Community Health Systems’ Post

As we gather with family and friends, enjoy picnics and barbecues, and watch fireworks this #IndependenceDay, we celebrate our liberties and wish everyone a happy, safe Fourth of July. And we send special thanks to all providers and staff who are working on the holiday to make sure medical care remains available.

We love a story with a happy ending. This one has a happy beginning, too. Joshua and Lina live in New Mexico very close to where devastating wildfires were burning last week. They were paying close attention to the fires and smoke when, at nine months pregnant, Lina went into labor. The couple headed to the nearest hospital in Ruidoso only to find out that it was already evacuating patients and Lina would have to be moved to Eastern New Mexico Medical Center in Roswell. Lina was placed in an ambulance for a three hour ride in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Joshua got in his car and headed to the hospital, too. Cell service was unavailable, so Joshua had no idea how his wife was doing. Fortunately, she was doing fine. Lina made it to Eastern New Mexico Medical Center where the couple was reunited in plenty of time to welcome Hayden, a perfectly healthy, sweet baby boy. Joshua and Lina have expressed how grateful they are for the hospital's team, saying the nurses made them feel comfortable, cared for, calm and ready for their brand new baby. We're proud of the excellent care that Eastern New Mexico Medical Center provided for this family and the quality care provided for all of their patients no matter the circumstances. Joshua and Lina have taken Hayden home to meet his big sister and the rest of the family. Thankfully, the family home was spared from the fire and everyone is looking forward to a happy future with baby Hayden.

We're embracing the opportunity to do things differently by expanding our partnership with Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, PBC. Today, we announced that CHS hospitals will begin purchasing some medications used in the hospital setting directly from the Cost Plus Drugs Marketplace. This new opportunity helps address increasing costs associated with providing healthcare services, especially the rising cost of essential medications. We look forward to growing this exciting partnership even more as we work together to address drug costs and drug shortages. Alex Oshmyansky, MD, PhD Cost Plus Drugs Marketplace (For Business) Mark Cuban

People come to hospitals for help, healing, hope. Violence has no place in hospitals. The remarkable people who work in our hospitals should never fear for their safety when they are taking care of patients and helping people get well.  Violence in our communities often ends with victims in an emergency room, or operating room, or some other part of a hospital. The aftermath of violence can be traumatizing for everyone—even the hospital teams most capable of repairing the damage. CHS healthcare systems join the American Hospital Association and hospitals nationwide in drawing attention to this public health and safety issue and calling for an end to violence in our communities, and especially in our hospitals. #HospitalsAgainstViolence | #HAVhope

CHS is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and... belonging. We want all of our teammates to feel welcomed, respected, supported and valued. So, we're saying Happy Pride Month to those on our team who identify as LGBTQ+ #YouBelongHere

We hope you will have a great Memorial Day weekend. We also hope you will join us in remembering the bravery of our fallen heroes and take a moment to be grateful for those who gave their lives so we can enjoy our freedoms.

Crestwood Medical Center, in Huntsville, Alabama, will soon open its doors to North Alabama’s first freestanding emergency department, expanding access to timely emergency care in one of the fastest growing communities in the U.S. Crestwood Medical Center ER - Harvest is a $24 million investment that means more options and fast help for medical emergencies. Last year, Crestwood provided care for more than 40,000 ER visits. This year, Crestwood will take care of many more patients in medical crisis. That makes us proud. Congratulations to the entire Crestwood team!

To all of the women and men who show up first in a medical emergency -- wow, you are wonderful and we appreciate you so much. Treating patients in the first critical moments, stabilizing them, sometimes saving their lives, and getting them to the ER fast - that's all in a day's work for you. This week, we celebrate our EMS friends and partners for your skills, courage, compassion, and for always being ready to provide aid and comfort when it is needed most. #EMSWeek | #EMSWeek2024

This week, we celebrate the remarkable individuals at CHS hospitals who take care of their patients - and who do that so well. Thanks to.... - ER teams providing life-saving care for anyone - regardless of ability to pay. - Imaging techs getting a very clear picture of what's going on. - Surgeons fixing things in the Operating Room. - Caregivers at the bedside - 24/7. - Physical therapists pushing their patients to try again. - Environmental services workers who really do keep things clean. - Dietary workers serving nutritious meals. - Lab workers. Phlebotomists. Patient transport. - Case workers. Patient care aides. Facilities managers. - Our HR teams, admitting clerks, and telephone operators. We could go on and on and on forever because it takes a lot of people to make a hospital run and run well. So this week we just want to say - if you work in a hospital, we appreciate you, we admire you, we celebrate you! Thank you. #HospitalWeek2024