Mina Ubbing leads this Ohio hospital in an area with a mixture of urban and rural concerns.

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Once a thriving manufacturing region, economic conditions in Central Ohio have changed. Today, the largest employer in the Fairfield County seat of Lancaster is the Fairfield Medical Center. Employing just under 2,000 people, the organization is bringing world-class healthcare, and new business, into its backyard.

Mina Ubbing, President and CEO

The center upgraded to a 64-slice CT scanner more than a year ago. Ubbing said the organization is also involved in a joint venture with Mount Carmel Health System to build a new, not-for-profit facility 15 miles from Lancaster. It joined forces with hospital consortiums to bring better care to the region, as well. For example, Fairfield is part of the Columbus Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP), which allows for improved cancer treatment closer to home for many.

The medical center also aligned with what is now the Central Ohio Quality Consortium, a group of hospitals sharing best practices. Formerly known as the Columbus Quality Consortium, the group opened its doors to Fairfield Medical Center and others after Fairfield pushed Columbus providers to include hospitals in counties contiguous to the capital.

Ubbing also pointed to the center’s lean operating principles. Three years ago, members of the organization went through General Electric Six Sigma training. Last year, the center ran a project to determine the cost of surgery, devising a bar code system to help with inventory issues. She estimated this saved the hospital $1 million last year. This is on top of outsourcing its IT operations to McKesson and biomedical equipment maintenance to Aramark.

“We made those decisions because we can’t afford to retain the expertise to help us with all the technological changes out there,” said Ubbing. “We felt we couldn’t retain inhouse the expertise those companies have when we only need certain specialties periodically.”

Strong providers
The center spends a great deal of time forging relationships with institutions and individuals in its service area. Part of that involves educating the community about the changes taking place with new programs and the quality of the providers in its arsenal. Several providers have radio shows on local stations, and Ubbing said the hospital doesn’t pass up opportunities for friend-building sessions, speaking before civic organizations frequently. As we’ve seen, the organization invests heavily in services, equipment, and partnerships. The same can be said for its investment in staff.

The center has an internal physician committee assisting with identifying hospital needs for experienced physicians. For new doctors, the organization is in the first year of a program with Ohio University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, which Ubbing hopes to grow into a residency program.

For nurses, Fairfield runs internal training programs for those looking for career advancement, and it is finalizing a BSN program with Mount Carmel College of Nursing. As the school is near capacity with teachers and facility space, the idea is to have clinical classes at the medical center, with classroom sessions at Ohio Univer-sity’s Lancaster campus.

Also, three years ago Fairfield decided not to use temporary or agency staffing. Ubbing said the organization told the staff beds wouldn’t be used if the center couldn’t staff them. The company then raised its staffing levels to California nursing ratios. That kept turnover and nurse vacancy rates low and led to a significant cost savings.

With a position of power in the community, Fairfield takes civic responsibility seriously. One area Ubbing hopes to improve is philanthropy, and efforts to educate the region about the charitable status of this not-for-profit entity continue. Although the organization is required to provide care regardless of a person’s ability to pay, it benefits from the lower costs associated with its Medicare reimbursement status.

However, because it’s considered part of Columbus by the government, third-party payers try to negotiate lower Columbus rates with the organization. Despite this double-edged sword, the organization is in position to continue its growth. The area will need it, as the county predicts the population will grow by more than 80,000 by 2030. This will mean more business, but also more pressure. Ubbing thinks there are a few key areas the organization will have to focus on.

“With the aging population and chronic illnesses, we need to minimize their acute episodes and keep them out of the hospital,” she said. “We then have to determine what services we can deliver ourselves and where we should look to bring in partners who can bring volume here but also practice elsewhere to further enhance their skills.”