Zanesville, Ohio (Oct. 22, 2020) - Genesis HealthCare System held a ribbon cutting for the new Genesis Outpatient Rehabilitation Thursday, Oct. 22. The new Genesis Outpatient Rehabilitation is located at 3297 Maple Ave., in the Country Fair Shopping Center. Genesis therapists began seeing patients in the new space Monday, Oct. 12.

Genesis Outpatient Rehabilitation features a spacious environment for physical, occupational and speech therapy. The location offers additional space for programs like sports therapies, Parkinson’s disease, women’s health and more. The previous facility, the Genesis Center for Occupational & Outpatient Rehabilitation (COOR), was more than 30 years old and had limited space. 

"We are glad we can provide a modern healing environment for our community," said Matthew Perry, president & CEO, Genesis HealthCare System. "Patients will be able to receive the expert compassionate care they count on in a convenient and comfortable facility."

Speaking at the ribbon cutting were Matthew Perry; Lisa Lynn, manager, Genesis Outpatient Rehabilitation Services; Dana Matz, president, Zanesville-Muskingum County Chamber; and Pat Nash, chair of the Genesis Board of Trustees.

Pictured cutting the ribbon for the new Genesis Outpatient Rehabilitation left to right is Lisa Lynn, manager, Genesis Outpatient Rehabilitation Services; Dana Matz, president, Zanesville-Muskingum County Chamber; Matthew Perry, president & CEO, Genesis HealthCare System; and Pat Nash, chair of the Genesis Board of Trustees.

Zanesville, Ohio (Jan. 24, 2020) – Genesis HealthCare System has been recognized with a second consecutive gold award by the Healthy Business Council of Ohio for its commitment to the health and well-being of its employees. Genesis provides employee programs that encourage physical activity, better nutrition and preventing or stopping tobacco use.

“Investing in employees through wellness programming is an effective way to promote healthy behaviors,” Heather Shuster, manager, Genesis Population Health & Wellness, said. “In an era when employer spending on health care has increased 51% in the last 10 years, Genesis is uniquely positioned to engage employees within our walls, as well as local employers, in healthy behaviors through innovative programming that promotes lifestyle changes.”

Participation in Wellness initiatives more than doubled in 2019, with 2,186 Genesis employees participating. Employees who participated in the Weight is Over program with weekly on-site weigh-in collectively lost 2,732 pounds. With a healthy worksite, employees are motivated to improve their own health, which reduces healthcare costs and increases workplace productivity and satisfaction. 

Zanesville, Ohio (June 30, 2020) – The Heart & Vascular Institute of Genesis HealthCare System is now offering diagnostic testing as part of their heart services in Coshocton. Testing, cardiologists and advanced practice providers (APPs) are located at 420 Downtowner Plaza, Coshocton.

“Letting a heart problem go undiagnosed and not treated is dangerous. To provide more resources for Coshocton-area residents, we have added diagnostic testing to our Heart & Vascular Coshocton office. This makes it easier for patients to undergo testing and receive a diagnosis and treatment,” said Tabitha McKenzie, RN, BSN, MBA, director of Genesis Heart & Vascular Services.

To keep all patients healthy, Genesis has increased its already strict cleaning and safety protocols. Patients, visitors and staff are required to wear masks and practice social distancing. Everyone arriving at a Genesis facility is screened. Facilities are frequently cleaned.

Diagnostic testing in the Coshocton office includes stress testing, echocardiogram, vascular studies and cardiac monitors. Patients can ask their family physician to refer them to the Genesis Heart & Vascular Group in Coshocton. For more information, call (740) 623-4481.

Genesis Heart & Vascular Group physicians and APPs are part of the Genesis Heart & Vascular Institute. The Institute offers comprehensive heart care, from diagnosing cardiac conditions, to treatment, including minimally invasive heart surgery, robotic heart surgery and follow-up care.

Zanesville, Ohio (Aug. 21, 2020) - Genesis HealthCare System received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes the hospital's commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.

"Genesis HealthCare System is dedicated to providing high-quality care for our stroke patients by implementing the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines-Stroke initiative," said Keela Barker, director, Genesis Rehabilitation & Ambulatory Services. "The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines, ensuring our patients get the timely stroke care they need."

Genesis earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.

Genesis also received the Target: Stroke^SM Honor Roll award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient's arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke.

Additionally, Genesis HealthCare System received the Target: Type 2 Honor Roll award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed with more than 90% compliance for 12 consecutive months for the "Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score."

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

Zanesville, Ohio (February 3, 2020) – Genesis HealthCare System and Nationwide Children’s Hospital are partnering to provide the highest level of quality care to children in Southeastern Ohio. Beginning in Fall 2020, specialized pediatric hospitalists will be on site at Genesis Hospital 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide care to patients in the pediatric unit, well-baby nursery and intermediate care nursery, as well as high-risk deliveries and for Emergency Department consultations.

“For many years, Genesis HealthCare System has partnered with Nationwide Children’s Hospital, a national leader in pediatric medical care, in a number of ways, including telemedicine consultations and our Level II intermediate care nursery,” said Matthew Perry, Genesis HealthCare System president and CEO. “We are excited to enhance our partnership so that we can provide even more services locally to children and families in Southeastern Ohio. By having specialized pediatric hospitalists care for patients at Genesis Hospital, more children and their families can stay closer to home.”

“We are excited to continue our collaboration with Genesis HealthCare System and to enhance the care of pediatric patients through the expertise of Nationwide Children’s pediatric hospitalists,” said Darrell Mosby, vice president of Regional Development at Nationwide Children’s.

Pediatric hospitalists are physicians who are specially trained to provide care to patients while in the hospital.

Genesis and Nationwide Children’s Hospital are working with local pediatric providers to evaluate the full extent of pediatric services that are most valuable to the health needs and the community. The goal of the enhanced partnership is to expand pediatric specialty care close to home for the Southeastern Ohio community.

ZANESVILLE, OH (June 23, 2020) – Genesis HealthCare System was named as a 100 Best Places to Work in Information Technology in 2020 by IDG’s Insider Pro and Computerworld today. Genesis was ranked No. 24 among midsize businesses.

The list of Best Places to Work in IT is an annual ranking of the top 100 work environments for technology professionals by Insider Pro and Computerworld. The list is compiled based on a comprehensive questionnaire regarding company benefits, career development, training and retention. In addition, Computerworld conducts extensive surveys of IT workers, and their responses factor heavily in determining the rankings.

“We have a phenomenal team of technology professionals committed to using innovative technologies to enable safer, faster, better healthcare,” said Ed Romito, chief information officer at Genesis HealthCare System. “I cannot thank our IT employees enough for the outstanding work they do to bring state of the art information technologies to the healthcare providers and patients across Southeastern Ohio.”

Genesis IT specialists celebrate the news of Genesis Information Technology being awarded one of the 2020 Best Places to Work in IT. Pictured left to right are Terry Jacobs, Jason Messer, Benjamin Cahoon, Jeff Koshiba, Phil Williams, Ryan Gill, Ryan Gilmore, Lee Bruce and Lisa Milliken.

Zanesville, Ohio (Oct. 5, 2020) – Genesis HealthCare System recently became the second health system in Ohio to use the new innovative Monarch Robotic-assisted Bronchoscopy. The Genesis Pulmonary Care team uses the Monarch system to detect lung cancer earlier and more accurately. The device enables physicians to access small, previously hard to reach places in and around the lungs without incisions. James Adamo, M.D., F.C.C.P., Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, and Emily Brawner, D.O., F.C.C.P, Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, who are part of the Genesis Pulmonary Care team, perform the procedure.

“Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, and Ohio has one of the highest rates of lung cancer in the U.S. Genesis is continually adding new innovative ways to care for our community. The Monarch system is a huge step forward in diagnosing lung cancer earlier and increasing chances of survival for our patients,” said Dr. Adamo.

The Monarch uses a flexible robotic tube, controlled by a doctor, to travel through the mouth, down the airway into the lungs. A camera on the tip of the tube provides 3-D views during the screening allowing doctors to navigate complex passageways. The tube is also equipped with technology to take a biopsy.

Call (740) 586-6888 to learn more and find out if the Monarch procedure is appropriate for you.

Zanesville, Ohio (Oct. 8) - Genesis HealthCare System's vascular surgery team recently started performing the TransCarotid Artery Revascularization (TCAR) procedure. TCAR is a less-invasive method for treating carotid artery disease where plaque builds up in one or both neck arteries and can cause strokes.

"With the addition of TCAR, we have yet another innovative procedure to reduce stroke risk. Stroke impacts approximately 800,000 Americans each year and is the fifth-highest killer in the United States. TCAR is revolutionary because it enables us to reverse blood flow temporarily, and filter plaque particles before they reach the brain, minimizing risks during the procedure," said Michael Kunstmann, D.O., fellowship-trained and board-certified vascular surgeon.

During the procedure, a small incision is made in the neck. A tube is inserted into the carotid artery and connected to equipment to direct blood flow away from the brain temporarily. The blood is filtered before returning to a vein in the groin. In addition to fewer risks during the TCAR procedure, a smaller incision is used to reduce scarring and procedure time is less than half compared to carotid endarterectomy. Most patients return home the day after the procedure.

Zanesville, Ohio (May 13, 2020) – Genesis HealthCare System was awarded an 'A' in the spring 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction recognizing Genesis Hospital’s achievements providing safer healthcare. This is the fourth consecutive 'A' for Genesis HealthCare System. The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization committed to healthcare quality and safety. The Safety Grade is a letter grade assigned to all general hospitals across the country and updated every six months, assessing how well the hospital prevents medical errors and other harm to patients.

“An 'A' grade from The Leapfrog Group demonstrates that Genesis HealthCare System is always putting safety first, even more so during this pandemic. Our employees are extraordinary,” said Matthew Perry, president and CEO of Genesis HealthCare System. “Our physicians and staff continue to provide exceptional patient care in the safest environment.”

Of the 108 hospitals in Ohio graded, Genesis was one of only 43 hospitals to earn the 'A' distinction for its performance and commitment to preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections and other harm to patients in their care.

Developed under the guidance of a national expert panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses up to 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public. Go to hospitalsafetygrade.org for more information.

Zanesville, Ohio (July 24, 2020) – Genesis HealthCare System, the longtime majority owner of Genesis Community Ambulance Service, recently acquired 100% of the service.

“The decision to acquire the remaining portion of Community Ambulance was based on our commitment to caring for our community. With this acquisition, all decisions are made locally, and more funds are kept local to support other local businesses. This also allows us to ensure all aspects of our care remain patient-focused,” said Sharon Parker, chief operating officer at Genesis HealthCare System.

In 2019, Community Ambulance Service responded to over 17,000 requests for service and transported over 15,500 patients. Community Ambulance provides emergency and non-emergency medical transportation for Muskingum and Perry counties. The service has served Muskingum County since 1994 and Perry County since 2000.