Years of success brings regional hospital recognition

The health-care climate is likely to change in the coming years, but a local hospital is one step ahead of the curve. With each day that passes, the ability of these institutions to survive becomes more arduous and the fight for patients, even harder. Their existence hangs in the balance and the decisions made everyday are of utmost importance.

Greg Stock, CEO of Thibodaux Regional Medical Center (TRMC), understands these concepts and over the years has managed to build a thriving establishment – despite loads of uncertainty – which prides itself on patient satisfaction and excellent workmanship. But the road to success didn’t come easy and it wasn’t fast.

“There’s a lot of water under the bridge,” he said.

The hospital was originally built in 1929 as St. Joseph Hospital. It had 26 in-patient beds and sat on 690 East First St. in Thibodaux. Nearly 30 years later, the facility boosted operations by adding 60 beds and an additional level. But a growing population and an increased number of patients started to put strain on the small operation.

In 1975, the cramped building decided to shut its doors and start fresh.

About $5 million went into constructing Thibodaux General Hospital, a 4-story, 101-bed facility on North Acadia Road.

Over 5,000 patients visited the hospital in its first year of operation, as the next 25 years brought an abundance of growth and variety of technology like digital mammography.

Those advances led the hospital to change its name to Thibodaux Regional Medical Center in 1996, reflecting the facilities’ transition to more diversified services and holistic care.

Today, TRMC is considered a health-care powerhouse and has won numerous awards for taking care of its patients. It won an award from Rod Ganey, president and cofounder of the nation’s leading patient satisfaction survey company – Press, Ganey Associates – for ranking in the top 1 percent in the country for patient satisfaction. J.D. Power and Associates has also recognized the facility as providing an outstanding patient experience and is the first hospital in Louisiana to receive the honor.

However, those accomplishments were won as part of a vision crafted in the early ’90s, according to Stock.

The vision: a journey of excellence.

“We felt we could become and do many of the things larger hospitals did, even though we weren’t trying to be all things to all people,” he explained.

“We [thought] the people of this region would rather be treated locally, if they could be,” said Stock. With those ideals in mind, “…we could pursue excellence in everything we do, from the way we treat people to the kindness we show, the processes that are less cumbersome and bureaucratic than in most hospitals, to actual clinical care.” But it’s not just the vision that keeps the hospital afloat. It’s the people.

“We have great technology, great buildings, but most importantly, great people. We very diligently try to hire, acquire and retain the best people we can find,” said Stock. Those people are often challenged and held accountable for what they do. In turn, performing at a high level, he added.

“That culture of excellence, I think after several years of working [hard], has really started to become the driving force of the hospital,” claimed Stock.

From its humble beginnings with about 30 employees, TRMC has grown to hire nearly 120 active staff members and a total staff of 240, most of which are striving to be winners. However, standing out in the health industry can be quite challenging.

“It’s very competitive now and health care is becoming more and more competitive each day it seems,” noted Stock. Hospitals are constantly being questioned about their costs, quality of care and ability to perform. Still, TRMC is one step ahead.

“We try to keep a great awareness amongst our staff and within ourselves of the need to not accept the way things have been done in the past, but to challenge them and improve,” touted the CEO.

For years, the medical center has set standards that reign far outside the realm of health care, using methodology from companies like Toyota and General Electric.

“We applied it to what we do [at TRMC],” explained Stock. “It’s improved the quality of care and it’s helped us make the hospital more efficient, helped us with patient satisfaction and now we’re winning awards because of it.”

Although the tangibles of success – or awards – aren’t everything, it helps show people TRMC means business.

“By winning awards, the patient feels that we are doing a good job, we’re not perfect, but compared to other hospitals we’re a top hospital. That’s the number one thing,” said Stock.

“All these things working together help us in every way,” he added.

As a young kid whose future was unknown, to head of a major operation, Stock said, “I know how to go without, I know what it feels like. If I need to, [I can], because the health care environment today is uncertain.

“But I feel good about the people we have here. They have the discipline and the strength to do the same things [I’ve done]. We just need to focus on the things we can control and make the most of it.”

The CEO said the hospital would continue to grow and be successful.