Dodge County Hospital - "In the News"
March 22, 2010 - CBOSS DELIVERS WEB PORTAL AND ONLINE PAYMENT SOLUTION TO GEORGIA’S DODGE COUNTY HOSPITAL
New Web Portal and Online Payment Option will Help Facility to Create Efficiencies and Improve Patient Satisfaction
EASTMAN, Ga. – Dodge County Hospital, a 94-bed healthcare facility located about 140 miles southeast of Atlanta selected Ohio IT solutions provider CBOSS to redesign and enhance its web site, www.dodgecountyhospital.com, including an option for patients to pay their bills online via the new site. The online payment feature will be live in mid-April.
Catering to a rural community of over 20,000 county residents, Dodge County Hospital offers both critical care and emergency room services in addition to several specialized types of healthcare services.
The hospital is embracing new web-based IT solutions to provide best-in-class healthcare and patient services using the CBOSS ArchITech Content Management System and the Central Payment Portal.
The ArchITech CMS provides users with an easy and flexible way to upgrade content and graphics with a modular structure that provides scalability and a platform for supporting a rich set of web marketing and information management capabilities.
The Central Payment Portal is a secure, web-based online payment solution that will give Dodge County a cost-effective solution for providing a convenient payment option to patients while capturing and settling revenue faster. The CPP also features an array of ad hoc reports that provides a 360-degree tool for financial management of the transaction and settlement process. The hosted service is compliant with the Payment Card Industry-Data Security Standards (PCI-DSS) which mandates service providers such as CBOSS adhere to rigorous operational standards to protect card data.
“We’re delighted to deliver such a solution to Dodge County Hospital,” said Aaron Lego, CBOSS Business Development Director. “Dodge County Hospital’s new website is easy to navigate and provides a wealth of accessible, valuable information. When the PCI-secure CPP payment feature is live, patients will be able to securely pay their bills online, while the hospital can settle payments faster.”
Said Kevin Bierschenk, CEO, Dodge County Hospital: “We’re very pleased with our newly redesigned site and being able to provide our patients with an online payment option. It’s all part of our commitment to the community.”
About CBOSS
From enterprise software solutions to managed services, CBOSS specializes in the design and implementation of business process automation and e-payment solutions using industry-standard IP-based platforms and tools. Since 1994, businesses and governments have looked to CBOSS, www.cboss.com, to deliver feature-rich services and solutions that are cost effective, secure and which are seamlessly integrated into an existing infrastructure. Over 700 companies and institutions have used CBOSS software solutions, hosting and managed services. CBOSS is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner.
About Dodge County Hospital
Dodge County Hospital is a progressive 94-bed healthcare facility dedicated to meeting the challenges of the changing healthcare environment and is committed to providing quality healthcare for the valued citizens of Dodge County and surrounding communities. The hospital offers a vast array of services that include a Critical Care Unit with state-of-the-art equipment.
The Emergency Room that services Dodge County offers 24 hour 7 day service by in house physicians.
Additional departments within Dodge County include our GI Laboratory, Laboratory, Obstetrics and Nursery, Ophthalmology, Pathologist, Pediatrics, Pharmacy, Respiratory, Radiology, Sleep studies, and Surgery Center. Please visit our Patient Services section for more information.
October 7, 2009 - Dodge County Hospital Receives New Equipment
State-of-the-art Magnetic Resonance Imaging is now available in our local healthcare community. Dodge County Hospital (DCH) today announced the addition of one of the industry's most compact whole-body high-field, high-performance magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems, the Intera 1.5 Tesla from Philips Medical Systems. Designed with both patient and physician in mind, the system enhances patient comfort without compromising image quality and clinical performance.
"The new MRI system we have installed incorporates some of the latest technology and provides exceptional image quality in the most patient-friendly environment. It is of tremendous diagnostic benefit to the community," said Cindy Miller of Dodge County Hospital. "The new equipment gives us the ability to perform scans that encompass a larger area and also scans for more dense areas, for example the abdomen, which we were previously unable to perform due to the stronger magnet system."
The past three years has shown an upward trend in the number of MRI's performed at the hospital. The figures for three years ago showed slightly over 700 MRI's. Two years ago the figure had increased to 788. In the past year about 900 MRI's , were performed. By combining the high-field features of this new equipment with a design philosophy dedicated to patient comfort, the Intera system will deliver new levels of operational productivity and better accommodates the needs of all patients. Because of the level of detail it provides, the MRI will assist radiologists and physicians in the earlier diagnosis of a variety of medical conditions including brain and nervous system disorders, cardiovascular disease, cancer and organ disease.
The Radiology staff would also like to remind everyone that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer forms in the tissues of the breast, usually in the ducts and lobules. It occurs in both men and women, although male breast cancer is rare. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women today, after lung cancer, and is the most common cancer among women, excluding non-melanoma skin cancers.
Not only can earlier diagnosis lead to better treatment and better outcomes, it can help reduce overall healthcare costs. The process of Magnetic Resonance Imaging brings together the most sophisticated thinking in medicine, science and electronic technology, and Dodge County Hospital is pleased to offer this state-of-the-art equipment in our area. DCH has contracted with Optimal Readings, a Radiology group that reads scans, and an in-house Radiologist who reads some as well. Additionally, the hospital uses the PACS system for storing scans as well as creating digital images of the scans for other facilities as needed.
According to the American Cancer Society, about 1.3 million women will be diagnosed with breast cancer annually, and worldwide about 465,000 will die from the disease. Breast cancer death rates have been dropping steadily since 1990, according to the society, because of earlier detection and better treatments, however this should not lower your guard about monthly self-checks and annual mammograms, or as needed according to your age. Following . this para-' graph are statistics from the American Cancer Society on the probability of breast cancer development. Breast cancer risk may be higher or lower, depending on several factors, including family history, genetics, menstrual age, and other factors, however, these figures should send you scurrying for a mammogram right away.) By age 20: 1 out of 1,985; age 30: 1 out of 229; age 40:1 out of 68; age 50: 1 out of 37; age 60: 1 out of 26; age 70:1 out of 24; lifetime: 1 out of 8.
Dodge County News ~ October 7, 2009 - New Chairs Purchased
The Dodge County Hospital Auxiliary recently purchased new chairs for all the exam rooms in the Emergency Room. Pictured (l - r) is Auxiliary member Kay Walker, Andy Hickman - Emergency Room Manager, and Auxiliary member Doris Knowles.
3rd Quarter 2009
September headlines stated that Dodge County Hospital was proud to announce that Teresa Yzenski, RNC, has been named one of four Mattie Stepanek Caregiving Scholarship winners for 2009. Teresa is the manager of the OB/GYN Unit at Dodge County Hospital. Ms. Yzenski and the other three scholarship winners will be honored with a luncheon that will take place during the 2009 National Summit and Training Institute, taking place October 21-23, 2009 at Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, Georgia.
2nd Quarter 2009
April started out with a flurry of activity when the DCH Auxiliary celebrated their 32nd anniversary and attended the State Auxiliary's spring meeting in Valdosta, GA.
In May a former employee of Dodge County Hospital, Ray Shepherd, received an award for outstanding service to the youth in the Middle Georgia Area through his efforts in leadership and fundraising for the betterment of local recreation departments, especially in the interest of the sport of baseball.
In June, Dodge County Hospital announced that a new surgeon, Dr. Charles Mann, had begun practice at the hospital.
Also in June, Dodge County High School's Youth Apprenticeship Program completed their semester at DCH. Additionally, the hospital announced the start of it's second TeamLean program.
1st Quarter 2009
In February, 2009, Dodge County Hospital celebrated it's 20th Annual Heart Day by conducting a health fair for the community. Also in February, the hospital kicked off it's first community "TeamLean" effort, a competetive weight-loss program.
Dr. Patricia Patterson joined our community of physicians in March, 2009, opening the Ocmulgee Family Medicine Clinic on Legion Drive.