The Journey of Excellence
PMC's mission began more than 90 years ago. Our founders, Albert Curtis Bond, MD; John W. Call; George Hames; Harry M. Hoskins; and Reed Spencer Johnson, MD, met in the coffee shop of Pikeville's Hatcher Hotel to discuss the creation of a hospital that would provide care to the people of the area - people who would normally have had to travel hours by train to get basic medical care. These five men could have never imagined where their vision would lead… a hospital that has evolved into a world-class facility with state-of-the-art equipment, internationally-renowned doctors and the most compassionate, caring employees to be found anywhere.
The original hospital admitted its first patient on Christmas Day, 1924. The Hospital became known throughout the mountains as "the house of hope and healing."
Originally constructed for 50 beds, the growth and needs of Pikeville and the surrounding areas made expansion necessary. The first addition was dedicated in May, 1940, raising bed capacity to 90. Still another addition in 1952 brought bed capacity to 135.
In 1955, the United Mine Workers of America built a second hospital at Harold's Branch to provide medical care for its members. Eventually the hospital was bought by the Methodist Hospital of Kentucky. The structure, named The Miners' Building, is the oldest section of PMC and is dedicated to the coal miners of the region.
The years 1957 and 1963 saw the hospital demonstrate itself as a community leader in medical services. When flooding of the Big Sandy River forced many citizens to flee their homes, the Hospital not only took care of its patients, but provided food, shelter, and medicines for those left helpless and homeless.
Within a few short years, it was apparent that a new hospital was needed to serve the people of East Kentucky. Expansion consisted of an impressive eight-story tower. The new facility opened its doors to its first patient on Christmas Eve, 1971. In time, the building was dedicated to a former president of the Hospital's board of directors, William Ernest Elliott, Sr. The Hospital continued to be known for its commitment to providing excellent health care in a comfortable, friendly, and professional environment.
The Leonard Lawson Cancer Center opened in 1996. The Center has been the recipient of many awards and have received the Commission on Cancer's Outstanding Achievement Award multiple times. Our cancer center was the first in our region to offer chemotherapy and radiation treatments under the same roof, therefore helping our patients avoid the very costly expense of travel, lodging, food and stress during treatment. The Leonard Lawson Cancer Center enabled patients facing cancer the opportunity to receive excellent care, as well as the ability to do so with the support of friends and family close-by.
Many organizations have mission statements. Ours is more than a slogan. Since 1998 (1995 in the 85th anniversary history lesson video) it's been a way of life at Pikeville Medical Center, and the primary reason for our success. Our mission is to provide quality regional health care in a Christian environment.
In 1998, the Hospital broke ground for a new 11-story, $75 million expansion project. The new May Tower was the largest construction project in East Kentucky and was dedicated on December 18, 2000. The first patient was admitted on Christmas Day. In 2000, one of our greatest visions was realized when we completed the 11 story patient tower, known as the Walter E. May Tower.
This achievement in a town of 65 hundred alone would be notable, but that was just the beginning. We are committed to providing the "best care possible" for the people of our region. To do so, we continually strive toward perfection.
In December 2005, Pikeville Medical Center's President and CEO, Walter E. May read the book Good to Great. Seeing as how the ideals, discussed in the book, matched with PMC's vision for the future, a copy was given to each of the hospital's Senior and Middle Management Leaders. With a new focus, the hospital began implementing changes to our organizational structure specifically aimed at improving patient care, customer service and patient satisfaction.
Shortly thereafter, in April 2006, Pikeville Medical Center contracted the Studer Group, led by Quint Studer, to establish an organizational framework. Through their perseverance and by adhering to the ideals and methodologies in Studer's book, Hardwiring Excellence, Pikeville Medical Center has received a tremendous boost in patient satisfaction, employee satisfaction, financial success, better patient outcomes and a higher degree of recognition than we ever hoped for.
From 2005-2010, Pikeville Medical Center significantly expanded its facilities to provide more space and convenience for our patients thus furthering our goals of increased patient satisfaction. Our Outpatient Neurosurgery, Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Center allows MANY of our patients with limited mobility easier access to medical care. Our Outpatient Diagnostic Center offers patients needing lab work a quick, and convenient experience.
We have also opened numerous multipurpose facilities. During the economic uncertainty of 2008, fewer people were seeking medical treatment, in an effort to save money.
PMC brought health care to our community by launching numerous health screening fairs at shopping centers leading to the opening of a free health screening center. This center contributed tremendously by providing medical care for patients who might not have otherwise sought treatment, due to the expenses - both real and perceived - of going to the doctor.
Later that year, when the H1N1 pandemic was on the rise, Pikeville Medical center was the first hospital in Kentucky, and one of the very first in the nation to respond proactively to the H1N1 Flu outbreak. Our Free Health Screening Center was converted into a 24 hour, 7 day a week Regional Flu Center.
Pikeville Medical Center has been recognized for the past 4 years as one of the best places to work in our state and in the nation. In 2007 and 2008 we were ranked as the ninth and 4th best place to work in Kentucky. In 2009, we were honored by Modern Healthcare as one of the best places to work in the nation, and we recently ranked as the #1 healthcare provider in Kentucky and third overall among large employers.
In 2009, we were tremendously honored to be grouped with the finest hospitals in the nation by being named a hospital of choice.
Next, we were shocked and humbled to learn that we had been named one of the top 10 hospitals of choice and that we were in the running for the hospital of the year award. Given the company we were in this was also a tremendous and prestigious honor.
Finally, we were notified that our hospital had been named as the National Hospital of the Year by the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers.
Excellence is not a destination, but a journey. Our passion for providing the best care possible for our patients, a great place to work for our employees and an organization that benefits everyone in our region has not diminished with this award.
The next step in our journey includes a tremendous expansion that will include a Medical Office Building and a greatly expanded parking facility that will bring us closer to the clinic model exemplified by the Mayo Clinic. Bringing doctors and patients together leads to better patient care, improved outcomes, and increased patient convenience and satisfaction.
It is also our goal that, like great hospitals such as the Mayo Clinic, we can grow from being a regional referral center to a national one. We plan to do this by continuing our journey of increasing patient and employee satisfaction, offering more services, more convenience, world-class equipment, world class medical professionals and all the services that comprise such a facility.
...and we've only just begun.
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Pikeville Medical Center | 911 Bypass Road | Pikeville, KY | 41501606-218-3500
Our mission is to provide quality regional health care in a Christian environment.
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