FAIRMONT– Dr. Kendra Kamlitz, Medical Director at Mayo Clinic Health System in Fairmont and St. James, provided an update for the facility Wednesday evening at Bureau 14.

Bureau 14 is a monthly professional networking event for business people in Martin County. It’s put on by the Fairmont Area Chamber of Commerce and typically features a guest speaker. Wednesday’s meeting took place at the Ranch Restaurant.

Kamlitz shared that she’s been medical director since the summer when she took over after Dr. Marie Morris retired from the position.

Kamlitz first spoke about some of the accolades Mayo in Fairmont has recently received.

“Last spring, Fairmont became eligible for Leapfrog rating, which is a nationally recognized way to evaluate hospitals. This was the first year Fairmont was eligible and we received an A grade right out of the gate,” Kamlitz said.

It’s done bi-annually and in the fall Fairmont also received an A grade.

In July, the Center for Medicare Services gave the facility four out of five stars for its patient experience rating. It was also ranked 22nd out of 268 rural community hospitals by Vizient, Inc.

“We were also recognized as one of the best hospitals for maternity care by Leapfrog. Out of 259 hospitals that were recognized nationwide, Fairmont was one of them,” Kamlitz said.

She also spoke about Mayo’s 2030 plan, as it plans in 10 year increments. A key phrase is to be a category 1 across Mayo enterprise.

“How we see that here in Fairmont is we want to be the best, with no comparable experience when it comes to caring for people, especially in a rural setting,” Kamlitz said.

To achieve this, Kamlitz said they need to be innovative and keep up with the times, especially in terms of technology. However, she noted that rural healthcare has its own challenges but that’s it’s important to include and reach all patients.

Kamlitz said Mayo has been using some new technology. She said kiosks have recently rolled out and that they’ve also been introducing more virtual offerings.

“The portal is part of it, but through the portal there’s more access for virtual visits including with nursing staff and consultants,” Kamlitz said.

Especially with recent inclement weather, she said when people haven’t been able to travel, they’ve been able to do virtual visits with patients in their own homes.

“It’s definitely not the same as in person but definitely a nice thing to have,” Kamlitz said.

Mayo is also using a variety of new care models. In the last few years, Kamlitz said they’ve reevaluated how they deliver nursing care on the floor and they’ve opted for more of a team-based approach.

Another big focus of Mayo in Fairmont is recruiting providers. Kamlitz said they have a number of open positions right now due to retirements and departures. Some openings include in orthopedics, ophthalmology and family medicine.

Kamlitz said the last few years have been hard on providers and all staff and that people are stretched thin trying to care for patients. She said this year they want to work on improving and maintaining the culture of collegiality and home at work mentality that Fairmont has had.

Hospitals are currently full and Fairmont is no exception. She said people may experience longer wait times because of this and that they’re still short on beds.

“We are experiencing staffing shortages still. Nurses have burnt out and other staff have burnt out,” Kamlitz said.

She also pointed out that during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, many people weren’t seeking care and that the trend has continued for a variety of reasons.

“What that results in, is when we do have patients coming in seeking care, they’re sicker. They need more care and more time,” Kamlitz said.

To combat these issues, they’re recruiting and utilizing some of the other tools she previously mentioned to help patients. There is also a bed optimization program in the region in which Mayo Clinic Health System- Mankato has reserved beds for critical categories of patients

“We’re asking for awareness and also asking for help in educating others and spreading the word that our facilities are full and we would appreciate some grace as we work through this trying time,” Kamlitz said.