Message from our CEO

February 2013

I have been leading Catskill Regional Medical Center (CRMC) for more than a year now, and I would like to thank the community for embracing me, our Board of Directors and the Greater Hudson Valley Health System (GHVHS) for guiding me, and all of the staff for welcoming me to the CRMC family; their ongoing dedication and commitment has been tremendous.

While 2012 was a challenging year, in large part due to the economy, there were many achievements we should be proud of:
• In February 2012, we completed the addition and renovations of our new Emergency Department (ED), and welcomed the Schumacher Group as our new ED physicians. We have more than doubled the space of the Department, and now have eight treat-and-release rooms and 16 dedicated treatment rooms. This resulted in a 5 percent increase in overall ED volume.
• We expanded our Outpatient Rehabilitation Services, with the addition of occupational therapy at the Grover M. Hermann Hospital -- our Callicoon campus.
• In June, we received a HEAL NY Grant in the amount of $12.6 million to help reduce our debt.
• Also in June, we transitioned to electronic health records, a monumental step forward in providing efficient and quality health care to our community. EPIC, our electronic health record vendor, is the world-wide leader in its field. It will enhance patient care by providing the ability to maintain a single, complete and current medical record for each and every patient, providing accurate medical history (reducing the chance of medical errors) and continuity of care, improving patient outcomes, increasing communication of patient information to all necessary clinicians and improving operational and administrative efficiencies.

CRMC will continue to focus on quality care and providing patient satisfaction in 2013 and beyond. A few of our planned initiatives include:
• Working toward becoming a designated stroke center in 2013.
• Enhancing patient satisfaction through several initiatives, including the formation of a patient experience committee, consisting of a strong cross-section of clinical and non-clinical staff members dedicated to improving patient satisfaction.
• Expanding our Wound Care services and adding two hyperbaric chambers.
• Continuing to work closely with the GHVHS and launching the “Operational Excellence” initiative, which will help strengthen the leadership at CRMC.
• Working toward transitioning to single patient rooms from the current two- and three-patient rooms. This will be a large-scale, multi-year project and we will keep you updated on the progress and plans for this proposal.

Catskill Regional Medical Center is and continues to be dedicated to improving the health of our community by providing exceptional health care.

Please check our Web site (www.crmcny.org) often for updates on services and news regarding CRMC. We like to keep you, the community, informed. We also like to hear feedback from our community. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please e-mail info@crmcny.org or call 845.794.3300.

Best Regards,

Frederick H. Kuriger, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer
Catskill Regional Medical Center