ERIN EDGEMON, Business Editor
Posted: Sunday, December 7, 2008 7:39 am

Since opening five years ago, StoneCrest Medical Center has had a visible impact on the town of Smyrna, Rutherford County and area residents.

StoneCrest Medical Center has served more than 325,000 patients since opening its doors Nov. 30, 2003, keeping many from having to drive to Nashville or Murfreesboro for medical care.

In five years, StoneCrest has seen a continual increase in patient visits. More than 5,000 babies have been born at the hospital, and almost 200,000 patients have visited the emergency room.

"Our success during the past five years would not have been possible without the support that we have enjoyed from our local patients,” said Neil Heatherly, chief executive officer of StoneCrest Medical Center. “As a community hospital, I truly believe that the community has also benefited from our presence not only due to the convenient access to quality healthcare, but also due to the direct and indirect impact StoneCrest has had on Rutherford County as a local employer, tax payer and contributor to charitable organizations."

So, in recognition of StoneCrest’s fifth anniversary, The Murfreesboro Post has put together a list of the Top 10 (11, because it is a celebration after all) ways the medical center has impacted the local community.

1. Commercial development on Sam Ridley Parkway — StoneCrest Medical Center spurred massive commercial development along Sam Ridley Parkway.  The influx of new workers and visitors into the corridor has allowed the town of Smyrna to attract more “big city” amenities including numerous restaurants, a Super Target and even a movie theater.

“Most of the development (on Sam Ridley Parkway near the interstate) has taken place after the hospital,” said Holly Weber, vice president of economic development, Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce. “The hospital brought a plethora of day-time employees, which was a main driver in bringing in the retail, restaurants and commercial developments along the Sam Ridley corridor.”

2. Giving to local charities — StoneCrest has donated more than $500,000 in charitable cash contributions to Rutherford County organizations in its five-year history. The hospital also contributes medical supplies to charities each year—with those supplies totaling more than $85,000 in 2008. As the presenting sponsor of the annual Pearl Ball, StoneCrest leads the way locally in fundraising for the Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation. StoneCrest Medical Center also has provided more than $63 million in uncompensated charity care since opening.

3. Providing convenient, accessible medical care — The opening of StoneCrest five years ago now gives Smyrna residents access to medical care, especially emergency medical care, convenient to their homes. The medical center’s location just off Interstate 24 at Sam Ridley Parkway also makes the hospital more accessible to other outlying and Murfreesboro residents.

Accessible healthcare is likely one of the reasons in 2007 the town of Smyrna was named one of the “Best Cities to Retire” in by U.S. News & World Report and one of the “Best Places to Live” in 2008 by Money Magazine.

“It has made Smyrna a more notable place,” Bri Brown, StoneCrest marketing manager, said of the hospital.

4. Investment in the community  — StoneCrest’s capital investment of $10 million added to the Rutherford County and town of Smyrna tax base. The hospital also paid $3 million in access fees to the municipalities.

5. Job creation  — StoneCrest Medical Center has created 520 jobs in Rutherford County. The jobs range from highly trained physicians and nurses to cafeteria and janitorial staff. Some 70 percent of those employed at the hospital live in the county.

The commercial development that occurred due to the construction of the hospital also has created countless numbers of jobs.

6. Neurological Rehabilitation Center — StoneCrest Medical Center is one of only a few hospitals in the state to offer outpatient life skills training.

The center, which is an extension of the hospital’s outpatient physical therapy, is equipped with a fully functional kitchen, living room, bathroom and bedroom where patients can practice or learn new ways to do daily tasks.

Receiving this type of rehabilitation in the outpatient center helps patients with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease or those who have suffered from a stroke or traumatic brain injury to function at home.

7. Sarah Cannon Cancer Center – The center at StoneCrest provides a full range of services for preventing, diagnosing, and treating cancer.  The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center is the nation’s largest community-based cancer treatment and research program, providing comprehensive services through a network of facilities and physicians to meet the medical needs of individuals undergoing cancer treatment. 

8. Short wait times in emergency room — The average time a patient spends in StoneCrest’s emergency room reception area is a little more than 10 minutes, well below the national average of one hour.

Turn-around times in the ER are less than two hours, which is one-third faster than the national average.

The hospital implemented a fast-track system during peak emergency room hours that allows less critical patients to be treated by mid-level practitioners to further reduce wait times.

9. Recruiting highly trained physicians – StoneCrest has 140 active, board-certified physicians in 25 specialties.

Centennial Heart Cardiovascular Consultants expanded its practice into Rutherford County at StoneCrest Medical Center in 2007.

The experienced team of cardiologists includes Dr. Nelson Mangione, Dr. P. Robert Myers, Dr. Thomas S. Johnston, Dr. Robert M. Wheatley, Dr. Thomas McRae, Dr. R. Christopher Jones and Dr. Brian K. Jefferson, who have collectively provided more than 50 years of patient care in Middle Tennessee and Kentucky.

Leading cardiologist Dr. Steven V. Manoukian, F.A.C.C., F.S.C.A.I. joined the StoneCrest medical staff this year. Manoukian is the medical director of cardiology services for the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), Inc, the nation’s leading provider of healthcare services and parent company of StoneCrest.  He was also named director of cardiovascular research for The Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI).

10. Continued hospital expansion — Construction is heavily underway on a

$15.8 million campus expansion to include 26 additional medical/surgical beds on the fourth floor and four additional surgical suites—two furnished and two unfurnished until future need.  StoneCrest’s plans will culminate in a 101-bed hospital.

The fourth floor expansion is expected to be complete in January while the surgery suites will be completed by April.

11. High patient satisfaction — StoneCrest is in the top 5 percent of hospitals in the Gallup national database in overall patient satisfaction.

“That is critical to us because that is the metric that tells us if we are living and properly executing our mission, vision and value statements,” Heatherly said.

StoneCrest also is in the top 10 percent, of all hospitals in the nation, in quality scores as measured by Medicare.

Erin Edgemon can be reached at 869-0812 and at eedgemon@murfreesboropost.com.