Knowledge on the Go

Roadmap to Top Performance

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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Leading Quality Improvement

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 Chain Variation

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

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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PSI Indicators

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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Ambulatory Patient Access

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

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 Outcomes

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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Sepsis Awareness

Sepsis affects millions of people each year and remains one of the most complex and deadly medical emergencies facing healthcare today. Michelle Lewis, Senior Director of PI Programs at Vizient, is joined by Shannon Hale, Senior PI Programs Director and sepsis subject matter expert, to explore why sepsis is so difficult to identify. Together, they discuss awareness gaps that still exist across providers, staff and communities. 
Guest Speaker: Shannon Hale, MHA, RN, CPHQSenior Program DirectorPerformance Improvement Programs
 
Host: Michelle LewisSenior Director ProgramsPerformance Improvement Programs
 
Show Notes: [00:47] Why sepsis remains a critical and complex challenge in healthcare[01:58] Vizient sepsis projects and what members are struggling with most[2:45] Lessons learned from sepsis performance improvement teams and the role of champions[03:43] Executive sponsorships and celebrating wins [06:10] Sustaining education, addressing staff and resident turnover[07:10] New approaches to education including social media and community engagement[08:28] How organizations and individuals can increase sepsis awareness [10:09] Public policy advocacy and educating lawmakers about sepsis [11:01] Potential role of AI in earlier identification 
 
Links | Resources:Contacting Knowledge on the Go: picollaboratives@vizientinc.com
 
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Care Between Visits

Healthcare providers are receiving patient portal messages at large volumes, reshaping how care teams deliver and manage care between visits. As patient messaging grows from simple prescription questions to complex clinical concerns, this “invisible” work is placing a significant strain on provider workload. In this episode, Vizient Fellow Mathilde Hanchard talks to Dr. Ko, Director and Chief of Dermatology Service Line and Associate Chief Quality Officer at Stanford Health Care, about how his team uncovers the true scope of patient medical interactions. 
 
Guest Speaker: Dr. Justin M. Ko, MD, MBADirector and Chief of Medical DermatologyStanford Health Care (SHC)
Host: Mathilde Hanchard, MS-HSMFellow, Performance Improvement ProgramsVizient 
 
Show Notes:
[00:52] Dr. Ko explains provider workload tied to patient portal messaging [02:12] Rapid growth of patient portal messages since 2020 [03:50] Making portal messaging more visible and measurable[05:27] The complexity of accurately quantifying the communication workload [07:47] Plans to publish and share data[11:19] Evaluating patient portal messages and trends[12:57] The future of patient portal messaging within care delivery
 
Links | Resources:Contacting Knowledge on the Go: picollaboratives@vizientinc.com
 
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