Knowledge on the Go

Reducing hospital length of stay remains a priority for healthcare organizations, but determining which strategies have the greatest impact is not always straightforward. Laura Hoffman, Senior PI Program Director, and Eric Lam, Principal Intelligence, join host Shannon Hale to discuss findings from Vizient's recent length of stay breakthrough survey. They explore how survey responses were combined with clinical data to identify meaningful trends, highlight strategies and explain how organizations can use these insights to prioritize initiatives that fit their unique needs. 
 
Guest Speakers:Laura Hoffman DNP, MSN, RN, CPHQSenior Program Director, Performance Improvement ProgramsVizient
 
Eric Lam, BSPrincipal, IntelligenceVizient
 
Host: Shannon Hale, MHA, RN, CPHQ Senior Program Director, Performance Improvement Programs Vizient 
Show Notes:[00:07] Vizient launched the length of stay breakthrough survey and how 168 hospitals helped identify current improvement strategies.[03:36] Qualitative survey responses were transformed into measurable data to uncover meaningful trends while reducing bias.[06:00] Key findings from the survey and which strategies had the greatest impact.[07:46] Why patient centered approaches, including addressing social determinants of health, showed stronger results[10:04] How organizations can use the survey findings to compare performance, identify gaps and prioritize improvement efforts.[11:14] Using data to focus on the strategies with the greatest potential impact. [13:04] The strategies most closely associated with lower length of stay, including escalation processes, leadership engagement, and case manager led rounds.[14:24] How case managers help identify discharge barriers, coordinate post-acute care, and improve patient transitions.
 
Links | Resources: Contacting Knowledge on the Go: picollaboratives@vizientinc.com 
 
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Artificial intelligence is transforming healthcare operations by helping organizations improve efficiency and reduce administrative burden. Dr. Dustin McLemore, Senior Program Manager at Providence, joins host Shannon Hale to discuss how Providence has partnered with frontline caregivers to develop an AI powered supply chain solution that gives valuable time back to patient care while keeping clinicians at the center of the process.
 
Guest Speaker: Dustin D. McLemore, EdD, PMP®Senior Program Manager, Logistics OperationsProvidence Supply Chain Organization (SCO)
 
Host: Shannon Hale, MHA, RN, CPHQ Senior Program Director, Performance Improvement Programs Vizient 
 
Show Notes:
[00:07] Artificial intelligence in healthcare supply chain operations
[00:38] Opportunities to reduce administrative burden for caregivers
[02:43] Why Providence built its own AI solution
[04:52] Built by caregivers, for caregivers
[07:53] Keeping frontline caregivers involved after implementation of AI
[08:46] Financial impact and returning time to patient care
[11:26] Finding the right balance between AI and human oversight
[13:27] Earning caregiver trust through data and feedback
[15:59] Lessons for healthcare leaders adopting AI
 
Links | Resources: Contacting Knowledge on the Go: picollaboratives@vizientinc.com 
 
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What separates top performing health systems from their peers? For the past two decades, Vizient has explored that question through research focused on leadership, culture, and practices that drive organizational performance. Julie Cerese, Group Senior Vice President of Performance Management and National Networks at Vizient, joins host Shannon Hale to discuss how this work has evolved and why it continues to shape healthcare organizations today. 
 Guest Speaker:  Julie Cerese RN, MSN, PhD Senior Vice President Member Networks and Performance Management Programs Vizient  
 Host: Shannon Hale, MHA, RN, CPHQ Senior Program Director, Performance Improvement Programs Vizient 
 
Show Notes:  
 [00:07] Introduction and the origins of the Roadmap to Top Performance research 
[01:03] Healthcare leaders asked what separates top performing organizations from their peers 
[03:01] Building the Quality and Accountability ranking using STEAP principles 
[04:41] The blinded research process that uncovered clear differences between top and middle performers 
[05:27] One specific healthcare system applied the research findings to achieve sustained excellence 
[07:25] Researchers observations during site visits to top performing organizations 
[09:01] Leadership, culture, and why visible executives create accountability throughout an organization 
[11:49] Vizient's Roadmap to Top Performance benchmarking survey 
[15:16] Participating organizations are learning from the survey 
[17:01] Reflecting on twenty years of research and its continued impact on healthcare performance 
 
Links | Resources: Contacting Knowledge on the Go: picollaboratives@vizientinc.com 
 
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Process improvement plays a critical role in healthcare by helping organizations deliver safer, efficient and more reliable care. Our host Shannon Hale welcomes Dr. Josee Gill, Director of Quality for the Bellin Region at Emplify Health, to discuss what it takes to build a culture of continuous improvement. Drawing on years of leadership experience, Gill shares insights on engaging frontline staff, sustaining progress, and maintaining a commitment to delivering the highest quality care possible.
Guest:Josee Gill, DNP, RN, CPHQ, LSSGBDirector of Quality Bellin RegionEmplify Health
 
Host: Shannon Hale, MHA, RN, CPHQSenior Program Director, Performance Improvement ProgramsVizient 
 
Show Notes: 
[00:45]  Josie's healthcare journey from emergency nursing to quality leadership[02:42]  Overview of Emplify Health and the Bellin Region[03:21]  How Vizient collaboratives support performance improvement efforts[05:10]  Why continuous improvement never stops, even with strong performance[06:43]  Advice for professionals beginning a career in quality and performance improvement[08:27]  Building relationships with frontline teams and using data effectively[09:04]  Gaining leadership support through organizational benchmarking[10:09]  Practical approaches to sustaining performance improvement initiatives[12:13]  Advice for organizations participating in Vizient performance improvement programs[14:07]  The future of performance improvement at Emplify Health[15:02]  Incorporating patient advisors into improvement work[15:58]  Maintaining and improving quality through healthcare mergers
 
Links | Resources: Contacting Knowledge on the Go: picollaboratives@vizientinc.com 
 
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Supply variation reduction plays a critical role in helping healthcare organizations improve efficiency, lower costs, and support high quality patient care. Our host Shannon Hale speaks with Marcy Maddox, Executive Director of Supply Chain at University of Missouri Healthcare, about building clinician buy in, sustaining long term improvement, and creating a culture that embraces collaboration and continuous learning.
 
Guest Speaker: Marcy Maddox, MHAExecutive Director of Supply ChainUniversity of Missouri Healthcare
 
Host: Shannon Hale, MHA, RN, CPHQSenior Program Director, Performance Improvement ProgramsVizient 
 
Show Notes:
[1:55] Key lessons learned about clinician engagement and organizational alignment[3:22] How leadership support and physician champions helped drive progress[4:31] Why early wins encouraged more clinician participation[5:27] Strategies for organizing work and using data to support decisions[6:26] The importance of monitoring progress and maintaining accountability[8:07] How teams evaluate variation while prioritizing patient care[8:44] Marcy shares how past challenges helped shape future success[10:05] Ways leaders can create safe environments for collaboration and growth[11:21] The role leadership plays in shaping organizational culture[12:11] How supply chain work ultimately supports patient outcomes[13:00] Practical guidance for teams starting their variation reduction journey[14:53] What sustainable success looks like for variation reduction efforts
 
Links | Resources: Contacting Knowledge on the Go: picollaboratives@vizientinc.com 
 
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Medication reconciliation plays a critical role in patient safety by ensuring medications are accurate, appropriate, and understood during transitions of care. Vizient host Shannon Hale speaks with Ekaterina Kossykh-Burrows, Clinical Pharmacist at Highland Hospital, about practical strategies to prioritize high risk patients, build trust with providers, and drive measurable impact through pharmacy led interventions.
 
Guest Speaker: Ekaterina Kossykh-Burrows Pharm.D., BCPSClinical PharmacistHighland Hospital
Host:Shannon Hale, MHA, RN, CPHQSenior Program Director, Performance Improvement ProgramsVizient 
Show Notes: 
[00:46] Overview of Highland Hospital and its patient population[01:20] The value of collaborative learning and participating in the performance improvement collaborative[03:09] Medication reconciliation workflows and how patients are prioritized[04:57] How a patient scoring system is developed, including risk factors and data validation[07:02] How medication related risk factors contribute to readmissions[07:32] Gaps in electronic records and the need for human involvement[08:46] The role of clinical judgment alongside technology[09:10] The impact of dedicated pharmacy roles on improving medication accuracy[10:29] Best practices for building programs, including starting small and maintaining consistency
 
Links | Resources: Contacting Knowledge on the Go: picollaboratives@vizientinc.com 
 
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Patient safety indicators are more than numbers on a report. They expose where harm may be happening and where systems are breaking down. Katelyn Dietz, Director of Patient Safety and Quality at Lake Charles Memorial, shares how her team tackles rising PSI rates by strengthening documentation, aligning cross functional teams, and creating a more proactive review process. Joined by Vizient host Michelle Lewis, they unpack the real challenges behind PSI performance and what it takes to turn insight into action. 
 
Guest Speaker: Katelyn Dietz, MBA, RN, CPHQDirector of Patient Safety and QualityLake Charles Memorial
 
Host: Michelle Lewis Senior Director Programs, Performance Improvement ProgramsVizient 
 
Show Notes: 
[00:53] Focus on PSI at Lake Charles Memorial and why it was necessary [01:31] Establishing standardized criteria for selecting cases for review[02:40] Bringing  multiple departments together to change PSI approach [04:10] Engaging physicians in documentation improvement[05:45] PSI thirteen insights that would help other organizations [07:17] Substantial improvement in the patient safety composite score PSI ninety[08:37] How to sustain improvements to PSI scores 
 
Links | Resources: Contacting Knowledge on the Go: picollaboratives@vizientinc.com 
 
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Access to care in an ambulatory setting continues to challenge health systems as patient expectations grow, pushing organizations to rethink how patients connect with care. Our host Michelle Lewis joins Tyler Bauer, Senior Vice President of System Ambulatory Operations at University of Chicago Medicine to explore how their team is transforming access through more connected and intuitive processes. 
Guest:Tyler Bauer, MA, MBA, LCPCSenior Vice President, System Ambulatory OperationsUChicago Medicine
 
Host:Michelle LewisSenior Director Programs, Performance Improvement ProgramsVizient 
 
Show Notes: 
[00:45] Areas of improvement in ambulatory access [02:16] Biggest pain points for patients: connectedness, personalization, and navigation [03:51] Creating an omnichannel experience [04:43] AI tools being brought in to help with access strategy [06:18] Using ambient listening and other AI tools to make a difference for patients and staff [08:26] Organizational buy-in and compliance with AI application strategy [10:31] Advice to other healthcare organizations 
 
Links | Resources: Contacting Knowledge on the Go: picollaboratives@vizientinc.com 
 
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Patient transfers are a common part of hospital care, but they carry real risk, making strong communication and coordination essential for safe outcomes. Sharon Johnson, Executive Director of Throughput and Capacity at Community Health Network, shares a how her health system is rethinking its approach to transfers and patient flow. Joined by Vizient host Shannon Hale, they explore challenges and creative strategies involved in moving patients safely and efficiently.
 
Guest Speaker:  Sharon Johnson, MBAExecutive Director, Throughput and CapacityCHNw EMS education/ Ambulance Transportation
 
Host:Shannon Hale, MHA, RN, CPHQSenior Program Director, Performance Improvement ProgramsVizient 
 
Show Notes: 
[01:20] – Management of ambulance transportation [02:22] – Throughput initiatives implemented in each hospital [03:29] – Establishing communication through EMR [05:39] – Training staff and bringing awareness [06:40} – Communication and creating own triage process  [09:20] – Creating buy-in with your hospital leadership[12:26] – Developing policies and protocols that work with each facility [13:58] – What is the “easy button” for staff and patients 
 
Links | Resources: Contacting Knowledge on the Go: picollaboratives@vizientinc.com 
 
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Mortality affects hospitals all over the country and having structured systems in place helps improve outcomes. Tiffany Harvey, Quality Assurance Reviewer at INTEGRIS Health, joins host Shannon Hale, Senior PI Program Director at Vizient, to discuss why a meaningful mortality review process is so critical to quality improvement work. They reflect on lessons learned from Vizient’s mortality review collaborative and the value of learning alongside peer organizations.
 
Guest Speaker:
Tiffany Harvey, RN
Quality Assurance Reviewer
INTEGRIS Health
 
Host:
Shannon Hale, MHA, RN, CPHQ Senior Program Director, Performance Improvement Programs Vizient  
 
Show Notes:  
[00:52] – Participation in Establishing a Structured Mortality Review Team Collaborative  
[01:35] – Goals from joining the collaborative  
[02:29] – Insights that helped inform change to mortality process  
[03:33] – How Integris and Tiffany’s team are improving the outcomes  
[04:59} – After the collaborative where is team and the improvement work going  
[06:04] – Sustainability in mortality review  
[07:18] – Looking to the future what is the dream for mortality review  
 
Links | Resources: Contacting Knowledge on the Go: picollaboratives@vizientinc.com 
 
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