a cryotherapy treatment that is done preoperatively. Dr. Borruso explained, "Basically this procedure stuns the skin nerves around the knee incision, which decreases the pain following the total knee replacement and in turn lowers the amount of narcotic use post operatively."

The procedure is done about two weeks prior to surgery and lasts for approximately 12 weeks of relief. "Most people tolerate it very well and they tend to walk out of the room with less pain than when they walked in," said Dr. Borruso.

During the Iovera treatment, nothing is actually injected into the body. The skin is penetrated with a four-pronged hand-held device. The tips of the device create an ice ball that freezes the cutaneous nerves. The procedure is repeated along the treatment line.

The new treatment is one more tool now available in the team's multi modal approach to pain control immediately after surgery and during the duration of knee replacement recovery. "When pain levels are decreased, range of motion and recovery seems to accelerate," said Dr. Borruso. "With less narcotics on board there is less risk of the associated side effects."

"I enjoy doing this work," said Dr. Borruso. "It's satisfying to me that I can provide a service that helps people in need." To learn more, schedule a consultation with Dr. Borruso at Bloomington Orthopedic Specialists.

On Thursday, February 7^th, 100 guests came together in the Outpatient Pavilion of WCH for “Power of the Purse,” a celebration of women’s philanthropy and heart health awareness.

The dinner, live auction and raffle included 10 designer purses and bags packed with goodies and gift certificates, generously donated by friends of the hospital and local merchants. The auction raised over $21,000 to benefit women’s heart health through The Cardiovascular Institute at Wooster Community Hospital.

Prior to the auction, Drs. Dana Bonezzi, Sharon Marcanthony and Anne Shriner spoke about the incidence of heart disease in women, the importance of a woman taking an active role in their care and of putting themselves on their to-do list. Early identification of risk factors can play a role in hearth health too. Monies raised at this Power of the Purse event will help underwrite the expense of Coronary Calcium Scoring for the first 100 women who register.

What is a calcium score test?

A calcium score test is increasingly recognized as a useful way to assess the risk of future cardiac events in people without symptoms. A simple CAT scan of the chest, it indicates the amount of hardening, or atherosclerosis, in the coronary artery walls by measuring calcium plaque.

If you choose to have this screening test, a follow-up appointment will be scheduled with a WCH cardiovascular specialist, your primary care physician or a physician with a special interest in interpreting the results.  They will help determine what, if any, prevention or treatment strategies are needed to modify or reduce your heart disease risk factors.

Who Should Get Tested?

Women age 55 or older and men age 45 or older, with NO history of coronary artery disease, and who have one or more risk factors for heart disease including:

• High blood cholesterol
• Low HDL cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Cigarette smoking
• Type 2 diabetes
• Family history of heart disease at age 65 or younger in women and 55 or younger in men

Again, it is a simple screening test.

Wooster Community Hospital is pleased to offer this test at no cost to the first 100 women, age 55 or older, who qualify.

To arrange for this test, you or your doctor simply need to call (330)263-8282 . A physician’s order is required for scheduling.

Drs. Paul Moodispaw, Dan Newton and Cyril Ofori of the Cardiovascular Institute at Wooster Community Hospital are leading the way in addressing the specific needs of our local population in understanding, preventing and combating heart disease. That includes a clear focus on women’s cardiovascular health. Also known as Heart Scan or Cardiac Scoring, it is a non-invasive CT scan of the heart which helps calculate the risk of developing Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).

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This spring, EMS personnel in Wayne County will change the way they respond to patients who are in cardiac arrest.

New research suggests that cardiac arrest patients have a better chance of survival when emergency personnel use the “stay and treat” method. With this method, EMS personnel arrive and stay on the scene to administer CPR until the patient has a pulse again.

This new method is different from the more traditional “scoop and run” method. That is, emergency responders arrive on the scene and immediately place the patient in an ambulance, performing CPR on the way to the hospital.

“Most fire departments/ EMS agencies that have put emphasis on early, high-quality CPR have seen their survival rates double and the vast majority have good neurological function,” says Jennifer Kline, Wooster Community Hospital ED Physician and EMS Medical Director.

Kline and Ryan Sullivan, Firefighter/ paramedic and Wooster Community Hospital EMS Coordinator, have reviewed the existing literature on the stay and treat method, and have visited those area agencies that already use it.

“Cardiac arrest is one of the few conditions that are treated the exact same way in the emergency room as on scene with EMS,” says Kline. “Our goal is to get a pulse back as soon as possible, then transport for further care.”

Individuals are much more likely to survive cardiac arrest if they receive CPR as soon as possible, preferably before emergency responders arrive. While cardiac arrest survival is about 10 percent nationally, the chance of a good outcome increases by 50 percent when a bystander performs chest compressions on the patient.

The new method also will include a protocol for when EMS personnel are unable to get a pulse even after appropriate CPR attempts. If resuscitation protocol is terminated, emergency responders may discuss the option of declaring a patient deceased after adequate cardiac arrest care has taken place on scene. “Having this option can help prevent further risk to EMS teams, families, and patients,” Kline explains.

These following Wayne County Fire departments and other emergency agencies will implement the new approach: Wooster City Fire, Wooster Twp. Fire, Central Fire, South Central Fire, Samaritan Care, Paint Twp. Fire, New Pittsburg Fire, Apple Creek Fire and Clinton Twp. Fire Departments.

If you are a bystander when someone stops breathing, it is important to call 9-1-1 as soon as possible. The 9-1-1 dispatcher will instruct you to perform CPR on the patient and will stay on the phone until EMS arrives.

Don’t know how to perform CPR? You can get started by contacting your local fire department and Wooster Community Hospital Health System for classes