“We can’t do everything, but what we do, we do well,” said Chief Nursing Officer Vern McKinney.
The 20,850-square-foot facility, named Exceptional Community Hospital – Prescott, is located at 4822 Arizona State Highway 69. Built for approximately $25 million, the hospital features 10 emergency room beds, a full radiology suite, an on-site lab, inpatient pharmacy and eight private inpatient rooms.
Wait times at the hospital’s emergency room are currently averaging just 22 minutes – a significant contrast to other hospitals, where patients often wait four to six hours or more.
“We can’t do everything, but what we do, we do well,” said Chief Nursing Officer Vern McKinney. “Our short wait time shows that we have very personalized services.”
McKinney, a 20-year emergency room nurse, said Exceptional Community Hospital was designed as a microhospital to meet the needs of communities with overcrowded emergency rooms.
“That problem just comes with growth,” he said.
Despite its smaller size, the hospital offers a wide range of services typically found in larger medical centers, including trauma care, ultrasound, digital imaging, portable X-rays, and a full-service kitchen. Patients’ family members are allowed to stay overnight in the inpatient rooms and meals are provided if they’re present at mealtime.
McKinney emphasized the hospital’s low nurse-to-patient ratio of 1:4 – compared to the 1:8 ratio commonly found at larger hospitals – as a key component of its patient-centered care.
“If we’re doing something wrong, tell us so we can make it right,” he said.
McKinney joined Exceptional Healthcare after working as an ER manager in Phoenix and previously at Yavapai Regional Medical Center East. Marketing Director Kim Moir credited him with bringing the new facility to life.
“He was here in June when there were no lights in the building,” she said.
Exceptional Community Hospital – Prescott employs 76 staff members and has a physician and full nursing staff on site at all times. The hospital accepts all major insurance plans, including Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare, and honors in-network emergency benefits regardless of the patient’s insurance status.
“We will give you the same care; if you have no insurance, we will treat you the same as we would if you have a high-paying insurance,” Moir said.
About half the hospital’s patients are 65 or older, but its services are intended for the entire community. The facility offers free physicals for student athletes, which often brings parents through the doors as well.
McKinney said the hospital’s mission is not to compete with larger institutions, but to support them.
“We’ll send patients wherever they need to go for the best care,” he said.
Exceptional Community Hospital – Prescott is the fourth Arizona location for Exceptional Healthcare, which also operates hospitals in Yuma, Bullhead City and Maricopa. Additional sites are planned for Eloy and Farmington, New Mexico.
Moir noted the facility is earning strong public reviews, with 90% of online ratings giving it five stars. QCBN
By Stan Bindell, QCBN
For more information, call 928-534-1950 or visit www.ECH24.com.
Courtesy Photo: Exceptional Community Hospital – Prescott boasts a 1:4 patient ratio and an average emergency room wait of 22 minutes. “We can’t do everything, but what we do, we do well,” said Chief Nursing Officer Vern McKinney.
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