DOC-Line

Since 2007 DOC-Line has informed the Medical Staff – both hospital and community based - about important news that affects them.Here is the basic structure:

• Chief Medical Officer Notes
• Chief Operating Officer Notes
• Executive Notes
• Medical Staff Presidents and others
• Keeping up – What’s New
• Clinical Integration
• Vox Medicus
• Individual physician’s editorials

DOC-Line employs a format designed for quick, easy access by readers. Important information is often summarized with links provided to more detail if the reader desires it.

With our new affiliation, this is a significant edition of DOC-Line for WCHN and the Medical Staff. We sincerely ask for your feedback on ways we can improve its value to you.

Matt Miller, MD
CMO WCHN
Matthew.miller@wchn.org

CMO Notes

Matthew Miller, MD
Chief Medical Officer, WCHN

Dear Colleagues:

In this edition of DOC-Line you will learn about:

• What’s next in our affiliation work,
• Our new marketing direction and programs.
• The most recent status of the Tower occupancy,
• How the new internet Patient Portal could affect you and your practice,
• A new Lyme research project

and you’ll find a physician editorial examining naloxone (Narcan), a medication that reverses opioid overdose.

My own message in this edition of DOC-Line covers two topics: the impact of the affiliation and the introduction of HRO – the High Reliability Organization.

The affiliation:
What does the affiliation mean to you and your patients?

Here are some facts and your chance to get answers. But we need your help.

You’ve heard a fair bit about the value of our affiliation in terms of efficiencies, population health management, general integration themes, improved breadth of services, and general positioning for our collective futures.

I guess the rhetoric only goes so far. Many of you are still waiting to see how this will impact and improve your professional lives and the lives of your patients.

Some clinical areas have experienced significant positive impact but perhaps not enough for the majority of you to feel any substantial change or value. The management team certainly feels the changes and most of us are convinced the changes are positive from a network perspective.

However, many of you have told me that you feel out of the loop and a bit confused. We in clinical leadership, need your help and advice:

• What are your questions? What do you need to understand better? Do you know who to call about issues? How can we keep you better informed?

Meetings will only go so far. Please email me (matthew.miller@wchn.org) or your respective VPMAs or Chairs. We would like to know what’s on your mind and how we can keep you better informed.

I can update you on a few specifics regarding network clinical integration:

• Cardiovascular Service Line---Although final details remain, we are pleased to announce that Dr. Mark Warshofsky, the Danbury Chief of Cardiology, will take on the clinical leadership of this service line for the Network. Dr. Paul Gagne, a community based vascular surgeon (and board member) from Norwalk Hospital will serve as second in command, with a network presence and a particular focus on working with Norwalk providers.
• Cancer Service Line---Dr. Klaus Thaler leads this service line clinically on an interim basis, and a good deal of planning for the future integration continues actively.
• Primary Care---Although not a “service line”, we are finalizing plans to identify “campus” based leaders for primary care who will be responsible, along with respective Chairs, for identifying issues, supporting and representing the needs and voice of our vitally important primary care providers. A strong and well supported based of Primary Care providers is mandatory for our future success.

High Reliability Organization (HRO) Training
High Reliability Organizations like aviation and nuclear energy share two common attributes: They are high risk because of the consequence of any errors made by individuals or the system, and they are committed to dramatically reducing the frequency of error. Like aviation and nuclear energy, health care organizations also present high risk because of the consequences of errors. We want to borrow well proven innovations, techniques and practices from aviation and nuclear energy in our commitment to reduce error.

Because we in the Medical Staff drive clinical outcomes and lead clinical care, it is essential that we all participate in this training along with our teams.

Our commitment and expectation requires that everyone in our network, including myself and all of you, are educated and engaged in our Safety Training initiative, called High Reliability Organization (HRO) training. We are committed to making the training enjoyable and accessible. We will offer abbreviated 1 hour courses, with CME, in multiple venues and times, for the medical staff. Stay tuned for more information.

Matt