Arkansas Hospitals: A Few Quick Facts

-- Arkansas hospitals contributed about$2.5 billion to the state's economy in 1996. Hospital employees were paid more than $1 billion during the year, and another $1.5 billion was spent by hospitals for goods and services such as food, utilities, equipment, supplies, construction materials, community benefit programs, and a variety of other items necessary for serving their communities.

-- Arkansas hospitals are one of the state's largest employer groups. More than 44,000 Arkansans are employed in either full-time or part- time positions by hospitals across Arkansas.

-- Seventy percent of Arkansas' hospitals are located in rural areas of the state, and 55% have fewer than 100 beds.

-- Arkansas hospitals provided more than 2.1 million days of care for inpatients in 1996, and registered more than 4 million outpatient visits by patients needing care for a wide range of illnesses and injuries.

-- Outpatient services are the fastest growing component of Arkansas hospitals. Between 1991 and 1996, visits to hospital emergency rooms and outpatient departments climbed 79%, and outpatient revenues accounted for 33% of total hospital revenues in 1996, compared to 23% in 1991. For the same period, inpatient hospital admissions fell 12.5%.

-- Almost 60% of all surgical procedures done in Arkansas hospitals in 1996 were performed in an outpatient setting. In 1991, less than half of all surgeries were outpatient procedures.

-- The amount of community benefit services provided through Arkansas hospitals continues to grow. In 1996 they provided about $125 million in voluntary charity care, and simply wrote-off another $396 million in services that patients couldn't afford to pay.

-- Arkansas hospital charges continue to be among the lowest in the region. The average charge for a hospital stay in Arkansas is 18% less than the regional average, and is less than the average charge in all but one of our bordering states.

Nominations Now Open for 1998 AHA Awards

Nominations are open for the 1998 Arkansas Hospital Association awards program. The A. Allen Weintraub Memorial Award, Distinguished Service Award, and Statesmanship Awards will be presented during the Association's 68th Annual Meeting in October. The Diamond Awards, cosponsored by the Arkansas Society for Healthcare Marketing and Public Relations, will be presented at the same time.

The A. Allen Weintraub Memorial Award, named for the beloved Allen Weintraub, long-time administrator of St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center in Little Rock, is the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the AHA. Those nominated for this honor should be hospital administrators who are contributing to their hospitals and communities in much the same manner as did Allen.

The AHA's Distinguished Service Award is presented to individuals who, while not necessarily AHA members, have promoted a cause of the healthcare industry, thereby becoming entitled to special recognition. Examples of those eligible for this award are physicians, nurses, trustees, auxilians, and other deserving individuals.

The Statesmanship Award is presented to a legislator or congressman who has worked diligently on healthcare issues and is, therefore, entitled to special recognition.

The 1998 recipients of the Weintraub, Distinguished Service, and Statesmanship Awards will be chosen by the AHA Board of Directors from those nominated. Nominations, accompanied by documentation of the nominees' accomplishments, must arrive at AHA headquarters no later than Friday, September 4. A list of previous award recipients and award requirements is available by calling the AHA.

The 1998 Diamond Awards will honor outstanding achievement in healthcare public relations and marketing, and will be presented in several categories, such as publications (internal and external), billboards, and radio, print, and television advertising. Two awards (for hospitals of 175 beds or less, and those of more than 175 beds) will be presented in each category at the ASHMPR annual luncheon held in conjunction with the AHA's Annual Meeting in October. Award recipients will be chosen from entries received no later than Friday, August 14. Detailed entrance information and forms are available from the AHA.

"Achieving Balance in Healthcare"
AHA Annual Meeting and Trade Show
October 4-7, 1998, Little Rock, Arkansas

"The Best of Broadway," presented by the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and Broadway vocalist Kristi Tingle, will mark a lively beginning for the Arkansas Hospital Association's 68th Annual Meeting and Trade Show, October 4-7, at Arkansas' Excelsior Hotel in Little Rock. Prominent speakers and a sold-out trade show await Arkansas hospital CEOs, trustees, nurse executives, financial officers, and additional administrative staff in October.

Emily Friedman, health policy analyst, will keynote the annual meeting with a presentation, "Coming Home to Roost," which contemplates areas in healthcare which did not turn out the way we thought they would and for which we can still make a difference as we enter the 21st century. Frances Hesselbein, former national executive director of the Girl Scouts of the USA and recipient of the 1998 Presidential Medal of Freedom, will discuss with hospital CEOs and governing board members the need for leadership and volunteerism. Photojournalist Brian O'Malley will explore "Everest: The Challenge in All of Us," with his breathtaking photos and stories about the pursuit of Mount Everest and how that challenge mirrors those healthcare leaders face. Also on the agenda are discussions of hospital/physician partnerships, the future of solo hospitals, compliance, and more.

Mark your calendars now for October 4-7 and watch the mail for updates and registration information.

AHA Ads Recognized

The Arkansas Hospital Association won three Silver Awards of Excellence at the 1998 Arkansas Advertising Federation's American Advertising Awards. The winning work, which was created and produced by Martin & Martin of Little Rock, the agency which has handled the AHA's advertising for several years, included two single television spots and an overall campaign that consisted of TV and print elements.

Arkansans Hold Rural Health Conference

For the first time, the Arkansas Hospital Association (AHA) will join other groups to produce a rural health conference designed for community leaders. The August 6-7 conference will be held at the Riverfront Hilton Inn in North Little Rock. Designed not only for healthcare providers and governing boards, the Arkansas Rural Health Conference also hopes to attract community leaders such as city and county office-holders, town council members, government leaders, clergy, school administrators - anyone interested in the health of rural Arkansans.

Speakers and topics to be covered during the two-day workshop include: Jeff Bauer, a healthcare futurist specializing in rural health; John Supplitt, director of the Section for Small and Rural Hospitals, American Hospital Association; and Mark Scott of The Dalles, Oregon, who will discuss successful community healthcare systems.

Along with the AHA, other seminar sponsors include the Arkansas Medical Society, Arkansas Farm Bureau, UAMS Center for Aging, the Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield, the Managed Care Association of Arkansas, as well as others. For information about the conference, call Beth Ingram at 501-224-7878.

Calendar

• August 4 -- Little Rock
  Carpe Diem: A Commitment to Aged and to Self
• August 6-7 -- Hot Springs
  Healthcare Financial Management Association
• August 6-7 -- Little Rock
  Arkansas Rural Health Conference
• August 21 -- Little Rock
  Arkansas Society for Healthcare Consumer Advocacy
• September 15 -- Little Rock
  Customer Service in the Hospital
• September 18-20 -- Nashville, TN
  Joint Leadership Conference
• October 4-7 -- Little Rock
  AHA 68th Annual Meeting and Trade Show
• October 15-16 -- Searcy
  Arkansas Healthcare Human Resources Association
• October 23 -- Springdale
  Arkansas Association of Healthcare Engineering

Comparative Financial Indicators, Community Hospitals, by State, 1996

Source : American Hospital Association