VHP Web Site Update
January was the kick off of the new VHP web site. Of course, like most new things, there are some kinks. We are in the process of ironing out these kinks and are hopeful that our exciting new interavtive web site will be kinkless soon!
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Please be sure to contact Kristina M. Harrison with any issues you may have while interacting with our website.
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Congratulations Munson!
HealthGrades announced America's 50 Best Hospitals Report that ranked the top 5% in the nation as Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence.
Congratulations to Munson Healthcare for their accomplishments as one of three hospitals achieving this recognition in the state of Michigan.
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Please view your group's calendar in the members area of the VHP web site to get upcoming events. |
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Paul is part of VHP's Government Affairs team and is the VP & General Counsel for Munson Healthcare. Paul helped raise money by taking the plunge for Special Olympics.
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Advocacy
February 17 VHP Legislative Luncheon
 After the VHP board meeting on February 17, we met with the VHP caucus at a luncheon. In total, 42 legislators and staffers attended. We discussed our goals of:
· Disproportionate Share (DSH): Reinstituting the DSH pool for our members. Governor Granholm wiped out the small $5M DSH pool during last budget year while keeping intact the $45M DSH pool for southeast Michigan.
· Certificate of Need (CON): The Certificate of Need program has kept healthcare costs down in Michigan by having a process reviewed by a panel for new building and large equipment purchases. Our members support the work of CON.
· Individual Market Reform (IMR) : Michigan will need to reassess IMR given the potential Washington health care reform. Health care providers and hospitals will potentially have new payors in the marketplace and an increased role by the federal government as a regulator. Michigan may need to evaluate the individual market and determine a remedy, if needed. |
Diabetes Education
The diabetes educators are exploring a different model of providing education to patients diagnosed with diabetes. The Medical Network One Company has both group education and travel teams. The travel teams go to the physician's office and provide chronic disease education. Conditions include diabetes, metabolic syndrome, asthma, depression, heart disease, lung disease and lower back pain. The physician's office qualifies as a designated medical home with these services. The model is an independent business separate from the hospital.
As the prevalence of diabetes rises and the attendance at group classes decreases, many patients are left without the needed information to manage their disease. Medical Network One is a different model we are exploring. If you'd like to visit their website, click here: Medical Network One. |
Value Maximization
Clinical Dashboards - 5 Additions Including Sepsis
On February 22, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine* demonstrated that sepsis and pneumonia caused by hospital acquired infections killed 48,000 patients, cost $8.1 billion and consumed 2.3 million additional hospital days in 2006.
Key findings included:
· Patients who developed sepsis after surgery stayed in the hospital 11 days longer and cost an average of $33,000 per person to treat with an attributed mortality of 19.5%.
· Patients who developed pneumonia after surgery stayed in the hospital 14 days longer and cost an average of $46,000 per person to treat with a mortality of 11.4%.
The VHP Value Maximization Team is sharing processes of care for the prevention of post operative pneumonia and urinary tract infections in the Surgical Hip Fracture Collaborative, two of the potentially avoidable costly complications that can cross all disease conditions. The Team also has added five clinical dashboards in February with Sepsis as one of the conditions for the 2010 work plan.
*Clinical Economic Outcomes Attributable to Healthcare Associated Sepsis and Pneumonia, Eber M, Latminarayan R, Perencevich E and Malani A, Archives of Internal Medicine 170(4) pp. 347-353.
VHP Physician Leadership Roundtable
 The VHP Physician Leadership Roundtable was held on February 3, 2010. Dr. Barry Silbaugh MD, MS, FACPE, CEO of American College of Physician Executives presented a thought provoking presentation highlighting Richard I. Cook and David D. Woods (1994) Ohio State University "blunt end-sharp end" model of organizational design for quality and safety accountability demonstrating the case for interdisciplinary teamwork for high reliability in a complex, high risk system. The blunt end is the senior leadership and board level and the sharp end is the patient care interface. Physician leaders need the ability to translate fluidly between both ends to affect change.
Roundtable discussion included future programmatic educational goals including communication and listening skills, teamwork, visioning, integrating high reliability science, accountability, just culture and development of physician leadership training programs for clinicians and medical directors.
"I learned a lot from hearing other systems discuss their challenges. We've got the same challenges and appreciate ideas on solving them," Dr. Jon Lake, Allegiance Health.
Dr. Silbaugh's presentation is available for review on the VHP website under All VHP documents in the members area.
Value
Adaptable
Leading Edge
Uncompromising
Excellence |
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