Berger Health | Connections | Winter 2019

bergerhealth.com 3 H appy new year! We are looking forward to an exciting 2019. I wanted to take this opportunity to reflect upon last year’s accomplishments and look forward to 2019. Last year was an important and productive year for Berger Health System, and this year is even more important to our future. In 2018, Berger had many notable achievements. Here are just a few: š   š Became a Commission on Cancer certified organization with the help of our partner, OhioHealth. š   š Named as one of the Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America. This is the third time in a row we’ve earned this prestigious award. š   š Enhanced our digital imaging services with the addition of our new, state-of-the-art MRI and expanded 3-D mammography services. š   š Became more efficient as an organization by eliminating waste and reducing costs by more than $2 million—an effort that was led internally by our own leadership teams. š   š Welcomed new physicians to our team, including an orthopedic surgeon and a general surgeon. In addition, 2018 was a year of tremendous work by our City and County owners and the Berger Board of Governors. I cannot say enough about how diligently these groups have worked to represent their constituents and to advance our partnership journey with OhioHealth. Each group has displayed tremendous energy and insightful input during this process. I assure you all parties have taken their responsibilities very seriously and are working to ensure the vibrancy of local health care. I look forward to 2019 with great anticipation. We have come so far and worked very hard to get to this point in cementing our partnership with OhioHealth. This has been a journey worth the effort, and I can promise you our future looks bright with OhioHealth. If everything proceeds as planned, I anticipate an announcement in early 2019. I have talked many times about the challenges small hospitals face and this has not changed. Smaller, rural hospitals are finding it harder and harder to operate in the current environment. In retrospect, the decision to seek a stronger partnership with a larger health care organization looks smarter than ever. I am thankful for our hard-working staff, dedicated physicians and providers, volunteers, and the community for helping us through our partnership journey. I look forward to finalizing this partnership agreement with OhioHealth. As always, I will keep you up-to-date regarding the ongoing partnership negotiations with OhioHealth, and you should hear more about our efforts in the near future. Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions at tim.colburn@bergerhealth.com . We appreciate your continued support and are excited about the future of Berger and our community. Tim Colburn President & CEO Berger Health System Looking to 2019… My doctor visit checklist This checklist can help you communicate better with your doctor. Fill it out and take it with you to your appointment. You might also use it to prepare for calls to your doctor’s office about your care. The reason for my visit I am most concerned about . What the doctor needs to know I have these new or worsening symptoms: . My health has changed recently (taking new medications, recovering from surgery, etc.): . I have these limitations (poor vision, difficulty walking, memory problems, etc.): . I have these concerns about my current mental health: . Your health/treatment: Questions to ask Do you have any follow-up instructions for me? Can I get those in writing? When will I get the test results from my visit? When should I schedule my next appointment? When should I expect to see improvement? If there is no improvement, what should I do? How should I contact you if I have questions after this visit? Staying well: Questions to ask Does my family health history raise my risk for any health problems? What vaccines, screenings or medical tests do I need? What are some steps you think I should take to stay healthy? I feel good not so good getting worse seriously ill Available online at bergerhealth.com ! In the “Education & Resources” drop-down menu, click on “Connections magazine,” scroll down to “Resources” and click on “Doctor visit checklist.” You can print extra copies or share it with friends and family. Need emergency care? Call 911.