Congratulations to the Team!

As we are continuously challenging ourselves to improve our quality, safety, and efficiency we sometimes forget to take our pulse and see how the world thinks we are doing. Yesterday, Business First published our recent recognition by Health Grades on being named as one of 'America’s 50 Best Hospitals' and a “Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence.”

We all know the work that we all do is challenging, demanding, and we sometimes fail to meet the high expectations that we set for ourselves - all of which can take a toll on our morale. However, we should all feel proud of the fact that that the good work we are doing each and every day is not going unnoticed by the customers we serve. Please give yourselves a big pat on the back for another great recognition from Health Grades!

Congratulations to the Team!

Focus Louisville

Over the past few days, I had the opportunity to participate in a program called "Focus Louisville" that is sponsored by the Leadership Louisville Center. It was a remarkably eye-opening experience that I feel very fortunate to have attended. For two-and-one-half days, about 40 classmates and myself received an insiders view of the city that many people probably never have the chance to see or appreciate.

Our first day focused on a tour of the city, the arts, and an overview of our metro city government. From downtown, to Portage, to Shawnee, to East Market street, we got a great glimpse at the history behind our great city and a look into the future of what we in the medical district hope to create. The arts we have in this town are also second-to-none in a city of our size. From great museums like the Science Center and the 21c art museum to the Actors Theater and the Performing Arts Center, our city has a lot to offer whatever your taste. Most impressively getting to see and talk to our metro government leaders and learn about how they have taken us from the merger of city and county to present day was quite eye-opening. The amount of work that Mayor Abramson does to keep our city running and growing is quite admirable and it is easy to see why he has been in office as long as he has - and deservedly so I might add!

Our second day focused on education and social services. The class got a look into several of the Jefferson County Public Schools and I think all walked away with a new appreciation for the good work that those teachers and principals are doing to educate our future generation and a renewed respect for the public school system. The afternoon allowed us the opportunity to visit several agencies that are taking care of the disadvantaged in our community. I got to tour the West End School for Boys and in the process learned a new meaning of what commitment and dedication is in today's world. The headmaster of this boarding school is Robert Blair - he is a true definition of what a difference one person can make in the lives of others. Several years ago, he and his wife decided to start this school to give at-risk boys a chance for a better life. They moved out of their house and began personally renovating a closed down school on the west end where they now live full-time. Today they have 12 students enrolled in their school and are looking to grow as funding allows. These 12 boys, all from broken and troubled homes, are getting a chance to go further in life than would otherwise have been possible because of the remarkable dedication of this one man and his passion.

Our last day we got to spend at one of the city's true gems - the Kentucky Derby Museum. We were able to reflect on what we saw and more importantly on what we can do as citizens in this community to make it better. To me, one of the most striking things about the whole experience is that nothing that we saw on our tours was secretive or privileged. Anyone with the time and ambition could go and visit, see, and speak to the people that we met along our travels and get involved. Unfortunately, what I also learned along the way is that many people never take the time to learn about the communities they live in and all of the great things they have to offer or how they can give back. The Mayor has made it his mission to get the people of Louisville to be not only residents of the city, but citizens of it - a city with people that are actively engaged and contributing to make the city be all that it can be. From my perspective, it is a very worthy goal and one that I hope I can live up to!

Focus Louisville

Many Thanks for a Successful First Year!

Today is a special day for me as it marks my first anniversary as the President and CEO of Jewish Hospital. The day was made even more special by having the opportunity to host our semi-annual system leadership Summit at the Expo Center. To share the day with 500 of our leaders across the system was a great reaffirmation of what lead me to seek this position in the first place - our people!

This past year has been one of many changes for me and my family. With taking on a new job, a new city, a new home, and a new baby, one of our team members asked if I was trying to set a new record for the amount of stress one person can pile on at the same time. All I can say in response is that I am extremely appreciative for having such a great team around me to help me through it all!

As I look back and reflect on my first year, there are so many people for whom I owe a great deal of gratitude. For starters, my boss, who has taken a personal interest in helping both me and the hospital to have a very successful 2008. Having a supportive supervisor who took the time to get to know me as a person, who set clear goals, and gave me regular feedback made all the difference in the world in terms of my personal satisfaction and effectiveness in doing my job.

Next is my leadership team - our executives, directors, and managers have risen to the challenges that we faced throughout the year and pushed each other to achieve our goals and then some. Their open minds, flexability, and willingness to change have propelled the hospital to see marked improvements in areas ranging from core measures and infection rates to revenue cycle, supply utilization, length-of-stay, productivity and many other areas in between.

I am also grateful for our corporate team and my peer CEO's within the system. This is the first organization I have worked in where I genuinely feel that everyone around the table is truly committed to each other and our collective success.

Lastly, I would like to say thank you to our team members. So many of you have gone out of your way to welcome me, accept me, and support me in leading our great hospital and for that I am extremely thankful.

I am sure that I have probably forgotten many as there are truly more people to thank than I have room to list, but please be assured that your efforts and support are very much appreciated. So here's to a wonderful 2008 and an even better 2009 - Thank YOU!

Many Thanks for a Successful First Year!

Friendly Co-opetition?

On Friday, I attended a district meeting hosted by the Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA).  Several times a year all of the hospital CEO's in Kentucky get together to discuss issues affecting hospitals and healthcare and discuss ways in which we can be more effective in carrying out the missions of our respective hospitals.  At this meeting, we discussed issues related to staff recruitment, health insurance, the creation of Kentucky's first patient safety organization, emergency department transportation protocols for heart attack and stroke patients, and proposed changes to hospital reimbursement within the state to name a few.  

I would have to say that in my relatively short tenure in Kentucky, I have been pleasantly surprised at the level of cooperation that exists amongst and between my peer colleagues in the state.  In a field that competes every day for the same physicians, patients, and team members, it is nice to see that we can all sit in the same room and collaboratively discuss how we can work together to solve issues that are common to us all.  This form of "co-opetition" is becoming more prevalent in business across the country as we realize that cooperating with those we compete with can be healthy for us all and our customers.  

The question to me is do we take this level of interaction far enough, and where do you draw the line?  For example, while it is relatively harmless to collectively support favorable reimbursement legislation or even the joint investment in information systems to help with recruiting personnel, do we really collaborate fully on sharing best practices around patient safety and quality between our organizations?   As hospitals, if our collective missions are generally focused around improving the lives of those in our community, shouldn't the sharing of best practices around safety and quality be encouraged rather than used as a means to fuel competition between us?  I'm interested in your thoughts....let me know what you think!  

Friendly Co-opetition?

A (small) Step in the Right Direction

Yesterday our Governor signed into law a new bill that will double the tax on a pack of cigarettes from 30 cents to 60 cents beginning April 1st.  While the legislation fell short of its intended goal of increasing the tax to $1 per pack, I think this is definitely a move in the right direction for Kentucky!   Many people see this as an unfair tax that claims to be in the name of health but is really just a ploy by the State to raise revenue.   My challenge to those who think that way is to do something about it!  Show the legislature that it can't raise taxes and take our hard earned money away from us to solve its problems - QUIT SMOKING!  It sounds simple to me, but from experiences in other states, it doesn't work.  Oklahoma raised cigarette taxes significantly a few years ago, and after a small decline in tobacco purchases initially, they are once again on the rebound.   

Many of you know my personal feelings on the issue of smoking or may be able to guess after reading this post.  Smoking is a terrible habit that contributes to the #1 and #2 killer diseases in our country, Heart Disease and Cancer.  Having championed the cause to ban smoking on hospital campuses in Tulsa and supporting our pledge to do the same here in Louisville, I am still amazed by the number of people that still go out of their way to feed their addiction.  

Many people if asked will tell you that they know smoking is bad for them, and that they plan on quitting - someday.  In fact, I stopped a team member the other day who was on her way out to have a cigarette (off property of course!) When I asked her about this, she said she is planning to quit, just as soon as she finishes school.   Why wait I ask, but at minimum, I'd love to help hold you to your commitment.  

Smoking is an addiction, but it is an addiction that can be beat!  Having helped support others who have taken up the challenge to quit, I know it is possible. One of my former mangers, Freeda, took up this challenge a couple of years ago.   Smoking was literally killing her - she was having difficulty breathing and trying to control other health issues.  She took the challenge to quit seriously and gave up smoking cold turkey.   Today she is breathing easier, has lost weight, has added years back to her life and kept a few extra hard earn dollars in her wallet in the process!  

There are resources all around to help those that are truly serious about quitting the habit.  To those that may be reading this and who are wanting to quit, the first step is to make a promise to your self and your health and then tell someone about it.  Enlist your friends, family, your boss, or even me in helping to achieve your goal!  You'd be amazed at the help and support you will receive along the way.   In today's difficult economy, I urge you to take up the challenge and give yourself a raise!  Until then, thank you Governor Beshear and don't stop pushing for another 70 cents again next year! 

A (small) Step in the Right Direction

Another Day, Another World First!

At a joint press conference today with the University of Louisville, it was announced that the world's first adult cardiac stem cell trial will take place at Jewish Hospital!

Dr. Roberto Bolli, Jewish Hospital Heart and Lung Institute Distinguished
Chair in Cardiology, is the lead investigator of the world's first phase
one FDA-approved clinical trial using adult cardiac stem cells to treat
heart disease. Working alongside Dr. Mark Slaughter, Division Chief of
Cardiovascular and Thoracic for the University of Louisville, for the first
time, patients with advanced heart disease who are already undergoing
bypass surgery will be recruited for participation in the clinical trial.
The research study will use adult stem cells taken from the patient's own
cardiac tissue to regenerate tissue that has been damaged by a previous
heart attack.

We are all very proud of the work that Dr's Bolli and Slaughter are doing
at Jewish Hospital! Please let them know how much we appreciate them!

Another Day, Another World First!

Our Nurses are Tops!

Thank you to all of our nurses for voting us as one of Nursing Professional's magazines "2009 Top 100 Hospitals to Work For."  I think this honor says a lot about our hospital, our culture, and our nurses and I thank you for sharing your thoughts in such a meaningful way!  As we continue our journey towards magnet status in nursing, this is hopefully the first of many things for which we will be recognized.  Most importantly, our patients can take comfort with the excellent care that you provide to them each and every day.  A big salute and thank you to all!  

Our Nurses are Tops!

Habitat for Humanity

On Saturday, I got to participate in the dedication of the Habitat for Humanity's newest project in West Louisville. While this is the third house that Jewish has participated in, this one is extra special in that belongs to one of our own team members - Joy Leavell and her 2 year old son JaShawn. They are very excited about their new house which should be completed in about 3 months. We are looking forward to a lot of help from our team members in making this house a home for Joy!


















Above: members from our TPG offices, including Dr. "Bob the builder" Sharf!

Habitat for Humanity

Go Red for Women!

As major supporters of the American Heart Association, the team from the 15th floor showed off their red on national Go Red for Women day.

Go Red for Women!

My Favorite Blog - Running a Hospital

The original inspiration for my blogging experiment. Paul Levy is the CEO of Beth Isreal Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. He started writing a blog on his experiences at running a large metropolitan teaching hospital. Three years later he has developed a global following as he shares ideas on hospitals, quality, transparency, and health policy. Check out his blog and let me know what you think!

My Favorite Blog - Running a Hospital