Message from the CEO




	Home Page All Services New Patient Forms Patient Information About QOLHS Provider Staff News & Events Career Opportunities Joint Commission Mission Statement Year In Review Message from CEO Contact Us	Message from the CEO What a significant year for our country. While the last national election proved that there is an atmosphere of change in our country, no one predicted that change would be so swift. Changes are happening so rapidly that it is hard to stay abreast of all the proposed revisions to the health care system. A giant down-swing in the economy has lead to many government initiatives designed not only to create jobs but to improve health care access. Currently, health centers serve as the medical home for more than 18 million people in more than 7,000 communities. With the number of uninsured now estimated to be close to 60 million people, a plan to invest in creating new health centers in more communities and enhancing existing health center to be able to serve more people is part of the President’s effort to bring affordable health care to the medically underserved. The Access for All America Plan, which was detailed in last year’s annual report, has been used as a guide to health center expansion. The plan is achievable in light of the reauthorization of health centers for the next five years, through 2012. The reauthorization funding is in line with the projections of Access for All America. The plan also reauthorizes and expands the National Health Services Corps program. In addition to the reauthorization bill, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or the stimulus bill, has impacted health centers around the country. Monies have rapidly been released to existing health centers to establish new access point locations, to address maintenance and renovation issues and to help upgrade centers with more modern technology. These are national events that will impact people across the country. Locally, the stimulus bill will allow Quality of Life to address many serious needs that we have to upgrade our technology, equipment and facilities, and it will allow up to locate a health center in a new community this next year. A new health center will be opening in Geraldine, Alabama in Dekalb County on July 1st . While Dekalb County has been a part of our service area since 1985, Quality of Life has never operated a health center in that county. On July 1st, Dekalb Quality Health Care will open temporarily in leased space made available through Dekalb Regional Medical Center in Fort Payne, but ultimately, the clinic will have a brand new location, thanks to stimulus dollars and other sources that have been made available to Quality of Life. The stimulus funds will also make it possible for Quality of Life to fully implement its Electronic Medical Records system at all locations, upgrade our phone systems, enlarge our computer server space and enhance our overall computer network. The information age is upon us, but unfortunately, it is very costly. Without this stimulus package, I do not think our organization would have had the financial resource to make all these needed changes. The funds from the stimulus package will also assist Quality of Life in making upgrades to the Quality of Life Health Complex. This is our largest site, and it opened in late 1997 and is in need of some renovation. Two of our largest and most productive departments are out of space, the dental department and the pharmacy department. Therefore, our plans are to enlarge both of those areas at the complex, giving dental three more operatories and larger waiting area, and giving pharmacy an additional 400 square feet of space. Because of all the additional computer equipment, our server room will also be expanded. Quality of Life continues to work with Ed Gentle, the claims administrator for Tolbert Health Care, and CTIA to improve benefits to our patients in Anniston. This past year, the plan’s benefits maximums changed to all $ 750 in annual dental benefits and $ 1,750 in medical benefits to the Tolbert claimants who are uninsured or underinsured. Also, additional eye benefits and diabetic shoes were added to the benefit plan. Other key changes during the year were just the type of situations that you could only be confronted with through divine intervention. Our new site in Heflin, which opened in February of 2008 is now staffed by a group of staff recruited from a rural health clinic that was begin sold by a local hospital. Because our staff was in the right place at the right time, we were able to recruit and entire staff of excellent providers and support staff to work Cleburne Quality Health Care. This site in just three months is bursting at the seams. In another similar situation, the same local hospital was preparing to close Wadley Cornerstone Clinic, when Quality of Life staff traveled to meet with the Randolph County Health Authority, the staff of the clinic and Dr. Randy Willis. Wadley needed to retain a clinic in the community, but the health authority was running out of options. Rather than seeing the clinic close, Quality of Life agreed to hire the staff and continue the operation in a partnership with the Randolph County Health Authority. This represents another success story for the company this past year. Another site added to the Quality of Life network this year was Douglas Medical Center in Marshall County. An existing medical facility built in 2001 had been closed for over two years. The Douglas Mayor requested that Quality of Life reopen the clinic, and in January of this year, the site reopened as a part of our organization’s network. Some of our other achievements of the past year are: Addition of x-ray services at the Roberta O. Watts Medical Center Thanks to the Etowah County Community Development Committee for District 29, funding was obtained to equip our x-ray room at the Watts site in downtown Gadsden. Addition of new equipment at Anniston Quality Health Care Thanks to the Tolbert Health Care project, funding was obtained to upgrade some of the dental equipment and to purchase new medical equipment. W. T. Scruggs Medical Center exterior upgrades, signage and computers The District 30 Community Development Committee of Etowah County funded the replacement of exterior awnings and paid for a new lighted sign to go on Highway 278. Quality of Life Health Complex medical equipment/computer upgrades The District 28 Community Development Committee of Etowah County funded equipment upgrades for the main site. Electronic Medical Records Our staff continues to work on the total implementation of the Electronic Medical Records system throughout our network. This process will be completed by December of this year. Andy Chaffin Diabetes and Renal Disease Summit The fifth annual summit was held this year, with a record number of participants, ranging from patients to health care providers. This annual event, named after one of our key supporters over the years, Colonel Andy Chaffin, continues to grow and impact people by bringing awareness to renal disease and diabetes. Blount County Quality Health Care renovation project The staff in Oneonta has moved into their new site, which was recently remodeled to provide additional exam rooms and offices. This renovation project coordinated with the hospital authority and the Hope House was completed by 4BG Diversified in April of this year.