As the calendar changes from 1999 to 2000 at midnight on Friday, River Valley Health System (RVHS) and its satellite facilities are prepared for every contingency, said Terry Vanderhoof, CEO.

Thursday, December 30, 1999

As the calendar changes from 1999 to 2000 at midnight on Friday, River Valley Health System (RVHS) and its satellite facilities are prepared for every contingency, said Terry Vanderhoof, CEO.

"We have been working for the past year and a half to assure that we are Y2K compliant in all areas," he explained. "Uninterrupted patient care has always been and always will be our utmost concern."

Vanderhoof said all internal operations as well as external vendors are Y2K compliant, plus the hospital has long had a secure back up for all utilities, such as water and electricity.

A team of administrative personnel will be at the hospital on New Year’s Eve in case there are outside problems.

"We expect the transition will go smoothly; however, we have a strong contingency plan in case of any outside problems," he said. "Also, if there are any problems, community residents are invited to call us or to come here to the hospital as we will have staff available to help."

If residents do experience Y2K-related problems, they should call the hospital’s general switchboard number, 532-3231, and tell the operator the general nature of their problem. From there, the residents will be referred to the appropriate RVHS personnel with the greatest expertise in the area affected.

"We have increased some inventories in case some of our suppliers have unanticipated problems," he added. "Even though all our vendors have certified to us they are Y2K-compliant, we felt it would be wise to have additional inventories on hand just in case."

Although RVHS personnel have worked to ensure a seamless transition to the new century, they are excited about the opportunities the new millennium brings, Vanderhoof said.

"We realize there have been rumors in recent weeks that the hospital is closing," he said. "I can assure everyone that is not going to happen. We have been here for almost a century, and we will continue to be here in the future."

Staff has been downsized in recent months as patient census numbers have fluctuated; however, that is typical at every hospital, Vanderhoof stressed.

"There also has been talk in the community about the loss of several physicians recently," he said. "Two left not because of problems with the hospital but because their spouses wanted to live closer to their families. In three other cases, the hospital chose not to renew contracts.

"We are continuing to recruit highly qualified physicians, and we are aggressively strengthening our primary care base through a growing partnership with the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization (CAO). Also, within the next few months, we will have several announcements of new physicians who will be joining the RVHS medical staff."

Vanderhoof pointed to the growing number of clinics operated by RVHS as examples of the health-care organization’s commitment to providing expanded medical services to residents across Southern Ohio.

RVHS currently operates clinics in Ironton, Coal Grove, Aid, Burlington and Wheelersburg. In addition to the primary care hospital in Ironton, RVHS also operates a mental health facility in Portsmouth.

"We are extremely proud of several recent medical staff additions, including Ben Roach, M.D., who returns home to Lawrence County after serving as the chief resident in radiology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson," he said. "We also have added three extremely talented physicians to oversee our emergency services department."

As RVHS enters the 21st century, a number of building projects are being completed while others are actively on the drawing board.

An expanded radiology department and imaging center are being developed to house the new RVHS fixed-base MRI equipment as well as new mammography, CAT scan, stereotactic biopsy and digital fluoroscopy equipment.

The expansion will coincide with the move of Southeast Ohio Emergency Medical Services (SEOEMS) to its new station adjacent to the hospital.

Remodeling also will be completed in mid-2000 for expanded physical therapy, cardiac rehabilitation and pharmaceutical services.

"The fitness center has taken longer than we initially anticipated," Vanderhoof said. "The initial design by the architect exceeded our budget, so the plans had to be redesigned. That is near completion now."

Also, the CEO said internal renovation work is ongoing to convert and modernize all existing patient rooms to private status.

RVHS also is strengthened by its relationship with The Ohio State University medical system, he added. Through the OSU network of affiliates, RVHS has access to a wide range of educational opportunities as well as additional equipment and diagnostic services.

Vanderhoof recently was elected chairman of the Ohio State Health Network board.