Baptist CEO offers update on hospital

Welton touts ER wait times, services offered

By THE TIMES NEWS STAFF

news@theeveningtimes.com

Baptist Hospital Crittenden CEO Brian Welton delivered an update to Quorum Court during its April session. The county had underwritten much of the development of the hospital with a one percent sales tax which sunset on Dec. 31. The hospital suffered for a few months through a government COVID-19 mandated moratorium on elective surgeries but had bounced back well after the prohibition lifted.

Welton expressed pride with recent measurable results at the hospital.

“Right now we are averaging 126 minutes discharge turn around time,” said Welton. “If you come into our emergency department, from the time you check in to the time you check out is right at two hours. I’ll put that time up against any hospital in the Memphis area.”

Patient experience showed well on customer surveys.

“Over the year last year three areas, our medical surgery department, inpatient unit, and our outpatient radiology and diagnostic department- all three of those areas rank in the top 25 percent in the country for experience provided as expressed by our patients.”

Welton measured quality care for Quorum Court members. The hospital saw 22,000 emergency room visits last year with 500 admissions.

“Since opening in September of 2018 we have not given a single patient a hospital acquired infection,” said Welton. “You frequently see this in the media where a patient comes in with one thing and leaves with another, but we’ve not given a single patient an infection in two-and -one-half years.”

Outpatient chemotherapy services were reported open. Low dose CT scans were offered for smokers for early cancer detection.

“We want to help curb cancer rates in our area,” said Welton.

The radiology department offered mammograms. Welton offered a powerful testimony from a breast cancer patient.

County Judge Woody Wheeless wondered about expansion plans now that the hospital had established itself. Welton responded to one of the most often asked for services at the hospital.

“We are in the works to bring in some Ob/Gyns form Baptist-DeSoto,” said Welton. “ We do an annual health care need survey each year. From a healthcare provider standpoint they are showing a need for five to six ob-gyn providers in this area alone. We are working to bring some in to provide care.

Welton indicated the hospital was on the hunt for an additional general surgeon.

Welton indicated administrators were in the early stages of considering a professional building on the hospital campus.

“We can house physicians closer to the hospital and we are looking at that especially for procedural doctors that operate in the morning to deal with patients that have had to fast in and see patients in the afternoon. They have to stay close to the hospital to accomplish that daily.”

WELTON