Harrison launches plan for new vision

Harrison Hospital has a plan for the future: To go from being a good hospital to being a great one.

This month that plan was put down on paper as Vision: 2010, which outlines how the hospital will improve patient services and access to those services, according to Scott Bosch, Harrison’s chief executive officer.

The plan sets out goals that will be achieved over the next five years. The plan also will deal with major issues such as the locations of services and hospitals, integrating new technology, physician and staff recruitment, philanthropic support and profit margin, according to Harrison spokesperson Patti Hart.

The plan is the result of four months of research and internal evaluation by a team of 13 hospital leaders.

Bosch said the bottom line on Vision 2010 is finding ways to make Harrison a better hospital and improving patient services.

“Information technology, for example, moving to electronic ordering and transfer systems is very valuable in terms of reducing errors around ordering drugs and prescribing drugs,” Bosch said.

One of the biggest issues is whether the facilities — the hospital in East Bremerton and campuses in Silverdale and Port Orchard — are in the right places and if there are enough of them, Bosch said.

The first step will be to find out what the community’s needs are.

“We will be reaching out and asking for input,” Bosch said. He plans to solicit ideas from local community organizations.

This year, the plan will focus on improving services in four major areas: Cardiovascular services, women’s and children’s services, cancer care services and orthopedic and surgical services.

Bosch said public input will be important in the process so Harrison can assess the community’s need and meet it.

“We want to make sure we are getting good results,” he said.

The main goal of the plan is that when Kitsapers need a hospital’s services, Bosch wants them to think of Harrison rather than go to Seattle or Tacoma.

“We believe that our research shows that for every high-level tertiary service many people in Kitsap County are historically oriented to Tacoma and Seattle,” he said.

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