From the left: Harvey Corralez, maintenance, and Jennifer Carrillo, health information manger, and Jonathan Voelkel, hospital administrator attended a two-day “Hot Topics” seminar sponsored by Preferred Management.
Van Horn, Texas (September 19, 2016) – Three Culberson Hospital employees ended the summer with a “Hot Topics” seminar in Abilene, Texas, September 14-15.
Harvey Corralez, maintenance, and Jennifer Carrillo, health information manger, both attended the conference along with Jonathan Voelkel, hospital administrator. The two-day session, sponsored by Preferred Management Corporation, featured a series of presentations on issues of importance to medical records and maintenance.
Brian Jackson and Craig Carter, two attorneys, and Randal Wilkerson, a representative of the Texas Hospital Insurance Exchange, provided health information specialists with insight into the management of medical records in today’s digital world, including security and access to medical records, record retention requirements and maintenance of patient privacy.
“Patient privacy is always a priority for the hospitals affiliated with Preferred,” said Jared Chanski, Preferred executive vice president, “and is becoming a greater concern as we continue to expand the use of electronic medical records in our clinics and hospitals.”
A speaker from the Infectious Disease Control Unit of the Texas Department of State Health Services, Thi Dang, focused on the impact of housekeeping and maintenance staff on the “environment of care” and the prevention of infectious disease transmittal.
Marycela Padgett, a speaker from the Texas Department of Insurance, talked about standards, testing requirements and maintenance for fire doors, alarm systems and sprinkler systems, as well as disaster preparedness and emergency generator management.
“Our patients and our communities do not always realize the importance of support staff in the provision of high quality patient care,” noted Andy Freeman, president of Preferred. “Maintenance, housekeeping and laundry staff play a critical role in keeping our facilities safe, clean and comfortable for our patients and visitors,” he continued.
Preferred, a Shawnee, Oklahoma based operator of Critical Access Hospitals, operates one small community hospital in Oklahoma and eight in Texas. Included on this list is Culberson Hospital, where Preferred has provided services since 2004.
Almost 40 staff from the 9 hospitals affiliated with Preferred attended the conference.
