Health network hosts annual meeting

FARMINGTON — Emily Scribner was presented the Franklin Community Health Leadership Award at the annual meeting of Franklin Community Health Network for her 18 years of service at Franklin Memorial Hospital and her role in expanding a small resource library to a state-of-the-art medical library in the Ben Franklin Center. Scribner retired this past June.

Corporators representing towns in the service area of Franklin Community Health Network attend the annual meeting to receive an annual report and hear presentations regarding the year’s accomplishments and plans for the future. The presentation of the Franklin Community Health Leadership Award has become a highlight of the meeting.

“Emily facilitated the transition from a small article and book resource to an electronic research center with networking capability throughout the world,” said Rebecca Ryder, FCHN president. “Emily’s behind-the-scenes work is a reflection of her dedication to education. She shined as a patient advocate and resource to clinicians, and helped mold future caregivers with her ability to support medical and nursing students with their learning needs. Emily also attended many medical committee meetings to help medical staff provide better care.”

In her president’s report, Ryder said the focuses of the network over the past year have included: major initiatives addressing patient safety, advancements in electronic technology to support patient care, adding medical specialty care services to the community, successfully recovering from the aftermath of a fire in the Franklin Health Medical Arts Center and addressing health care reform and its potential implications.

“During the past fiscal year Congress enacted sweeping national health care reform legislation. This legislation outlines a 10-year plan to transition health care from an illness-focused to a wellness and preventive focused delivery system. The long-term impact of this transition on hospitals across the country is still unclear, but we do know that there will be increased requirements to improve the quality of health care while reducing costs of services delivered,” said Ryder.

“With FCHN’s long history of quality care, its focus on community wellness and prevention and exceptional physician and other medical care in this community, I believe we are well positioned to embrace the transition envisioned in health care reform in this country,” she said.

Dr. Peter Cordner, medical staff president, in his address acknowledged that administration has been proactive in addressing the challenges coming from health care reform and added that the medical staff and Quality and Patient Safety Committee have adopted and continue to refine the “Zero Defects” methodology of improving quality and safety.

Franklin Memorial Hospital has made information technology a priority in patient care and safety in recent years, he said.

In his chairperson’s report, Joseph Bujold, board chair said, “This past year we experienced a lot of uncertainty in health care, but performed very well both financially and operationally. Becky Ryder and I had the opportunity to visit several other Maine health systems. We learned that our institution is well respected for its quality of medical services, its excellent medical staff, and its fine patient care.”

As a final item, unanimously approved to the FCHN board of directors for three-year terms were Dr. Will Eastman, Gilly Hitchcock, Doug Walrath, Joseph Bujold, Timothy Wallace, Jef Howell, Waine Whittier, Meredith Tipton, Dr. David Hyde, Dr. Connie Adler, Dr. Sheena Bunnell, Tom Saviello and Ron Aseltine.

The year’s highlights are featured in the network’s 2009-2010 annual report. To receive a report, contact the Community Relations office at 779-2555 or 800-398-6031, ext. 2555.

Franklin Community Health Network includes Franklin Memorial Hospital, Franklin Health, Evergreen Behavioral Services, NorthStar and the Healthy Community Coalition.

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