New Look Cafeteria

Almost every aspect of the cafeteria serving area has been refreshed, said Ron Brown, assistant director of Nutrition & Food Services.

That includes service areas, dining room furniture, walls and ceilings, countertops, cashier stations, serving equipment and more. The beverage station has been relocated to the dining area, with free refills and a 25-cent price increase. The condiment/cutlery area has also been relocated. New artwork is being installed on the walls.

"We're getting a lot of positive comments," Brown said. "We've also beefed up the grab-n-go offerings and we are getting a new ice cream freezer. We have also found some challenges. We know we need more directional signage and we need a little more storage."

Digital boards displaying the menus are yet to be installed and look for changes in the menu. Brown said a wider variety of food is being added, but look for your favorite classics to remain on the menu.

Phase 2 of the project will include new uniforms for staff and new floors.

High marks for SAMC

Delta Group Gives SAMC High Marks

It's great when an acclaimed independent ratings group recognizes you as the best.

CareChex®, an innovative medical quality rating system designed to improve and promote the quality of inpatient care, has rated SAMC among the Top 10 percent in the nation for 2012 in patient safety in:
• Overall hospital care
• Overall surgical care
• Cancer care
• Cardiac care
• Major cardiac surgery
• Heart attack treatment
• Interventional coronary care
• Stroke care
• Vascular surgery
• Women's health
• Gastrointestinal hemorrhage

SAMC ranked number one in the state for patient safety in heart attack treatment and vascular surgery.

"Southeast Alabama Medical Center continually sets the standard in patient safety," said CEO Ronald S. Owen. "We have quality measures and standards in place to ensure our patients have the best outcomes. Utilizing the latest technology like electronic medical records, continued training of our staff and utilizing evidence-based best practices throughout the patient care process, contribute to our culture of safety.

"Quality measures and safety initiatives are embraced by our staff. As the largest hospital in the region, we realize ours is an awesome responsibility."

SAMC also ranked in the Top 10 percent in the state in patient safety in orthopedic care and major orthopedic surgery.

We received Top 10 percent in the state for medical excellence in the areas of heart attack treatment and major cardiac surgery.

"We are pleased to acknowledge that Southeast Alabama Medical Center has achieved an exceptionally high level of performance, especially in the area of patient safety. Southeast Alabama Medical Center is a benchmark that other hospitals should seek to emulate," said Dr. Thane Forthman, managing principal at The Delta Company.

CareChex® is a service of The Delta Group, the nation's largest privately-held healthcare information service company, and provides clinical, financial, and patient satisfaction findings to consumers, providers, and purchasers of U.S. medical care. Unlike other publicly available hospital quality ratings, CareChex provides a composite evaluation of all components of medical quality including process of care, outcomes of care, and patient experiences.