Daniel Aronzon, president and CEO of Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, gave health care associates and area business owners an overview of the improvements made at the hospital over the last year at a breakfast held at the Dutchess Country Club.
“How do you make these miracles happen?” the doctor asked the crowd. “First, you build a culture of safety. You then recruit, develop and retain caring people, and finally, you build an infrastructure for the future.” He highlighted some of the safety, technology and professional services the hospital has instituted help achieve sometimes “miraculous” outcomes. Including innovative and aggressive programs to reduce the occurrence of hospital-acquired infections such as MRSA. In three years, the hospital has reduced MRSA infections by 75 percent and hospital-acquired infections by 60 percent. Its central line infection rate is zero.
At the April 8 event, Aronzon also gave an update on the new Center for Ambulatory Services under construction on the hospital”™s former parking lot. The $64 million investment will house a same-day surgery center, imaging suite and doctors offices. A $15 million capital campaign has been launched in support of the project. Of that amount, $10.25 million has already been secured according to Campaign Chairman Robert Dyson. Dyson also announced that the James J. McCann Charitable Trust has promised a $750,000 gift on the condition that the remaining $4 million is raised over the next 12 months.
Michael Weber, the president and CEO of Health Quest, discussed the state of health care in the Hudson Valley, focusing on the array of services that are offered at Health Quest-affiliated hospitals that include Northern Dutchess and Putnam Community, in addition to Vassar Brothers. He detailed several initiatives to improve patient access for very specialized treatments and to provide a consistently high level of care in areas such as oncology and neuroscience.
“Health Quest is proud of our contribution to high-quality health care in our community and we are committed to expanding and improving access to that care through affiliates such as Health Quest Medical Practice. We are also committed to helping Vassar Brothers grow into the regional tertiary medical center for the region,” Weber said. “Health care reform provides challenges as well as opportunities for us as a system. But it is our success in building and growing as a system over the past decade that places Health Quest in the best position to overcome the challenges and take full advantage of the opportunities.”
