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Wireless Technology at WMHS

Congratulations to Bill Byers, CIO, and his IT staff at WMHS on the attached video that was produced by Enterasys promoting our wireless technology.   The video shows how we are 100% wireless in our mobility to care for patients.  We also have the capability to have physicians and advanced practice professionals bring their own portable devices such as smartphones and iPads into the hospital and to be operated at the patient's bedside, on a patient unit or in their offices rapidly and securely.  Wireless technology  has  greatly enhanced our workflow in care delivery as well as patient safety at WMHS

Posted by Barry P. Ronan at 5/31/2012 No comments: 

That Delicate Balance of Choosing Wisely

In April, a number of physician groups launched the Choosing Wisely campaign focusing on 45 tests and procedures that are overused during annual physicals.  In fact, one of the overused tests is the PSA to test otherwise healthy men over 50 for prostate cancer.

At our last President's Clinical Quality Council, the issue was debated between a few of our primary care doc members and a urologist member of the Council.  The primary care docs have embraced Choosing Wisely while the Urologist suggested that the change be used with caution.  The delicate balance comes in with the necessity of the Choosing Wisely campaign versus the diagnosis of prostate cancer in healthy men.

The issue hit close to home recently when an extended family member of mine went for an annual physical, had a PSA and it was determined that he had prostate cancer.  He had his prostate removed yesterday and all went well.  The cancer was caught in time as a result of the PSA test.

The Choosing Wisely campaign is truly necessary to reduce the overuse of procedures and tests, but it has to be balanced with the patient in mind.
Posted by Barry P. Ronan at 5/30/2012 No comments: 

The Jazz Corner 

No More Mister Nice Guy 

A Continued Bleak Economic Outlook

Yesterday, our investment advisors were at WMHS with their semi-annual report on the health system's investments.  Each gave a perspective on the market outlook for the remainder of this year and the next several years.  The most surprising comment was that we shouldn't see any improvement until 2015 to 2018.  According to their outlook, the current and future risks are many: a great deal of political uncertainty both in the US and abroad; a projected $500 billion in new taxes looming this coming January 1 which will impact disposable income; an economic slowdown in China; ongoing debt issues where the US government is addressing the debt issue by creating more debt (huh?).  There is some good news with a few positives: US corporations are getting stronger; inflation continues to be low; aside from oil, energy costs are low; and the housing supply is improving but the housing market is still trying to bottom out.  Using a health care analogy to describe our economy, one investment advisor said that it's like a patient who is no longer critical but remains in a weakened state, vulnerable to relapse.  I wish the news was better, but at least we have the necessary information to plan accordingly.
Posted by Barry P. Ronan at 5/23/2012 No comments: 

Oh, To Be "Wealthy"

A friend of mine had a great line after last week's vote by the Maryland General Assembly to raise taxes.  He said, "On Tuesday, I went to bed middle class and when I woke up on Wednesday, I was wealthy." Not only did the House and the Senate raise taxes on everyone making over $100K as a single filer and for any joint filers making over $150K, but they also shifted 25% of the pension costs for teachers to the counties.   County governments across the state will in turn be forced to raise taxes locally.  So, not only will we soon pay close to 9% for state income taxes, but the counties will increase their taxes to cover the pension shift.   Wait a minute, aren't we the same taxpayers?  So why is the State telling us about the money that they saved us by reducing the state's pension costs?   Come January 2013, if the previously approved tax cuts aren't continued, the triple whammy will hit with an increase in the Federal income tax rate.  What all of this tells me is that we are in store for a much deeper recession as our disposable income becomes significantly reduced.
Posted by Barry P. Ronan at 5/22/2012 No comments: 

Our Greatest Challenge

Health Leaders magazine did a survey throughout the health care industry recently.  When focusing on clinical quality improvement, one of the components of Health Care Reform's Triple Aim along with reducing the cost of care and focusing on population health, 30% of hospital and health system CEO's responded that care coordination along the continuum of care is their greatest challenge.  Interestingly enough, 25% of all groups surveyed also responded that care coordination was their number one challenge with improving the patient experience as a close second with 21%.  CEOs also had the patient experience as second at 17%.

At WMHS, we are pulling out all stops to better coordinate the care of the patient.  We have reorganized our Care Management department to better address overall care coordination of our inpatients.  We have strengthened patient education and discharge planning.  We have a care team lead by our Chief Medical Officer rounding on patients with a length of stay greater than 5 days to ensure that all that can be done for the patient is being done while they are an inpatient.  We are working to enhance the communication process between our Hospitalists and physicians and other caregivers.  We also have nurses rounding on patients with physicians and shift report taking place at the patient's bedside.  At WMHS, we continue to make progress in all of these areas and I was pleasantly surprised to see that care coordination has become such an industry priority.
Posted by Barry P. Ronan at 5/21/2012 No comments: 

Graduating from College

Congratulations to all of the graduates tomorrow.  God speed.
Posted by Barry P. Ronan at 5/18/2012 No comments: 

The Double Edged Sword 

Top Ten Priorities for Hospitals 
Physician Award Winners

Last Friday evening, we celebrated and honored the members of our medical staff at WMHS.  The Gala is held each May to acknowledge and thank our physicians, dentists and advanced practice professionals.  We also select a physician of the year, a lifetime achievement awardee and a mane ictum (quick impact) awardee all from the medical staff.  We had 33 different physicians nominated for the three awards.  The decision was extremely difficult.   The winners were:

Mane Ictum Award: Dr. Aman Dalal, Infectious Disease
Physician of the Year: Dr. Bill Lamm, Hospital Medicine
Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. Jim Raver, Hospital Medicine and Chief Medical Officer (Retired)

Congratulations and thank you for your dedication to our patients and staff. Posted by Barry P. Ronan at 5/16/2012 No comments: 

A "Shocking" Incident 

No More Picking the Feds This Week

It's time to comment on the upcoming special legislative session scheduled next week to deal with a single issue: to raise taxes on Marylanders.  There are reasons on both sides of the aisle not to allow the doomsday budget to take effect this fiscal year.   However, my blog is about the absurdity of our elected leaders, all from the same party (Democrats), not finalizing the budget, which includes raising taxes, during the regular session.  Instead, many of these senators and delegates, who will be running for re-election in 2 years, will have to vote to raise taxes in a spotlighted special session.  This is a great time for any prospective challenger to begin preparing his or her campaign.  Maryland, according to Governor O'Malley, has some of the lowest taxes in the country.  Really?  By raising the state income taxes to almost 9% that will place Maryland in the top 10 of states with the highest state and local income taxes.  I guess the good news is that we don't live in France.  Their newly elected President wants to raise taxes up to 75%.  Get ready for the brain drain from France.
Posted by Barry P. Ronan at 5/11/2012 No comments: 

The Efficiency of Government Posted by Barry P. Ronan at 5/10/2012 No comments: 

You've Come a Long Way Since Florence Nightingale

Happy Nurses Week to all the nurses throughout WMHS who serve our patients with exceptional care and compassion each and every day.  At WMHS, we are blessed to have a wonderful nursing staff led by an exceptional individual, Nancy Adams, who epitomizes what is to be a caring, competent, experienced professional every hour of every day.

The role of the nurse continues to change year after year as we change how we deliver health care in this era of reform.  The patients are changing as well.  The very great majority continues to be grateful for the care and compassion that they receive as a patient--on an acute care unit, in an outpatient setting, in the Operating Room, in a physician's office, at home through Home Care, in our Emergency Department, by the Care Management team, though Nursing Leadership and the list goes on.

Our nurses have to endure so much more from an increasing number of patients—those come to the ED intoxicated or in a drug-induced state, ones who are threatening or violent, or simply those who are ungrateful no matter what you do for them.  Fortunately, that last group of challenging individuals is a small percentage of the patients and families that our staff faces.

We are blessed to have so many wonderful employees at WMHS who complement such a caring and skilled component of our workforce.   Please join me this week in honoring and celebrating all of our nurses at WMHS for the extremely challenging job that they do each day with always with the utmost care and compassion.
Posted by Barry P. Ronan at 5/09/2012 No comments: 

Hospital Rates in Maryland 

You’ve Got to Love the Bureaucracy of our Government 

Hell May Be Freezing Over

Posted by Barry P. Ronan at 5/04/2012 No comments: 

What Not to Do

Spirit Airlines Soars Above Field in Flier Complaints.
Posted by Barry P. Ronan at 5/03/2012 No comments: 

Checklist Health Care 

Extraordinary Bosses

*Extraordinary bosses motivate through vision not fear. 

Barry P. Ronan WMHS President and CEO Barry's Blog List Barry's Favorite Sites