January 29, 2010
A Unique Community Hospital
Interim president Florence Spyrow discovers "precious gem" at Genesis, Illini Campus
Flo Spyrow believes patients can find the best of both worlds at the Genesis Medical Center, Illini Campus.
The medium-size hospital offers a breadth of services that rivals many larger hospitals. Yet, it boasts the personalized care and home-like feel of a smaller hospital.
Not too small and not too big, the hospital is "just right" for a lifetime of most health needs - from family-focused birthing services all the way to multiple senior-living options.
"This high-quality community hospital is a rare and precious gem," says Spyrow, who recently became the Silvis hospital's new Interim President.
"It has an impressively wide depth of services; a staff with a long tradition of service excellence; and, the connection with a larger health system that brings many benefits, such as top-in-the-nation information technology and the region's largest network of physicians in Genesis Health Group.
"It offers a sought-after alternative in the community that is going to be rarer in the future as larger and larger health care systems begin to have an edge over smaller community hospitals."
Back in Illinois
For nearly 30 years, Spyrow has served the public with a passion for providing quality care as a nurse, lawyer and health care executive. At the same time, she has juggled the responsibilities of being a wife and mother and volunteered with numerous organizations, including the YMCA, Rotary and Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
She came to Genesis a year ago to fill the newly created position of Vice President for Outpatient Services. She led the portfolio of businesses under Genesis at Home and Genesis at Work, as well as the health system's freestanding outpatient services. She agreed to serve as Interim President of the Genesis, Illini Campus, with the recent retirement of Chuck Bruhn.
She's right at home working in the Illinois Quad Cities, where for two decades she held a number of leadership positions within Trinity Regional Health System.
"Flo has a strong clinical and administrative background in many aspects of health care administration, including hospital operations, and a deep knowledge of the Illinois market," says Doug Cropper, Genesis CEO and President. "She is well-positioned to lead Illini while we conduct a nationwide search for a permanent president."
Spyrow enjoys being back in acute care and seeing a lot of familiar faces in Illinois.
During her short time at the Illini Campus, she has been struck by the camaraderie of its employees, who immediately impressed her with their passion for providing great care to patients and their families.
A focus on patients
"One of the great things about the Illini Campus is that it has a lot of long-term employees who are committed to their patients, their colleagues and to the upper Rock Island County community they serve. There's a real culture here of excellence in patient satisfaction and service. It's a close-knit, competent staff that treats you as part of the family during your entire stay."
Equally significant is the Illini Campus' strong physician support, she says.
"We have a mix of dedicated Illini physicians, in addition to physicians who practice here and at other local institutions as well. That enables the Illini Campus to provide a wide array of physician services and specialties and the opportunity to meet many patient needs."
Genesis Health Group (GHG) has more than 130 practitioners at more than 30 locations, including 16 clinics in the Illinois- Quad Cities area. Those multiple specialties have helped raise the level of care at Illini.
"This campus is supported by so many excellent physicians in Illinois - from obstetrics and pediatric care to surgical care, internal medicine and any specialist you might need through Genesis' system of care," Spyrow says. "When patients choose to come to Genesis in Illinois, we can care for them at the Illini Campus, through our comprehensive physician system, and if needed, meet their tertiary care needs at our Davenport campuses."
Receiving care at the Illini Campus, with its all-private rooms, has many advantages.
In the area of surgical services, for example, Illini Campus patients enjoy the benefits of being at a smaller hospital where the Operating Room's efficiency ranks in the top percentile. This results in timely service with less waiting or delays.
"We've made a significant commitment in our surgical services with four dedicated anesthesiologists and additional technology in the Operating Rooms," Spyrow says.
A unique community hospital
With a focus on family care, women deliver babies in a BirthCenter with all the comforts of home and the assurance of a Level 2 Special Care Nursery. Patients enjoy the convenience of having their labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum care in the same room. Illini also has a dedicated Pediatrics department.
There's an ambulance service, a freestanding outpatient dialysis center, an outpatient physical rehabilitation clinic, a diabetes care center, a sleep testing center, a Level 2 Trauma Center, a full-service interstate laboratory, and some of the most high-tech diagnostic imaging services available, including digital mammography, digital radiology, CT, nuclear medicine, 3D-4D ultrasound and MRI. Patients can undergo coronary interventions and electrophysiology procedures in the hospital's Cardiac Catheterization Lab and recuperate with three phases of cardiac rehabilitation.
Illini has the only hospital campus in the region to offer four levels of senior care - from Crosstown Square apartments to Illini Restorative Care's intermediate care, Medicarecertified skilled care, and Sheltered Care Unit.
Forty-two years ago, the grassroots journey to build the hospital began with a need to serve the residents of upper Rock Island County. That commitment remains today, and Spyrow hopes to see the Illini Campus grow.
"This is the community's hospital, and we will continue to build strong relationships throughout the Illini Quad Cities, such as the PULSE program at the Two Rivers YMCA and our recent Illini Ambulance Service expansion with a new station in East Moline," Spyrow says. "I will focus on service excellence, access and convenience for all of our patients in Rock Island County and surrounding communities."
Quality and safety will continue to be a significant focus on the Illini Campus," she adds, as part of Genesis' goal is to be in the Top 10th percentile in every quality and safety measure.
It has been 13 years since Illini Hospital affiliated with Genesis Health System. The hospital in Silvis continues to benefit from distinctions that have earned the health system honors like the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Distinguished Hospital award, Consumer Choice, Top 100 and Top 50 honors for quality, and the 100 Most Wired awards. Genesis was the first in the Quad Cities to earn Magnet designation for nursing excellence, and the Illini Campus is working toward this recognition as well.
Despite the support of a larger health system, the Illini Campus hasn't lost that unique personal and family feel of a smaller hospital, Spyrow concludes.
"The Illini Campus is a wonderful campus that has something not offered anywhere else in the community."
