What it Means to Be a Great Community Hospital
In just about any online search for towns that are considered to be the most “desirable” places to live, the quality of a local hospital can significantly impact rank and reputation. In fact, the status of a community’s health care system is often a key indicator in overall viability, right up there with cost of living, job market, schools and crime rate.
That’s why UNC Health Pardee is honored to be included on Becker’s 2023 Great Community Hospitals list. This list salutes standout institutions in the areas of clinical excellence, compassionate care and economic impact. And while we are thrilled with this accolade, we also appreciate the nod toward what a community hospital is supposed to be.
According to Becker’s, “Community hospitals are vital pieces of the overall healthcare system, expanding care access to patients who might otherwise need to travel great distances or face other barriers to care.” We couldn’t agree more. For us, this recognition reflects our strength in listening and then responding to exactly what our community needs. We also meet our patients where they are today, but always with an eye on the horizon.
89% of the western North Carolina region’s counties are designated as rural, and roughly 33% of us will be 65 or older by 2038. This means that increasing access to healthcare services in the areas of urgent, primary, orthopedic, oncology and cardiac care is paramount. Since 2019, Pardee has recruited just over 30 new providers in these areas. And in the focus area of cardiology, we are growing capacity with a new cath lab underway, along with our recent certification to perform minimally invasive procedures that treat and prevent blockages that can cause strokes.
For those patients faced with long travel times to access care, we’re listening and responding by strategically adding facilities beyond Hendersonville and into outlying pockets of Henderson County as well as Transylvania and Buncombe Counties. Growing these satellite locations enables us to include a comprehensive physician practice network, ensuring quality care in areas that have been historically underserved.
But it’s not just where we’re doing business - it’s also how. Pardee has found significant power through partnership, like our decision to work with Blue Ridge Health in order to expand service offerings throughout the communities we serve. As a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), Pardee BlueMD will be able to provide additional options for comprehensive, culturally competent care. Some of the services that we look forward to incorporating into our current model of care include accessibility to outpatient behavioral health, pharmacy, care management and social workers to assist with access to community services. Pardee will be able to do even more to support individuals and families in our region who will benefit from additional resources.
And our collaboration with Sona Pharmacy where pharmacies are co-located with some of our primary care practices, allowing physicians and pharmacists to see patients during the same visit.
We’re also proud of our Pardee Pathway Program in partnership with Blue Ridge Community College which strengthens our workforce pipeline, removing barriers and connecting aspiring nursing professionals to the education and credentials they need. Pardee covers the program and training costs for anyone who completes the program and commits to a two-year service term.
And in response to the staffing challenges the healthcare industry is experiencing nationwide, Pardee remains highly focused on caring for and retaining its team members. In 2022, thanks to a grant from The Duke Endowment, we established a groundbreaking program that focuses on employee wellbeing, aimed at improving recovery from stress reactions and decreasing employee burnout. We know without a doubt, our team members are our greatest asset and our most important community served. They are the backbone of our success.
We do this work throughout our region – our broader community – because, like Becker’s says, “community hospitals are vital pieces of the overall healthcare system, expanding care access to patients who might otherwise need to travel great distances or face other barriers to care.”
As one of the last remaining nonprofit hospital systems in our region, we are providing comprehensive, leading-edge care. We are committed to respond exactly where, when and how we are needed.
UNC Health Pardee is a not-for-profit community healthcare organization and is managed by UNC Health. The hospital, founded in 1953, is licensed for 222 acute care beds. Pardee has several locations separate from the main campus, including a comprehensive physician practice network, a cancer center, four urgent care locations and six orthopedic clinics. For more information or to find a physician, visit pardeehospital.org.
By: Tammy Albrecht
Chair, UNC Health Pardee Board of Directors
