Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Client News: Partnership Targets Improved Health Care

By: Galen Kusic
Over a 150 people gathered at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center on Friday for the launch of the national Partnership for Patients initiative.
The Obama Administration’s Partnership for Patients: Better Care, Lower Costs, is a new public-private partnership, funded by the Affordable Care Act, that hopes to improve the quality, safety and affordability of health care for Americans.
The goal of the partnership is to not only lower costs and improve care, but to bring together leaders of major hospitals, employers, health plans, physicians, nurses and patient advocates along with state and federal governments to make every hospital stay better for patients.
Congressman George Miller (D-Martinez) addressed the imperative need for health care reform in America, and highlighted the positive impacts of the new initiative’s ability to increase the quality of care in the nation. 
Over 1,300 hospitals, as well as physicians and nurses groups, consumer groups, and employers have pledged their commitment to the new initiative. The Contra Costa Regional Medical Center’s event in Martinez was one of more than a dozen taking place across the nation.
”The president realizes we have to work at the state, regional and local levels to make an impact,” said Obama appointee, Herb Schultz, Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Region IX. “We have changed the lives of men, women and children, and will move forward with implementation.”
The initiative is expected to help save 60,000 lives by stopping millions of preventable injuries and complications in patient care over the next three years, saving up to $35 billion in the process. Of that $35 billion, $10 billion would be for Medicare. 
Spanning the next ten years, it could save $50 billion in Medicare costs, and billions more in Medicaid savings. 
”Real benefits are getting to real people,” said Schultz. “It’s going to take all of us working with employers, labor unions and consumers to make this work. Many of you have worked your entire lives to get affordable health care.”
Joseph McCannon, Senior Advisor to the Administrator of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, stressed the importance of the initiative for all Americans.
”Between 44-96,000 patients die each year due to medical errors,” he said. “We are using reducible efforts to address this very serious problem.”
McCannon informed the crowd that since 2006, only one patient has had a fall in Contra Costa Medical Center. In the last 5-6 years the hospital has had a 97 percent accuracy rate in providing the correct medication to patients, an astonishing track record of excellent care he said.
One pharmacist spoke about how critical it is for pharmacists to work with nurses to decrease medication errors – by taking time out to go over each individual patient’s medication, it can greatly reduce the risk of giving patients the wrong medication.
Terry Leach, Manager of Health Policy for the UC system spoke with optimism about the new initiative and what it means to the UC medical system.
”I’m thrilled to be working with Contra Costa,” she said.
John Kincaid, a Central Valley patient expressed how he was impressed by recent improvements and reforms of late.
”This hospital (Contra Costa) is like mine too,” he said. “They are doing a great job, and they listen to me.”
The two main goals of the Partnership include keeping patients from getting sicker by decreasing hospital-acquired conditions by 40 percent from 2010, which would mean 1.8 million fewer injuries to patients.
The other would be to help patients heal without complication. By the end of 2013, hospital readmissions would be reduced by 20 percent compared to 2010. This in turn would mean 1.6 million patients would recover from illness without suffering a preventable complication.
To learn more about Partnership for Patients, click here

Client News: Kosair Children's Hospital and OMSH Combine to Create New Facility

Source: 14WFIE.com
By: Dave Kirk
A partnership between two hospitals, miles apart is providing better neonatal care for premature babies.
Friday a new chapter in the relationship between Kosair Children's Hospital and OMHS.
If you live in western Kentucky and your child needs a specialist for their stomach or heart more than likely you're driving to Louisville to Kosair's Children's Hospital.
"We've had patients who've waited a long time to be able to have access to specialists. Out here in western Kentucky there's not access to that type of care," OMHS President Dr. Jeff Barber says.
"It'll take them an hour versus six to seven hours of driving time," Chief of Pediatrics OMHS Dr. Courtney Crews says.
Not any more. OMHS will now partner with Kosair creating a new pediatric outpatient center at the current hospital in Owensboro.
"It was an opportunity to bring other medical specialists to this community to see patients on. Sometimes there's patients that are such a critical condition that they require spectrum of specialists to see them to see them on an inpatient basis. Manage those patients form a chronic perspective for follow up visits. For preprocedure visits," Kosair Children's Hospital President Thomas Kmetz says.
OMHS President Doctor Jeff Barber says the new facility will make things a lot easier, "Convenience is very important especially in the primary care because if people can get to a physician, in an easy manner and then they will get to that physician and not put things off until they get a lot sicker," Dr. Barber says.
"Now the local kids in the community are going to get to see their specialists. They can come here for an hour and then get back to school," Dr. Crews says.
Dr. Barber says the new children's pediatric outpatient center will move out to the new hospital when it's built. That date set for 2013.
Hospital officials say 24 doctors will come from Louisville to Owensboro to see local patients.

To see the report in full, click here.

Monday, April 25, 2011

It's National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week: April 24 - 30, 2011

There are approximately 300,000 practitioners of clinical laboratory science in the United States. Since the development of this career group in the 1920s, the clinical laboratory science professional has played an increasingly vital role in the diagnosis and prevention of disease. Today, the clinical laboratorian is a key member of a health care team.
As team members of one of the largest industries in the United States, the dedicated efforts of laboratory professionals often go unnoticed due to the behind the scenes nature of the profession. National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week provides a unique opportunity to increase public understanding of, and appreciation for, laboratory professionals. 

From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you!

Friday, April 22, 2011

Client News: Jewish Hospital & St. Mary's HealthCare Begins Joint Venture Partnership with Surgical Care Affiliates

Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare (JHSMH) has begun a joint venture partnership with Surgical Care Affiliates (SCA) to expand its outpatient surgery capabilities, and build a surgical network in partnership with physicians in the Louisville area. Included in the new joint venture partnership are Premier Surgery Center, currently located in downtown Louisville and SurgeCenter of Louisville located in the Dupont area of St. Matthews. Both of these centers are currently managed by SCA.
As a multi-specialty surgery center, SurgeCenter of Louisville provides a variety of surgical specialties for patients including ophthalmology, ENT/otolaryngology, orthopaedics, gynecology, urology, podiatry and plastics procedures. The Premier Surgery Center of Louisville is also a multi-specialty surgery center which currently does a high volume of pain, gastroenterology and general surgery procedures. That downtown center will be replaced by a new free-standing facility on the Jewish Hospital Medical Center Northeast campus off Old Henry Road near the Gene Snyder Freeway. The new center is scheduled to open in 2012.
Headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, SCA operates 125 ambulatory surgery centers and surgical hospitals, in partnership with approximately 2,000 physicians and 20 not-for-profit health systems across the country. The surgical centers and surgical hospitals operated by SCA focus on short-term care and primarily provide non-emergency surgical and other procedures in several specialties including orthopedics, ophthalmology, gastroenterology, pain management, otolaryngology, urology, gynecology and others.
“Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare is very pleased to partner with SCA to execute our long-term growth strategy in the area of outpatient surgical services and to expand our system’s footprint in the community,” said Shelley R. Neal, vice president for ambulatory services for JHSMH. “This partnership is physician-led and patient-centered, which we believe is crucial for high patient and physician satisfaction.”

To read more about Jewish Hospital and St. Mary's HealthCare, click here.

Client News: OSF St. Joseph Earns Second Consecutive Gold Plus Award for its Stroke Services

Source: OSF Website



OSF St. Joseph Medical Center's Neurology department has been recognized nationally for its excellence in stroke treatment and care by earning two important stroke achievement awards.
In 2011, OSF St. Joseph Medical Center achieved Gold Plus status for the second consecutive year, which is the highest possible American Stroke Association's "Get With The Guidelines" rating. The award specifically recognizes OSF St. Joseph for its use of evidence-based guidelines to provide the best possible care to patients. The award ensures stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations.
In 2007, OSF St. Joseph Medical Center earned the Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission for Primary Stroke Centers. This means OSF St. Joseph Medical Center is a certified stroke center, a rare distinction for hospitals providing neuroscience care.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Client News: Norton Healthcare’s Kmetz Named to Board of National Children’s Hospitals Group

Written by: Ed Green
Thomas D. Kmetz, president of Kosair Children’s Hospital and Pediatric Services, has been named to the board of directors of a new organization created by the merger of the national children’s hospitals organizations.
Kmetz, 48, is one of 12 members of the board, which oversees the merged operations of the Child Health Corporation of America, the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions, and the National Association of Children’s Hospitals.
Earlier this month, the three organizations announced their merger into a single organization, but no new legal entities have been formed. The board is searching for a new CEO for the combined organization.
The three organizations represent 223 children’s hospitals and related organizations across the country.
“It is an honor and privilege to be selected for the 12-member board and for Kosair Children’s Hospital to be able to have a strong impact on the new organization’s direction and initiatives for improving children’s health care,” Kmetz said in a news release from Kosair parent Norton Healthcare Inc.
“The board’s vision for the merged organization is to be the catalyst for improving child health and children’s health care through assessment, advocacy and action,” he said. “The association’s members believe there is strength in numbers and unity of purpose in the emerging health care environment, and by working together more seamlessly, effectively and nimbly, the merged organization’s impact at the national, state and local levels will be greater."

Friday, April 15, 2011

Client News: Inova Health System's Going Green Efforts Recognized by Practice Greenhealth

Source: Inova Health System Press Release

Inova Health System is proud to announce it has received the System for Change Award from Practice Greenhealth. This award recognizes health systems that are working cohesively to gather data, set system goals, benchmark, and share successes in environmental performance. Inova is one of just eight healthcare systems to receive the award.
“We’re very excited to accept this recognition from Practice Greenhealth,” said Randy Kelley, CEO, Inova Loudoun Hospital, and Chair, Inova Sustainability Committee. “During the past few years, Inova and its employees have made great strides in pursuing ways to become environmentally friendly. This award demonstrates Inova’s commitment to sustainability and to be a responsible member of our community.”
Inova’s hospitals were also recognized individually. Inova Fair Oaks and Inova Loudoun hospitals won the 2010 Partner for Change with Distinction Award. Inova Alexandria, Inova Fairfax and Inova Mount Vernon hospitals won the 2010 Partner for Change Award.
Inova has made a commitment to pursue sustainable ways of approaching each aspect of its business – from new construction to monitoring the energy use, waste and recycling involved in day-to-day operations. Inova is a charter member of Practice Greenhealth and is a founding organization of the National Capital Region Sustainable Healthcare Alliance.
Practice Greenhealth is the nation’s only membership association devoted to environmentally responsible healthcare. Its 2011 Environmental Excellence Awards are given within the healthcare sector to institutions for outstanding programs to reduce the facility’s environmental footprint.
“We are very pleased to see so many leading health systems striving to improve their environmental performance,” said Anna Gilmore Hall, Executive Director, Practice Greenhealth. “Each of our Environmental Excellence Awards represents a tremendous effort on the part of hospital staff to reduce the health and environmental impacts associated with health delivery.”
A complete list of Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Award winners can be found at: http://www.practicegreenhealth.org/awards/winners/
To read more, click here.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Presents: Hunt for a Cure Easter Egg Hunt


Just in from Bunny Central:

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is excited to announce its first annual "Hunt for a Cure" Egg Hunt!

Saturday, April 16  10:00 am - Noon

Forest Park's Langenberg Field

It's FREE!

10:00 - Registration begins

10:30 - Bunny Arrival

11:30 - Egg Hunt begins

Register here for free!

This brand new event is absolutely free for everyone. It provides an outlet to say thank you to countless LLS participants, volunteers and supporters in our community for all of their amazing help and hard work.

The "Hunt for a Cure" will include the following:

  • SSM Cardinal Glennon, St. John's Mercy and St. Louis Children's Hospitals will be attending with patients from the children's oncology floors.
  • A Case for Smiles will be giving out colorful pillowcases to the patients.
  • Special hats and bonnets are being donated by local Senior Centers.
  • The LLS Bunny will be arrive by carriage drawn by Clydesdales and will be available for pictures.

Bring your basket to fill with some of the 40,000 eggs the LLS Bunny will hide!



A Huge Thank You to our EGGceptional Helpers:
  • 19 particpating radio stations:
    • 106.5 The Arch, 100.3 Gen X Radio, 101 ESPN, 105.7 The Point, 1120 AM, 1600 AM, 93.7 The Bull, FM News Talk 97.1, Fresh 102.5, KHITS 96.3, KSHE 95, Majic 104.9, Rewind 103.3, The Big 550 AM, The Foxy 95.5, The Hot 104.1, WIL 92.3, Y 98.1, Z 107.7
  • Our Eggheads at Citigroup
  • Our UPS Delivery Bunnies
  • Our Egg-xpert egg stuffers at local Senior Centers
    • Alexian Brothers Lansdowne Village, Beauvais Manor on the Park, Bethesda Meadow, Big Bend Woods Healthcare, Brooking Park, Cedarcrest Manor, Delmar Gardens of Chesterfield, Delmar Gardens of Creve Coeur, Delmar Gardens on the Green, Delmar Gardens of Meramec Valley, Delmar Gardens North, Delmar Gardens of O'Fallon, Delmar Gardens South, Delmar Gardens West, Delmar Garden Villas: Chesterfield, North, O'Fallon, South, Town & Country, Grand River Nursing & Rehab, Lutheran Senior Services: Breeze Park, Laclede Groves, Meramec Bluffs, Meridian Village & Richmond Terrace, Mari de Villa, & Surrey Place 

Hop on over:

Highway 40 to McCausland Ave. Go north (right) on McCausland Ave. (name changes to Skinker Blvd.)
Right onto Lindell Blvd.
Right onto DeBaliviere.
Make a Right at the first fork in the road.
Left onto Grand Dr.
The Twin Parking Lot will be on the Right.

Where's the Bunny? Follow the LLS Bunny on Twitter and Facebook!


NOTE: Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
For more information call Kayla at 314-878-0780 ext. 29 or email Kayla.Hurley@lls.org

Combining Pre-Visit Access Management with Optimal Resource Utilization for a Complete Patient Agenda

Revenue cycle beings with access management; and an enterprise-wide resource management system is a mission critical solution necessary to meet the demands of your current healthcare environment.  The access management and resource management solution provided by ForSite2020® addresses the issues of higher demands for services, caregiver staff shortages, fragmented operations, more demanding and educated consumers, competitive market alternatives, service cost reduction pressures, employee turnover and retraining costs, as well as regulatory requirements for consumer privacy and security.  All elements of the enterprise, including physicians and patients, need to work from the same synchronized agenda to guarantee efficient and effective service provision.
The ForSite2020® process provides an integrated relationship with other critical HIS functions including patient history, pre-registration and registration, eligibility and medical necessity compliance, insurance verification, admitting, census, orders and results, billing, inventory, human resources, and personnel certification; supporting the revenue cycle by providing conflict-free scheduling, notifications, retrospective analysis, and ongoing process refinement within a single, integrated, system to accommodate the requirements of today’s most complex healthcare entity.
While ForSite2020® emphasizes healthcare consumer services through the complete patient agenda, it would not be complete without ensuring that all understand payment arrangements, including the consumer’s portion, prior to service.  ForSite2020® monitors and facilitates these procedures in order to minimize bad debt and ensures all of the enterprise resources needed are available at the correct time and place, with conflicts resolved and clinically sequenced before presentation for scheduler selection.  Activities of key participants to the overall agenda (physician, patient, clinical staff) are monitored for pre-encounter requirements, and schedules and resources are aligned accordingly.  ForSite2020® captures schedule changes, and the alignment of resources and agenda updates are communicated automatically.  The overall matrix of an integrated solution requires constant automatic interaction, which reflects the dynamics of real-time policy changes and standard of care revisions.

To learn more, click here.
To contact a solutions consultant, click here.

Client News: Oakwood Hospitals Rank Among Metro Detroit’s Best

Source: Oakwood Healthcare System Facebook Page
• Thanks to the outstanding care provided by Oakwood’s employees and physicians, we have the privilege to announce that all four Oakwood Healthcare hospitals ranked in the top 20 in the Detroit metro area, with Oakwood Hospital & Medical Center (OHMC) at number four, according to the U.S. News & World Report metro area rankings.

• Oakwood Annapolis Hospital was ranked at 12; Oakwood Southshore Medical Center was ranked at 14 and Oakwood Heritage Hospital was ranked at 16.

• “It’s an honor to be recognized for the quality services we provide,” said Brian Connolly, president & chief executive officer of Oakwood Healthcare. “I’m proud of all of our employees who take the extra steps to ensure our patients are well-cared for and have a positive overall experience. It’s a team effort and this is a validation of that hard work.”

• Michael Geheb, MD, president Greater Dearborn Region, and chief administrator at OHMC, agrees.

• “This recognition is an honor and a testament to the dedication and commitment of our team. This level of excellence in patient care would not be possible without the collaboration of our physicians, nurses and support staff,” he said.

• U.S. News & World Report released its first-ever Best Hospitals metro area rankings in March. To be ranked as of the best in its metro area, a hospital had to score in the top 25 percent among its peers in at least one of 16 medical specialties.

OHMC was recognized as a “high-performer” in the following specialties:

•Ear, Nose & Throat
•Gastroenterology
•Geriatrics
•Gynecology
•Heart & Heart Surgery
•Kidney Disorders
•Neurology & Neurosurgery
•Orthopedics
•Pulmonology
•Urology

U.S. News & World Report created the Best Hospitals rankings program began more than 20 years ago to identify hospitals exceptionally skilled in handling the most difficult cases. Being named among these high-performing hospitals is evidence of our commitment to putting patients first and providing excellence in care to our communities.

Monday, April 11, 2011

It's National Volunteer Week

We at Unibased would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of the individuals who volunteer at hospitals across the country.  Your work is truly appreciated by the facility you serve, the patients, the families, the staff, and the community.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Client News: Oakwood Wins First ‘Best' Honor for its Hospitals

Souce: Hometownlife.com via Oakwood Healthcare System Facebook Page

The Oakwood Hospital and Medical Center in Dearborn is among the top five hospitals in southeast Michigan and the highest-ranking hospital in western Wayne County, according to the U.S. News and World Report.

The publication recently released its first-ever Best Hospitals metro area rankings, and it showed that the OHMC was the fourth best hospital in the Detroit metro area, behind Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak; the Detroit Medical Center's Harper Hospital and the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

All four of the acute care hospitals operated by Oakwood Healthcare Systems were among the top 20. Oakwood Annapolis Hospital in Wayne was ranked at 12th; Oakwood Southshore Medical Center in Trenton was ranked at 14th and the Oakwood Heritage Hospital in Taylor was ranked 16th.

“It's an honor to be recognized for the quality services we provide,” said Brian Connolly, president and chief executive officer of Oakwood Healthcare. “I'm proud of all of our employees who take the extra steps to ensure our patients are well-cared for and have a positive overall experience. It's a team effort and this is a validation of that hard work.”

Eric Widner, president of the western region of Oakwood Healthcare and chief administrator at Oakwood Annapolis Hospital in Wayne, agreed.

“Our dedication and commitment to excellence in patient care would not be possible without the collaboration between physicians, nurses and the support staff,” he said.

The magazine created Best Hospitals more than 20 years ago to identify hospitals exceptionally skilled in handling the most difficult cases, such as brain tumors typically considered inoperable and delicate pancreatic procedures, according to Avery Comarow, health rankings editor for U.S. News and World Report.

“The new metro area rankings are relevant to a much wider range of healthcare consumers,” she said, adding that they are aimed primarily at consumers whose care may not demand the special expertise found only at a nationally ranked

“All of these hospitals provide first-rate care for the majority of patients, even those with serious conditions or who need demanding procedures,” said Comarow. “The new Best Hospitals metro rankings can tell you which hospitals are worth considering for most medical problems, if you live in or near a major metro area.”

The new rankings recognize 622 hospitals in or near major cities with a record of high performance in key medical specialties, including 132 of the 152 hospitals already identified as the best in the nation. There are nearly 5,000 hospitals nationwide. To be ranked in its metro area, a hospital had to score in the top 25 percent among its peers in at least one of 16 medical specialties.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Unibased Clients Ranked by U.S. News & World Reports

Source: U.S. News & World Report

We at Unibased want to extend congratulations to the following client hospitals for being named by U.S. News & World Reports as  Best Hospitals for 2010 - 2011:
Inova Fairfax is ranked as the #2 hospital in the DC Metro area, and is ranked #24 in Gynecology nationally.
Baylor University Medical Center is #2 in Dallas as well as being nationally ranked in the following specialities:  #43 in Gastroenterology; #39 in Kidney Disorders; #47 in Urology.
Jewish Hospital & St. Mary's Healthcare is ranked #1 in Louisville.
Florida Hospital is ranked #1 in Orlando.
Mount Sinai Medical Center is ranked #3 in Miami and ranked #40 in Geriatrics nationally.
Norton is ranked #2 in Louisville, and Kosair Children's Hospital (part of the Norton family) is ranked #26 nationally in the following speciality, Pediatrics: Pulmonology.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Client News: Team Effort Earns Oakwood Heritage Rehab a Five-Star Rating

Source: Oakwood Healthcare Press Release

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently acknowledged the high level of service and clinical expertise at the Bone and Joint Institute-Skilled Rehabilitation Center with a five-star rating in health inspections, with no deficiencies reported.
“We are proud to be recognized for the quality of service we provide here,” said Nicole Doxey, manager of the center. “It’s a total team effort and we have a great team here.”
Medicare rated the facility with an overall five-star rating based on annual site visits. The national average is eight, while the Michigan average is 9. “We’ve never had any deficiencies,” said Doxey.
The facility also received a five-star rating for staffing, averaging nearly five hours of licensed nurse time per resident, per day and four hours of Certified Nursing Assistant hours per resident, per day. The statewide average is about two and 2.5 hours, respectively.
Congratulations to the Bone and Joint Institute-Skilled Rehabilitation Center team at Oakwood Heritage Hospital for upholding Oakwood’s credo Patients Come First with a positive example of how Oakwood provides compassionate care delivered with quality and safety

Client News: Mobile Application Now Available For Des Peres Hospital


Source: Des Peres Hospital Press Relase

Des Peres Hospital today launched a mobile application to further connect the hospital to community members and increase access to health-related information.  The mobile application, powered by WorldLink, is available as a free download for iPhone™, iPad™, iTouch™, and Android™ products.
The application allows users to access:
  • ER Wait Time – launches mobile web browser to view hospital’s emergency room wait time;
  • Map and directions;
  • Call Us – a list of frequently-called hospital numbers;
  • My Data –  an area to list allergies, emergency contacts, important contacts, insurance information, medical history, physician contacts and medications;
  • First Aid Guide;
  • Health Library; and
  • Physician Finder – find a physician online
“Every day, people look for ways to manage their health care.  Mobile applications provide a convenient and easy way to access health-related information,” said Thomas E. Casaday, chief executive officer of Des Peres Hospital.  “We’re excited to offer this emerging technology to members of the community.”

A survey from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project reported that 17 percent of cell-phone owners have used their phone to look up health information, with young adults aged 18-29 (29 percent) and Hispanics (25 percent) as the top users.  In addition, a research2guidance report estimates that 1.4 billion people worldwide will have smartphones by 2015, and one in three people will have a health-related application on their phones. 

Click here to download for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touchor Search for “Des Peres Hospital” on the iTunes App StoreTM

Click here to download for Android
or Search for “Des Peres Hospital” on the Android MarketplaceTM