Workplace Wellness with Frank Molinaro

CEO, Abrazo Community Health Network
Arizona Group CEO, Tenet Healthcare

What innovations and products have you launched recently or are preparing?

First and foremost, Abrazo Community Health Network is focused on providing quality care in a safe environment. Our employees, physicians and volunteers collaborate as a community of care with support for continuing education to stay abreast of the latest developments in healthcare. We’re very excited about the innovations and investments we’re bringing to each of our hospitals.

At Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital, new technologies like the TAVR, CardioMEMS and a pacemaker the size of a vitamin pill, as well as breakthroughs like mitral valve replacements, are helping improve patients’ quality of life. The hospital is building additional state-of-the-art hybrid operating rooms, and recently hosted cardiovascular physicians from across the U.S. for a symposium on the latest in cardiovascular care.

The Abrazo Central Campus is undergoing a renaissance. It is the first hospital in Arizona to receive a new advanced certification as a Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center. Abrazo Central is also expanding its cancer treatment capabilities with the HIPEC procedure for appropriate patients with advanced abdominal and ovarian cancers. We’ve also recently updated our breast center, and the hospital’s ER is newly renovated for better efficiency.

Abrazo Scottsdale Campus is becoming a destination for orthopedic and spine procedures, including total joint replacements and sports medicine. Increasing demand from patients and physicians is leading to a renovation of the hospital’s entire fourth floor to add capacity. The hospital continues to offer emergency and additional surgical procedures, including robotics, and its bariatric program recently earned Comprehensive Center accreditation.

Along with its popular women’s and infants’ services, Abrazo Arrowhead Campus continues to be known for its surgical robotics capabilities. In July, the Arrowhead Campus will become the base for two new medical residency programs in General Surgery and Internal Medicine. Residents in both programs will train with doctors across the system, adding to our ability to attract and retain future physicians.

Abrazo West Campus recently announced a multimillion-dollar expansion project slated to begin this year. A new 12-bed nursing unit will meet the growing need for inpatient beds in our West Valley communities. As a Level I Trauma Center, the hospital is also expanding its spine surgery program to complement its orthopedics, neurosurgery, cardiovascular, obstetrics and women’s health services. It has received four consecutive “A” grades in hospital safety report cards from The Leapfrog Group, and received the 2018 Quality of Life Enhancement Award for its community leadership.

Abrazo Mesa Hospital will open later this spring, expanding Abrazo’s reach into the East Valley. It will include a 12-bed emergency department, an operating room and eight inpatient rooms, along with additional services. The hospital will focus on providing emergency and lower acuity inpatient procedures. Planning is also underway for a similar Abrazo hospital in Surprise.

To provide a sense of what is happening in the industry, please share the challenges you are addressing to enable superior healthcare services for your clients.

As the baby boomer generation ages, the demand for health services increases exponentially. Hospitals are always looking for quality staff for all positions, with clinically-licensed providers and nurses in high demand. And as our community grows, so does the need for physicians. Our residency programs are helping fill that need with family medicine, internal medical and general surgery physicians. A culture of quality, safety and accountability is key to providing superior services.

In what way(s) are you focused on helping business?

Healthy employees are good for business. New treatments and minimally invasive procedures are helping patients more quickly return to daily activities, but, like the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Simple things like getting an annual flu shot, diligence about hand hygiene and getting an annual check-up all contribute to staying healthy. Abrazo also offers numerous education programs for the public to learn about heart health, stroke prevention and more for those who want to be proactive about good health.

About Abrazo Community Health Network

Abrazo Community Health Network encompasses six acute-care hospitals along with freestanding emergency centers, urgent cares, and primary and specialty practices. With a network of physicians and other skilled caregivers, Abrazo Community Health Network is expanding its depth and breadth of resources to shape the future of healthcare in Arizona and remain at the forefront of cardiology, neurology, orthopedics and other highly specialized care.

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