In extraordinary style Baptist Easley is Studer Group's FIRST THREE-TIME winner of the coveted Fire Starter of the Month Award. This hospital was also the FIRST to receive the Fire Starter of the Month so early in the "Studer Journey" by being selected a mere 11 months into the process in November 2004. It was then the FIRST hospital to be named Fire Starter of the Month for the second time in April, 2007.
Baptist Easley is a 109-bed general acute care facility located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Upstate region of South Carolina. Founded in 1958, this community-based hospital is a uniquely structured independent 501C-3 entity jointly owned by the State's two largest healthcare systems; Palmetto Health and Greenville Hospital System.
In 1996, through the leadership of the Chief Executive Officer, Roddey E. Gettys, III, Baptist Easley transitioned from a traditional healthcare organizational structure to self-directed management teams. Along with an eight member Board of Directors, Senior Management is comprised of the CEO and 15 Directors who serve on three specific Leadership Teams (Clinical Services Team, Support Services Team and Integrated Services Team).
Consistent throughout the 50 year heritage has been the commitment to the residents of Pickens County to provide them the healing ministry of Jesus Christ with the trademarks of quality, Christian compassion and care. When members of the Leadership Team attended the first Fire Starter Reunion in 2003 led by Quint Studer, a fire was ignited for the StuderGroup methods, strategies, practical tips, pillars, and the nine principles. The Team Leadership structure allowed for rapid implementation of the practical StuderGroup prescriptives. With the assistance and expertise of the StuderGroup coach, Bill Bielenda, the Leadership Team instituted the "Must Haves" and many other processes. Since that time the "Must Haves" along with many other StuderGroup initiatives have been hardwired into the culture. In 2008 Baptist Easley became one of only three hospitals to provide formal annual Employee Development Institutes in which employees attend 3 hours of training and organizational updates at an off-site location.
As a result of this partnership and hardwiring the processes, In-Patient Satisfaction results consistently improved from the 44th percentile in 2001 to the 99th percentile in 2009. Employee Satisfaction survey results have been maintained at or above the 96th percentile for the past three years. In 2009 in recognition of these results, Baptist Easley was the only hospital in Press Ganey's database of over 10,000 hospitals to qualify for and receive the Partner of Choice Award for achieving Patient, Employee, and Physician Satisfaction scores ALL above the 90th percentile. Baptist Easley also qualified for and received the Press Ganey Distinctive Workplace Award for achieving employee satisfaction above the 95th percentile for two consecutive years.
In striving to provide an exceptional environment for patients to receive care, employees to work, and physicians to practice medicine, Baptist Easley has also witnessed an improvement in clinical quality outcomes as well. Quality outcome data through Appropriate Care Measures (ACM) have increased from 83% in 2006 to better than 95% in 2009 which included a 100% in AMI.
Baptist Easley is humbled and extremely honored to be named the first ever THREE TIME Firestarter of the Month and is especially grateful to Quint Studer, Bill Bielenda, the many other coaches and associates as well as the StuderGroup healthcare partners who have helped to guide us to Purposeful Worthwhile Work that Does Make a Difference Everyday!