Article Photos

HANCOCK - For Jim Bogan, if Portage Health is to do well, its employees have to make certain they put the patients first. To do that, they have a plan to follow.

"Our progress flows around our areas of strategic objectives," said Bogan, who is Portage Health president and CEO.

Those strategic objectives are service excellence, clinical quality and patient safety, financial stability, human resource, growth and community involvement.

To make certain those objectives are being realized, Bogan said hospital employee efforts are reviewed by a Chicago-based accrediting agency called the Joint Commission.

"They are by far the biggest agency for accrediting purposes," he said.

As for the patient safety part of the hospital's strategic objectives, Bogan said two efforts were introduced recently. Last year, transaturated fats were removed from all patient meals and from food in the hospital cafe.

"The prior year, the emphasis was on the smoke-free workplace," he said. "We take it very seriously to take the lead on these health care issues."

Bogan said it's the goal of Portage Health employees to make certain all patient needs are met.

"We want not only to satisfy the patient, we want to wow them," he said.

To make certain that goal is reached, Bogan said the hospital uses a survey system of its services, including the medical group, inpatient care, emergency care, outpatient care and home care.

"We use that as a feedback mechanism," he said.

The hospital has recently made $2.7 million in new equipment purchases, Bogan said, including a $430,000 digital mammography machine. An additional $400,000 was spent on other equipment, including an immuno-chemistry analyzer, filmless X-ray machines, machines to measure bone density and laptop computers for staff.

In 2008, Bogan said the hospital hired two new inpatient doctors and a new radiologist, because having adequate numbers of doctors is an important part of patient service.

"It starts and ends with our staff," he said.

Kurt Hauglie can be reached at khauglie@mininggazette.com.