Knox Community Hospital

TO PROVIDE COMPASSIONATE HEALTHCARE SERVICE THAT EXCEEDS THE EXPECTATIONS OF OUR COMMUNITY

OUR ASSISTANCE TO OUR COMMUNITY GOES BEYOND OFFERING PRIMARY SERVICES AND IMPACTS OUR COMMUNITY'S HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE. KNOX COMMUNITY HOSPITAL IS AN ACUTE CARE HOSPITAL SERVING KNOX COUNTY IN OHIO AND SURROUNDING AREAS. THE HOSPITAL OFFERS A WIDE SPECTRUM OF HEALTHCARE SERVICES INCLUDING: INPATIENT AND OUTPATIENT HEALTH CARE. FOR 2021 THE HOSPITAL HAD 3,392 INPATIENT ADMISSIONS, 23,176 ER VISITS, 165,053 OUTPATIENT VISITS, 78,069 RADIOLOGY PROCEDURES, AND 5,531 INPATIENT & OUTPATIENT SURGERIES (INCLUDING ENDOSCOPIES). AT THE END OF 2021, THE HOSPITAL HAD 57 EMPLOYED PHYSICIANS WITH 171,826 OFFICE CLINIC VISITS.IN 2021, KNOX COMMUNITY HOSPITAL PROVIDED A RANGE OF HEALTH AWARENESS AND PREVENTION PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS SERVICES FREE OF CHARGE TO SUPPORT THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF THE KNOX AREA COMMUNITY. ALTHOUGH IN-PERSON EVENTS WERE MINIMAL AT TIMES AND SOME ACTIVITIES WERE CANCELLED DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, KCH WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES FOR COMMUNITY BENEFIT IN A NUMBER OF METHODS.

VOLUNTEERS REMAINED ACTIVE IN SPECIFIC AREAS OF THE HOSPITAL, PROVIDING NEEDED SERVICES SUCH AS TOYS FOR PATIENTS WAITING WITH YOUNG CHILDREN, ASSISTING THE MARKETING DEPARTMENT WITH VARIOUS PROJECTS, AND STAFFING THE GIFT SHOP WHICH HELPS TO PROVIDE FUNDS FOR NURSING SCHOLARSHIPS. A TOTAL OF 99 VOLUNTEERS SERVED OVER 721 HOURS DURING THE YEAR.

KCH HAS STRONG PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE NURSING SCHOOLS IN AREA COLLEGES/UNIVERSITIES, AND TOWARD THAT END, PROVIDED CLINICAL SUPERVISION AND PRECEPTING FOR STUDENTS. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS' CLINICAL HOURS IN 2021 WAS OVER 9800, WITH AN ADDITIONAL 1528 HOURS OF JOB SHADOWING, AS WELL. SINCE KCH IS THE ONLY HOSPITAL IN THE COUNTY, THIS IS CRITICAL TO HELP SUPPORT THESE STUDENTS' GOALS AND TO HELP MEET THE SHORTAGE OF NURSING STAFF THAT IS EVIDENT BOTH LOCALLY AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

ACCORDING TO THE COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT CONDUCTED IN 2021, THE PREVALENCE OF DIABETES AMONG OUR SERVICE POPULATION CONTINUES TO INCREASE AND HAS REACHED 10%. KNOX COMMUNITY HOSPITAL RECOGNIZED THE NEED TO EXPAND OUR DIABETES EDUCATION PROGRAM AND HAS INCREASED THE NUMBER OF DIABETES EDUCATORS. IN ADDITION, IN 2021 WE PROVIDED 672 GLUCOSE SCREENINGS AND SHARED INFORMATION ABOUT PREVENTING AND DEALING WITH DIABETES DURING THE CITY OF MOUNT VERNON'S "FIRST FRIDAY" EVENTS (HELD DURING MAY THROUGH AUGUST, MONTHLY). THAT SAME COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT IS CONDUCTED EVERY 3 YEARS THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN KCH AND KNOX PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT. NOT ONLY DOES KCH PROVIDE 50% OF THE COST OF IMPLEMENTING THIS SURVEY AND DATA COLLECTION TOTALING $15,000 BUT WE ALSO PARTNER WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND OTHER SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS TO DEVELOP A COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN (CHIP) WHICH WILL ADDRESS THE NEEDS IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE CHA. FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE WORK GROUPS DEVELOPED IS THE ACCESS TO (HEALTH) CARE WORK GROUP, WHICH IS REVIEWING THE BARRIERS FACED BY MANY LOCAL RESIDENTS SUCH AS LACK OF INSURANCE, INADEQUATE TRANSPORTATION, OR SIMPLY LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HOW TO ESTABLISH A PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER. BOTH THE CHA AND THE CHIP DOCUMENTS ARE LINKED FROM THE HOSPITAL'S WEBSITE. ONE EFFORT THAT IS STARTING IN APRIL 2022 IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMMUNICATIONS TEAM COMPRISED OF STAFF FROM KCH ALONG WITH PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, TO DEVELOP AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN TO COMBAT PART OF THE ACCESS TO CARE BARRIERS (LACK OF KNOWLEDGE, INFORMATION). MENTAL HEALTH CONTINUES TO BE A TOP PRIORITY CONCERN IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT IN THE COUNTY. WHILE KCH DOES SEE PATIENTS WITH A MENTAL HEALTH OR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONDITION AND/OR DIAGNOSIS, WE COLLABORATE WITH APPROPRIATE AGENCIES TO SERVE THIS POPULATION. FOR EXAMPLE, THROUGH OUR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, ONCE A PATIENT HAS COMPLETED THE NECESSARY MEDICAL SCREENINGS, CRISIS ASSESSMENT MAY BE HANDLED BY A PARTNERING ORGANIZATION, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PARTNERS, TO DETERMINE THE NEXT STEPS FOR THAT PATIENT. IN ADDITION, SUBSTANCE ABUSE IS SOMETIMES FOUND ALONG WITH MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS, AND IN THOSE CASES, KCH MAY REFER TO NEW VISION OR THE FREEDOM CENTER FOR ADDITIONAL TREATMENT, IF APPROPRIATE. IN SHORT, KCH TAKES A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH WITH BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PATIENTS BY WORKING CLOSELY WITH LOCAL AGENCIES. CLASSES WERE HELD TO SUPPORT THE NEED FOR PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES TO BE INVOLVED IN THEIR CARE AND UNDERSTAND THE NUANCES OF CERTAIN CONDITIONS. SOME OF THOSE CLASSES INCLUDED BARIATRICS (WEIGHT MANAGEMENT), CHILDBIRTH EDUCATION CLASSES, AND DIABETES EDUCATION, TO NAME A FEW.THE AMERICAN RED CROSS RELIES UPON KNOX COMMUNITY HOSPITAL TO HOST BLOOD DRIVES REGULARLY TO SUPPORT ITS EFFORTS TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE BLOOD SUPPLIES. DURING 2021, THROUGH BLOOD DRIVES HOSTED IN THE EDUCATION RESOURCE ROOM AT KCH, A TOTAL OF 305 UNITS OF BLOOD WAS COLLECTED. THE KNOX COUNTY FAIR WAS HELD AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC JULY 24 THROUGH 31, 2021, AND KCH HAD A BOOTH IN THE MERCHANT'S BUILDING WITH HEALTH EDUCATION INFORMATION PROVIDED ALONG WITH FREE BLOOD PRESSURE CHECKS. KCH STAFF WERE ON HAND AT THE EVENT FOR A TOTAL OF 92 EVENT HOURS. THE AVERAGE GATE ATTENDANCE EACH DAY OF THE FAIR IS 10,000 MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. OBESITY IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR 37 PERCENT OF OUR COUNTY'S POPULATION AND IT STARTS WITH YOUNG CHILDREN. IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE THIS NUMBER AND SUPPORT THE LOCAL SCHOOLS ATHLETIC PROGRAMS, KCH PROVIDED ATHLETIC TRAINING DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR IN 2021 FOR A FEE OF X PER MONTH. SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING WERE DANVILLE, NORTH FORK, AND CENTERBURG. IN THE FALL OF 2021, KCH ALSO DONATED $7,500 TOWARD THE PURCHASE OF EXERCISE BALLS FOR THE "CRUNCH OUT OBESITY" PROGRAM BENEFITING 590 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UNITED WAY OF KNOX COUNTY.BEGINNING IN MARCH OF 2021, A WEEKLY HEALTH AND WELLNESS ARTICLE IS PUBLISHED IN THE MOUNT VERNON NEWS PRINT AND DIGITAL VERSIONS, COVERING INFORMATIVE TOPICS SUCH AS DIABETES AWARENESS AND SYMPTOMS, CANCER PREVENTION, IMPORTANCE OF SEEING YOUR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN, PREVENTIVE SCREENINGS, AND OTHERS. MOST OF THESE ARTICLES INVOLVE AN INTERVIEW WITH ONE OF KCH PROVIDERS. THE AVERAGE WEEKLY READERSHIP PER PRINT EDITION IS 5,000, WITH THOUSANDS MORE READING VIA DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION. IN A SIMILAR EFFORT, THE LOCAL RADIO STATION (WQIO/93.7 FM) AIRS A "MEDICAL MINUTE" FEATURING A DIFFERENT MEDICAL EXPERT EACH MONTH FROM KCH, PROVIDING HEALTH RELATED INFORMATION TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH A ONE MINUTE RECORDED RADIO SPOT. THE STATION HAS A WIDE LISTENING AREA AMONG ADULTS OVER AGE 35, AND TOPICS HAVE RANGED FROM WEIGHT MANAGEMENT TO FITNESS ROUTINES TO THE IMPORTANCE OF COLONOSCOPY SCREENINGS. WE THEN POST THE RECORDED MESSAGE ON THE KCH WEBSITE.