Our History >>

Our Mission:
Improving Lives

Our Vision:
Ellsworth County Medical Center will be recognized as a premier medical organization
committed to patients, our communities, and our employees
by:
Excelling in patient centered care through quality, technology, and compassion
Leading and education our communities to improve health and well being
Creating an organizational culture that accomplishes results, accepts accountability,
functions through teamwork, and encourages professional and individual learning

Our Values:
Service
Integrity
Stewardship

Administrator Roger Masse

ECMC has in the past sought to become a leading rural hospital and has succeeded in becoming such. For the years ahead our vision is to be a premier medical community committed to Community, People, Quality, Value, and Growth. This is an arduous journey and one requiring careful planning and foresight. In the pages to follow, details regarding each pillar, its challenges, goals, and endeavors are listed. Our mission and values have not changed, but our vision has been redefined that we might continue to, Improve Lives for years to come.

Community Pillar:
More than an institution, more than a business or an enterprise, ECMC is a servant to the communities in the area.
By meeting community needs, we improve the health of the people we serve.
The Community Pillar has identified five issues specifically related to our effectiveness in serving the area:

1. The diversity of health care needs in the county.
2. Demographic and population changes throughout our communities.
3. The image and community perception of ECMC and its services.
4. Lack of compensation provided to people and communities for staying healthy and
5. A somewhat fragmented health care system.

The Community Pillar's first strategic goal is to gather data on core demographics and a health assessment of our population. The pillar will then assist in developing community programs based on results received from the data. In this way, ECMC as well as other area health care providers will have access to current data, can monitor trends, provide specialists to address diseases, developed educational opportunities and support groups to better meet the identified needs.

People Pillar:
Key to the success of any project or company is the enlistment of quality employees.
By enrolling the right people, we provide the high quality health care expected by the communities we serve.
While qualified, experienced individuals are needed, recruiting the right people is often a daunting task. Some of the prohibitions for obtaining quality staff include: competition, aging area population, education, and development for a rural community needs. Therefore, the initial task of the People Pillar is to improve employee recruitment and retention. In order to reach this goal, the committee will developed competency testing for all new hires in the laboratory and nursing departments. They will expand the Value Finders training and selection initiative and provide managers training on the interviewing and selection process.
Simultaneously, work is to be done to further develop employee excellence. The employee evaluation process will be revised and a supervisor leadership program will be implemented. One of the long term goals of the People Pillar is the establishment of the ECMC Academy. Through this institution, ECMC will literally be able to "grow its own" employees and provide superior continuing education for those involved in the medical profession.

Quality Pillar:
ECMC expects one value from every single employee, that is, quality of service.
By providing high quality services, we deliver premier value to patients and other customers.
Our patients are accustomed to receiving only our best and we in no way want to diminish their experiences. Consumers expect quality, safety, and consumer service from ECMC. Not only do patients expect quality, but also, the medical center itself has increasing demands to provide quality service. Through the transparency of our organizational survey results, one can see the quality of our service.
Foremost on the agenda of this pillar is the safety of those we serve. The first goal of this pillar is to continuously improve the patient safety culture. This will include delivering services in new and improved ways. Secondly, the goal is to achieve outstanding patient satisfaction and meet key outpatient customer requirements.
The Quality Pillar has far reaching implications as it encompasses virtually every aspect of care and service to our patients.

Value Pillar:
Healthcare is a high-ticket item in today's economy and one which seems to get more costly every year. It is ECMC's desire to provide the best possible care for the best price.
By delivering value to patients and other customers, we maximize the resources needed for growth and developement.
The goal of this committee is quite simply stated, Maintain benchmark standards for financial performance. The Value Pillar is working to achieve this goal through individual department based activities. Ongoing research is being conducted to establish appropriate benchmarks for each department in the areas of productivity and efficiency of supply use.

Growth Pillar:
As medical technology changes, we must change as well in order to offer to our patients the very best.
By growing and developing (our medical services) we meet the changing needs and requirements of the communities we serve.
The Growth Pillar's challenge is to determine what services and technologies are needed and what pieces will benefit the overall community's health. The initial goal of this committee is to, Increase financial performance through revenue growth. The installation of the new Brilliance CT Scanner will help to meet this goal. Other projects impacting this pillar include: the remodeling of the outpatient services area and the development of a denial management process.
Staying on the cutting edge of healthcare means we must sustain growth. This requires careful forethought, planning and strategizing in order to meet the changing needs and requirements of the communities served by ECMC.