DRMC CEO shares hospital changes

Danville Regional Medical Center continues making changes to improve the hospital and works to recruit hospital leaders, specialists and physicians to the Danville area, CEO Eric Deaton told business and community leaders on Tuesday.

Deaton also explained why Danville Regional opposes the approval of Centra Ambulatory Surgery’s Certificate of Public Need for an outpatient surgery center with two operating rooms in Danville. He cited concerns about Centra’s project taking away hospital revenue, which could hurt the hospital’s ability to provide services because it wouldn’t be as able to offset losses when Medicaid covers just 70 percent of the hospital’s costs.

Danville Regional was pleased with the state Division of Certificate of Public Need staff recommendation to the state health commissioner to deny Centra’s COPN. The staff report echoed many of the same points the hospital had been making, he said.

The report didn’t address the project’s possible impact on DRMC’s educational programs, so the hospital will address that at the June 8 hearing, Deaton said. An administrative law judge will make another recommendation to the state health commissioner, who is expected to make a decision by mid-September.

Deaton, who came to Danville three months ago, said the hospital continues to evaluate areas that could improve quality of care and already began increasing staffing levels, most importantly at the bedside, and in education. Deaton encourages staff to voice something that can change.

“I really want to focus on creating a positive culture of improvement,” Deaton told 80 attendees of the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce’s Business at Breakfast.

The hospital continues to cultivate good relationships with local doctors — another key to success, he said. Danville Regional also wants to provide the state-of-the-art equipment they need, like the new catheterization lab in the cardiac area or the new urological surgical suite.

Deaton wants to develop strong leadership within the hospital and is currently hiring for a chief nursing officer and chief medical officer.

Recruitment is key.

The hospital works closely with Duke Heart Center in recruiting a vascular surgeon and cardiologists.

Deaton said DRMC is “very close” to bringing a new neurosurgeon to the area.

He said a new general surgeon will start in August. Additionally, the hospital continues recruiting for primary care doctors.

The emergency department remains a key focus for process improvement as the wait times are often too long, Deaton said.

New processes will be addressing that in the next few months and a new team is in place to focus on admitting patients from the ED to the hospital.

DRMC seeks to continue engaging the community and becoming transparent, Deaton said, much like by speaking at the Business at Breakfast. He welcomes residents to visit the hospital and give feedback on how to make things better.

Bozick is a staff writer for the Danville Register & Bee.