Articles found in this report: Adena Health EMS means faster care and better patient outcomes | Local children stay warm during the winter | Chemotherapy patients find comfort and privacy | Innovative training tools enhance medical education program | Patient safety and response times improve with new call light system | New hospital in Fayette County will improve access to care | Foundation events continue impact | Supporting the next generation of health care workers | Adena caregivers support our community
For patients across the region, the launch of Adena Health Emergency Medical Services (EMS) marks a significant improvement in their care experience.
Adena has long wished to operate its own internal patient transport service with the intent of moving patients within the health system in a timely fashion for additional care and treatment. When an Appalachian Regional Grant became available during 2024, the Adena Health Foundation provided nearly $300,000 to make that desire a reality.
In February of 2025, Adena EMS began transporting patients between the health system’s four hospitals and between its hospitals and area nursing homes. It is providing shorter wait times for patients requiring transport, increasing availability of rooms in Adena’s emergency departments and inpatient units, and improving operational efficiencies for providers and staff.
The EMS units will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“This is a game changer that will further reduce wait times for our patients,” Adena President and CEO Jeff Graham said. “It’s the type of innovation and commitment to our patient experience that demonstrates who we are at Adena.”
The new service should be able to handle about 75% of the health system’s internal transportation volume – a benefit not only to the patient experience, but providers and caregivers as well.
Continuing an Adena tradition in community outreach that began in 2007, the Foundation once again partnered with the health system’s caregivers to collect nearly 1,200 new winter coats for students across Adena’s service area - who may otherwise have gone without warm winter outerwear.
Through the Coats for Kids program, representatives of participating schools provide a list of coat sizes for students deemed to be in need. Caregivers then request sizes for the number of coats they wish to buy, purchase those coats and bring them to specified drop off areas. The coats are sorted and prepared by Foundation staff, and delivered to the schools for distribution.
“This is everything to our families, especially this close to the holiday season,” said Lacey Derexson, community outreach director for The Pioneer Center. “The kids will wear these new coats all day. As soon as we get them passed out, they will wear them and won’t want to take them off. They’re always so excited to get them.”
In the 18-year history of Coats for Kids, caregivers have purchased more than 15,500 coats for area children and teens.
The Foundation found a new use for its cancer fund in 2024. Through a partnership with a Chillicothe vendor and a volunteer group in Dayton, shirts were created to help make the experience of chemotherapy patients at Adena Cancer Center a bit more private.
The project converts regular short- and long-sleeved shirts into chemotherapy “port shirts” for patients to wear in a clinical setting while chemotherapy is being administered. The shirts have zippers sewn into the side where the patient’s port for treatment is located, allowing for easy, discrete access to administer treatment.
Helping in the effort by sewing the zippers into the shirts is the Gang of Seamstresses, a group of volunteers providing this service to multiple health care organizations.
“Patients absolutely love the port shirts due to the privacy they provide in an open setting,” said Adena Cancer Center nurse navigator Holly Hooks, BSN. “The shirts also show how much Adena cares about patients by providing them a small token to help ease their anxiety over the treatments.”
The Foundation continues to accept donations toward the purchase of additional shirts for the project.
One of the strengths of Adena’s graduate medical education (GME) program is its emphasis on experiential learning, something the Foundation helped enhance during 2024.
In preparation for the 2025 launch of a sports medicine fellowship program, the Foundation provided funds necessary to acquire a large-scale, 3D printer that can be used to construct models of the shoulder and elbow. By being able to print “bones” and “joints”, GME residents and the sports medicine fellow will have the opportunity to practice joint reductions as part of their learning.
Having the opportunity to provide this type of innovative learning can make Adena an even more attractive destination in the recruitment of future residents.
“Thanks to the Adena Health Foundation’s generosity, the purchase of a 3D printer is making this project possible,” said Bradley Strauch, MD, director of the sports medicine fellowship program.
A more efficient, timely, consistent response to patient needs has been achieved at Adena Pike Medical Center (APMC) thanks to equipment purchased with the help of the Foundation.
A new call light system has been installed, resolving compatibility issues that surfaced between existing call light systems and hospital beds.
“The beds are now integrated into the new call light system, which makes it much safer for patients,” said Brandy Strain, director of nursing at APMC. “As soon as a patient gets out of the bed, we know by a light outside of their room and by a noise that comes across to the nurses’ station. You don’t have to listen for the bed alarm like the old system. Additionally, you know exactly where it’s coming from.”
The new system has additional advantages, including:
“We truly want to say thank you to the Adena Health Foundation for this from our caregivers,” Strain said. “We’re very appreciative.”
A similar improvement to the call light system at Adena Greenfield Medical Center was done utilizing Foundation funds in 2023.
In September 2024, Adena Health announced that a pledge made in 2021 to build a new hospital in Fayette County will take a huge step toward becoming reality when construction begins in 2025.
The new 65,000-square-foot hospital will replace the 74-year-old Adena Fayette Medical Center and be constructed on the same site off Columbus Avenue in Washington Court House. The technology and additional operating room space being integrated into the new design will enhance the ability to perform precision robotic-assisted surgical procedures, while the addition of a progressive care unit will provide flexibility in responding to fluctuating patient volumes and care needs. The facility also will have a dedicated trauma room, integrated telemetry units, and other amenities that will provide Adena with future opportunities to expand its service offerings - while also providing enhanced privacy, additional care technology, and an on-site retail pharmacy to patients.
The Adena Health Foundation will be actively involved with fundraising efforts in support of the hospital project as construction moves forward.
“We’re very excited about the opportunity this new hospital presents for Washington Court House and all of Fayette County,” said Adena President and CEO Jeff Graham. “We are thrilled to be able to live up to our commitment to area residents and look forward to being an active partner in the exciting growth coming to this community.”
Several new events were added to the Foundation’s calendar during 2024, bringing additional support and awareness to cancer care, the formation of a new hospital community council, and other needs within the health system.
The Foundation teamed with the Adena Cancer Center in not one, but two new community events. In March, walkers and runners braved the cold to raise $11,500 during the inaugural Colon Cancer Awareness 2 Mile Run/Walk. Then, in October, the two entities came together again to offer a new Breast Cancer Awareness Walk/Run that raised $12,000.
Also for the first time, a gala was established for Adena Regional Medical Center. In conjunction with the formation of the Adena Regional Medical Center Community Council, the new Monster Mash Bash offered Halloween-themed fun while also raising more than $10,000 in support of hospital needs.
The firsts didn’t end there, with two golf outings offering the opportunity for the community to support Foundation efforts. The Jack Berno Memorial Golf Outing easily filled its tee times and raised $26,000 in support of the new Adena Fayette Medical Center construction project. Groundbreaking for the new 65,000-square-foot hospital on the existing Adena Fayette Medical Center campus will take place early this summer with construction scheduled for completion in 2027.
The Adena Greenfield Medical Center Community Council Golf Outing was a new addition to the golf schedule in June, and provided community members the opportunity to support hospital services enhancing the well-being of those living in and around Highland County.
While there was plenty new to enjoy in 2024, several traditional favorite Foundation events continued to attract strong attendance, including:
While a lot of hard work goes into planning and executing these events, the reward in both raising awareness of the Foundation in the community and being able to use the proceeds to enhance patient care make it all worth it. A special thanks to all involved in making these a success.
Once again in 2024, the Foundation helped make the educational dreams of 24 area high school graduates a reality, providing $120,000 worth of scholarships to those considering a career in health care.
Award winners came from schools across Adena’s nine-county coverage area, including students from Chillicothe, Fairfield, Hillsboro, Jackson, McClain, Miami Trace, Piketon, Unioto, Valley, Waverly, and Zane Trace school districts.
The scholarships represent another example of Adena’s commitment to providing quality care close to home, both now and years into the future. The students selected expressed their intent to pursue higher education in business management, nursing, exercise science, imaging/radiology, nutrition science, medicine, speech language pathology, marketing, and accounting. The largest number of recipients indicated nursing would be their field of study.
The scholarships are a part of Jack Berno Hope for our Future Scholarship Fund initiative. Additional scholarship opportunities are also available through the following sources:
“This initiative is designed to help foster the development of the talented young men and women who live throughout our region in the hope that these students will, one day, choose to further their careers at Adena,” said Chief Human Resources Officer Heather Sprague, executive sponsor of Hope for Our Future. “It’s about keeping that talent close to home as we fulfill our mission to care for the communities where we live, work, and play.”
Over the past three years, the Foundation has provided a total of $290,000 in scholarships to 57 area students to help them launch their careers in health care-related fields.
Thank you to the caregivers of Adena Health
While community donors are critical to the Foundation, the contributions made by Adena caregivers and the medical staff represent the very heart and soul of what the Foundation does.
Whether in the form of donating to the annual caregiver giving campaign, purchasing coats for the Coats for Kids outreach, taking part in Volunteer Advisory Council activities that provide an annual donation to the Foundation, or contributing to the Foundation’s Spirit of Caring or scholarship funds, those who provide for our community’s health also contribute heavily to the Foundation’s mission.
Here’s a brief look at some of the giving by Adena caregivers in 2024.
Caregiver giving campaign funds community programs
The annual month-long caregiver giving campaign is one of the most visible opportunities for caregivers to offer their support and learn more about the work of the Foundation.
During 2024, 462 caregivers contributed to the campaign, the large majority of whom chose to do so through recurring payroll deduction. That number included 58 new donors and another 39 who increased their payroll contribution compared to what they contributed during 2023.
Raising more than $117,600, allowed caregivers to help colleagues by providing financial support through the Benevolence and Spirit of Caring funds for those suffering unexpected financial hardships. Money raised also assisted with employee wellness initiatives, helped with equipment purchases that enhance patient care, provided scholarships to area youth considering careers in health care, and supported community programs improving quality of life.