Newsletter [January 15, 1976]

              Surgical Outpatient Unit To Be Added
Architectural plans have already been
drawn for a Surgical Outpatient Unit to be
established in the area of the existing Pathology Department. Renovation of that area
should begin as soon as the laboratory completes its move into the new tower and the
unit's completion date is planned for July
1976.
The unit will be able to perform such surgical procedures as dilation and curettage, cys-
togram and pyelogram, tonsillectomy and
adenoidectomy, laryngoscopy, breast biopsy,
scar revision, hemorrhoidectomy, skin graft,
and at least 40 other procedures.
This unit expects to offer the community a
much needed service at a substantial savings
to the patient. A patient may be admitted in
the mornings, have the required surgical procedure, and be able to return home that same
afternoon, allowing a shorter hospital stay
that will result in lowered cost to the patient.
Therefore, the patient saves not only time and
money but is able to return to work sooner due
to the decreased hospital stay.
A surgical outpatient should also benefit
psychologically since an outpatient visit is
usually more pleasant and easier to accept
than a lengthy or complicated surgical procedure. Also, a patient able to utilize the unit will
not have to be exposed to the seriously ill and
the complicated cases are not as likely to interfere with the carefully managed, efficient
routine. The outpatient can also be assured by
(Continued on page 2)
Malpractice Insurance
No Longer An Issue
Wesley Long Community Hospital now has
adequate malpractice insurance. In their
meeting on December 1,1975, the Trustees of
the North Carolina Hospital Association Insurance Trust Fund, of which WLCH is a
participant, voted to increase the limits of liability of the Fund for each participating hospital from an annual sum of $500,000 to an annual sum of $1 million effective December 1,
1975. The coverage per claim is now $500,000
instead of $250,000 and is comparable to that
provided generally by the insurance industry.
At the present time, there are approximately fifty to sixty member hospitals participating in the Trust fund with a total annual
(Continued on page 2)
Newsletter
GREENSBORO, N. C.
WESLEY LONG COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
Building Progress
According to the proposed work schedule
and sequence for completing the Emergency
and Operating Room Areas, work will begin
January 4, 1976 on the existing Operating
Room #5 and will be completed simultaneously with the four new operating rooms in the
new wing addition. The expected completion
date is March 1976. When the operating rooms
are complete, renovation will begin on the
existing anesthesia storage room.
Work is also scheduled to complete the
Emergency and Radiology additions to ready
it for occupancy by late April.
Renovation should begin in the recovery
area in May 1976 and is predicted to be completed by June.
The laboratory area may be available by the
first of April.
A NEW YEAR—A TIME TO COUNT OUR BLESSINGS
By James Phelps
With the beginning of a New Year, it seems appropriate for each of us to consider our
blessings and to publicly thank those who contributed to making 1975 a significant milestone
in the history of our hospital and to making 1976 a challenging year for us to give our efforts
toward providing additional beds, services, and better health care to our patients.
The first category of people to whom we owe a tremendous
ployees of Wesley Long. We are completely convinced that our
people have a Christian attitude and spirit toward their work
which is not universally existent in some hospitals. This spirit and
attitude was clearly evidenced in 1973 when we asked you to offer
your financial support in contributing to our Development Fund
so we may provide more beds and additional services to our
community. During 1974 and 1975 you have shouldered the burden of providing excellent patient care, amid new construction,
renovations and many inconveniences. In 1976, it shall be a challenging year for us as we shall open our new 120 bed tower and
addition to our north wing and we know your response shall be
most gratifying in accepting the additional responsibilities as a
result of our increased bed capacity.
debt are all of the em-
PHELPS
Another group to whom we are most indebted is our fine
Medical Staff. Our staff is not only comprised of the most highly
competent and dedicated physicians, but it also is made up of fair
minded and congenial people. They are superb human beings and
their general attitude, as well as their ability, is a real blessing for which we are grateful. Our patients
constantly remind us of the excellent service rendered them by our medical staff and they too are
grateful to be blessed by such a fine group of physicians. (Continued on page 3)
FIFTH ANNUAL CARDIAC CARE SYMPOSIUM
The 1975 Symposium on Intensive Cardiac
Care for nurses in Critical Care Areas was
held in the Kiser Building, November 12, &
13, 1975. The Symposium was jointly sponsored by Wesley Long Hospital, and the
Greensboro Heart Association with assistance from Greensboro AHEC. This was the
fifth consecutive year the Symposium has
been held at Wesley Long Hospital.
The sessions consisted primarily of Intensive Care and Coronary Care nurses. Peggy
Hicks, ICU and CCU supervisor of Wesley
Long, referred to the seminar as a means of
"continuing educational experience for
nurses in specializing units."
Major subjects discussed at the Symposium
included a new look at the P.V.C., use of the
Aortic Balloon Counterpulsation, and the
Swan-Ganz Catheter in pump failure. The
Swan-Ganz Catheter is a new method of
measuring pressure in the heart. This is done
by placing the catheter directly into the heart.
Special equipment is being ordered and will be
used when the new unit is complete.
This year's workshop was directed by Dr.
Marvin McCall, III, a well known cardiologist from Charlotte. Dr. McCall, a past
president of the North Carolina Heart Association had been previously interviewed by
the Record on heart care tips before presenting his lecture for the symposium. He stressed
in that interview how to care for the heart to
avoid the risk of heart disease and he also
encouraged education of the signs and symptoms of a coronary attack. To obtain information on signs and symptoms of heart attacks,
Dr. McCall suggested writing the American
Heart Association, who will send you detailed
information upon request.