 FOCUS 2015 bi-weekly update
New patient care model announced - Changes ensure consistent care across metro hospitals
Saint Luke's Health System is rolling out transformational changes to our comprehensive patient care model that assure we are providing the same level of care across all of our metro facilities.
"As part of these changes, we are standardizing roles, responsibilities, and processes to align with level of care, while providing additional flexibility and the resources of a single central float pool and single central staffing office for SLHS," Kathy Howell, R.N., SLHS senior vice president and chief nursing executive. "Our goal is to create one integrated care model that will enable us to better deliver high-quality, cost-efficient patient care."
Ensuring the highest quality care for all SLHS patients,
Saint Luke's nursing leaders evaluated the organizational structure, volume, patient type, and number of patients cared for at similar-sized hospitals with similar case mixes as our Saint Luke's metro hospitals to create benchmarks for comparison.
In addition to benchmarking Saint Luke's hospitals against our regional peers, the team also compared our care models at each of our own hospitals and found varying nurse-to-patient ratios, nursing assistant-to-patient ratios, and other inconsistencies.
With our FOCUS 2015 goal of ensuring consistent, high-quality care across our organization, the team created new uniform standards for the care model in Medical/Surgical, Intermediate, High-Acuity Intermediate, ICU, NICU, Mother/Baby Units, and Emergency services at our four metro hospitals. Patient care guidelines will also become consistent across all hospitals. These changes go into effect Nov. 5.
Many units were already meeting benchmarks, while other units will have new opportunities to match their staff with patient demand. The goal is to manage patient care as a system, rather than as a unit or a single hospital.
Other changes as a result of the new care model include:- The "nursing assistant" role, which had varying titles at our metro entities, will now be known as nursing assistant (NA) across the system. A consistent job description will also be implemented.
- The "information assistant" role, which also had varying titles across the metro entities, will now be known as information assistant (IA) across the system with a consistent job description.
- Managers will have access to new data from KRONOS and the Central Staffing Office that will help determine optimum staffing levels for each unit while maintaining SLHS's standards for high quality, patient-centered care. For some units, this may mean the creation of new shifts, instead of relying on the traditional 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. model, and other standards.
- These changes give SLHS the opportunity to ensure our Shared Governance and Clinical Ladders are consistent across the health system and reward our staff for their activities that enhance patient care.
If you work in a clinical area, your manager will share more details about these changes. If you have questions, please ask your manager, send an email to the FOCUS 2015 email box, or call Saint Luke's Concierge at 816-932-5100.
Central Staffing and Float Pool changes
Saint Luke's Health System has announced the implementation of a nursing central staffing office and float pool that will serve all four metro SLHS hospitals beginning Nov. 5. In the spirit of our FOCUS 2015 initiatives, these changes are designed to better meet staffing needs and to ensure consistency at all metro hospitals.
"By investing in the talents of our own nursing staff instead of agency nurses, we believe we will best serve our patients," said Kathy Howell, R.N., SLHS senior vice president and chief nursing executive.
The goals of the projects are to:- Implement a system-wide float pool of nurses and support staff who will have the ability to float between Saint Luke's locations
- Implement a system-wide central staffing office that uses current data and technology to ensure we have the right number of nursing staff in place to meet patient demand
- Decrease our reliance on agency nurses
- Ensure quality patient care by utilizing Saint Luke's Health System staff
The new staffing model allows for onsite staffing flexibility to respond to sudden surges in the census and emergent situations. Beginning Nov. 5 every metro hospital will have:
- Access to the centralized system float pool
- Critical response R.N. available 24/7. The critical response nurses will respond to code blue, rapid response, code STEMI, and code NEURO activations. They will also be available to provide critical care expertise.
- Surge R.N. available 24/7. These nurses will be cross-trained in many areas and will surge in and out of departments based on patient demand.
- House supervisors 24/7 to manage resources
Central staffing office
Saint Luke's Health System's Central Staffing Office is using new technology and predictive analytics to monitor staffing and ensure the right number of nurses are available based on patient census. This office will monitor patient census every four hours, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Using new tracking tools, managers will be better prepared to schedule staffing to align with anticipated patient census.
Protocols for clinical staff calling in for illness or other absences are being refined to be consistent across the system.
Centralized float pool
Nurses who were formerly part of float pools at individual metro hospitals are now part of a system-wide float pool. Float pool nurses will be able to choose to "float" to departments at one Saint Luke's hospital, two hospitals, or all four metro hospitals. General orientation, nursing orientation, levels of care orientation, and unit orientation are being standardized at all metro locations to enable nurses to be prepared to work at any metro location.
Directors and managers learned more information about the changes to the Central Staffing Office and the Central Float Pool at a training session Oct. 23 and have shared details with their teams.
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Epic implementation timeline announced
Saint Luke's announced plans for implementation of the new electronic health record system, Epic, during a meeting of health system leadership on Oct. 31. Design and build of the Epic system will take place throughout 2013, and will go live first quarter 2014 for metro hospitals (including Crittenton, Cushing, and Smithville). When complete, implementation will include the following systems: inpatient clinical, inpatient revenue cycle, ambulatory clinical/revenue cycle, regional facilities' clinical/revenue cycle, and home care.
"Epic furthers our goals to provide effective IT solutions that support health care reform provisions like Meaningful Use, as well as our own FOCUS 2015 initiatives," said Debe Gash, vice president and chief information officer. "This is a system that will meet the needs of the clinical community at Saint Luke's, our patients, and staff. We've developed a project implementation that is well-planned and fast-paced."
Once it was determined that McKesson did not meet the system's future direction, a thorough review of vendors involved hundreds of physicians, clinical staff, and employees and more than 98 onsite demonstrations. Once Epic was selected, the Information Services team began designing the implementation plan that will start in January. Epic's systems are in place at more than 1,100 hospitals and 14,500 clinics across the world.
"I'm very excited for SLHS to be implementing Epic," said Carl Dirks, M.D., chief medical information officer. "They have a really well-engineered product that I think doctors and nurses will love."
Guiding principles for the Epic implementation project include:
- Commitment to quality and patient safety
- Well-planned and efficient implementation
- Integrated systems and standardized procedures
- Frequent communication targeted to those who need it most
- Collaborative and creative problem-solving
- Timely, definitive decision-making
"We will finish the planning and training stages for the metro facilities before the end of the year and will begin the first phase of design and build in the first quarter of 2013," said Todd Hatton, chief applications officer. "We'll be communicating throughout the process so that everyone understands when changes will take place."
Support for Horizon Clinicals will continue uninterrupted - although most of the support will be outsourced during this time, as Saint Luke's Information Services staff works on the Epic implementation.
Questions about the new system can be directed to the Epic Leadership Team via email at Epicslhs@saint-lukes.org. Further information can be found on Sharepoint, under the SLHS Site Epic Implementation, or by clicking here.
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Dr. Gaddis presents at international conference
Gary Gaddis, M.D., Ph.D., recently spoke at the 1st Pan Pacific  Emergency Medicine Congress, held in Seoul, South Korea. He spoke on the topics "How to review manuscripts and abstracts" and "Clinical decision-making in the Emergency Department."
Dr. Gaddis was among approximately 20 Americans invited to speak at the international congress, devoted to improving the quality of emergency medicine in east Asia.
Dr. Gaddis is the Saint Luke's/Missouri Endowed Chair for Emergency Medicine.
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Environmental Services now has 24/7 dedicated line
To provide better and faster service, Environmental Services has established a 24/7 Cisco line (ext. 26646) which is carried by a manager or coordinator at all times.
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SLNI nurses present at national meeting
 | | Mary Fowler and Tracy Wheeler, SLNI nurses, with their poster at the Neurocritical Care Society meeting in Denver. |
Saint Luke's Neuroscience Institute nurses Mary Fowler, Donna Hunt, and Tracy Wheeler presented a poster on an innovative treatment at the Neurocritical Care Society meeting in Denver in October.
The poster shared the results of SLNI's innovative treatment for a patient who was suffering from postpartum cerebral angiopathy and facing severe illness or death. After trying every conventional and aggressive treatment possible, the team found an alternative treatment. They identified a solution that resulted in immediate positive results and a nearly full recovery.
Based on an extensive review of the literature, no other facility has use the same treatment for as many days.
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Nurse celebrates Halloween by wearing pinning ceremony dress
Paige Moore, R.N., Heart Transplant Unit, celebrated Halloween by wearing the dress she wore to her pinning ceremony 19 years ago when she graduated from nursing school at Kansas Newman College in Wichita, KS (now known as Newman University).
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Making a difference
Employees going above and beyond
Each and every day our dedicated and passionate employees make a difference in the lives of our patients, visitors, and colleagues. We would like to highlight some of those stories. If you have a colleague you would like to recognize, please send the employee's name and how they made a difference to slhrounds@saint-lukes.org.
A younger man had suffered from medical conditions his entire life. More than a month into his hospitalization, his family made the difficult decision to withdraw the vent/machines. NSICU that day was slammed - staff was working incredibly hard. Jen Smith, R.N., had this patient and she was super busy and did an amazing job. Multiple physicians and clinicians were involved. Dr. Wolleson and the palliative care team were wonderful. When approached about donation, the family was interested, but wanted to move as quickly as possible and gave the team four hours. Dr. Gooden met with the family to provide information and support to them during this difficult time. The OR accommodated the quick schedule request. Dr. Gooden was the recovery surgeon. Amanda with medical records should also be recognized as she assisted with getting a copy of this massive chart as is needed for the tissue case. I named a few names, but there were countless others who were involved. This family was very proud the young man is helping so many others. His mom even said that after this, she is now a registered donor. Kudos to the team. - Kimberly Morris, Midwest Transplant Network
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Explore Nursing Night at Saint Luke's College of Health Sciences
Saint Luke's College of Health Sciences is hosting "Explore Nursing Night" on Tuesday, Nov. 13, from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Anyone interested in attending nursing school is welcome to attend. Visitors will have the opportunity to tour the college and the new state-of-the-art simulation center and visit with the admissions and financial aid departments, as well as students and faculty.
The college is located at 624 Westport Road, Kansas City, MO. SLCHS is an upper-division institution of higher education affiliated with Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City. SLCHS offers three degree programs which include the traditional B.S.N., R.N. to B.S.N., and M.S.N.
For more information about the college and Explore Nursing Night, contact the Admissions Department at 816-932-6700, or go to saintlukescollege.edu.
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Noteworthy
Saint Luke's in the news
BJC collaborative partnership
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Saint Luke's Hospital Neuroscience Institute
Call for Photographers
Purpose of this Call:
To discover staff members and volunteers whose photography is nearly at the professional level, regardless of their approach, whether in black-and-white or color.
Why?
The new home for the Neuroscience Institute will open in January 2013. We're very proud of the new design, and want to include great photography from Saint Luke's employees, physicians, and volunteers.
Intent:
To create a sophisticated and unique art collection that complements our mission and sophistication. Our art advisor is Leopold Gallery in Kansas City. The staff at Leopold, along with a small hospital committee, will review all photographic submissions.
Submission restrictions:
For those of you who are accomplished photographers, submit whatever you like. These can be rural scenes, urban scenes, gritty work, abstracted, figurative, thought-provoking, or inspirational.
Submission process:
- Please submit five to 10 images in low-resolution JPGs, 72 DPI or lower.
- Each image must be titled.
- Please provide us with all necessary contact information (name, phone number, email address)
- We'll request high-resolution images of the photographers who are selected.
Submission process:
Write "Saint Luke's Neuroscience Art Program" in the subject line.
If you have any questions, please call the gallery at 816-333-3111.
Deadline:
All submissions must be received by Nov. 12.
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Participate in a Diabetes Prevention Web Conference
Nov. 12
Noon - 12:30 p.m.
Barbara Simpson, L.D., R.D.,C.D.E., clinical dietitian and diabetes educator, will present the latest interventions in reducing our risk of Type 2 diabetes. She will give a brief description regarding who is at most risk and how we can change things that can be modified in our lives, at home and at work. To participate in "Practical Ways to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes," email
Submit your recipe for SLH Holiday Cookbook
The SLH Holiday Committee is proud to sponsor the 2012 Holiday Cookbook containing SLH employees' favorite recipes. Click here to submit your favorite recipe online. All recipes must be submitted by Nov. 12.
November Diversified schedule
Click here to see when Diversified representatives will be on campus or to find out how to contact them.
Smoking cessation workshop
Saint Luke's EAP is offering a smoking cessation workshop at no charge to Saint Luke's employees and family members. Before you quit, start by attending this workshop.
Understand change, learn strategies, identify resources, and increase success. Click here to read more about the EAP's Great American Smokeout event and learn how to register.
2013 SLH Summer Student Scholars Program
The Student Scholars Program is designed to provide an opportunity for eight college undergraduates with an interest in health care to spend six weeks in a clinical or research area of emphasis at SLH. The hope is to someday see some of these students become members of the SLH medical staff.
The SLH-funded program will begin the week of June 10, 2013. Orientation will be held June 7, 2013. Application deadline is Jan. 4, 2013. Applicants accepted to the program will be notified by March 4, 2013.
For more information or for an application, please contact Jeanne Kimball in Medical Education at jkimball@saint-lukes.org.
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