Executive Notes

Report from Vice President of Medical Affairs, Norwalk Hospital Lewis Berman, MD

First, it has been an eventful 3 months at Norwalk Hospital:

• Our new inpatient Palliative Care program kicked off in April. This program, a multi-disciplinary effort led by Myra Skluth, MD , and Iris Nagin, APRN, in collaboration with Oncology, Care Management, Nursing, Chaplaincy, Pain Management, Critical Care and the Hospitalist program is focusing on hospitalized patients with non-oncologic diagnoses.
• We are excited that Anton Trinidad, MD, has been selected as our new Chairman of Psychiatry. He is currently at the University of Texas at Houston and will be starting on September 2, 2014.
• Our free lung cancer screening program has been very successful. So far this year, we have performed 939 CT scans which have identified 16 lung cancers!
• Norwalk Hospital physicians have been supporting the Hospitals transformation to a high reliability organization. Many physicians have already completed their high reliability training, we have instituted a regular telemetry safety huddle with our nocturnist and nursing staff, and the medical staff is actively participating in our daily, hospital wide safety huddles.
• Shawn Tittle, MD and Jason Orlinick, MD have been leading a multidisciplinary team focused on assuring that patients receive high value care while minimizing waste. Due to their efforts, we have seen more efficient use of the OR robot and decreased utilization of unnecessary blood tests and IV medications on the medical / surgical floors.

Second, a Report on Horty Springer Bylaws Committee:

Hospital medical staffs are governed by written documents including Bylaws, Credentialing and Peer Review policies. As with other legal documents, these policies require periodic review and revision to ensure that they are current. We have created a Bylaws Subcommittee at Norwalk Hospital to do this. Members include Drs. Charles Adelmann, Yoni Barnhard, Lewis Berman, Marvin Den, Kathleen Lavorgna, Stephen Michaelson, Jason Orlinick, Nicholas Polifroni, Vicki Smetak, Klaus Thaler and Kristen Staikos (the Hospital's General Counsel). This team will work with the Horty Springer law firm which specializes in Medical Staff issues. With Horty Springer's extensive experience and perspective and taking into account recent changes in medical practice, we anticipate review of many areas including the types of hospital privileges, integration of Allied Health Professionals, and the Peer Review process. Please keep an eye on your emails for further information. We will also update you at the Quarterly Medical Staff meetings and plan to solicit your feedback.

Third, our Patient Portal

(A report from Stephen P. O'Mahony, MD, FACP, Chief Medical Information Officer)

As Stage 2 of Meaningful Use looks to advance clinical processes of care towards improved healthcare outcomes, it is simultaneously demanding transformative technology while challenging us to optimally integrate these new workflows. Given the increasing complexity, it is estimated that fewer than 20% of eligible hospitals will successfully meet Stage 2 measures by the year’s deadline next month. Great news, however, is that the Norwalk campus was one of the few hospitals in the country to successfully attest so far.

Our Meaningful Use project has established key tools in improving healthcare for our patients, and ultimately laying a foundation to increase value, manage populations, and succeed in healthcare transformation. Highlights include electronic sharing of patient information, e-prescribing, and most visibly the patient portal.

READ MORE...

Report from Executive Director, New Milford Hospital Thomas Koobatian, MD

Single License for Danbury and New Milford Hospitals
And a call for Council and Committee nominations

On October 1, 2014 Danbury and New Milford Hospitals will begin to operate under one license. The two Medical Staffs will join together under a unified set of bylaws that both Medical Staffs approved last year.

At each Hospital a new Leadership Council will be formed to oversee local Medical Staff quality and safety, as well as to address issues regarding individual practitioners’ clinical practice. Each council will be composed of a representative from the departments of Medicine, Surgery, Anesthesia, Hospitalist Medicine, Emergency Medicine and the Chief of Staff. A centralized Nominating Committee and Medical Executive Committee will serve our newly combined Medical Staff. There will be representation from both Hospitals, including employed and community based physicians.

A group of physicians from both Hospitals will be coming together next month to start this planning. If you would like to be considered to serve on one of these committees or want to nominate a colleague, please contact me or John Mullen.