T.J. Regional Health is anchored by T.J. Samson Community Hospital, a 196-bed acute-care facility based in rural Glasgow, Kentucky, that is fully accredited by the Joint Commission. The T.J. Health Pavilion opened in 2013 and provides patient access to specialty clinics and outpatient services. T.J. Regional Health acquired a second hospital, T.J. Health Columbia, in 2016, and also operates numerous Rural Health Clinics in the south central Kentucky region. T.J. Samson Community Hospital, certified as an Acute Stroke Ready Hospital, has earned accreditations from the American College of Cardiology and the Commission on Cancer, and was recently named a top-tier exemplary practice in rural healthcare transformation by the National Rural Accountable Care Consortium (NRACC). While T.J. Regional Health has experienced tremendous growth over the past few years, the organization has played a critical role in caring for the residents of south central Kentucky for more than 90 years.
T.J. began the Studer journey in 2017, and with continual emphasis on and validation of their evidence-based practices, we have seen significant and sustained improvements in Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) results. Using tactics such as employee, physician and nurse leader rounding, as well as hourly rounding, bedside shift reports and stoplight reports, the results have been spectacular. As an example, the “communication about medications” and “nurse communication” domains increased from the first and ninth percentiles to the 52nd and 83rd percentiles, respectively, while patients’ ratings of the hospital improved by 38 percentile points. Additionally, employee engagement scores saw dramatic improvements, increasing from the 20th percentile in 2018 to the 69th percentile in 2019. These scores show that not only are our patients happy with the care they receive, but our employees also feel more valued.
T.J. Regional Health focuses on providing T.L.C., total local care, to the people of the small, rural communities we serve. Our culture is driven by the fact that we are people you know, caring for people you love. We credit our success to the collective effort of a highly engaged board of directors, strong leadership in each of our departments and a commitment to success by all our providers, caregivers and team members. T.J. emphasizes a culture of respect through a strong rewards and recognition program for those who epitomize the T.J. Pledge, also known as the 6 C’s: compassion, cooperation, communication, collaboration, change and being a champion. Being chosen as the Healthcare Organization of the Month allows us to humbly emphasize the 6 C’s; highlight our commitment to provide safe, quality care; and deliver on our promise to treat all patients like our friends and family.