Two years after Skaggs merger with CoxHealth – Branson Tri

    The honeymoon period may be over for Cox Medical Center Branson, but the Tri-Lakes Area location has been busy since Skaggs merged with Cox two years ago.

    Cox Branson’s CEO William Mahoney took a few minutes to look back over some of the changes, which included hiring 22 new doctors, opening the critical care unit and expanding services.

Capital improvements

    The most visible of improvements is the $30 million emergency department and critical care unit expansion, a 60,000-square-foot renovation and construction project, according to a press release.

    “With the completion of the new space comes new processes to help get patients in and out of the emergency department in a timely manner, all while providing the best care,” the press release stated.

    “Before, we had a small eight-bed unit — presently we have a 16-bed unit,” Mahoney said. “That means people don’t have to leave our community to be treated. Family can come visit them.”

    Other physical improvements include the addition of a new road and entryway, which opened to traffic in October 2014.

New providers

    Over the past 24 months, Cox Branson welcomed 22 new physicians with specialties ranging from family medicine and obstetrics, to general surgery, gastroenterology, endocrinology, hospitalist, wound care, emergency, oncology and physical medicine and rehab, according to the press release.

    “There’s probably not a rural hospital in the country that can say that they’ve hired 22 new doctors,” Mahoney said.

    He said that total would rise to roughly 30 doctors in the coming year.

Expanded services

    Cox Branson has added more services so people don’t have to travel for the care they need. The hospital now offers a full complement of surgical care, and an oncologist who joined the radiation oncologist. The hospital also welcomed its first gastroenterologist this year.

Awards and accolades

    In November 2014, Cox Medical Center Branson was named a 2013 Top Performer on Key Quality Measures by the Joint Commission. Cox Branson was recognized as part of the Joint Commission’s 2014 annual report “America’s Hospitals: Improving Quality and Safety,” for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance for surgical care, pneumonia, heart failure and heart attack. Cox Branson was one of 1,224 hospitals in the U.S. to achieve the 2013 Top Performer distinction and only half of those hospitals sustained excellence in all four categories. The Joint Commission is the leading accreditor of health care organizations in the United States.

    In June 2014, Cox Branson was honored with the Employer of Choice award for dedication to the highest level of employee relationships and achieving the 90th percentile in the nation for employee satisfaction.

    Cox Medical Center Branson has also been recognized by the Joint Commission for both its inpatient diabetes care and its high level of care for stroke patients. Cox Branson earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for its inpatient diabetes care program by demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety in disease-specific care. The Joint Commission, in conjunction with The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, recognized Cox Branson with Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers.

Giving back

    Cox Branson employees have volunteered more than 1,000 hours throughout the community in 2014, according to a press release.

    We’ve hosted multiple donation drives, giving thousands of items to community organizations including Jesus Was Homeless, Branson Public Schools, Christian Action Ministries and Christian Associates.

    In addition to construction projects and expanding, Mahoney said the hospital hopes to help the surrounding areas. One way he sees that help is through the smoking ordinance, which goes into effect this summer.

    “We’re really going to work on improving the health of the community,” Mahoney said.