The Porter Adventist Hospital legacy began 85 years ago

85 years ago, Henry Porter recognized the value in holistic health care after receiving treatment at two Seventh-day Adventist Sanitariums. His experiences at these sanitariums changed his life, and the face of health care in Denver, forever.

The treatment he received in both facilities was unlike anything he had experienced before. State-of-the-art hydrotherapy, coupled with remarkable kindness and a focus on healthful living was revolutionary in Henry's day. Even more remarkable was a letter Henry received from the bookkeeping clerk at the Paradise Valley Sanitarium. The clerk sent an apology for overcharging Mr. Porter and enclosed a forty-five cent refund check.

The care he received left such an impact on him that he became committed to opening a similar facility in Denver, CO. Today Porter Adventist Hospital along with its sister facilities, continues to apply the same philosophy of care in treating the mind, body and spirit.

Porter Adventist Hospital is proud of this major milestone and asks that you join in the celebration through the numerous events listed below. In addition, commemorative items will also be displayed throughout the hospital, highlighting and honoring the impact Porter’s history has had on our organization. We are excited to continue building on Henry Porter’s legacy for years to come. 

Known for its compassion, Porter Adventist Hospital was founded in 1930 on a promise that it would nourish the physical, mental and spiritual health of the community. Guided by a calling to bring science and spirit together, Porter also is widely recognized for providing excellent care in many complex specialty areas, including heart, cancer, transplant, joint replacement, spine, diabetes and hand and eye care.

By the Numbers

• 1,429 associates
• 936 affiliated physicians
• 368 licensed beds
• 10,026 annual admissions*
• 25,204 annual emergency room visits*
• $1.9M uncompensated and charity care provided annually*

*For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2016

Distinctive Services

• Porter's award-winning, full-service Heart and Vascular Institute offers screenings, diagnostics, chest pain evaluation center, cardiac catheterization lab, electrophysiology lab, open-heart surgery program, and the heart success line---an outpatient follow-up program for congestive heart failure patients, as well as rehabilitation and prevention services.
• The Porter Cancer Care Center offers standard comprehensive services, PET-CT diagnostic scanning, advanced radiation therapy, genetic counseling, complimentary therapies and more. The Porter Cancer Care Center is nationally accredited by the American College of Surgeons and the American College of Radiology.
• The Porter Center for Joint Replacement is one of the largest programs in the region. It has an international reputation for research and surgical excellence.
• The Porter Breast Center is a full-service program offering interventional treatments for breast cancer. This center features a full-time nurse specialist as well as a dedicated breast radiologist who is fellowship trained in breast and women's imaging.
• Porter's transplant program has performed more than 2,000 organ transplants, including kidney, kidney/pancreas and liver transplants since its inception in 1986.

Community and Patient Resources

• Porter Hospital offers help finding a provider through CenturaConnect Find a Provider at 888-776-0414. To speak to a nurse, call our CenturaConnect Nurseline at 888-808-8828.
• The Porter Hospital Foundation supports the important work of the hospital. To give a gift, visit Porter Hospital Foundation.

At Porter Adventist Hospital, patient safety and clinical quality is always our top priority and our single most important job.

We uphold and enforce the highest medical standards, the most rigorous clinical requirements, and we maintain an unwavering commitment to patient safety. As one of only six Colorado hospitals to receive the 2013 Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award™, Porter Adventist Hospital patients are:

• Less to experience hip fracture following surgery*
• Less likely to experience pressure sores or bed sores*
• Less likely to experience a catheter-related bloodstream infections*

In addition to this outstanding achievement, Porter Adventist Hospital is also one of the few hospitals in the Denver area to have earned an "A" for patient safety by The Leap Frog Group, has been ranked as one of the top three hospitals in the state by U.S. News and World Report for 2013-14, and has been recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Magnet™ hospital for outstanding nursing care.

Porter Adventist Hospital's full CMS safety record can be viewed at medicare.gov/hospitalcompare

*Statistics are provided by the 2013 Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award™ report furnished by Healthgrades, Inc. Additional information, methodologies and statistics are available at Health Grades, Inc.

At Porter Adventist Hospital, our philosophy creates an environment where nurses are respected, trained and equipped to provide the highest level of patient care. We believe that when nurses are skilled, confident and satisfied with their career, patients outcomes improve; and that truly is the best of science and spirit.

We invite you to discover nursing at its best.

Nursing at Porter Adventist Hospital

At Porter Adventist Hospital, we demonstrate excellence in nursing practice through the outcomes of our patients, partnerships with our physicians, and service to our community.

As evidence of our commitment to nursing excellence, we have been awarded the prestigious Magnet Designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). This designation is the highest level of recognition that ANCC can extend to a hospital and the nurses who practice there. It is a distinction only the top five percent of hospitals have received. The presence of a professional practice environment for nurses is the foundation for excellent patient outcomes and high nursing engagement characteristic of Magnet hospitals. We are so proud of the nurses who practice here.

Our vision at Porter Adventist Hospital is to embody "the best of science and spirit," a mission we proudly display to our community. Our primary focus is nursing excellence, but our journey will also reflect transformational leadership, shared governance and teamwork, exemplary professional practice, use of new knowledge, innovation, and research all verified through documented outcomes of patient care.

Porter Adventist Hospital recognizes the critical role these qualities play in creating an environment where our nurses collaborate with physicians and other clinicians as members of an empowered team that seeks excellence for every patient who comes to Porter Adventist Hospital for care.

NICHE

Porter Adventist hospital has recently earned the NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Health System Elders) designation, which recognizes the hospital’s commitment to excellence in geriatric care. Through Porter’s participation in the NICHE program — a leading elder care nursing program — we are able to offer evidence-based, interdisciplinary approaches promoting better outcomes, positive experiences, and improved care for older adults. This leads to greater satisfaction rates for patients, families and staff.

Shared Governance

Porter Adventist Hospital Nursing Division supports a shared decision making model. Our council model consists of the following councils: Nursing Practice Council, Professional Development Council, Advanced Practice Nurse Council, Evidence-Based Practice and Research Council, Clinical Management Council and Shared Leadership Council.

The Nursing Practice Council... 
has oversight for promotion of excellence and quality in the practice of nursing at Porter Adventist Hospital. The NPC translates empowerment, responsibility, and accountability to the clinical nurses. Members of the Nurse Practice Council represent each of their respective nursing units.

The NPC defines, approves, implements, and maintains a standard of practice in which clinical excellence and optimal patient care are promoted through shared governance. The Council works to ensure all practice and patient care decisions are consistent with evidence-based practice and professional standards.

The Professional Development Council...
promotes educational initiatives that create a learning organization and enhance the education and development of PAH associates. In addition, council members facilitate specialty development and career advancement for PAH employees. Membership of the PDC includes Advanced Practice Nurses, general staff development educators, and unit-based clinical educators.

The PDC will focus on facilitating needs assessment and competency processes, along with highlighting innovative educational resources and technology that will ensure associates learn in the most effective manner. In addition, council members will facilitate specialty development and career advancement for PAH employees.

The Advanced Practice Nurse Council...
enhances and promotes Advance Practice Nursing (APN) at Porter Hospital through leadership, education, research, and collaboration/consultation. This Council promotes the opportunity for growth of advanced practice nurses, along with leadership, through identification of areas for improvement and their resolutions within this diverse group of clinicians. The Council serves as an advisory council to the Senior Administration Team.

The Evidence-Based Practice and Research Council...
supports evidence-based practice and nursing research as two critical elements basic to the provision of nursing care at Porter Adventist Hospital. The Council aims to increase the ability of all nursing staff to provide evidence-based care, to increase the involvement of the nursing staff in nursing research and to facilitate nursing research at Porter Adventist Hospital. Members of the EBP council include staff nurses, nursing leadership and interdisciplinary members.

The Clinical Management Council...
defines, approves, implements, and maintains fiscal and human resource accountability for the practice of clinical excellence and optimal patient care through shared governance. Membership of the management council includes representatives from all levels of nursing leadership and clinical representation.

The Shared Governance Leadership Council...
coordinates projects and efforts of all Councils, working toward consensus of identifying priorities to support excellence in collaborative patient care through shared governance. Membership of this council consists of chairs of each of the shared governance council. The CNO facilitates the shared governance model as the chair of this council.

Student Placement Resources

Porter Adventist Hospital provides valuable learning experiences and opportunities for professional growth for students. We partner with numerous academic institutions in support of building the next generation of nurses. Academic partners can access the required forms for student placement and subsequent forms below.

Academic Institution Responsibilities

• Required form for requesting student placements.
  • Request For Student Placements - Porter Adventist Hospital
  • Email the completed form

After placements have been approved please review and complete all appropriate documentation.

Important Documents for Reference for Clinical Rotations

• Student Policy
• Instructions for student nurses and instructors: how to log on and use online Centura Meditech Training Modules
• Process for Obtaining Instructor/Student Codes & Computer Training
• Porter Adventist Hospital Map

Required Documents for Clinical Rotations

Academic Institutions are required to submit the following documents by email 30 days prior to each clinical rotation/practicum.

• Porter Adventist Hospital Attestation Roster
• AD Account Request

Required Documents for 1^st Day

Instructors are required to submit the following documents to the education department on the 1^st day of the clinical rotation.

• Porter Adventist Hospital Confidentiality Agreement
• First Day Safety Orientation Check-off List
• New Pyxis User Account Confirmation Form
• Pyxis Training Checklist
• (Also required on-site Pyxis Tutorial Certificate)

Student to complete Clinical Scholar/Clinical Instructor Evaluation and Evaluation of Clinical Experience on the last day of the clinical rotation.

Evaluation of Clinical Scholar/Instructor by Student

Evaluation of PAH by Student

Magnet™ Recognition

Porter Adventist Hospital has achieved Magnet™ designation for excellence in nursing services by the American Nurses Credential Center's (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®, the largest and most prominent nursing credentialing organization in the United States. Porter is the first hospital in the Centura Health system to achieve this national status.

The Magnet™ designation places Porter among health care organizations that demonstrate excellence in nursing practice and adherence to national standards for the organization and delivery of nursing services. Porter completed a rigorous evaluation that includes extensive interviews and review of nursing services. Research shows there are clear benefits to hospitals that are awarded Magnet status and to the communities they serve:

• Healthcare consumers have more confidence in the overall quality of a hospital if it has achieved the level of excellence established by the Magnet Recognition Program.
• Magnet designated facilities consistently outperform other facilities in recruiting and retaining nurses resulting in increased stability in patient care and patient satisfaction.
• Because quality nursing is one of the most important factors in enlisting high caliber physicians and specialists, Magnet status becomes an attractive force that extends to the entire facility.

Careers

Porter Adventist Hospital is a leading provider of innovative and advanced services in the areas of specialty surgery and complex medicine, serving local patients as well as those referred from a multi-state region. Porter is recognized for excellence in oncology, advanced cardiac services -- including minimally-invasive robotic heart surgery -- and a specialized head and neck surgery program. Porter's specialty surgical services include a leading transplant center for kidney, pancreas and liver.

In 2009 and again in 2013, Porter achieved Magnet designation for excellence in nursing services by the American Nurses Credential Center's (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®.

Our Services Include: 

• Colorado's largest joint replacement program and a world-class spine institute
• Full-service cardiac care from screening and prevention to post-surgery rehabilitation
• Emergency department including a 30-minute service promise and rapid triage program
• Comprehensive imaging services to support the complex clinical programs include 3T MRI, 64 slice CT, PET/CT scanner, and digital mammography
• Comprehensive behavioral health services from inpatient care to partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient services that continue to meet the mental health care needs of the Denver community.