If you attended one of the most recent town hall meetings, you know 2016 was a very successful year for us. We reached most of our goals, and we continued to provide the right care at the right place at the right time and at the right cost. I’m so proud of all we accomplished together.
Reaching our goals does more than make Baptist successful; it makes our communities healthier, too. Our higher patient satisfaction scores and positive quality indicators tell Mid-Southerners that they can rely on us for top-notch, empathetic care. Treating an increasing number of patients ‒ particularly in our outpatient settings ‒ helped to meet our budget goals. Doing so helps ensure we can continue to provide health care, especially in underserved communities that have few, if any, other options.
We established a presence in a couple of these communities with the addition of Baptist Calhoun in Mississippi and the groundbreaking of Baptist Crittenden in Arkansas. These developments mean much more than bragging rights. They bring stability to health care landscapes that have experienced change in recent years and provide additional support to communities that need hospitals to succeed. We will likely do the same next year in partnership with Mississippi Baptist Health Systems in Jackson, as we continue to plan for the merger and mission combination with their organization.
Our commitment to providing health care close to home extends throughout our service area—including in Memphis. The opening of the pediatric ICU at the Spence and Becky Wilson Baptist Children’s Hospital adds critical care to the array of services we’re providing children conveniently in the center of Shelby County.
While I’m proud of these achievements, I’m most gratified to know that you remain committed to working here. Our nursing and overall turnover rates are at historic lows, and our employee and physician engagement surveys show you want to be involved in making Baptist even better. Thank you for your commitment to Baptist, and thank you for a great 2016. I am so excited to see what 2017 will bring.
Do you have an end-of-year message for me? Please email me, tweet me @jason_m_little, or find me on LinkedIn.