Valley-area hospitals boosting services, efficiencies.

Hospital officials in the Valley all seem to be focusing on the same things this summer. During a time in which we're reminded about how hospital closures have dwindled resources, medical centers here have acted to become more efficient by using advanced technology and expanding their facilities including increasing the number of beds they have available.

Take West Hills Hospital, for example. Via its new digital mammography system, the hospital's appointments for the procedures now take half the time of traditional, film-based exams. And, for women who pre-register by phone, appointments may take fewer than 30 minutes. Adding to the hospital's efficiency is its decision to offer Saturday mammography appointments.

The reason the hospital has been able to reduce the time it takes to complete mammograms is because digital equipment fits a range of breast shapes and sizes and allows doctors to manipulate images on high-resolution monitors, thereby enhancing the radiologist's view of breast tissue structures. Not only can radiologists adjust brightness and contrast with digital technology, they can zoom in on specific areas to detect calcifications, masses and other indicators of cancer. What's more is that digital mammography requires fewer return visits, as radiologists can make immediate decisions about whether or not additional images are necessary.

The digital technology West Hills Hospital is using to perform 30-minute mammograms isn't the only technological stride the medical center has made. In addition, the hospital now claims to offer some of the most advanced MRI capabilities of any ACR accredited center in Southern California.

"We are very excited to offer these new capabilities locally," stated Dr. Robert Howard, a West Hills practitioner of diagnostic radiology. "Patients in the San Fernando Valley can now stay in the area to receive superior care and utilize the latest in MRI technology."

West Hills' new MRI system allows physicians to acquire diagnostic information and high-definition imaging 50 percent faster than before. The imaging will aid doctors in the treatment and diagnosis of cardiac disease, vascular disease, breast irregularities, musculoskeletal joint disorders, abdominal conditions, brain disorders and stroke.

To be sure, the imaging also benefits patients. For them, it means shorter wait times for diagnoses and spending half the time usually spent in an MRI machine. The design of the new MRI was also made with patients in mind, as its wide enclosure provides more room for patients, reducing claustrophobia and allowing for more comfortable scans. And if a patient still has difficulty keeping still, a motion reduction program will allow physicians to gain clear images.

Antelope Valley

To better serve its patients, Antelope Valley Hospital (AVH) in Lancaster is undergoing structural and organizational changes during construction on its campus. With its new discharge lounge, AVH is developing a more efficient way to release patients. The hospital is also adding more beds to its triage area.

"With over 100,000 patients treated every year in our emergency department, we needed to create a solution to ensure that patients are not waiting any longer than they have to for a patient room," explained Chief Executive Officer Edward Mirzabegian. "We believe that this new discharge unit will help us improve the wait time for rooms and improve overall patient care at AVH."

Via the discharge lounge, patients who have been released from the hospital but await transportation home can pass the time on the hospital's premises. In addition to serving patients, the discharge lounge will allow staff to get rooms ready for patients waiting to be admitted from the Emergency Department.

Featuring flat-screen televisions, DVD players and informational materials, to name a few, the third floor lounge will also give nurses the chance to educate patients on their conditions and review discharge orders with them as well as fax prescriptions to pharmacies for pickup.

"It's really an added-value for the patients to have this extra time with a trained nurse to answer any questions or concerns," asserted Annmarie Marotta, director of Nursing Administration.

In addition to the new discharge lounge, the hospital will make changes to the Emergency Department specifically to accommodate a higher volume of patients. Improvements currently in progress include expanding the triage area, waiting room and children's area, upgrading the nurses' station and moving the urgent care area inside of the hospital instead of in a separate building.

Such changes will allow patients to be seen by medical officials more promptly. Also, to save time, tests can be ordered during the triage process, allowing the physician to have diagnostic information by the time patients are brought into the ER area. Lastly, the makeover of sorts the hospital is undergoing will allow staffers to move patients in less serious condition to an urgent care area so that they can be treated and released.

"Our community continues to grow, and, unless we grow and expand our services, there will not be enough hospital beds or healthcare providers to take care of our community," Mirzabegian said. "I will not allow that to happen at AV Hospital. We are the community's hospital that has taken care of the Antelope Valley residents for over 50 years."

Henry Mayo

As for Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, this summer it has set out to add more beds. In May, the hospital's board of directors approved a motion to add 27 acute-care hospital beds, the largest increase in beds the hospital has had in four years. In June, the hospital announced that it was adding four more beds to its Med Surg 4 unit, which serves patients who need post-op care following orthopedic, trauma, spinal and general surgeries.

"The community's pressing need for more hospital beds has been a strategic priority at our hospital for several years," stated Roger Seaver, Henry Mayo president and CEO. "With the addition of these beds, we can anticipate reduced wait times for patients."

Hospital officials believe that reduced wait time for a bed not only increases patient satisfaction but also increases emergency room capacity because treatment rooms become available quicker.

In addition to adding beds, the hospital is also in the midst of construction. Projects include a new central power plant to sustain expansion and provide sufficient emergency power back-up, renovation of the hospital's ER, a new intensive care unit and a cardiac catheterization lab. When the new ICU is finished, construction will begin on Henry Mayo's first neonatal intensive care unit.

Staff Reporter Nadra Kareem can be reached at [phone] or at [e-mail].