McMackin: “… keep our
communities healthy”
POUGHKEEPSIE – Vassar Brother’s Medical Center has seen 10 percent financial growth and margins in the double-digits, something the Poughkeepsie hospital’s president, Ann McMackin said is “unheard of for hospitals.”
McMackin painted that encouraging outlook to community leaders at the annual president’s breakfast on Thursday.
McMackin became the hospital’s president last December. In addition to having some ambitious goals, she came in at a point of notable change, and has seen large successes already. She is aiming to have Vassar become a nationally rated, top hospital and is looking to achieve Magnet status, a prestigious designation for nursing excellence.
The success, McMackin said, is due largely to new programs, and although
they make patient treatment more efficient, creating less need for patients
to be in the hospital, they are a major contributor to the growth of the
facility.
“I think, really, the new programs that we’ve brought in like the stroke program, the liver program, trauma, TAVR, I mean, people are coming for those things,” she said. “We’ve expanded our capabilities so we’re bringing new programs and that’s really where our growth is: surgical and new programs.”
The main thing, McMackin said, is that the hospital is there for its patients, and the new programs are proving to do just that. In fact, the neuro-interventional surgery program, or stroke program, was one of the first courses of treatment she brought to the hospital, and since then has helped to save the lives of acute stroke victims. It is the only Neuro-interventional surgery program between Albany and Westchester.
According to Vassar neuro-interventional surgeon Alison Nohara, the program, which began in February of last year, has served approximately 300 patients, around 70 of them being there for acute strokes.
Frank Contreras, whose life was saved by the program and had Dr. Nohara as his surgeon, shared his story saying had it not have been for Vassar’s program being so close to home, his situation may have been much worse.
“Time is of the essence with a stroke, same as a heart attack, very, very critical to get there in time, and have the people there in time to help you out; so, Vassar was very instrumental in that particular phase,” Nohara said.
Contreras is just one success story of one new program. The trans-catheter aortic valve replacement surgery is providing for patients with heart disease to have heart valve replacements, without opening the patient’s chest.
A PhD research program is paving the way for more medical research studies. Also, just two weeks ago, Vassar initiated the use of left ventricular assist devices: a new technology where heart patients can be monitored via a smart phone app.
McMackin is still looking to the future.
“We’re actually getting more and more involved in research; so, that’s definite,” said McMackin. “I think, at some point, we’ll be working more on education with medical students and residents; we don’t have that right now. We’re working, like everybody else, on population health and how to keep our communities healthy.”
Regardless for what the future holds, besides their new hospital addition scheduled to break ground this September, McMackin said she looks forward to continue making Vassar the best it can be.
