Mount Vernon News

MOUNT VERNON — As part of its continuing strategic development plan, Knox Community Hospital has put a survey for customer input on its Web site, according to Bruce White, chief executive officer for KCH.

“We are asking people what kind of physicians they need,” said White, adding that questions such as how easy is it to see doctors are part of the survey, as well as comments about what patrons’ overall experiences as an inpatient or outpatient have been.

White said the facility has a rolling three- to five-year plan for how to adjust to community needs; the plan is reviewed by the KCH board every autumn. Recommendations are devised from patient feedback, consultants, the 45 voting members of the Knox Community Hospital Foundation, the board of the Chamber of Commerce and demographic data. White said demographics can show a need for a particular type of care based on the makeup of the community.

“For instance, there’s a high incidence in this community of diabetes,” White said. “So in September we’ll be opening a Wound Care Center at the Knox Medical Pavilion for patients who have chronic wounds which don’t heal.”

White said delayed wound healing sometimes happens when an individual’s vascular system is harmed by diabetes. Part of the new care center will be two hyperbaric chambers with pressurized oxygen, which can help patients heal.

As a previous example of strategic planning, White cited the radiation therapy services being done now at KCH.

“A lot of people had to drive an hour away to get radiation therapy,” White said. “But now, they can do that right here.”

Equally important, he said, is the information gathered about what sorts of doctors are needed here. This helps estimate the number of family doctors, cardiologists or surgeons, for example, needed in the hospital’s service area.

White hopes the short survey will increase the amount of community input KCH receives to guide the medical staff in projecting the future needs of Knox County and surrounding areas. The survey will be available at the hospital’s Web site www.knoxcommhosp.org for another month or two, according to White.

He added that although the site is undergoing some construction to reorganize and expand its offerings, there are many resources available there, such as the Fast Health pages for patients who want to research further information about health issues and treatments, staff profiles and more.

The KCH board will devote one day this fall, as it does every year, to reviewing and discussing the strategic plan.