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At halftime, system is on track for incentive payout At the halfway point of the fiscal year (six months spanning July 1, 2012 to Dec. 31, 2012), University of Colorado Health met the financial threshold to trigger an incentive payout. Successes dot the system landscape: strong finances at UCH and Poudre Valley Health System; core-measure improvement at Memorial Hospital and climbing patient satisfaction scores. But six months of data show there is plenty of room for second-half improvement. >>More |
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Engagement party set for May University of Colorado Health will launch its first system-wide survey of employees beginning May 6. It's a shorter version of the Employee Opinion Survey familiar to many at UCH, but the purpose of the new "Employee Engagement Survey" is the same: identify areas of organizational strength and opportunities for improvement. Leaders say the survey can help system hospitals learn from one another. >>More |
Boston bomb blast shakes UCH marathoners In This Hospital Life: E. David Crawford, MD, and Suzanne Sortman, RN, were approaching the finish line of the Boston Marathon on a glorious day when two explosions shattered the calm and the lives of hundreds of people. Their account of an infamous event. Right: David Crawford's son Michael and his wife Katie huddle with son Rory in the wake of the blast. Plus: "What You Read." >>More |
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A delicate balance Nine months after the Aurora theater shootings brought nearly two dozen badly wounded victims to UCH, the memory still sears. Some of those who served so well find themselves returning frequently to the nightmarish events, drawn by other organizations hungry to learn how UCH responded so well to the crisis. Facilities Management Manager Pat Conroy, pictured at left, says recent events, including the Boston Marathon bombings, show that the need for disaster training and preparation is greater than ever. >>More |
Hiring boom continues at UCH Sluggish economy? Not here. With patient volumes strong, the new ED hopping and AIP 2 poised to open its doors, the hospital is in the midst of an ongoing hiring splurge. Human Resources has cast its net widely, attending conventions and job fairs, posting targeted ads and beefing up the hospital Web site to accommodate job seekers. Right: UCH nurse recruiter Betsy Slemmons was ready to talk up job opportunities at last month's Association of PeriOperative Registered Nurses congress. >>More |
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A boost for palliative care The hospital has landed a $10,000 Community Impact Project grant from the Livestrong Foundation. The funds, earned through an online voting process, will help defray the costs of applying for advanced certification in palliative care from the Joint Commission. The hospital is bidding to become the first in the state to hold the certification. >>More |
Seeking the mystery of stroke Each year, some 100,000 people suffer a stroke of unknown origin. Decades of data indicate the culprit could be a congenital defect known as a patent foramen ovale (PFO), a flap between the upper chambers of the heart that failed to close during infancy. The recently concluded RESPECT trial -- UCH was one of the sites -- tested nearly 1,000 patients with PFOs to see whether a tiny device designed to close the flap could prevent a second stroke. The results? Shades of gray. >>More |
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For one patient, a sense of closure Ken Kurdziel (left) was an otherwise healthy 48-year-old when he suffered a stroke with no known cause. After volunteering for the RESPECT clinical trial at UCH, he received an implanted device that closed the hole between the chambers of his heart. Seven years later, he's stroke free and living a normal life. But he says his real aim was to help advance medical science. >>More |
Doing the math for cancer patients A new trial at the University of Colorado Cancer Center aims to push the boundaries of personalized medicine. The goal: use genetics, biochemistry and math to more accurately predict the success of an individual patient's bladder cancer therapy. It's "smart, personalized medicine," says the Cancer Center's Tom Flaig, MD (right), national principal investigator for the trial, dubbed COXEN. >>More |
Scoreboard The latest on how we're doing in quality outcomes, patient satisfaction, and other data we use to compete with ourselves and measure our success. This issue: vanishing late charges; uncapped capacity. >>More |
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Providers head to China The month-long Group Study Exchange, organized by local Rotary, offers three UCH providers a unique opportunity to study Chinese culture and play a role in strengthening international relationships. Michelle Young of the Visage Center (second from far left) with be joined by physicians Nicole Kounalakis, MD (second from right) and Stephanie Chu, DO (far right). >>More |
Around UCH A roundup of goings-on, big and small, in and around the hospital. This issue: open enrollment for benefits on the horizon; Inpatient Pharmacy moves out (and in); campus police, pharmacists say, "gimme drugs"; Stroke Program reaches the top; more. >>More |
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Stage Set for Move to AIP 2 |
The expanded Cardiac and Vascular Center takes over a vastly enlarged space this weekend, while the Neuro and Cardiac ICUs move in May 6. Preparations have been underway for months to ensure staff have gotten the education and resources to make a smooth transition. Above: Neuro ICU staff conduct a "day-in-the-life" simulation in their new unit. >>Go |
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Engaged, not always Aligned |
The 2013 Provider Satisfaction Survey brought some positive news: scores were almost uniformly better than those from the survey in 2009. Providers also feel a strong connection to their work environment. But the survey also showed providers to be concerned about the hospital's commitment to communication. And scores lagged behind those of other academic medical centers in many areas. >>Go |
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Mammoth Menu Revision for FNS |
Every cook likes to change up the meal schedule every now and then, but Food and Nutrition Services has gone the extra mile -- and then some -- revamping hundreds of dishes it can plug into its five-week menu cycles. The emphasis is on fresh ingredients and singular spins on familiar items like barbecued chicken, beef pot pies, soups and mashed potatoes. >>Go |
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A Broader Vision for the Eye Center |
With a $2 million gift, the CU Eye Center looks to expand its research into retinal disease, a leading cause of blindness. Above: Executive Director Naresh Mandava, MD, a retinal disease specialist, is the first holder of the endowed chair created by the gift. >>Go |
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UCH in the News |
Testosterone and breast cancer; very bad cholesterol; a personal link to the Boston bomb blast, more. Mentions: Ilene Brandon; Ross Camidge; Antoneta Granic; James O. Hill; Brad McLain; Huntington Potter; Jennifer Richer; Comilla Sasson; Holly Wyatt; Richard Zane. >>Go |
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Dean Krugman's News |
The latest about what's going on at the School of Medicine. >>Go |
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