2024 – A Year in Review
Several years ago, Midland Health began using four pillars as a part of our strategic planning. These four pillars are guiding forces for almost any decisions made at Midland Health.
The four pillars are Quality Focus, Patient Experience, Workforce Engagement and Financial Health.
As 2024 comes to a close, it is important to reflect on the year, our goals, our failures, and our successes. This empowers us to look forward to 2025 and positions the team to tackle what lies ahead.
Quality Focus
For the last few years Midland Health has heavily focused on our Leapfrog Safety Grade as the backbone of our quality performance. There are many rating agencies available across the country in addition to Leapfrog. CMS Star Ratings, Healthgrades and US News are commonly known in the country. Midland Health adopted Leapfrog over other rating agencies for the sole reason that their data is the most up to date. After several years with a ‘C’ rating, in 2023 Midland Health improved their rating to a ‘B’ and in 2024 maintained their ‘B’ rating while advancing closer to an ‘A’ rating.
With our Quality Focus pillar, we have worked for years to advance access to mental health in our community and in the region. With funding from the State, many local philanthropists and in partnership with Medical Center Hospital, Midland Health is leading the construction of the Permian Basin Behavioral Health Center. This 200-bed mental health facility is set to open in April 2026 and will be a significant improvement in the quantity and quality of mental health services available in the Permian Basin.
Patient Experience
Patient Experience scores are an important part of the service we provide to patients and families and is a measuring stick for many payors, particularly Medicare. High patient experience scores, known as Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS), can increase funding from Medicare. Low scores can decrease funding. A sample of inpatients that are discharged from the hospital receive this survey and their aggregate scores are reported out via CMS. In 2024, Midland Health saw improvements in these scores. Of the nine domains HCAHPS measures, 8 of 9 were above the CMS 50th percentile and three of the nine were above the 75th percentile. There will be significant changes to HCAHPS in 2025 with elimination of some questions, addition of others and the allowance for electronic responses to the surveys. In the past, CMS has only allowed for paper survey responses via mail or telephonic responses from an operator.
Workforce Engagement
Our workforce makes the healthcare system work. These talented members of our team are critical to the advancement of the care we provide, and we do not have enough to serve our growing region. Recruitment and retention of physicians, nurses, other clinicians, and support staff is a priority for Midland Health over the next 5-10 years. Through partnership with Midland College, University of Texas at the Permian Basin and Odessa College, we are assisting in many ways to increase the pipeline of competent workforce available in our community. We have also reached into the high school ranks through our Medical Explorers program. Medical Explorers helps identify high school students that have an interest in healthcare careers, and we host them at the hospital on Sunday afternoons. We have speakers on site for the students and expose them to departments in the hospital that might solidify their future as a healthcare provider. Retention is just as important as recruitment. Midland Health has a healthy recognition program that spotlights high performers in the organization. In 2024, we were recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of the Best Places to Work in Healthcare for the second year in a row.
Financial Health
Midland Health continues to see activity increase across most service lines with Obstetrics, Surgery and the Emergency Room among the busiest areas of the hospital. The hospital finished 2024 with a 7.2% operating margin and a strong balance sheet. Financial rating agencies have assigned health grades to Midland Health in the last year with Fitch rating AA- and S&P Global Ratings assessing an AA rating. Our strong operations and balance sheet were both referenced in our ratings.
Also in 2024, Midland Health kicked off a new facility master plan to expand the campus, increase access to services and lay the foundation for future growth at Midland Health. This $157 million project started in February 2024 and is expected to finish in late 2026. Construction of two new operating rooms, renovation of the FMH Outpatient Center’s roof and façade, relocation of infusion services, creating a new simulation center for staff education and a 100,000 square foot office building are the major components of the project and will finish with the demolition of the 1950’s south tower along Illinois Street. The project is seeking $45 million in philanthropic support and as of this writing, we have secured over half of these funds through work at the Midland Memorial Foundation.
2024 was a great year at Midland Health and 2025 is certain to be a banner year as well. I want to thank our boards for their support and guidance this past year. The medical staff in Midland continue to push for the highest quality of care for their patients and are good partners to the hospital in achieving our aligned goals. The staff at Midland Health inspire our leadership team every day. Their unwavering advocacy for their patients is a steady sign of their calling to work in healthcare. Our community support has never been higher as we have improved the quality of care, the patient experience and continue to expand services. I am blessed to serve in the role of President and Chief Executive Officer at Midland Health!