Desert View Hospital continued to grow in 2015 leading into the new year, ensuring valley residents have access to quality health care.
From adding new physicians, services and even a new facility, Desert View made strides last year in all facets of the hospital.
Most recently, the hospital group added a new member to its staff at its Mountain Valley Physicians Group clinic on Highway 160.
Dr. William Craig, a board certified internist, began seeing patients at the MVPG clinic on Jan. 11, and Desert View Hospital Chief Executive Officer Kelly Adams is pleased with the addition.
“Dr. Craig brings with him over 20 years of experience and will provide excellent care to our community,” Adams said.
Dr. Craig completed his undergraduate studies at Oberlin College in Ohio and finalized his medical residency at the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, where he served as chief resident. Dr. Craig is from a small town in western New York state and prefers the small town lifestyle, which is one of the elements that drew him to Pahrump.
The MVPG clinic where Dr. Craig is located opened its doors in 2015, marking the second Mountain Valley location in the valley.
Another new addition to the staff is John B. Sorensen, who stepped in as the new chief of staff for Desert View Hospital.
“This past year has been full of successes and DVH is very happy to have Dr. Sorensen as our chief of staff, he is a quality world-class surgeon with over 20 years of experience in general surgery and liver and kidney transplantation,” Adams said.
For those in need of getting their health back to full strength, Desert View opened a new physical therapy center last February, located at 1500 E. Highway 372.
The facility offers outpatient physical therapy utilizing state-of-the-art equipment, with personalized care for each patient being that goal. The new 2,800-foot rehab center is seven times the space of the rehab facility at the hospital, allowing for more patients being seen, with all the latest equipment.
Digital medical imaging was also a key focus last year, as those machines are key to diagnosing life-altering injuries and diseases, which need to be addressed in a timely and accurate manner.
“In our continued efforts to deliver the best patient care, we have added a 128 CT Scanner which incorporates dose-reduction technology, thereby reducing the amount of radiation a patient receives by 60 percent,” Adams said.
Desert View also acquired the latest digital mammography machine which offers superior imaging and patients are reporting a “more comfortable experience,” according to Adams.
The emergency room staff completed various trainings which included, the National Institute of Health’s Stroke Scale Certification training, emergency severity index triage training and a formal program was developed for nurses new to the ER. More than 90 percent of staff are certified in the trauma nurse core curriculum and in the emergency nurse pediatric course.
Lastly, those who had to make a trip to Desert View were favorable of the care they received. The patient satisfaction rate for Desert View Hospital was 90 percent last year, according to info compiled from hospital surveys.
Contact reporter Mick Akers at makers@pvtimes.com. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.