FERRIDAY — Promise Hospital of MissLou has launched a new Physician Relations and Education Department to enhance knowledge and understanding of the features, advantages and benefits of long-term acute care hospitals in general, and Promise Hospital in particular and admission criteria among area physicians, other hospitals, case workers, and the community-at-large.

Leading the new department is Sarah Carter Smith, director of physician relations and education supported by Deanna Taliaferro, Physician Relations & Education Representative. Smith joined Promise Hospital as community educator this past April; Taliaferro has served as Clinical Liaison at Promise Hospital since 2007.

“While LTAC hospitals have proven to be of significant value to physicians, short-term acute care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and their patients who require extended hospital stays for recovery from life’s most serious illnesses and injuries, much of the general and healthcare communities are not aware of the specialized services of LTAC hospitals and the impact they have in hastening recovery for seriously ill patients,” Promise Hospital CEO Lee Huckaby said.

Smith said the new department will provide a smooth transition for patients.

“Those who have referred patients to Promise and patients who have been in our care know that high acuity conditions — such as ventilator dependency, complex wounds, multi-system failures, and resistant infectious diseases — cannot be as effectively resolved in STAC hospital stays that average four to six days. Thus, it is our new department’s mission to grow awareness and education and work closely with fellow healthcare providers to ensure a smooth and expedient transition for patients they refer for admission to our interdisciplinary LTAC environment.”

Smith said that since patients admitted to Promise require an “average” length of stay of 25 days or more, these patients most likely have:

4 been transferred from intensive care units direct observation units, or general medical and surgical beds in short-term acute care hospitals in need of a longer acute hospital recovery period,

4 not yet been able to reach their full recovery potential (due to unsuccessful vent weaning or unresolved wounds),

4 frequently been in and out of short-stay, sub-acute, and outpatient facilities, which promoted a cycle of decline,

4 needed pre-surgical optimization,

4 required post-surgical aftercare,

4 needed high intensity treatment for complications or infections,

4 required long-term IV antibiotics, and/or

4 needed aggressive wound care.