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Do you have questions? Humboldt General Hospital has answers-at least answers that pertain to the local hospital operation.
Humboldt General Hospital recently introduced its newly formed "Transparency Team." The team's purpose is to field questions from local residents via email and respond within 24 hours with what hospital officials say will be the most current and correct information available.
The hospital is promoting the new program via online advertising, local display advertising and radio. All questions are being directed through the email address, ask@hghospital.ws, which sponsors hope will be easy to remember and to use.
"We want to make this as easy as possible," said HGH CEO/Administrator Jim Parrish. "We want people to be able to get good information from the source, not the rumor mill."
The idea for the new program came from John Siegfried, a local community enthusiast, who approached Parrish about setting up an "Answer Guy."
"I saw a real need for this program," said Siegfried, who also is a member of the Humboldt Hospital Auxiliary. "I was hearing information about the hospital that was not true, and yet people very much believed what was being said."
He continued, "I thought it would be great to establish a way for people to call or email and say, 'Hey, is this true? Give me the facts.'"
Siegfried introduced his proposal to hospital administrators who loved the idea of providing local residents with a ready source of information about the hospital operation.
"After discussing what was really at the heart of this project, we opted for the name 'Transparency Team,'" said Parrish. "For us, transparency means openness, communication and accountability. We want to foster an open communication with all our stakeholders, both internal and external, so we can remain accountable for the discharge of our most important obligation: Being helpful and caring for those in need.
He added, "Transparency is what we're after. We're a public entity, we are here to serve the public; the public is welcome to any information we have about our hospital operation."
With the hospital's blessing, Siegfried began a recruiting mission to see who else might be interested in becoming a member of the "Transparency Team." He immediately found two willing helpers in Winnemucca Mayor Di An Putnam and local contractor Mike Sheppard of Michael Clay Constructors.
Mayor Putnam said, "When John contacted me, I said I would be happy to be a part of the 'Team.' It is a different approach and I am certainly open to innovative ways to involve as well as educate the public."
For his part, Sheppard said he would be happy to play a part as well. "I am willing to do anything I can to help improve and further our hospital," said Sheppard. "I love that this project gives people a chance to ask questions, but also to put forth suggestions and ideas for improvement through those questions that the hospital can implement."
Parrish said that has already happened in just the few days the program has been up and running. "One question asked if we have a visiting neurologist who comes to the community," said Parrish. "We don't right now, but that helped us see a need for that. It wouldn't be difficult for us to start making some calls and planting that idea in the minds of the neurology groups in Reno."
Parrish said he is hopeful that questions will not only educate the public but the hospital as well. "It will be nice to see what's on people's mind, what their concerns are."
He continued, "I think this is just one more way that we can stay in touch with the needs of our community."
The tagline for the program promises: "All the facts. All the time." It's a promise that Parrish pledges to uphold. "Things are certainly not perfect at the hospital and we don't want to pretend that they are," he said. "But we have an excellent operation-a national model for rural hospitals-and we are happy to share any correct information about our operation."
He continued, "People might not always agree with our line of thinking, but there are definite reasons why we do things and we always try to make sure that whatever that reason is, it is in the best interest of our community."
He added, "We exist to serve our community."
Humboldt General Hospital's "Transparency Team" is ready to answer your questions via email at ask@hghospital.ws or visit the hospital's website at
www.hghospital.ws and click on the "Ask a Question" link located on the left-hand navigation panel.
Please allow 24 hours for your question to be answered. All questions and answers will be posted to the hospital's website so others may review the information as well. Local residents are asked to use their name. In the spirit of transparency, anonymous questions will not be answered.
For more information about the "Transparency Team," please call (775) 623-5222, ext. 123 or email ask@hghospital.ws.
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