A general hospital is an institution that provides inpatient diagnostic and therapeutic services for a wide range of medical conditions, both surgical and non-surgical, to patients from a large population group. Such hospitals treat patients in the acute phase of illness or injury, characterized by a single episode or a fairly short duration, from which they return to their normal or previous level of activity.
The facility is an accredited acute care hospital with 139 licensed beds and is a member of the MidMichigan Health system. It provides general medical and surgical inpatient and outpatient care for the Alpena, Michigan area, as well as a 24-hour emergency department. The hospital’s medical specialties include behavioral health services, cancer care, diagnostic imaging (x-ray, CT scanning, etc.), orthopedics, pain management, wound & hyperbaric medicine, and women’s health.
As a non-profit organization, alpena general hospital has a 501(c)3 tax status and accepts donations from the public. The nonprofit’s financial data is disclosed on the 990 Form that most organizations claiming tax-exempt status must file yearly with the IRS. The 990 form contains details on the organization’s operations, funding, and expenditures. It also lists the names and titles of all staff members.
The hospital received a high rating from the Leapfrog Group for patient safety and quality of care. The facility scored better than the national average in all areas rated by the organization, including infection rates and prevention of adverse events related to central venous catheters. It also had fewer falls and a lower rate of complications following surgery. The hospital is undergoing an expansion project, adding more than 60 private rooms and eight labor and delivery rooms.
Patients have reported satisfaction with their experience at the facility, with 63% of those surveyed saying they would recommend it to a friend or family member. Other positive ratings included patient experiences with the nursing staff and physicians, as well as cleanliness of the facility. However, the hospital received lower marks in some categories such as preventing medication errors and providing timely care.
Despite the low score in the readmission category, the hospital still performed better than the national average. In addition, it was able to keep its operating expenses below the state and national averages.
As of April 1, 2016, Alpena Regional Medical Center joined MidMichigan Health, a not-for-profit health system affiliated with the University of Michigan Health System. MidMichigan Health covers a 20 county region with medical centers in Midland, Alma, Clare, Gladwin and now Alpena. The health system also includes urgent care centers, home care, physician offices and other specialty health services.