Iowa Specialty Hospital

Notes from Steve

January 28, 2016

Every time the show Hoarders is on TV I watch it.  I think for validation purposes.  “If they and their house are that bad, I have nothing to worry about” I tell myself.  In reality, I have nothing to worry about anyway – I don’t have hoarding tendencies but sometimes it’s good for the ego to measure yourself against society; if for no other reason … to keep yourself in check and on track.  Throughout the years I asked those around me to let me know if I’m wearing something goofy or I have stuff in my teeth.*  Being single offers nothing in the form of accountability.  (“you’re seriously going to wear that?” … unfortunately, is not something I hear often from my cat.)

In the Des Moines Register a couple of weeks ago was a less than nice editorial about Critical Access Hospitals.  It said stuff like Critical Access Hospitals don’t compare data or offer the same quality as “big” hospitals.  Interesting fact about Iowa Specialty Hospitals & Clinics, we do participate in all the “big” hospital quality measures, we’re accredited by DNV (like UnityPoint and other big hospitals throughout the state) and routinely compare what we do with other hospitals so we keep ourselves in check and on track.  By always being aware of our shortcomings and plotting our future to what is expected, it’s no guarantee of success but it helps greatly.

 

“You could get married”, I can hear it now.   I would guess that is not the best reason in the world to get married just so that someone can tell me I smell or I shouldn’t wear certain clothes … same with hooking up with a larger system as a hospital.  Just because we fear that we aren’t 100% following what we should be doing (quality data, service stuff) doesn’t mean that someone else will have the answer.  By researching carefully, being aware of the environment and watching closely what is happening, we will be fine.

 

*Annette, when she used to office next to me, took great joy in telling me I smelled like garlic.  “You smell – do something” she told me.  I was using a lot of garlic at the time in my hummus and unfortunately, it came out of my pores.  Since then, I’ve stopped eating so much garlic.  

 

-Steve Simonin, President & CEO

 

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