Care

Care is our commitment to achieve the best possible outcomes for our patients and to adhere to the highest professional standards.

• Park Nicollet Heart and Vascular Center developed a new weapon to combat cardiovascular disease, the No. 1 killer of women. Personal, 90-minute heart-risk screenings with women’s heart professionals identified patients’ risk of heart disease and developed action plans for a healthy future. Female patients had access to seven female cardiologists on staff, the largest available in the Minneapolis area.
• Telestroke program, the first of its kind in Minnesota, debuted in 2006. Live video conferencing connected Park Nicollet stroke specialists with hospitals in Greater Minnesota for enhanced stroke care. Doctors were able to see and talk to patients, monitor vital signs, review test results and help doctors at Greater Minnesota hospitals immediately treat patients. This service (offered 24 hours a day, seven days a week) helped patients receive fast, expert care.
• Park Nicollet Cancer Center received a three-year approval with commendation from the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons. Only 25 percent of cancer programs achieve this special approval. Receiving care at a CoC-approved cancer program ensures patients have access to comprehensive care, including a range of state-of-the-art services and equipment.
• Lead time (the time it takes from when a patient first makes a request for services until that service is complete) was significantly reduced in key areas. For example, Park Nicollet Travel Clinic shaved four days off its preservice lead time (the amount of time a patient waits after requesting service until the service begins) from 10 days to six days. Methodist Hospital’s Eating Disorders Institute cut in half the time it takes to schedule an initial assessment.
• A Rapid Evaluation Team, formed across several disciplines to provide immediate bedside diagnosis, helped reduce average inpatient mortality rate from 1.33 percent (2005) to 1.19 percent in 2006. Stage 3 and Stage 4 pressure ulcers were reduced to zero by implementing increased tracking to identify ulcers and installing new, improved mattresses.
• For a third time, Park Nicollet Heart and Vascular Center and Methodist Hospital were named one of the nation’s 100 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals in America. This designation (achieved by fewer than 2 percent of U.S. hospitals) was made by Solucient®, a respected provider of health information. Recognized hospitals demonstrated superior clinical, operational and financial performance in overall service. Park Nicollet Heart and Vascular Center also ranked in the top 10 percent of programs for treating heart attacks, heart disease and open heart surgeries, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).