Alaska Regional Hospital: striving for better, not bigger.

• Author: Kalytiak, Tracy
• Position: SPECIAL SECTION: ALASKA BUSINESS MONTHLY'S 2011 CORPORATE 100

When Rosemary Kline first started working for Alaska Regional Hospital, patients getting a hip or knee replacement could expect a traumatic experience.

"Twenty-five years ago, someone getting a total joint replacement would stay in the hospital for two weeks; they bled like crazy; they didn't have the scopes like they do now so they'd come back with a foot-long incision from surgery," said Kline, a registered nurse who works as director of Alaska Regional Hospital Orthopedic and Rehab Services. "I can't tell you how many times people come in apprehensive about joint replacement."

ORTHOPEDIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Those skittish patients quickly learn that getting a hip or knee replaced is a radically different experience than it used to be. At Alaska Regional, joint-replacement patients attend "joint camp," to learn what will happen to them and what doctors will expect them to do before and after surgery to ensure a successful result.

Titanium joints are lighter. Patients can use pumps to give themselves pain medication when they need it, instead of having to call a nurse for help. They start moving and walking almost immediately after surgery.

Orthopedics is a particularly strong field for Alaska Regional, a 48-year-old facility listed as one of the Alaska Business Monthly's 2011 Corporate 100. A U.S. News & World Report magazine study, "2010-2011 Best Hospitals," listed it as the 47th best hospital in the country for orthopedics.

Alaska Regional was the only facility listed in the top 50 hospitals for any of the 16 adult-care specialties the magazine examined at nearly 5,000 hospitals nationwide; the study used data related to patient outcomes, quality of care, physician perception and staffing rates in determining rankings.

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COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES

The hospital also has grown highly regarded cardiovascular, cardiac surgery and neuroscience programs, in addition to offering comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services, technologically advanced surgical services and cancer resources. Its critical-care air ambulance transports patients directly to Alaska Regional's emergency department.

Annie Holt, the hospital's chief executive officer, said hospital officials and staff are constantly looking at ways they can continue to improve patients' experiences and the quality of services.

"Since we are the smaller of two acute-care hospitals in Anchorage, we are always striving to be better, rather than bigger," said Holt, who has...