Dr. Amar Munsiff - Clifton Springs Hospital and Clinic

Posted by Tom Breen

on Sep 18, 2013

The practice of medicine is constantly changing. Over the years, there have been many advances in technology, drugs, and treatments; but the process has changed dramatically as well. Today, President Pam Dean introduced us to Dr. Amar Munsiff, Vice-President of Medical Affairs at Clifton Springs Hospital and Clinic (CSHC). In the last 20 years, Dr. Munsiff has spent 10 years in basic science research and 10 years in clinical medicine, and he came to us today to discuss the services available at CSHC.

Dr. Munsiff pointed out that in those 20 years, much has changed in the way medicine is practiced and it continues to change rapidly. Clifton Springs Hospital has undergone a great deal of change in its approach to providing medical care for its patients. When Dr. Munsiff came on, the hospital’s staff was structured to handle triple its actual operations. Changes in health insurance coverage and tough economic times necessitated some layoffs and restructuring in order for the hospital to remain in business.

And, contrary to any rumors out there, staying in business is exactly what the hospital intends to do. Looking at it as a business, there are several hospitals in the area, so what does Clifton Springs have that could help a patient choose them over the others? As Dr. Munsiff said, their staff is their greatest asset, “but we have ducks, too,” referring to the heritage of the hospital, which was originally a sanitarium.

The sulfur spring, for which the Sanitarium, and later the Village, would be named, still feeds a brook that runs along the west border of the campus. The therapeutic properties of these waters are put to use today in The Springs Integrative Medicine Center & Spa, located on the first floor of the Hospital's main building.

The hospital has a “door to discharge” philosophy. This means that from the first visit to the emergency department, until the patient is discharged from the hospital, the same team of doctors follows that patient’s progress. This includes the ER doctor, the hospitalist, and the patient’s primary care doctor, all working together. There are other ways that communication between the hospital and primary care doctors has improved. For example, your primary care doctor can call the hospital and have you admitted over the phone. You could leave the doctor’s office, go to the hospital, and go directly to your hospital room.

In tough economic times hospitals, like any business, need to find ways to reduce costs without sacrificing patient care. To that end, many hospitals “team up” with each other, creating networks to share doctors and resources. Currently CSHC is in talks with Rochester General Health System to become an affiliate. This would put them in the same family with Rochester General Hospital and Newark-Wayne Community Hospital.

Services provided by Clifton Springs Hospital and Clinic include: internal medicine, family medicine, endocrinology, cardiology, cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, vascular surgery, orthopedic surgery, interventional radiology, and a wound care center. All of these specialties work together to provide care for their patients.

We’d like to thank Dr. Munsiff for taking the time to come speak to us today. In one way or another, most of us have had some experience with hospitals, and now we have a better understanding of the changing nature of hospital care.