Atmore Community Hospital Administrator Bill Perkins said that he set a high bar for Infirmary Health officials, when Infirmary Health began the official process of taking over the hospital’s management on June 1.

“I had very high expectations and was anticipating a smooth transition,” Perkins said. “But it went even smoother than I’d hoped.”

Perkins said that every computer system in the hospital had to be converted from Baptist Health Care to Infirmary Health — laboratory, nursing, accounting and more. Infirmary Health information technology (IT) staff were on site through the last week of June, assisting with any problems during the transition.

And although the Mobile-based IT staff members have since left Atmore, they are still available as part of a 24/7 support system.

“At one point, we had as many as 50 Infirmary Health support staff here on site,” Perkins said.

Perkins said that there were some longer patient wait times occasionally, due to the learning curve of the new systems and other issues. However, he pointed out that the hospital has quickly taken steps to resolve those issues.

“We’ve brought in additional resources, both in staffing and equipment, in order to get those wait times down,” he said. “We’re back down to a reasonable timeframe, there. Anytime our customers have to wait, that’s something that we take seriously and look for a way to alleviate the problem as soon as we can.”

Perkins said that the hospital is still working through the transition, but discussions are already underway for other services that ACH can provide. He said it is possible that the hospital may be able to provide mental health services in the future.

Also, he noted that ACH is always trying to bring in additional specialists to meet needs that are not currently being addressed.

“Our goal is keep our folks here in town from having to drive that extra hour to Mobile or Pensacola for medical care,” he said. “We want them to be able to get great care right here at home.”

The transition has meant additional changes — some visible and some more subtle. The hospital changed its emergency room management from ESS of Dallas, Texas, to TeamHealth, which is the same company Infirmary Health uses at its Mobile and Bay Minette facilities. Also, ACH changed its housekeeping services from Gulf Coast Enterprises to HHS, which is also taking over food service.

“They are the same partner used at D.W. McMillan in Brewton,” Perkins said. “They were recommended to us by Chris Griffin and the team there.”

Perkins also noted that the hospital recently began using Epic electronic health record software, which is considered the best in the country.

The transition has been positively received so far, Perkins said. He noted that the hospital’s patient visits are up — as an example, radiology visits were up 10.4 percent in June compared to May.

“Our focus is to be here for the community, both now and in the future,” he said. “Our goal is not just to survive, but to thrive.”

Perkins said he has also been very impressed by Infirmary Health as a company. The company held a picnic for ACH employees prior to the June 1 transition date, and Perkins said that he noticed CEO Mark Nix staying behind to help clean up at the end of the event.

“That really resonated with me, that their CEO was there helping to break down tables and chairs,” Perkins said. “They’re just really nice people, and we’re excited to have them join our family.”