Northwest Hospital reduces charges by $3.2 million in 1996; Charges reduced for third consecutive year; No charges increased for four years.SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 16, 1996--Effective Sept. 1, Northwest Hospital will reduce charges for key services including several surgical implant procedures and room rates in the Intensive Care, Acute/Special Care and Geropsychiatry units. The hospital has reduced charges for each of the past three years and has not implemented any increase in charges for four years. The latest reduction in charges is expected to total $3.2 million. "A few years ago, we began encouraging the entire staff to share their ideas for improving quality and efficiency," said Northwest Hospital president James Hart James Hart, Jim Hart, or Jimmy Hart may refer to:
"Our ability to reduce charges year after year without compromising the quality of care is a direct result of continuously evaluating our work, coming up with ideas for change and putting those ideas into action. Because we are a not-for-profit hospital, we can then pass the savings along to our patients." Northwest Hospital will make a 30% charge reduction for cardiac pacemaker cardiac pacemaker A device that delivers a small electric shock to the heart to effect cardiac contraction at a pre-determined rate surgery. Rates for hip replacement and knee implant surgery will each be lowered by 19%. Room rates will also be decreased for stays in the Intensive Care and Acute Care units, Rehabilitation and Geropsychiatry. In addition, charges for fourteen respiratory therapy respiratory therapy Medical profession concerned with assisting the respiratory function of individuals who have severe lung disorders. Practices include suctioning to clear secretions from the airway, use of aerosol mists (sometimes medicated) or gases to ease breathing, procedures will be reduced by 20%. This is the second reduction in room charges for the Intensive Care Unit in the past three years. In 1994 and 1995, Northwest Hospital lowered room rates in the Acute Care unit and reduced Obstetrics charges twice. Charges in the Childbirth Center during that period were reduced by a total of 19%. Northwest Hospital is a not-for-profit hospital located in North Seattle. Physicians at Northwest Hospital were the first in the nation to successfully treat prostate cancer prostate cancer, cancer originating in the prostate gland. Prostate cancer is the leading malignancy in men in the United States and is second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer death in men. with non-surgical implant of radioactive seeds. Northwest is the only hospital in a seven state region to provide non- surgical treatment of brain tumors through the use of the Leksell Gamma Knife Gamma Knife A trademark for a radiologic nonsurgical device used in stereotactic radiosurgery. Gamma knife A surgical tool that focuses beams of radiation at the head, which converge in the brain to form a lesion. . Other special features of patient care include Easy Street Environments for rehabilitation; the Deke Slayton Donald Kent 'Deke' Slayton (March 1, 1924 – June 13, 1993) was one of the original "Mercury Seven" NASA astronauts.[1] Initially grounded by a heart condition, he would serve as NASA's Director of Flight Crew Operations. Center for Brain Cancer Studies, dedicated to finding a cure for brain cancer and the Northwest Hospital Childbirth Center providing personalized prenatal care prenatal care, n the health care provided the mother and fetus before childbirth. for families. CONTACT: Northwest Hospital, Seattle Suzi Beerman or Valorie Fanger, 206/368-1645 |
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