In The Caregiver portion of This Issue: Tips and Information for Open Notes, OI updates, and More!

Ketchikan in spotlight

Innovation program team at Ketchikan profiled by Catholic Health World

'Care coordination is broadly defined in rural Alaska'

The emphasis on using frontline care coordinators to address both psychosocial and clinical hurdles for patients is a central aspect of a patient care approach at PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center. This work is funded by a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Health Care Innovation Award.

PeaceHealth Ketchikan is one of 107 sites in the nation - and the only one in Alaska - to be chosen for the innovation grant. It was awarded a three-year, $3.2 million grant to find innovative ways to "provide better care, leading to better health, resulting in lower costs."

Read more at chausa.org.

Policy Update

The following policies are newly effective:

New PHMG System Policy

Multi-Dose Medication Vials - Handling and Disposal

(For education only until 2/19/15 when it becomes effective.)

Questions? Contact Deb Souki.

"Interim" PHMG System Policy

Pediatric Medication Administration

Questions? Contact Susan Vaughan

Find additional PHMG policies on the PHMG Policy page.

Patient Connection

Activations update

As of Feb. 12, there are 52,600 Patient Connection accounts.

Tips for activating patients

Videos to support CareConnect

(formerly Epic)

Tutorial videos

The most recent video is about using saved filters in Chart Review to find patient information quickly.

Using Filters to Find Information Fast (6:26)
Chronic Pain Flowsheet Tutorial (4:12)
What the Patient Sees (3:10)
What the Patient Sees, continued (3:31)

Video archive �

Bob Swanson, VP People & Culture, PHMG

More than 50 provider leaders from across the medical group came together at the Shared Services Center in Vancouver for our first Provider Leadership Retreat last week.

It was a long overdue opportunity to bring our valued leaders together to inform, engage, and express gratitude for accomplishments such as CareConnect optimization (enhanced user tools and training), and our Primary Care Transformation (PCT) assessment. Feel free to peruse pictures from the event.

Topics included:

Reviewing our operating plan for the coming fiscal year
Clarifying the role of Community and Associate Medical Directors by way of an open dialogue about challenges and where we can provide better support
Introducing the concept of an "Annual Professional Review" (in early March we'll communicate broadly about APRs)
Discussing enhancements, continued challenges and what's on the horizon for CareConnect
Updating on our financial performance

An aggressive agenda to say the least, but it truly was time well spent, and the passion and advocacy each of your leaders expressed on your behalf was inspiring.

Feel free to ask your Community and/or Associate Medical Director to share the highlights at an upcoming department meeting. Feedback from many who attended indicates this was time well spent.

I found the energy of collaboration renewing and in the spirit of what Beth O'Brien would say is our call to CareTogether.

Thanks to all of you for the care you provide to our patients and caregivers every day!

--Bob Swanson