Phyllis Cowling, CEO of United Regional Published 7:00 a.m. CT Feb. 23, 2020

United Regional Health Care System finished the renovation of the emergency room in January 2017.(Photo: Richard Carter)

United Regional continued advancing our passion of providing excellence in health care for the communities we serve in 2019.

Over the last year, we transitioned to a new electronic health record, received national honors for our commitment to patient safety, expanded services and space at the Barnett Road Medical Building, and partnered with the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank and Midwestern State University to improve access to quality health care now and in the future.

2019 System Recognitions:

United Regional received re-certification as a Primary Stroke Center and again earned advanced certification in Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement by the Joint Commission.

We also earned an A in both the Spring and Fall Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade making this our eighth A rating in a row, a sequence which began in the Spring of 2016. This designation recognizes efforts in protecting patients from harm and meeting the highest safety standards in the United States. More than 2,600 hospitals were graded; only 33% of those earned an A.

United Regional was once again verified as a Level II Trauma Center by the Verification Review Committee, demonstrating we not only have the hospital resources necessary for trauma care, but also the entire spectrum of care to address the needs of all injured patients from the pre-hospital phase through rehabilitation.

And, United Regional was surprised and honored to be named the 2019 Member of the Year by the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce & Industry. We are obviously passionate about providing excellence in health care for the communities we serve, and this award recognized the role we play as an overall community leader.

New Physicians to United Regional Physician Group:

In 2019, we welcomed four new physicians to United Regional Physician Group: Dr. Kevin Bedford, OB/GYN; Dr. Michael Henderson, Family Medicine; Dr. Rabia Khan, Neurology; and Dr. Paul Morrison, Urology. With the addition of Dr. Khan, United Regional Physician Group now offers advanced diagnostic testing and treatment for a wide range of neurological symptoms and conditions.

United Regional also helped to recruit the following physicians to our community: Dr. Tilahun Belay, Internal Medicine; Bukola Esho, Internal Medicine; Dr. Robert Funk, Neurosurgery; Dr. Bhavika Gandhi, Internal Medicine; Dr. Kyle Howard, Pediatrics; Dr. Valmy Ngomba, Internal Medicine; Dr. Hollie Rose, OB/GYN; Dr. Derick Sager, Anesthesiology; Dr. Adam Schwalm, Pediatrics; Dr. Bryan Stroud, Hospitalist; and Dr. Dawncheerie Walker, Family Medicine.

Services:

On April 6, United Regional transitioned to a new electronic health record, Epic an integrated technology system that is helping transform health care, and health, for our patients and our community. A key benefit of Epic is that it improves patient safety with the most up-to-date and accurate health information in one system. This results in better continuity of care, both within and outside the walls of United Regional.

In an effort to improve community health, United Regional proudly partnered with the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank to implement a Mobile Food Pantry. Many people who face food insecurity are elderly, disabled, facing health issues and/or have small children. The Mobile Food Pantry enables a team to reach these especially vulnerable populations by bringing the pantry to them. With staff from both the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank and United Regional, food is being distributed six times per month to locations on Eastside and City View, along with healthy eating education, disease specific education, and blood pressure/blood sugar screenings. We believe this approach will help provide better nutrition and preventive care, along with management of chronic diseases, for high-risk populations in our community.

United Regional is also honored to have partnered with Midwestern State University with a 10-year corporate sponsorship agreement for the United Regional Interprofessional Education Suite in MSUs new health sciences building, Centennial Hall, which opened for the Fall 2019 semester. The long-standing partnership between United Regional and MSU Texas brings about exceptional educational and training opportunities for the universitys students and faculty, as well as United Regional employees.

On November 1, United Regional opened the Medication Management Clinic, a new model of care that adds a pharmacist to an outpatients care team to help manage medications. The services of the Medication Management Clinic are currently provided exclusively for URPG Rheumatology patients, who often have high-cost, incredibly-complex medication regimens. It provides the opportunity for a dedicated, one-on-one discussion between the patient and pharmacist to thoroughly discuss medications.

Location:

The newest expansion of the Barnett Road Medical Building opened on September 23. The expanded area adds 38,000 square feet to the existing building and is the new home for United Regional Physician Group Family Medicine providers. This latest development reflects the progress made over the years, and our commitment to continuously advancing the health care in our community.

As we reflect, 2019 proved to be another successful year and United Regional continues providing excellence in health care for the communities we serve.

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Progress: United Regional earning 'As' in number of areas - Times Record News