Aurora BayCare marks its first year A spacious lobby greets patients and visitors to the Aurora BayCare Medical Center (photo by H. Marc Larson). Another local hospital says its effect was about what was expected By Patti Zarling News-Chronicle John and Jean Maes, entering the Aurora BayCare hospital Wednesday, had nothing but praise for the new center. "It's a beautiful hospital," said Jean Maes, whose sister was having surgery later in the day. "The staff is very, very helpful, and makes everyone feel comfortable. If you have any kind of a care or concern, they're very willing to help you out." John Maes agreed. "We've used the other hospitals, but this is great. This one isn't like a hospital," he said. "It's like a hotel. It's very pleasant, a relaxing place to be." That's what hospital officials hoped for when the center opened its doors a year ago, administrator Linda Smith said. Aurora BayCare became Green Bay's fourth hospital last September, joining Bellin, St. Mary's and St. Vincent. "The whole hospital atmosphere can raise people's anxiety really high, and they're probably already anxious," Smith said during a tour of Aurora BayCare. "One of the first things my neighbors noticed was this place doesn't smell like a hospital. "We didn't want it to have that alcohol smell, or to look like a hospital." Aurora BayCare has many windows overlooking its green surroundings, and it doesn't use an overhead sound or pager system, so things are quiet. "We're a very patient-oriented facility," Smith said. "We try to respond to their needs. We have no set visiting hours, and that hasn't been a problem. Friends and family usually know when it's time to go." Business is growing steadily at the new hospital. While it saw 14 patients per day in October of last year, 56 inpatients were registered so far this month. The hospital has 108 registered beds, with 94 now open. An expansion project will bring the number of beds to 126 by the end of the year. The hospital has delivered more than 600 babies, and the emergency room has about 1,500 visitors a month. The hospital employs 1,050 workers. Smith said the hospital is looking for pharmacists, radiology specialists and operating-room nurses. "We face the same problems hospitals and clinics throughout the country do," Smith said. And the hospital is growing. A fertility clinic and inpatient rehabilitation unit are opening later this fall, and a neonatal intensive care unit and expanded cardiovascular care service are under construction. The neonatal facility will offer services for babies born prematurely, or that have other complications, and will compete with St. Vincent's neonatal center, the only other one in the area. The Aurora BayCare unit will have 12 beds. Aurora BayCare also boasts of being an all-digital facility. By using digital diagnostic tools, it allows physicians and others to store information in a computer. The hospital incorporates the plain tree concept, which focuses on demystifying, personalizing and humanizing the hospital experience. For instance, it has a library for patients to access information on any given health topic. To make the experience more pleasant for families, Aurora BayCare has a 22-bed area for families traveling from a distance to stay, and has lounges with couches, chairs, televisions, Internet access and small kitchens. Smith said the hospital's goals for the upcoming year include opening the fertility, rehab and neonatal centers and continuing to expand key staff. The hospital is creating a healing garden, she said, and wants to add complementary medicine services. "People said there wasn't room for another hospital, but we seem to be finding plenty of patients," said Jay Faherty, communications director for the hospital. The advent of the fourth hospital definitely has changed things for the other hospitals. David Albrecht, executive vice president and Chief Financial Officer of Bellin, said patient volume has gone down about what was expected. "Surgical patients are down 8 or 9 percent," he said. "And (obstetrics) is down 20 percent. We anticipated that." He said labor costs are on the rise, and the hospitals compete for the same pool of workers. "We're also seeing a tremendous influx of physicians to the area," he said. "Physician recruitment is at an all-time high." The arrival of the fourth hospital has changed managed care in the area, Albrecht added. "Who's being offered what has changed," he said. "It's happening with Humana and AMS. Aurora has done some things, using leverage from other markets to influence this market." Albrecht said all of the hospitals now are doing much more marketing. "It's almost to the point where all we're doing is confusing people," he said. Hospital costs are on the rise, as Albrecth said Bellin made an 8 percent price adjustment this year, while St. Vincent and St. Mary's raised prices slightly more. Aurora hasn't changed its prices yet. Prices would have gone up anyway, Albrecht said, but the fourth hospital definitely played a part in the increase. But Aurora BayCare's arrival hasn't been all bad, he said. "It's challenged us to look at productivity and efficiency," Albrecht said. "We've become more focused on our own goals and business operations." Bellin is opening a new clinic in De Pere, Albrecht said, and will "continue to focus on consistency and meeting our patients' needs."