President and CEO of Grande Ronde Hospital, Jeremy Davis, has been taking the time to speak with key leaders in the community once a month to discuss the history and future of the hospital

Key community leaders have been meeting for breakfast at Grande Ronde Hospital and it’s clinics once a month since February to hear from the hospital’s CEO and president, Jeremy Davis, about the current state of GRH’s health care system and where it is headed in a national and local perspective. 

“As a board we are observing and monitoring national trends that can have a local effect,” Davis said at Thursday’s meeting.

Some of these trends discussed at the meeting included rural hospital closures. Since 2010, 70 rural hospitals across the nation have closed their doors, according to a study by the University of North Carolina’s Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, and 673 more are in danger of closing, according to a National Rural Health Association study. Most of these closures are due to a lack of funds. Fortunately, Davis said, Grande Ronde Hospital remains financially strong and is not in risk of closing.

Much of this stability Davis credits to the community support the hospital receives. He said patient care is at the center of what the hospital is doing and will remain that way through the growth and changes that occur in the coming years. 

“We exist because patients choose to stay local for their care,” Davis said. “And it is an honor.” 

However, with more patients receiving care from GRH, Davis recognizes the need for growth in facilities and staffing. He said GRH has sometimes found it difficult to attract new providers because many are not looking to live and work in rural communities. He believes, though, that when a community and hospital share a tight-knit relationship, it creates a positive environment that will draw in health care professionals.

“I think they just don’t know better,” Davis said. “If they knew what we have here to enjoy, they’d change their mind.” 

Of these things to enjoy, Davis mentioned the above-average pay for a rural hospital and updated facilities and technology. He said having up-to-date equipment and technology improves the care a hospital is able to provide. This includes the GRH’s 3T (tesla) MRI machine, a 3D mammography machine and telehealth medicine that allows doctors from all over the world to assist with patient care. 

He noted that this message has been getting across: GRH has hired 11 new providers in the past year, though some will not begin until later next year. 

Beyond technology, Davis said what really makes a difference for the hospital is the hometown feel that has been created. According to data from routinely collected Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) customer satisfaction surveys, GRH consistently ranks in the top quartile in all categories measured, such as hospital cleanliness, transitional care assistance and patient-provider interactions. While Davis recognizes that the hospital may not be perfect, he said GRH is listening and ready to make changes to improve care. 

“You are more than just a number to us, you are a neighbor,” Davis said of the people GRH cares for. 

Beyond informing the community about the hospital’s history and future, the key leader breakfasts allow GRH to hear from other organizations that serve the people in the area and discuss how the hospital can continue working with these groups to provide better outreach and support. Key leaders include members of the media, educators, community outreach providers and those with a stake in the medical and health care industry. The most recent breakfast meeting was held September in Elgin, and the next will take place in November in Union at the hospital’s clinics.

“We want to grow,” Davis said. “We want to support the local economy.” 

GRH employs 4.7% of Union County’s workforce and offers a variety of specialty services. Davis said the hospital is always seeking to add more. Nationally there is a call for more mental health services, and Davis said GRH is looking to answer that call with efforts to improve access to mental and behavioral health services. The confusion and complexity of the financial side of the health care system is also difficult to navigate across the country, and Davis said GRH is glad to be a hospital that provides patient financial service counselors to help guide people through the system. 

“We like to say we are big city medicine with a hometown touch,”