The document discusses changes and progression at Martin Army Community Hospital (MACH). It provides an overview of MACH, including advantages as a military hospital focused on quality care and stable leadership. Disadvantages include a non-business structure and focus on quickly treating soldiers. While MACH lacks trauma capabilities compared to local hospitals, changes in 2014 aim to improve technology and customer service. The current director, LTC James Boxmeyer, will retire soon after leading improvements to better serve the community.
2. Agenda
•
•
•
•
•
•
LTC James Boxmeyer Background
MACH Advantages
MACH Disadvantages
MACH vs. Local Hospitals
MACH Trauma?
MACH Changes
Last Updated 24 October 2013
3. Background: LTC
James Boxmeyer
•Current DCA and
Chief of Martin Army
Community Hospital
(MACH)
•Involved in all
aspects of the facility
•Upcoming
retirement: Nov/Dec
2013
Last Updated 24 October 2013
4. Military Hospital Advantages
•
•
•
•
•
•
More Stable Leadership
Stronger employment bonding
Acceptable to team work
Job security
Unique military mission
More “Quality Care” focused
Last Updated 24 October 2013
5. Military Hospital Disadvantages
• Non-business structured
• War focused (get
soldiers in and out to
complete their missions)
Last Updated 24 October 2013
6. MACH vs. Local Hospitals
•
•
•
•
Technology
Appointments
Customer Service/Wait-Time
Physician-patient relationships
Last Updated 24 October 2013
7. MACH Trauma?
• MACH is a non-trauma
hospital
• Transiting to trauma =
disadvantage
– Hire many trauma trained
physicians and staff needed
– Creates enormous expense
– Two local trauma hospitals
– Not enough trauma
incidents
Last Updated 24 October 2013
8. MACH Changes
• Faster budget approval
• Improved technology
• Better government
structure
Last Updated 24 October 2013
9. Summary
• Budget
• MACH Comparison
• MACH 2014 Change
– Technology
– Customer care
Last Updated 24 October 2013
LTC Boxmeyer is the DCA of Martin Army Community Hospital located in Fort Benning, Georgia. LTC Boxmeyer duties include all aspects of the facility, with the exception doctors and nurses. LTC Boxmeyer retires from the US Military in November/December 2013. LTC Boxmeyer is interested in working in a government position as a civilian in relation to the same duties he has at the present moment; however, with military cut-backs, he stated at this moment there are no openings for his position of interest and he may have to work as a civilian at a non-government hospital or employ in a position not related to his previous duties.
LTC Boxmeyer feels that the government facilities hold a more stable leadership and employees are more in sync on building relationships with each other, having a stronger bond amongst each other and looking out for one another as opposed to a non-government facility. This is due to a more stable job security and individuals not competing with each other for higher position due to contracted work. Other advantages LTC Boxmeyer suggested are MACH, along with other government facilities are non-taxed organizations and have a unique military mission. Being that MACH is a non-taxed facility, the focus is more on the quality of care, which can aid in better customer care.
LTC Boxmeyer stated that MACH, among other military hospitals, structure is not designed for business, but for war. Majority of the patients are soldiers who generally need care due to an injury or illness due to training or deployment, therefore, physicians and staff are trained to get them treated as soon as possible and send them back out.
LTC Boxmeyer believes that MACH lacks the technology to be competitive with the other two local hospitals; this is due to the new technology not being able to sustain and work efficiently due to the old building sturcture, however, the new hospital (2014) will have all new and advanced technology that will be comparable with the two community hospitals. LTC Boxmeyer stated that the online appointment system provided by Tricare in 2011 was one of the new technologies that was believed to make things easier and more time efficient for physician and patients when making appointments, checking referrals, and requesting prescription refills, but was not being used as much as predicted. He stated that many soldiers and their families signed up for the service but failed to use it; 15% of those who signed up used the service, while only 12 individuals made appointments through the service. (The problem was not getting individual to recognize the new technique, but people simply would rather make an appointment over the phone or in person, and speak to their provider one on one).LTC Boxmeyer believes the patient wait-times and customer service are comparable with other hospitals in the community. The longest appointment wait times were for MRIs and Sleep Studies, however, when the wait time is stretched out far out, soldiers are referred off-post.Even with the high turnover rate within MACH, LTC Boxmeyer believes the physician-patient relationships are well and consist of no major issues; this is evident through the customer care cards and complaint cards. Also, relationships within MACH with patients are usually formed more with nurses and technicians than with physicians.
MACH is a non-trauma hospital. LTC Boxmeyer views on transiting MACH from a non-trauma hospital to a trauma hospital would be disadvantage for several reasons. In order to provide trauma patients with care, MACH must hire many physicians trained to treat trauma patients as well as the staff that is needed. This can created 100,000 dollars and would not be feasible due to two trauma hospitals located just minutes away off-post. Also, there are not enough trauma incidents to consider changing MACH to a trauma hospital.
The financial change LTC Boxymer would like to see is for the military to get a budget soon for this fiscal year so that he can alert civilians in advance on the status of their employment; if they be able to keep their employment within the hospital and if MACH has to release them without a pay check.As far as the employment and financial situation, LTC Boxymeyer stated that the government structure should be completely erased and we should start over, relooking the government system.
The budget of MACH is based on what is received from the government for military medical health care. MACH budget can not be organized and finalized until disbursement is received for the fiscal year.MACH is lacking competitiveness with two local hospitals in the community due to its technology; however the technological change will be satisfied in 2014 at the newly built hospital with all new and advanced technology.