HARDIN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL HISTORY
Hardin Memorial Hospital is a 300-bed regional healthcare center, which serves the citizens of Hardin County, Kentucky and 10 surrounding counties. It is a not-for-profit, acute care hospital owned by the citizens of Hardin County and governed by the Board of Trustees of the Fiscal Court of Hardin County.
The Emergency Department at Hardin Memorial Hospital treats more than 50,000 people; more than 1,600 babies are born, 11,000 patients are admitted to the hospital and approximately 7,500 surgeries are performed at Hardin Memorial each year. Baptist Healthcare Systems acquired the management contract September 1, 1997. The hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission.
At present, Hardin Memorial Hospital has a medical staff of approximately 200+ active physicians, including 32 specialties and subspecialties, as well as primary care. Of these 200+ physicians, 199 have admitting privileges. With over 1,600 employees and an active volunteer corps of 175, Hardin Memorial Hospital is the third largest employer in Hardin County.
For more then 50 years, Hardin Memorial Hospital has been dedicated to exploring new programs and offering new services for the communities it serves. It is that long standing commitment to providing compassionate care and technologically advanced services that has made Hardin Memorial Hospital the healthcare provider of choice for residents living in the Heartland.
Hardin Memorial Hospital opened as a result of the efforts of the Lion's Club. They began the project in 1947. Many residents didn't think Hardin County needed or could afford a hospital. They were accustomed to going to Louisville for care. Voters in the November 1947 election defeated the bond issue for the hospital. In the next four years, more civic organizations joined the Lions Club in the effort. Voters backed the bond issue on the next ballot in 1951. A one million dollar hospital was built.
Hardin Memorial Hospital opened on February 14, 1954. The first addition was added in 1967, followed by a second addition in 1979, and a third in 1986. A fourth addition, housing a magnetic resonance imager, opened in May 1989. A fifth major addition, which contains approximately 147,975 square feet, opened in August 1993 with a greatly enlarged Emergency Department and Admitting/Outpatient Laboratory area.
The Cancer Care Center opened in September 1993; Same Day Surgery opened in January 1994; BirthPlace opened in June 1995; and the Carney-Crowe Laboratory opened in June 1997 bringing the entire facility to 462,000 square feet.
In January 1998, Hardin Memorial began a full-time open-heart surgery program. In February 1998, the hospital began offering Angioplasty, Atherectomy, Stent Placement and Lithotripsy.
In May 1998, the Family Care Center-South Hardin, located in Sonora, Kentucky, and the Family Care Center-North Hardin, located in Vine Grove, Kentucky, opened their doors. These two new centers join the Family Care Center-Magnolia, located in Magnolia, Kentucky, in providing family practice services to the citizens living in these areas.
In 1999, Hardin Memorial became one of the first hospitals in the world to obtain the GE Lightspeed Computed Tomography (CT) scanner. The Radiology Department began to perform Stereotactic Breast Biopsies. The Emergency Department opened its FastTrack area to treat those patients whose symptoms are less severe. Urologists on staff began performing Transurethral Microwave Thermotherapy (TUMT) to correct enlarged prostate glands. WorkWell, an occupational health and wellness program, opened. Hardin Memorial opened a 450-space parking garage.
In 2000, Hardin Memorial’s 40-foot Wellness on Wheels® Mobile Health Unit began providing health education and wellness screenings to residents in the 11-county service area. The Cancer Care Center received accreditation from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. Hardin Memorial acquired a second MRI system, the Siemen’s MAGNETOM Symphony. This state-of-the-art, 1.5 Tesla MRI system is one of the most advanced in the United States. Hardin Memorial Hospital was named one of the nation’s Top 100 Hospitals for stroke care by HCIA-Sachs.
In 2001, Hardin Memorial was the only hospital in Kentucky named as a Top 100 Hospital for Intensive Care Services by the Solucient Institute. The MRI Center at Hardin Memorial Hospital opened; featuring two (2) of the most advanced MRI systems in the region. The Bispectral Index (BIS) Anesthesia Monitor was implemented providing physicians with the ability to more accurately measure patients’ anesthetic levels during surgery. In November 2001, Hardin Memorial became the first hospital in Kentucky to add the GE Lightspeed Ultra CT scanner.
In May 2002, construction began on a new 10,000 square foot, $1.5 million CareFirst Urgent Care Center. The facility provides on-site Pharmacy, Radiology and Rehabilitation Services.
In June 2002, Hardin Memorial Hospital was the fi rst in the region to offer PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan services, the most advanced imaging system available. PET can effectively pinpoint the source of many of the most common cancers, heart and neurological diseases.
Hardin Memorial also added the state-of-the-art radiation therapy technology IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy), which allows radiation oncologists to more precisely target and attack tumors more than ever before all while sparing healthy surrounding tissues.
July 2002, Hardin Memorial Hospital began Neurosurgery services.
August 2004, HealthLink health information database launched on website.
January 2005, 1,000th open heart procedure performed.
March 2005, expanded Women’s Care Center opens.
June 2005, physicians at Hardin Memorial Hospital performed the 3,000th Stereotactic Breast Biopsy procedure. Storz Modultih SLX-Lithrotripter, the latest in shock-wave therapy is installed. Surgeons of Hardin Memorial Hospital begin to use the InstaTrak3500, a surgical navigation system by GE Healthcare, which utilizes Computed Tomography (CT) images of the patient taken before surgery and an electromagnetic tracking device to assist the surgeons in locating and avoiding critical structures while safely navigating instruments to the diseased or injured area.
September 2005, Outpatient Surgery & Endoscopy Center opened.
In Febuary 2006, Hardin Memorial Hospital developed a Sports Medicine Program. A team of four (4) Nationally Certified Athletic Trainers (CTA) works with Hardin County, Meade County, LaRue County and Elizabethtown Independent schools’ athletic programs. The CTA works with parents and physicians in order to ensure that appropriate care is provided to student athletes, while at the same time keeping school administrators informed of all aspect of the sports medicine program.
In June 2006 Hardin Memorial Hospital opened the Bardstown Diagnostic Center located at 201 South 5th Street in Bardstown, KY. The 2,100 square foot facility offers diagnostic x-ray services such as general radiology, CT, and bone densitometry. The new facility features the Siemens Emotion 16 CT Scanner with Picture Archival and Communication System technology (PACS). This new diagnostic center will help meet the healthcare needs of the residents living in and around Nelson County.
April 2007, Hardin Memorial Hospital was named one of the nation’s Tompson’s Top 100 Hospitals for 2006 and Bariatric Surgery program began.
In June 2007 construction started on the Ring Road Medical Plaza, a 32,000 square feet building that will house such services as a second urgent care center, outpatient therapy, laboratory and radiology services, and the consolidation of the hospitals’ WorkWell occupational medical program.
July 2007, Wound Care/Hyperbaric Medicine Center opened.
In 2008, Hardin Memorial Hospital was selected as a Thomas Reuters 100 Top Hospital® National Benchmark For Success award and a Thomas Reuters 100 Top Hospital® Performance Improvement Leaders award, which recognizes performance in six critical areas: clinical outcomes, national treatment standards, patient safety, operational efficiency, financial stability, and growth.
Hardin Memorial Hospital opened Ring Road Medical Plaza, a 32,000-square foot ambulatory care center in Elizabethtown. The services include an urgent care center, diagnostic imaging, sports medicine, and outpatient rehab services, including a heated therapy pool and a dedicated pediatric therapy gym. In addition, WorkWell Occupational Health, the hospital’s occupational health services, consolidated operations at the center.
In September 2009, Hardin Memorial Hospital opened Brandenburg Diagnostic Center, a 6,500-square foot facility located in Meade County. The center includes MRI, CT, ultrasound, digital mammography, bone densitometry, and digital radiography. Images are interpreted by an on-site radiologist and stored on the hospital’s picture archiving and communication system (PACS). In addition, the center has medical office space for physician specialty clinics.
The hospital was recognized by Data Advantage, LLC as a 2009-2010 Hospital Value Index®: Best in Value Award Winner. The Hospital Value Index® is a performance indicator to measure the value the hospital provides to the community, and is based on quality, affordability, efficiency, and patient satisfaction. The score that Hardin Memorial Hospital received placed the hospital in the top tier nationally. Also, the National Research Corporation (NRC) named Hardin Memorial Hospital as a 2009-2010 Consumer Choice Award winner. The award identifies hospitals that healthcare consumers have chosen as having the highest quality and image in over 300 markets throughout the United States.
At Hardin Memorial Hospital, patient safety is the main priority. To help safeguard patients, a new process was implemented to ensure patient safety and prevent medical errors − bedside medication verification (BMV). Upon admission, each patient is given a bar-coded armband. A caregiver scans the patient’s armband to confirm the patient’s identity, and then scans the bar-coded medication. The medication is then compared against the medications on the patient’s electronic medication administration record (eMAR), which raises an alert if a medication is not listed on the patient’s profile. BMV ensures that the right patient receives the correct medication and dosage, via the correct route, and at the correct time. The system also checks for potential drug interactions, food and drug interactions, and allergies.
To further extend access to healthcare, Hardin Memorial Hospital celebrated the grand opening of its first Express Care Clinic in Walmart located in Bardstown, Kentucky on April 12, 2010. The clinic provides fast, affordable access to basic health care services such as check-ups, immunizations, screenings and treatment of minor injuries and illnesses. Express Care is designed with convenience in mind to accommodate busy schedules. In a partnership with Bardstown Primary Care, nurse practitioners staff the clinic, along with medical assistants. To better serve the needs of patients with busy lives; the hours of operation are extended into the evenings and offered on weekends.
In the past year there has been a focus on the negative affects of one or more concussions in student athletes and increased importance placed on the proper management of these athletes in order for them to return to play safely. In a partnership with the Hardin County and Elizabethtown Independent School Systems the Sports Medicine Program began utilizing the ImPACT Concussion Management testing program for all high school athletes. The ImPACT Concussion Management testing is a web-based program that collects baseline neuro functioning of student-athletes before their competitive season starts. If an athlete is sidelined for an injury related to any kind of head trauma, conducting a post-test with the ImPACT program will provide additional and necessary information to assist doctors and trainers in clearing the athlete to return to play. The testing is done in the schools’ computer labs and takes approximately 30 minutes to administer both times (before the season and after the injury). The Sports Medicine Program provides Certified Athletic Trainers to assist in facilitating testing, post-injury testing and interpretation of the ImPACT Concussion Management System in coordination with the students’ parents, healthcare providers and coaches.
Community outreach continued to be a vital part of Hardin Memorial Hospital’s mission by providing Health Matters, a quarterly healthcare publication to the community; Health in the Heartland, a monthly television program that is focused on health topics; on-line health information; education programs; community forums; wellness screenings; and regular monthly visits by the WOW Wellness on Wheels® Mobile Health Unit throughout the region.