The Metropolitan Magazine

When Peninsula Regional launched its 2009-2014 Strategic Plan in the fall of last year, it marked a new and challenging direction for the Medical Center.

The previous process resulted in the largest construction and expansion effort in the history of Wicomico County; 100 million dollars to build or renovate patient care areas, create new or grow existing services and add technology, all to maintain its status as the regional leader in health care.

While the previous plan also called the Medical Center to action on priorities like construction, service growth, clinical quality, efficiency, safety and physician relationships, this new strategic plan — which is very much a complete team project — points the Medical Center down a somewhat different path. “We’re looking to place primary or specialty care offices, diagnostic testing facilities and other multi-specialty facilities in outlying portions of our service area where we can be more accessible to those communities,” added President/CEO Peggy Naleppa, MS, MBA, Dr. M., FACHE. “The goal is to reduce fragmentation of services and strengthen the continuum of care model.”

The current strategic plan is a very transparent commitment on the part of the Medical Center to guarantee the best possible care. It’s extremely “people and patient” focused. Setting that focus is the goal of the six driving strategies (see Driving Strategy Summary) created from Peninsula Regional’s Mission Statement, Values and Vision Statement. “Each driving strategy represents the ‘what’ of what it is we are trying to reach,” said Doug Wilson, Ph.D., director of planning and business development. “These are the goals we need to achieve in order to position Peninsula Regional for future success.”

Multidisciplinary tactical teams have been charged with bringing each driving strategy to life. The tactical teams assigned to each driving strategy design the “how” of how it’s all going to get done. They’re determining: how to best provide resources and technology to attract and support physicians; how to improve patient centered care; how to recruit and keep exceptional employees; how to expand Peninsula Regional’s outstanding clinical and technical capabilities beyond the campus and then how to link all of those capabilities electronically.

“Our strategic plan requires us to be future oriented and to determine how our organization will look and act three to five years from now,” added Naleppa. “We’re forced to focus beyond our normal, everyday issues and project what the Delmarva region will ultimately need.”

Read Peninsula Regional’s entire Strategic Plan Summary by visiting www.peninsula.org and selecting Strategic Plan 2009-2014 from the Quick Links section of the homepage.

Exceptional Care Delivered By An Exceptional Team

Spend any length of time at Peninsula Regional Medical Center and you’ll hear staff and leadership speak of the importance of their “team” approach to health care.

Each division or service line has its own team of specialists working to provide exceptional care and exceptional service. It really pays dividends as those efforts combine throughout the Medical Center — from the time the patient arrives until they leave — to form a multi-disciplinary Medical Center team that values the importance everyone plays in the comprehensive patient care experience.

While it’s easy to spot nurses and physicians at the bedside providing patient-centered care, an equal percentage of Peninsula Regional’s success comes from other team members making their own individual contributions to a united health care front. Environmental Services teams keep rooms clean and comfortable and play a tremendously important role in infection prevention. Food and Nutrition teams ensure the preparation and delivery of thousands of nutritious meals each week. Additional clinical support staffs, like Medical Imaging Services team members, safely guide hundreds of patients each week through diagnostic tests including CT Scans and MRIs. Over 600 volunteers representing PLUS Volunteers, Pastoral Care and the Junior Auxiliary Board assist all departments, staff, patients and families with an assortment of services and needs.

“Respect, common courtesy and treating every patient as if they are our most beloved relative is what each patient deserves from every member of our health care team,” said President/CEO Peggy Naleppa. “Patients succeed when our team succeeds in guaranteeing that every element of care, safety and comfort is met with the highest degree of professionalism and courtesy.”