Flagler Hospital
Encyclopedia
Flagler Hospital, based in St. Augustine, Florida
, is a not-for-profit facility established in 1889. The organization has received numerous accolades and offers "Centers of Excellence" in bariatrics, heart, cancer, maternity, orthopedics and sinus.
The children of the St. Augustine Loyal Temperance
held a fair at the Union chapel on April 7, 1888. Their intent was to raise money for a hospital in St. Augustine. Winter resident Henry Flagler became interested in the issue. On May 22, 1888 he invited St. Augustine's most influential women to his Ponce de León Hotel
and offered them a hospital if the community would commit to operate and manage the facility. The ladies accepted his offer, then began soliciting contributions and organizing fund-raisers. Dr. Andrew Anderson
was named chairman of the board of trustees in 1889. Flagler purchased and deeded the property and building on Marine Street to the St. Augustine Hospital Association, and the facility opened March 1, 1890 as a non-profit institution. Physician and St. Augustine mayor DeWitt Webb
also practiced there.
In 1905, the name of the facility was changed to "Flagler Hospital" in honor of their first benefactor.
A 1916 fire destroyed many of the hospital's structures. Nearby local residents took the patients into their homes until they could be placed elsewhere. The hospital association began making plans for a new structure, but nearly five years passed before it became reality.
Henry Flagler died in 1913; his third wife, Mary Lily Kenan Flagler, donated money to construct a brick structure with three floors which was dedicated January 5, 1921.
During the 1930s, hospital admissions averaged between 60 and 70 admissions each month. A new Florida law was passed in 1932 which required that medical training schools be associated with multiple hospitals, so the nurses training program was discontinued after nearly 20 years.
During World War II
, there was a big increase in admissions, with almost 40 births per month. The hospital was forced to raise prices to pay for higher supply costs.
The future looked bright in the 1950s. To meet the increasing demand for healthcare, the hospital's south wing was renovated, providing room for a clinic and doctor offices. A modern laboratory was built, as were hydrotherapy
and physiotherapy rooms.
The Florida East Coast Railway Hospital was founded in St. Augustine in 1891 to care for Florida East Coast Railway
employees and family members. In the early 1960s, that hospital announced that they would be closing, which provided Flagler Hospital time to prepare for more patients. Flagler Hospital built a West wing and remodeled its existing facility.
Medical specialists were drawn to the area during the 70s, and the Anderson-Gibbs Annex was built to accommodate their needs. The hospital was expanded to provide more surgical capacity and an in-house psychiatric services center was established to serve the area. Demand for cardiac services prompted the trustees to develop a cardiac care program in 1979. Pulmonary diagnostic procedures came next.
The St. Johns County population exceeded 50,000 during the 1980s, and the Marine street facility was no longer adequate. Planning began for a new health park on a more accessible 75-acre parcel along the east side of U.S. Highway 1
. The move to the new location was completed in 1989.
Two years later, Flagler merged with St. Augustine General Hospital, doubling the number of patient beds from 150 to over 300.
method. Gordy researched the hospitals that had achieved the top national rankings in ER satisfaction, and from them, he picked a Florida hospital to study. Gordy saw that patient anxiety increased while they sat with nothing to do and waited for service. Televisions were installed in examination rooms to provide a distraction. A different strategy was required to reduce wait times. Most ER visits were not true emergencies, but the care they provide is expensive, costing at least $500 per visit. People without health insurance were using the ER as their family doctor, creating unnecessary expenses and service delays. To help alleviate the situation, the hospital opened a primary care clinic next door to the emergency room in 2004. The facility treats 8,000 patients per year for fees that are a fraction of what is charged in the ER. To help motivate the staff, he changed their mission statement to: Providing the best patient experience with the best staff. The efforts paid off; surveys in 2005 were at or above the 90th percentile with a 98 in December.
The hospital was also named to Solucient
's "100 Most Improved Hospitals" for 2005, 2006, and 2007.
. Twelve acres were purchased for $2 million in early 2005, and the project was to be built in stages over two years. Phase I was a 10,000ft2 urgent care center costing $5 million, followed by phase II, a 3,400ft2 condominium building of doctor's offices. The final element was to be a 43,000ft2 ambulatory surgery center. As of 2011, the project was still on hold.
Flagler has centers of excellence in Imaging, Bariatrics, Cancer, Heart, Spine, Maternity, Orthopedics and Sinus.
center in St. Johns County, Florida
and the fifth for Community Hospice of Northeast Florida
.
Florida Georgia Blood Alliance
on February 20, 2005. The resulting Blood Alliance at Flagler Hospital reduced costs and increased the use of technology while continuing to provide blood service to Flagler Hospital.
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
, is a not-for-profit facility established in 1889. The organization has received numerous accolades and offers "Centers of Excellence" in bariatrics, heart, cancer, maternity, orthopedics and sinus.
Alicia Hospital
In the 1880s, there was no public hospital between Daytona Beach and Jacksonville. Dr. Sloggett purchased a house on Marine Street for his home in 1884, but his goal was to eventually transform the structure into a hospital.The children of the St. Augustine Loyal Temperance
Loyal Temperance Legion
The Loyal Temperance Legion was the children's branch of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. Its slogan was "Tremble, King Alcohol, We Shall Grow Up"...
held a fair at the Union chapel on April 7, 1888. Their intent was to raise money for a hospital in St. Augustine. Winter resident Henry Flagler became interested in the issue. On May 22, 1888 he invited St. Augustine's most influential women to his Ponce de León Hotel
Ponce de León Hotel
The Ponce de León Hotel was an exclusive hotel in St. Augustine, Florida, built by millionaire developer and Standard Oil co-founder Henry M. Flagler and completed in 1888. The Hotel Ponce de Leon was designed in the Spanish Renaissance style by the New York architects John Carrere and Thomas...
and offered them a hospital if the community would commit to operate and manage the facility. The ladies accepted his offer, then began soliciting contributions and organizing fund-raisers. Dr. Andrew Anderson
Andrew Anderson (St. Augustine, Florida)
Dr. Andrew Anderson II was a physician, philanthropist, mayor and benefactor of St. Augustine, Florida. Anderson commissioned multiple works of art to adorn a variety of public spaces in the City of St...
was named chairman of the board of trustees in 1889. Flagler purchased and deeded the property and building on Marine Street to the St. Augustine Hospital Association, and the facility opened March 1, 1890 as a non-profit institution. Physician and St. Augustine mayor DeWitt Webb
DeWitt Webb
Dr. DeWitt Webb was a physician, amateur naturalist, and the founder of the St. Augustine Historical Society and Institute of Science. He was the president of the society for 34 years. Webb was a member of the Florida State Legislature and the mayor of the town of St...
also practiced there.
In 1905, the name of the facility was changed to "Flagler Hospital" in honor of their first benefactor.
Flagler Hospital
A training school for nurses was started in 1913.A 1916 fire destroyed many of the hospital's structures. Nearby local residents took the patients into their homes until they could be placed elsewhere. The hospital association began making plans for a new structure, but nearly five years passed before it became reality.
Henry Flagler died in 1913; his third wife, Mary Lily Kenan Flagler, donated money to construct a brick structure with three floors which was dedicated January 5, 1921.
During the 1930s, hospital admissions averaged between 60 and 70 admissions each month. A new Florida law was passed in 1932 which required that medical training schools be associated with multiple hospitals, so the nurses training program was discontinued after nearly 20 years.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, there was a big increase in admissions, with almost 40 births per month. The hospital was forced to raise prices to pay for higher supply costs.
The future looked bright in the 1950s. To meet the increasing demand for healthcare, the hospital's south wing was renovated, providing room for a clinic and doctor offices. A modern laboratory was built, as were hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy, involves the use of water for pain-relief and treating illness. The term hydrotherapy itself is synonymous with the term water cure as it was originally marketed by practitioners and promoters in the 19th century...
and physiotherapy rooms.
The Florida East Coast Railway Hospital was founded in St. Augustine in 1891 to care for Florida East Coast Railway
Florida East Coast Railway
The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida; in the past, it has been a Class I railroad.Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a project of Standard Oil principal Henry Morrison...
employees and family members. In the early 1960s, that hospital announced that they would be closing, which provided Flagler Hospital time to prepare for more patients. Flagler Hospital built a West wing and remodeled its existing facility.
Medical specialists were drawn to the area during the 70s, and the Anderson-Gibbs Annex was built to accommodate their needs. The hospital was expanded to provide more surgical capacity and an in-house psychiatric services center was established to serve the area. Demand for cardiac services prompted the trustees to develop a cardiac care program in 1979. Pulmonary diagnostic procedures came next.
The St. Johns County population exceeded 50,000 during the 1980s, and the Marine street facility was no longer adequate. Planning began for a new health park on a more accessible 75-acre parcel along the east side of U.S. Highway 1
U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 is a major north–south U.S. Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs 2,377 miles from Fort Kent, Maine at the Canadian border south to Key West, Florida. U.S. 1 generally parallels Interstate 95, though it is significantly farther west between...
. The move to the new location was completed in 1989.
Two years later, Flagler merged with St. Augustine General Hospital, doubling the number of patient beds from 150 to over 300.
Leadership
As Flagler's risk manager for 25 years, Joe Gordy considered quality patient care a top priority. When Gordy was named CEO in 2003, he faced several pressing issues including patient satisfaction. A survey of Emergency Room patients gave the hospital a score of 5 out of 100. To turn the trend around, he used the Best practiceBest practice
A best practice is a method or technique that has consistently shown results superior to those achieved with other means, and that is used as a benchmark...
method. Gordy researched the hospitals that had achieved the top national rankings in ER satisfaction, and from them, he picked a Florida hospital to study. Gordy saw that patient anxiety increased while they sat with nothing to do and waited for service. Televisions were installed in examination rooms to provide a distraction. A different strategy was required to reduce wait times. Most ER visits were not true emergencies, but the care they provide is expensive, costing at least $500 per visit. People without health insurance were using the ER as their family doctor, creating unnecessary expenses and service delays. To help alleviate the situation, the hospital opened a primary care clinic next door to the emergency room in 2004. The facility treats 8,000 patients per year for fees that are a fraction of what is charged in the ER. To help motivate the staff, he changed their mission statement to: Providing the best patient experience with the best staff. The efforts paid off; surveys in 2005 were at or above the 90th percentile with a 98 in December.
The hospital was also named to Solucient
Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters Corporation is a provider of information for the world's businesses and professionals and is created by the Thomson Corporation's purchase of Reuters Group on 17 April 2008. Thomson Reuters is headquartered at 3 Times Square, New York City, USA...
's "100 Most Improved Hospitals" for 2005, 2006, and 2007.
Divestiture
In November 2005, Flagler sold its Community Home Health unit, which provides home visits by a nurse, to Almost Family, Inc.Plans
Prior to the recession of 2008, the hospital announced plans to build a $30 million medical park at the World Commerce CenterWorld Commerce Center
World Commerce Center is an approved Development of Regional Impact under Section 380.06 of the Florida Statutes. It is intended to be the commercial and office development center for St...
. Twelve acres were purchased for $2 million in early 2005, and the project was to be built in stages over two years. Phase I was a 10,000ft2 urgent care center costing $5 million, followed by phase II, a 3,400ft2 condominium building of doctor's offices. The final element was to be a 43,000ft2 ambulatory surgery center. As of 2011, the project was still on hold.
Specialties
The hospital has a 14-bed nursing home unit that was rated above average on October 5th, 2010 from CMS of the Department of Health and Human Services.Flagler has centers of excellence in Imaging, Bariatrics, Cancer, Heart, Spine, Maternity, Orthopedics and Sinus.
Hospice
The Bailey Family Center for Caring was opened on January 8, 2011 on the Flagler Hospital campus. The 12-bed, 11700 square feet (1,087 m²) facility is the first inpatient hospiceHospice
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms.In the United States and Canada:*Gentiva Health Services, national provider of hospice and home health services...
center in St. Johns County, Florida
St. Johns County, Florida
St. Johns County is a county located in northeastern Florida. As of the 2010 census, the population was 190,039. The county seat is St. Augustine. Due to the inclusion of Ponte Vedra Beach, it is one of the highest-income counties in the United States....
and the fifth for Community Hospice of Northeast Florida
Community Hospice of Northeast Florida
Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, also known simply as Community Hospice, is a not-for-profit hospice, which has served the Greater Jacksonville Metropolitan Area since its inception in 1979...
.
Blood bank
Flagler Hospital was the primary user of services from the St. Johns County Blood Bank. In 1988, they partnered to construct a 4000 square feet (371.6 m²) facility on the Flagler Hospital campus. They merged with Jacksonville'sJacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
Florida Georgia Blood Alliance
Florida Georgia Blood Alliance
The Florida Georgia Blood Alliance is a non-profit community blood bank that supplies Blood to north east Florida and south east Georgia. The alliance began in Jacksonville, Florida in 1942 under the name of the Jacksonville Blood Bank. In the 1980s, it expanded to include southeast Georgia became...
on February 20, 2005. The resulting Blood Alliance at Flagler Hospital reduced costs and increased the use of technology while continuing to provide blood service to Flagler Hospital.
Honors
- Included on list of America's Best Hospitals in 2007 by U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
. - Outstanding Achievement Award in 2008 from the Commission on Cancer.
- Gold Seal of Approval and Primary Stroke Care Center Designation by the Joint Commission.
- Accredited by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of SurgeonsAmerican College of SurgeonsThe American College of Surgeons is an educational association of surgeons created in 1913 to improve the quality of care for the surgical patient by setting high standards for surgical education and practice.-Membership:...
. - Named a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.
- Accredited by American Academy of Sleep MedicineAmerican Academy of Sleep MedicineThe American Academy of Sleep Medicine is a United States professional society for the medical subspecialty of sleep medicine. It was established in 1975. The AASM is the only professional society that is dedicated exclusively to the medical subspecialty of sleep medicine...
. - Certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
- Identified as north Florida’s first Magnet hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing CenterAmerican Nurses Credentialing CenterThe American Nurses Credentialing Center , a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association , is a certification body for nursing board certification and the largest certification body for advanced practice registered nurses in the United States , currently certifying over 75,000 APRNs...
. - Named by HealthGradesHealthGradesHealthGrades Inc. is a U.S. company that develops and markets quality and safety ratings of health care providers, including hospitals, nursing homes, physicians and dentists. Quality ratings are devised from publicly available patient safety data and analyzed with proprietary technology developed...
as one of America's Best 50 Hospitals in 2011. - Distinguished Hospital and Patient Safety Excellence Award from HealthGrades for seven consecutive years.
- Named a "Best place to work in northeast Florida" by the Jacksonville Business Journal.
- One of Solucient's (now Thomson ReutersThomson ReutersThomson Reuters Corporation is a provider of information for the world's businesses and professionals and is created by the Thomson Corporation's purchase of Reuters Group on 17 April 2008. Thomson Reuters is headquartered at 3 Times Square, New York City, USA...
) "100 most improved Hospitals" for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008.