IMPROVING HEALTH CARE TO BE FOCUS OF
UNIQUE CONFERENCE IN VALLEY

South Padre Island, June 26, 2007  –-  Improving health care in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas and throughout the nation will be the focus at a first-of-its-kind conference in the Valley this summer.

Valley Baptist Health System will share how it has used the Six Sigma method to make measurable improvements in patient care, customer satisfaction and financial performance during the 1st annual conference on "Achieving Excellence in Healthcare through Six Sigma" on Friday, August 17, 2007 at the Radisson Resort on South Padre Island.

“This conference will showcase creative new strategies which healthcare administrators, quality managers, office managers, physicians and nurses can use to transform business processes, enhance quality of care and maximize savings,” said Tomas A. Gonzalez, MD, MBA, Sr. Vice President of Marketing, Strategy and Six Sigma quality improvement at Valley Baptist Health System.

Dr. Gonzalez -- along with James G. Springfield, President and CEO of Valley Baptist Health System – have led pioneering efforts in applying the Six Sigma quality improvement program to health care. In 2002, Valley Baptist became one of the first 10 hospitals in the country to institute the rigorous quality management tool, which was developed in high-tech companies such as G.E. and Motorola.

Six Sigma is a comprehensive, flexible program for achieving, sustaining and maximizing success in business. Six Sigma starts by listening to the "Voice of the Customer" in order to determine the expectations of patients, family members, physicians and other customers. Six Sigma then applies facts, data and statistical analysis to manage, improve and re-invent business processes.

The conference will highlight real-life examples of how health care organizations, physicians’ offices, and other providers can improve customer satisfaction, billing accuracy, business operations and management, patient flow, and employee performance. The conference is co-sponsored by GE Healthcare, which has used the Lean Six Sigma method to transform business practices throughout the healthcare industry. Speakers will include several experts in the Six Sigma methodology from G.E., as well as Mr. Springfield; Dr. Gonzalez; and Leslie Bingham, CEO of Valley Baptist Medical Center-Brownsville.

Dr. Christopher Hansen, Chief Medical Officer for Valley Baptist, will speak on how Six Sigma can be effectively applied in clinical settings, such as controlling patients’ glucose levels and preventing pressure ulcers. Dr. Darryl White of Valley Baptist’s Family Practice Residency Program will detail how Six Sigma can be used to optimize patient flow through a physician’s office.

Glen Boles, Chief Financial Officer for Valley Baptist Medical Center-Brownsville, will discuss how Six Sigma can streamline accounting transactions and improve Diagnostic Related Group assignment accuracy – resulting in greater reimbursement for physicians and health care providers.

Irma Pye, Sr. Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for Valley Baptist, will discuss how employee performance can be measured and improved by linking Six Sigma outcomes to performance management. For example, Valley Baptist uses accountability scorecards to determine responsibility and to calibrate and reward employees.

Improvements made through Six Sigma have led to national recognition for Valley Baptist. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has ranked Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen #1 in the nation in the treatment of heart failure, and #2 in the state for treatment of heart attack.

“The data-based Six Sigma system also enabled us to decrease the mortality rate from heart attack by 60% and to virtually eliminate ventilator-associated pneumonia from our intensive care units,” Dr. Gonzalez said.

Continuing education credits are available for physicians and nurses who attend the conference. In addition, special beach-side hotel rates are available for conference participants who register by July 16. To register, contact Denise Meyners at (956) 389-1950 or by e-mail at denise.meyners@ValleyBaptist.net. Online information and registration is available at www.ValleyBaptist.net.