BEST Care is Copyrighted by Adena Health System

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio, Oct. 25, 2011  /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Can "best care" be copyrighted? The answer is yes, and that's what the Adena Health System has done.

Adena's BEST Clinical Care model, a part of which was implemented earlier this year in the health system's Chillicothe, OH hospital, has been copyrighted.

In other words, the model and its supporting documents are protected and cannot be used by any other organization without Adena being credited.

"I am so excited," said Bambi Huffman, RN, MS, and System Director, Clinical Products and Services at Adena.

Last year, she and Dr. John Fortney, Adena's Chief Medical Officer, created the model of BEST Clinical Care, which is being introduced throughout the health system, with the help of dozens of others.

An early example is the treatment of patients with congestive heart failure. Using research-based protocols, Adena patients receive standardized medications and therapies, discharge appointments are arranged before they leave the hospital and a patient navigator is assigned to monitor their care, both in the hospital and at home.

"Part of our role, as ambassadors to patient care, is to help patients not only during their inpatient stay, but when they go home," Huffman said. As a result, the rate of readmission among patients with congestive heart failure has decreased significantly.

"Adena embarked on its BEST Clinical Care strategy to better meet the needs of patients, while enabling the health system to build a significant quality framework and remain on course with our vision to be the best healthcare system in the nation," Huffman said.

"Think of BEST care as an overarching umbrella," she said. "For the patient, it provides a way for us to be consistent in the way we deliver care. For the health system, it's a springboard to be the best healthcare system in the nation."

Essential to Adena's BEST Clinical Care model are the following:

• Patient-centered care. Ensuring patient values guide all clinical decisions.
• Physician-led approach. Physicians will be accessible 24/7 to provide highly personalized care.
• Multidisciplinary approach. Patients will have access to healthcare professionals with different areas of expertise.
• Evidence-based care. The latest science-based research will be used, when appropriate.

"Every patient we serve at Adena Health System deserves and receives the highest quality care, and the reassurance that they are in a quality and safe environment. In driving quality first, we place our patients first and foremost, "Huffman said.

Visit "Media & Events" at www.Adena.org to see other news releases.

About Adena Health System
Adena Health System is an independent, not-for-profit and locally controlled healthcare organization serving the needs of 13 counties in south-central Ohio and employing more than 2,400 people. Adena provides specialty services typically found in larger medical centers, like open heart surgery, cardiac catheterization, cancer care and advanced orthopedic procedures, including reverse shoulder surgery, total joint replacement and minimally invasive spine surgery. The health system is based in Chillicothe, OH.

SOURCE Adena Health System