Springfield center gets national recognition for patient care

A Springfield medical center recently received national recognition for its work promoting endoscopy, a procedure used to evaluate a patient’s digestive system.

The Springfield Regional Outpatient Center, 2610 N. Limestone St., is the only site in Springfield or Dayton to have earned the recognition from the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy as of January this year, according to information on the agency’s website. Completing the voluntary program is a signal to residents that the facility is taking extra steps to ensure quality care, said Dr. Alan Gabbard, a gastroenterologist at the center.

READ MORE: New pharmacy opens in Northridge neighborhood

Increasingly, medical centers are being reimbursed based more on the quality of care, as opposed to the number of services provided, he said.

“For the past two years and going forward, we monitor a minimum of 10 parameters for every colononscopy that’s been done by every physician at the center,” Gabbard said.

DETAILS: Springfield hospital CEO discusses drug crisis, growth

It took staff and leadership at the facility about six months to compile the information necessary to qualify for the recognition. It is the first time the recognition has been sought and achieved in Springfield.

The parameters included everything from evaluating the outpatient center’s policies to what procedures are used to clean medical instruments. The facility is alto taking part in a separate voluntary initiative called the Gastrointestinal Quality Improvement Consortium to measure the quality of endoscopy services and tracks patient outcomes.

MORE: Springfield’s biggest employer picks new leader

Gabbard estimated physicians at the Springfield outpatient center perform between 2,500 and 3,000 endoscopies annually.

Along with those procedures, the facility also offers services including opthamology, pain management and podiatry.

“We’re going out of our way and spending a lot of time and effort to ensure quality,” Gabbard said.

About the Author