CEO Notes

John Murphy, MD, President and CEO, WCHN

Considering the Affiliation

As we continue to move toward the affiliation - with a decision from the State expected in late November—I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate why the affiliation makes so much sense.

Each of us entered medicine to make a difference to our patients and the people who depend on them. We come to work realizing the new challenges each day brings and the opportunities that come with them. And we hope that by the end of each day, we have made a difference to someone- a difference that will last.

As challenging as this work is, it is not a solo sport. Each of us relies on colleagues to support our efforts, stretch our thinking and watch our backs. We look to others to open our minds to new ways of approaching trying situations as we do whatever it takes to address our patients’ needs. We have come to the belief that for many of clinical matters that we face, two heads are better than one.

That’s a big benefit of our upcoming affiliation. Simply put, working with Norwalk Hospital will enable us to connect with many more physicians, including well known clinicians in their fields, who, ultimately can help all physicians strengthen the care we provide. While any business arrangements contains many details, what’s matters most about this affiliation will be the difference it makes to patients when more physicians can access more physicians. We will all benefit from that.

To make the most of the opportunity this affiliation brings, our 22 integration teams are now finalizing work plans that we will begin to implement on the first day of the new organization. These include, as you know, staff from both organizations focusing on clinical issues, including cardiovascular, cancer and pediatric care, as well as lab services, our PHO and our employed physician organization, and other dimensions of the organization. When we receive the final go-ahead from the State, and officially begin this new chapter, we won’t notice much difference in the first weeks. We will still come to work, as we do each day, and care for our patients and rely on colleagues as we provide that care. Over time, we will begin to experience the benefits of working in a broader network of resources, especially as we begin to implement the ideas generated by the various integration teams.

In the first months, the benefits of this affiliation will naturally emerge as we work together, learn from each other, and consider the best ways to collaborate to serve our patients. The real opportunity this new working relationship provides is for patients to benefit from physicians working with more resources, enabling technology, state-of-the art facilities and highly talented colleagues.

We will keep you posted on our progress.

John