Each year we here at TORCH try to do things a little better and 2008 was no exception. The Board during its strategic planning expressed a desire to bring each of the organizations under the TORCH umbrella closer together and to communicate to the members the benefits and services that are available through both the TORCH Foundation and TORCH Management Services. These organizations grew and matured considerably over the years, but they also were seen as entities that were not closely aligned with the mission and vision of the parent association. After thoroughly considering the attributes that make each entity valuable to rural and community hospitals it was decided that the foundation and our management services company needed to be more closely associated with TORCH both administratively and from a sales and marketing perspective.
The first step in the process was the development of a trio of logos that will ensure that rural hospitals in Texas understand the close association that each of these organizations has with one another. The TORCH Foundation, which plays a major role in grant funding, program development and I.T. related services for rural hospitals, has become successful at creating common sense solution that are either subsidized or highly leveraged so that even the smallest hospitals can afford to take advantage of emerging opportunities and best-in-class technologies. TORCH Management Solutions or TMSI is a full-fledged rural hospital consulting company that provides a wide menu of services including: operational assessments and evaluation, strategic planning, executive-level searches and vendor endorsement. Now both of these companies share the TORCH logo, so that you can be sure that you will receive the same amount of care for your individual needs and quality of service that you have come to expect from TORCH.
Now, we invite you to visit our new Web sites for TORCH, TORCH Foundation and TORCH Management Services. The development of these new up-to-date online resources is a pain-staking process and it is far from over. However, you will notice right away that the goal has been to collect every available piece of relevant material for rural hospital administrators, staff and trustees and put it in one place so that you no longer have to waste valuable time searching for the information you need most. There is extensive information about the three organizations that bear the TORCH name, but also rural health policies, data and statistics to help you make a presentation, digest a rural health issue or apply for your next grant. We hope that you will all avail yourselves of this new member service. It’s been a long time coming, but we are well-prepared to soon celebrate 20-years of service to rural and community hospitals in Texas with a new look and a commitment to combining the strengths of these three great organizations.
Visit www.torchnet.org and there you will find at the very top, links to www.torchnet.org/foundation and www.torchnet.org/tmsi. Please provide us your feedback and be sure to tell us if you know of any information that would be useful to include in this new comprehensive Texas rural health resource.
