Knowledge on the Go

Cool Technologies for Redesigning Ambulatory Care

The pandemic has shifted ambulatory care drastically. Vizient technology and innovation expert, Dr. Joe Cummings, shares incredible new technologies that are reshaping the future of ambulatory care.    
 
Guest speaker:Joe Cummings, PhDTechnology Program DirectorVizient
 
Moderator:Courtney Furrow-White, MPM, RNPerformance Improvement Program DirectorVizient
 
Show Notes:
[01:31] Non-traditional types of technology are increasing.
[02:31] Recent developments in the pod technology.
[03:47] Ambulatory interaction with smart devices and wearables.   
[06:34] AI-based algorithms are needed for data collection.
[07:56] Hospitals need to be ready for AI and robotics.
[10:31] Tips for hospitals as they embrace the future.
 
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Rapid Diagnosis of Sepsis

Technology Program Director, Dr. Joe Cummings, shares information and insights about innovative technologies in the field of rapid diagnostics of sepsis. 
 
Guest speaker:
Joe Cummings, PhD
Technology Program Director
Vizient
 
Moderator:
Shannon Hale, MHA, RN, CPHQ
Performance Improvement Collaboratives Director
Vizient
 
Show Notes:
[01:15] New testing with new technologies is rapidly developing.
[03:23] How the T2Dx device is used.
[04:52] Explanation of cost and payments thorough CMS.  
[06:08] Antimicrobial susceptibility testing options.
[08:26] The future of sepsis technology.
 
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Patient Transitions to Post-Acute Care

It’s estimated that 40% of all Medicare patients go into post-acute care and of those, nearly 23% are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days. This podcast highlights what one organization plans to do to reduce their readmissions.
 
Guests:
Heidi Young, RN
Senior Quality Project Manager
ProHealth Care 
 
Jessica Zuercher, MS, MBA, RN
Director, Continuum of Care
ProHealth Care
 
Moderator: 
Lindsay Mayer, MSN, RN
Senior Director, PI Collaboratives Programs
Vizient
 
For more information, email picollaboratives@vizientinc.com
 
Show Notes:
[00:45] ProHealth Care has a multidisciplinary all-cause readmission team for post-acute patients
[1:00] ProHealth Care has shifted their focus to look at anywhere along the continuum of care for opportunities to prevent readmissions
[2:52] Earlier efforts to reduce readmissions were ineffective because of lack of follow up
[3:35] ProHealth joined the Vizient Patient Transitions to Post-Acute Care Collaborative
[4:00] They developed plans with facility partners, medial directors and sepsis team, making it collaborative and connected with all parties.
[4:36] Worked as a group to detail how to fully operationalize their preventive strategies
[6:30] Embedded medical directors and Advanced Practice Providers
[7:03] Plans for follow up
 
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Clinical Documentation Improvement

In this program, Michelle McCormick, Revenue Integrity Director, Clinical Documentation Integrity and Mark LeBlanc, Manager Clinical Documentation Integrity, both at Stanford Health, discuss how they shaped their successful CDI program through the fundamentals of prioritization, clarity and transparency.
 
Guests:
Michelle McCormick, RN, MBA-HCM, BSN, CCDS, CCS, CRCR
Revenue Integrity Director, Clinical Documentation Integrity
Stanford Health
 
Mark LeBlanc, RN, MBA, CCDS
Manager, Clinical Documentation Integrity
Stanford Health
 
Moderator:
Marilyn Sherrill
PI Program Director
Vizient
 
For more information, email picollaboratives@vizientinc.com
 
Show Notes:
[00:00 – 01:56]  CDI prioritization
[01:57 – 03:09]  When prioritizing DRG’s look for the unusual.
[03:10 – 05:05]  Clarity within the reporting process
[05:06 – 06:30]  Transparency and how it shapes future improvement initiatives
[06:31 – 07:56]  Feedback from their physician partners
[07:57 – 09:18]  Meaningful response rate advantages
[09:19 – 09:43]  Don’t try and boil the ocean
 
Disclaimer
This presentation is intended for educational purposes only and does not replace independent professional judgment. The statements and opinions expressed are those of the speakers and, unless expressly stated to the contrary, do not represent the views or opinions of Stanford Health Care.  Stanford Health Care does not endorse or assume responsibility for the content, accuracy or completeness of the information presented.
 
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Supply Chain Resiliency

In this program, Ed Bonetti from UMass Memorial Health Care and Vizient shares his insights on how the COVID pandemic exposed the difference between strategic and actual preparedness of the medical supply chain. a Vizient PI Collaborative helped them to learn from each other and prepare to re-evaluate their preparedness and find ways to be more resilient for future catastrophic events.
 
Guest Speaker:
Ed BonettiSupply Chain OperationsUMass Memorial Health Care and,VP, Supply Chain OperationsVizient
 
Moderator:
Carla Stephens, CMRPNetworks DirectorVizient
 
Show Notes:
[00:00 – 01:48]  COVID exposed preparedness of supply chains
[01:49 – 02:44]  Keep calm, carry on, and communicate
[02:45 – 04:09]  Making quick decisions on alternative products
[04:10 – 05:04]  Standardizing and implementing processes for reordering alternate and critical product
[05:05 – 06:20]  Preparing for future catastrophic events
[06:21 – 07:32]  Future response
 
For more information, email picollaboratives@vizientinc.com
 
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Sepsis management

Effectively managing sepsis is a challenge in every health care organization, and it has required an extensive and involving program at the medical center for Keck Medicine of USC in Los Angeles. Keeping clinicians, particularly physicians, engaged is crucial to improving clinical outcomes in sepsis patients. This podcast delves into real-world, essential details about how both the work of a physician champion and the use of supporting data have contributed to effective sepsis management.
 
Guest speakers:
Lisa Johnson, DNP, MSN, RN, CENP
Director
Quality and Outcomes Management
USC-Keck Medical Center
 
Tarina Lee Kang, MD
Clinical Associate Professor, Emergency Medicine
Medical Director, Quality
Keck School of Medicine of USC
 
Tusdi Rodriguez, BSN, RN, OCN
Clinical Quality Specialist
USC-Keck Medical Center
 
Moderator:
Marilyn Sherrill, MBA, RN
PI Program Director
Vizient
 
Show Notes:
[00:25] Start of the new sepsis initiative at USC-Keck Medical Center (Lisa Johnson)
[01:51] Challenges in prior efforts and changes made (Tusdi Rodriguez)
[03:07] Role of the physician champion (Tarina Kang)
[03:53] Attitude to take when working with physicians on sepsis – the long game (Kang)
[05:29] Value of physician champion in saying what others cannot (Johnson)
[06:07] Preparing for the crucial conversation – know the patient (Kang, Rodriguez)
[09:10] Rundown of a successful sepsis management framework (Johnson)
 
Links | Resources:
Archived video of PI Collaborative on Sepsis Management Click here
Slide presentation from Vizient PI Collaborative on Sepsis Management Click here
 
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Social Determinants of Health

Social determinants of health is a problem that affects all American communities. Every hospital needs to assess their community’s social needs, some do it better than others. This podcast highlights one organization with a unique approach on how to identify individuals with social needs and address those needs.
 
Guest speakers:
Kathryn Bazylewicz
Vice President, Marketing and Population Health
Cottage Health 
 
Monica Ray
Population Health Strategic Development Manager
Cottage Health
 
Host: 
Kellie Goodson, MS, CPXP
Performance Improvement Program Director
Vizient
 
Show Notes:
[00:27] Cottage Health is located in Santa Barbara, California
[00:50] Cottage Health has centralized its population health efforts
[01:36] Santa Barbara has 12% of the overall population is below the poverty line, and the county has the highest percentage of homeless students and the third highest percentage of families in poverty.
[02:08] Ron Werft, Cottage Health CEO, started the organization’s vision for population health
[02:08] In 2015, Cottage Health changed their mission statement to include the words, “improve the health of our communities,” and then launched our new organizational focus on population health.
[02:33] Cottage Health’s Center for Population Health works to improve health and wellness, focusing on equity for the most vulnerable in their hospitals and in the community.
[03:00] Started with a community health needs assessment
[03:30] After collecting community data, they published the results on CottageData2go.com  
[04:20] Cottage Health staffing for their Center for Population Health
[04:55] Cottage Health CEO and population health team conducted “Listening Tours” with up to 250 community members to gather their assessment of the community’s health needs.
[06:00] Learned that Cottage Health employees need help too.  
[06:35] They set up the Employee Resource Connect to partner with human resources to screen all employees for food, housing, transportation and behavioral health needs. Discovered that 25% of their employees need help.
[07:00] Developed a food program for employees.
[08:50] Expanded screening to other patient populations.
 
Links | Resources:
Cottage Center for Population Health Click here
Cottage Health’s Community Health Needs Assessment Click here
Cottage Data2Go Click here
Modern Practice podcast, “The effect of COVID-19 on social determinants of health – Part 1” Click here
Modern Practice podcast, “The effect of COVID-19 on social determinants of health – Part 2” Click here
“Addressing Social Determinants of Health During COVID-19 and Beyond: Leveraging Collaboration and Partnerships,” Shaifali Ray and Karyl Kopaskie Click here
“Addressing Social Determinants of Health During COVID-19 and Beyond: Leveraging Data that Matters,” Heather Blonsky Click here
Addressing Social Determinants of Health During COVID-19 and Beyond: How to Find Your Organization’s Fit,” Shaifali Ray and Karyl Click here
 
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Capacity management

Managing patient capacity in a health care facility is a complex, crucial undertaking that involves teamwork across the care continuum. On this episode, leaders from Keck Medicine of USC discuss their areas of focus to get their capacity management program off the ground, how they pulled together the right individuals to improve their process and the steps other organizations can take to get their own program going.
 
Guest speakers:
Dana Asato, MBA, RN, CENP, CSSMBB
Manager
Capacity Management and Staffing Solutions
Keck Medicine of USC
 
Jason Willardson, MHA
Process Architect
Keck Medicine of USC
 
Moderator:
Courtney Furrow-White, RN, MPA
PI Program Director
Vizient
 
Show Notes:
[00:30] Rationale for the program
[02:32] Getting the right team in place and the role of the Vizient collaborative
[03:41] Engaging the team
[04:56] Reducing patient length of stay
[07:53] The role of the Vizient Clinical Data Base (CDB)
[08:55] Involving new areas in the program
[10:43] How to get started
 
Links | Resources:
Archived video of PI Collaborative on Capacity Management Click here
Slide presentation from Vizient PI Collaborative on Capacity Management Click here
 
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High reliability

One of the most compelling lessons Marcia Baker learned from a recent Vizient High Reliability and Sustainability Benchmarking Study is that “variation hides issues.” She and her colleague Sandy Cox have worked to uncover those issues and, in Sandy’s words, “Fix the problem.” On this podcast, Marcia and Sandy share about the efforts across Novant Health to engage team members to uncover issues, fix the problem and bring high reliability and safety to patient care.
 
Guest speakers:
Marcia C. Baker, MSN, DHA, RN, CPPS
Director, Patient Safety
Novant Health Clinical Excellence
 
Sandy J. Cox, RN, BSN, CIC
Director, Patient Safety
Novant Health Clinical Excellence
 
Moderator:
Jim Lichauer, PharmD, BCPS, FASHP
PI Program Director, Pharmacy
Vizient
 
Show Notes:
[00:30] Novant Health’s goal for patient care
[00:51] Beginning of the journey
[02:17] Safety huddles, visual management boards and other approaches
[05:36] Getting the word out
[08:25] Involvement in Vizient’s High Reliability and Sustainability Benchmarking Study
[09:12] Variation hides issues
[09:40] Story of a safety initiative
 
Links | Resources:
Data from Vizient’s High Reliability and Sustainability Benchmarking Study Click here
Novant Health recognized by Leapfrog Group Click here
 
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Well-being: Leading your staff during a crisis – Part 2

The Coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on hospitals and clinicians across the country. As the surge persists, staff stressors increase, and the relentless pressure compounds the seriousness of the problem. This episode reveals how Rush University Medical Center’s Strategic Communications department became a key player in helping the hospital, staff and community cope during the COVID pandemic crisis.
 
Guest speaker:
Anne Burgeson
Associate Vice President, Strategic Communications
Rush University Medical Center
 
Moderator:
Nicole Spatafora, MS-HSM
Senior Director, PI Collaboratives
Vizient
 
Show Notes:
[00:27] Rush staff were very stressed as they prepared for “tsunami” of COVID heading their way and their first patient
[00:55] Rush set up a Hospital Incident Command to prepare for COVID pandemic
[01:50] Volume of positive COVID patients at Rush University Medical Center
[02:10] Established a communication plan and collaborated with command center and senior leaders
[02:50] Rumors were controlled by transparency and consistency in communications
[03:57] Rush used every means possible to spread the latest information – emails, newsletters and intranet accessibility at home, including positive articles, message boards and Q&A
[05:08] Senior leaders rounded seven days a week to directly answer questions and thank staff for coming to work and caring for patients in such an amazing way
[05:27] Started virtual town hall meetings
[06:05] Staff relied on constant and trusted communication
[06:49] Engagement survey numbers showed staff were still excited to come and do their jobs
[07:30] Robust communication to support community’s knowledge of latest COVID information
[08:30] Preparation for emergencies and frequent, reliable communications helped hospitals, staff and people around the world in a meaningful way
 
Links | Resources:
CDC: Stress & Coping Click here
AMA: Caring for Health Care workers during a crisis, Creating a resilient organization Click here
Harvard Medical School: Strengthening Resiliency in Health Care Providers During the COVID-19 Pandemic Click here
American Academy of Pediatrics: TheResilienceProject. We can stop toxic stress Click here
 
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