2023: A Year in Review at UNC Health Nash

UNC Health Nash concluded another successful year of providing exceptional health care to the community. Through a commitment to improving the community’s health and wellbeing by focusing on quality, safety, and patient experience, UNC Nash experienced significant growth throughout the year, and earned several major recognitions.

Changes and Growth

At the beginning of 2023, the hospital rebranded from Nash UNC Health Care to UNC Health Nash. Along with gaining a new logo, the change allowed the hospital to align with the new UNC Health brand that debuted in 2020. While remaining a locally owned hospital authority with local governance and decision making through a board of commissioners, UNC Health Nash president & CEO Dr. L. Lee Isley explained the rebrand “does not change our operations or our commitment to providing high quality care to our patients and their families.”

Nash Security debuted enhancements, added new team members, and implemented updated processes and initiatives to build a safer and more secure environment for all. The department also implemented improved training and upgraded equipment, including updated uniforms and marked vehicles to better serve patients, staff, and community.  

Improvements were implemented in the Emergency Department in order to enhance the patient experience. These improvements included the ‘nurse paramedic team model,’ which allows the Emergency Department to care for more patients at a time by utilizing paramedic team members at the top of their scope. A new patient flow model to improve efficiency and patient satisfaction was also implemented. Using this model, patients are evaluated at the front door based on their ailment and routed through the best pathway to manage their condition quickly and effectively. This maximizes resources for patients with complex needs while providing more efficient and higher quality care to all patients.

On the inpatient side, new care models improved efficiency and the patient and family experience.  Patient engagement navigators meet with every patient to answer questions and address concerns.  “First Touch Rounds” were launched where the nurse and physician round on each patient together to discuss goals for the day and answer questions.  A new staffing model also debuted that allows nursing aides and licensed practical nurses to perform at the top of their scopes.

A new Peer Support Program in the Emergency Department was launched to support patients struggling with substance use disorders. The program was made possible thanks to grant funding secured by the UNC Health Nash Foundation. The program provides structured, scheduled services designed to support the recovery journey of patients with substance use disorders, built on an evidence-based mental health model of care that provides community-based recovery services.

Through fundraising and securing various grants, the UNC Nash Foundation helped address social barriers to health and improve the health and wellbeing of the community beyond the walls of the hospital. Thanks to the generosity of UNC Nash staff, medical staff and community donors, the Foundation expanded the Community Paramedic Program and Inpatient Food Pantry, while also bolstering the Patient Assistance Fund.  These programs provide needed resources to the community’s most vulnerable patients, contributing to reduced readmissions and better health outcomes. UNC Nash’s Employee Giving Campaign, led by the Foundation, raised more than $100,000 to directly support the health and wellbeing of our community through the Foundation and the United Way Tar River Region. 

Lastly, several new providers and specialists were added to the hospital’s medical staff to stabilize and expand service line offerings in heart, urology, cancer, ENT, and primary care.

Awards for Exceptional Care

UNC Nash was one of only 32 hospitals across the entire country to receive the Top General Hospital designation by Leapfrog, a national organization that tracks and reports hospital performance data. Only elite hospitals that meet the nation’s toughest standards for safety and quality achieve this prestigious designation.

In January 2023, the Nash Women’s Center achieved the prestigious international “Baby-Friendly” designation by Baby-Friendly USA, the national authority responsible for upholding the highest standards in infant feeding care in hospitals. This designation is awarded to hospitals that demonstrate the highest standards of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies, built on a set of evidence-based practices recommended by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund for optimal infant feeding support in the precious first days of a newborn’s life.

In April, UNC Nash was named a Top 25 Hospital in the state by Business North Carolina for the second year in a row. That award is based on information collected by the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), such as recent patient satisfaction scores, as well as the hospital’s infection, readmission, and mortality rates.

“All of our staff and providers have worked hard to earn and maintain industry-leading performance that gives our community members comfort in the care they receive here,” said Dr. L. Lee Isley, president and CEO of UNC Health Nash. “Our dyad structures partner physicians with nursing leaders to drive these improvements in every unit and service line across the hospital, with involvement and support from every role in the organization.”

In July, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the annual Hospital Quality Star Ratings for 2023 and UNC Health Nash received four stars, putting UNC Nash among the top performing hospitals in the country. This Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating is determined by a variety of quality and safety measures designed to help patients and families make decisions on where to receive care. To improve from a one-star rating just three years ago to a four-star rating, UNC Nash made strides in several areas and quality measures, including patient experience, timely and effective care, readmission rates and mortality.

“Thanks to the collaboration between our physicians and staff in their dyad leadership teams, with the support from every role across the organization, we have significantly improved the level of care we provide to our patients and community,” said Dr. L. Lee Isley, UNC Health Nash President and CEO.

UNC Nash also remained an American Nurses Credentialing Center Pathway to Excellence Program and received national recognitions for heart, stroke, rehabilitation, and maternity care.

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead, UNC Nash developed a new five-year strategic plan with input from the community, medical staff, team members and a variety of stakeholders. The plan focuses on solidifying Nash as the region’s market leader, distinguished by ease of access, expanded service offerings, exceptional quality and patient experience and workforce and community engagement. This plan, along with a team dedicated to impacting the health and wellbeing of the community, will position UNC Nash to meet the community’s needs for years to come.