第14回：スタートする

昨年12月1日に札幌柏葉会病院（柏葉会病院）と脳神経内科かしわば病院（神内かしわば）の２病院が同時に開院した。柏葉会病院は平岸での新築移転、神内かしわばは旧柏葉脳外科病院の母屋の居抜きというスタイルでスタートした。各々の病院の悲喜交々が詰まった半年間であった。柏葉会病院は同じ豊平区とはいえ住所が変わったことや新築による不安は少なくなかった。“患者さんは今まで通り来てくれるだろうか？”、“新病院の支出はいくらになるのであろうか？”、“職員が大量に離職しないだろうか？”などの心配は開院後もしばらくは続いていた。幸い救急車の台数、手術件数、入院患者数がこの半年間微増ではあるものの減少していないことを知り、少し緊張感がほぐれていく。しかし新たな医療機器のリースや割賦が見たことのないような医業費用を計上し、緊張感が増してくる。6月のボーナス後の離職者数が予想を大幅に下回り、また緊張感がほぐれていく。未だ悲喜交々は続いているものの 職員の表情は一様に明るく皆元気だ。その雰囲気が患者さんにも伝わり、1日でも早い回復を後押しできればいい。当法人は持続可能な病院づくりを目指している。そのためには職場環境はソフトもハードも整えることが重要だ。柏葉会病院ではハードは職員にも患者さんにも満足してもらえる環境を整えることができたと思う。これからはソフトをより一層充実させる策が必要になる。先日看護部が主体となり地域の他病院の看護部との合同研修会がスタートさせた。今まであるようでなかった研修の形態で素晴らしい企画であった。地域医療構想の一翼を担えたようでとても嬉しかった。

神内かしわばも悲喜交々の日々を過ごしている。地域にとっては新しい診療科の病院でありその周知に苦労している。簡易的ではあるが病棟階にクーラーを設置し、なんとかこの酷暑を患者さんと共に乗り越えられそうだ。手術室は閉鎖し、病棟も１病棟で運営しているにも関わらず水道光熱費が下がらないのは驚きであった。職員の人数が少なく職員同士の距離は近い。その分摩擦も起きやすいがリハビリの職員が看護師の仕事を当たり前のように手伝っている姿を見るとタスクシフトなどという言葉はこの病院には必要ないと思う。神内かしわばには今後ハードの整備が必要である。

2018年4月に院長を拝命した時に、病院新築を職員に約束した。2021年、コロナの真最中に新築準備が始まり、2023年5月に着工、2024年10月に竣工、そして12月1日に開院の運びとなった。院長としての仕事には区切りがついたと考えている。先日後任の院長として副院長の中山若樹先生を指名、院内で発表した。健全な組織を維持するためには健全な世代交代が必要というのも私の大切な公約である。8月31日をもって私の院長職は終了となる。そして院長ブログは理事長ブログにバトンタッチされる。

Director's blog
Episode 14： Start

On December 1st of last year, two hospitals simultaneously opened: Sapporo Hakuyo-kai Hospital (Hakuyo-kai Hospital) and Kashiwaba Neurology Hospital (Shinnai Kashiwaba).

Hakuyo-kai Hospital moved to a new building in Hiragishi, while Shinnai Kashiwaba opened in the former main building of the Kashiwaba Neurosurgery Hospital.

It's been a six-month period filled with laughter and tears for each hospital.

Hakuyo-kai Hospital will continue to be located in Toyohira Ward, but there have been many concerns about the change of address and the new building. Concerns such as "Will patients continue to come as before?", "How much will the new hospital cost?", and "Will there be mass staff turnover?" continued for some time after the hospitals opened. Fortunately, the number of ambulances, surgeries, and inpatients has increased slightly over the past six months, but has not decreased, which has eased some of my tension. However, medical expenses have increased to unprecedented levels due to leasing fees and installment payments for medical equipment, which added to my new anxieties. However, the number of employees resigning after the June bonus payments was significantly lower than expected, which eased my tension once again. Currently, there are still mixed emotions, but all of our staff members look cheerful and full of energy. I hope that the positive attitude of our staff will be conveyed to our patients and help them recover as quickly as possible. Our organization aims to create a sustainable hospital. To achieve this, I believe it is important to create a fulfilling work environment in both tangible and intangible aspects. At Hakuyo-kai Hospital, I believe we have created a tangible environment that satisfies both staff and patients. Going forward, we need to further improve the software side of things.Going forward, we will need to take steps to further enhance our practical aspects. Recently, our nursing department took the initiative in launching a joint training session with nursing departments from other local hospitals. This was a wonderful initiative and an unprecedented form of training, and I was very pleased to feel that we were able to contribute to this community medical initiative.

Shinnai Kashiwaba Hospital is also experiencing a mixture of joy and sadness.

As a hospital specializing in a new medical specialty not available in the area, they are working hard to raise awareness. Simple air conditioners have been installed in the wards to help the hospital and patients cope with the extreme heat. On the other hand, I was surprised that utility costs had not decreased, even though the operating room had been closed and there was only one ward. Also, with a small staff size and staff members living close to each other, friction would normally be likely to arise, but seeing the rehabilitation staff helping the nurses with their work as if it were the most natural thing in the world made me feel that the term "task shifting" was unnecessary. At Shinnai Kashiwaba Hospital, it is necessary to continue working to improve our facilities.

When I was appointed director in April 2018, I promised all staff that we would build a new hospital. Then, amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, preparations for the construction of the new hospital began in 2021. Construction began in May 2023, was completed in October 2024, and the hospital opened on December 1st of that year.

I believe this marks the end of my duties as director. And the other day, I appointed Vice Director Naoki Nakayama as my successor, and announced this internally. It is an important promise to me that a healthy generational change is essential to maintaining a healthy organization.

My term as Director will end on August 31st. After that, the Director's Blog will be taken over by the President's Blog.

                                                                                    HAKUYOKAI　　　　  　　　　　　  

President/CEO   Shunsuke Terasaka