The MedGroup News summarizes updates from St. Luke's Medical Group. Over 120 physicians from the group met recently to learn about each other and set goals for the future network. Two key themes emerged: the need for better bidirectional communication across the large network, and keeping patients within the practice network when possible. The newsletter also highlights the group's community service volunteering, a pediatric bridge clinic for newborns, and awards/recognitions for physicians and staff.
Ten Essential Steps for Your Readmission Reduction ProgramHealth Catalyst
Effective care management is essential during the first 30 days after discharge to prevent unnecessary readmission and associated costs. Care managers can follow a 10-step readmission reduction program to help patients stay on track with recovery and avoid acute care:
1. Call the patient within two days of discharge.
2. Assess the patient’s self-care capacity.
3. Frontload homecare and ensure patient 'touches', if appropriate.
4. Conduct a home safety evaluation.
5. Order and install durable medical equipment prior to discharge.
6. Order an emergency alert/medication reminder system and preprogram important phone numbers on patient’s phone.
7. Implement fall prevention program, intervention, and education.
8. Provide in-home education on new diagnoses or unmanaged chronic conditions.
9. Connect the patient with community resources.
10. Establish a best practice for follow-up phone calls after discharge.
Unleashing Data: The Key To Driving Massive ImprovementsHealth Catalyst
Tom shares how investing in analytics training and infrastructure will help prepare for massive improvements in healthcare outcomes leading to sustained and distributed improvements throughout entire organizations.
Attendees will learn:
1. The key team roles and skillsets required for driving and sustaining massive improvements.
2. How to assess improvement opportunities from an effort and value perspective.
3. The most common mistakes in leveraging analytics and how to avoid them.
Discovering a Common Purpose: Creating Physician EngagementHealth Catalyst
Join Dr. Bryan Oshiro, MD Chief Medical Officer, Health Catalyst , as he shares key best practices in getting physician engagement including identifying and empowering physician leaders in key functional teams, compensating for leadership roles, educating and developing a common purpose, triad teamwork approaches, giving quick, easy, and responsive access to the right data to identify problems and make recommendations, and supporting and empowering physician-led recommendations.
Attendees will learn:
The importance of physician engagement in quality improvement (the “why”)
To describe the challenges and barriers to truly have physicians lead quality improvement (“the what”)
To identify strategies to enhance physician engagement (the “how”)
Creating Physician engagement is a journey. It is a partnership that requires putting the patient first to provide the best care possible.
Please join Dr. Oshiro as he shares his experiences spanning three decades of quality improvement and clinical practice, from Loma Linda University Medical School to Intermountain Healthcare, for what will be an engaging and enlightening session.
Realizing the Promise of Patient-Reported Outcomes MeasuresHealth Catalyst
Dr. Rachel Clark Sisodia, a champion of the system-wide adoption of Patient Reported Outcomes Measures at Partners HealthcCare, will share her experience and perspective on the relevance and necessity of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures (PROMs). In this webinar, Dr. Sisodia will highlight how the PROMs ideas have been put into practice at Partners HealthCare.
Join us and learn:
Strategies and tactics for overcoming potential barriers to collecting and effectively using PROMs.
Through specific examples, how to demonstrate that PROMs can help deliver faster, more personalized care for individual patients.
How to collect and use advanced analytics to leverage aggregate PROMs data to inform clinical patient and provider decisions.
How to use outcomes metrics for quality improvement and comparative effectiveness.
Improve Patient Satisfaction: Five Things Healthcare Organizations Can Learn ...Health Catalyst
Patient satisfaction metrics are being put in the spotlight and are becoming more important as healthcare organizations transition from fee-for-service reimbursements to alternative payment models. While healthcare and the entertainment industry may seem disparate on the surface, there is much organizations can learn about improving the patient experience from companies like Disney who utilize data to understand their customers’ wants and needs in order to provide a superior guest experience. Disney creates the idea guest experience in 5 ways: 1. Understanding the guest; 2. Everyone is a performer; 3. Seeking out interactions; 4. Owning the guest; and 5. Accountability
Ten Essential Steps for Your Readmission Reduction ProgramHealth Catalyst
Effective care management is essential during the first 30 days after discharge to prevent unnecessary readmission and associated costs. Care managers can follow a 10-step readmission reduction program to help patients stay on track with recovery and avoid acute care:
1. Call the patient within two days of discharge.
2. Assess the patient’s self-care capacity.
3. Frontload homecare and ensure patient 'touches', if appropriate.
4. Conduct a home safety evaluation.
5. Order and install durable medical equipment prior to discharge.
6. Order an emergency alert/medication reminder system and preprogram important phone numbers on patient’s phone.
7. Implement fall prevention program, intervention, and education.
8. Provide in-home education on new diagnoses or unmanaged chronic conditions.
9. Connect the patient with community resources.
10. Establish a best practice for follow-up phone calls after discharge.
Unleashing Data: The Key To Driving Massive ImprovementsHealth Catalyst
Tom shares how investing in analytics training and infrastructure will help prepare for massive improvements in healthcare outcomes leading to sustained and distributed improvements throughout entire organizations.
Attendees will learn:
1. The key team roles and skillsets required for driving and sustaining massive improvements.
2. How to assess improvement opportunities from an effort and value perspective.
3. The most common mistakes in leveraging analytics and how to avoid them.
Discovering a Common Purpose: Creating Physician EngagementHealth Catalyst
Join Dr. Bryan Oshiro, MD Chief Medical Officer, Health Catalyst , as he shares key best practices in getting physician engagement including identifying and empowering physician leaders in key functional teams, compensating for leadership roles, educating and developing a common purpose, triad teamwork approaches, giving quick, easy, and responsive access to the right data to identify problems and make recommendations, and supporting and empowering physician-led recommendations.
Attendees will learn:
The importance of physician engagement in quality improvement (the “why”)
To describe the challenges and barriers to truly have physicians lead quality improvement (“the what”)
To identify strategies to enhance physician engagement (the “how”)
Creating Physician engagement is a journey. It is a partnership that requires putting the patient first to provide the best care possible.
Please join Dr. Oshiro as he shares his experiences spanning three decades of quality improvement and clinical practice, from Loma Linda University Medical School to Intermountain Healthcare, for what will be an engaging and enlightening session.
Realizing the Promise of Patient-Reported Outcomes MeasuresHealth Catalyst
Dr. Rachel Clark Sisodia, a champion of the system-wide adoption of Patient Reported Outcomes Measures at Partners HealthcCare, will share her experience and perspective on the relevance and necessity of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures (PROMs). In this webinar, Dr. Sisodia will highlight how the PROMs ideas have been put into practice at Partners HealthCare.
Join us and learn:
Strategies and tactics for overcoming potential barriers to collecting and effectively using PROMs.
Through specific examples, how to demonstrate that PROMs can help deliver faster, more personalized care for individual patients.
How to collect and use advanced analytics to leverage aggregate PROMs data to inform clinical patient and provider decisions.
How to use outcomes metrics for quality improvement and comparative effectiveness.
Improve Patient Satisfaction: Five Things Healthcare Organizations Can Learn ...Health Catalyst
Patient satisfaction metrics are being put in the spotlight and are becoming more important as healthcare organizations transition from fee-for-service reimbursements to alternative payment models. While healthcare and the entertainment industry may seem disparate on the surface, there is much organizations can learn about improving the patient experience from companies like Disney who utilize data to understand their customers’ wants and needs in order to provide a superior guest experience. Disney creates the idea guest experience in 5 ways: 1. Understanding the guest; 2. Everyone is a performer; 3. Seeking out interactions; 4. Owning the guest; and 5. Accountability
Communication in Healthcare Culture: Eight Steps to Uphold Outcomes ImprovementHealth Catalyst
Healthcare leaders looking to establish and sustain a culture of large-scale outcomes improvement must communicate their health system’s values, beliefs, and norms throughout the entire organization. Effective communication spreads understanding of outcomes improvement, ensuring broad engagement and ongoing progress toward shared goals.
An eight-step strategy describes essential elements of organizational outcomes improvement communication plan:
Include a communications specialist on the outcomes improvement leadership team.
Analyze the stakeholders early and often.
Craft the central message around shared values.
Be a constant champion.
Commit to regular times and mechanisms for communication.
Make sure communication flows both ways.
Be transparent.
Be creative.
Think Your Patients Are Loyal? Think Again. It Takes Work!Renown Health
Accenture provides latest insights on patient loyalty. Suzanne Hendery from Baystate Health shares successful best practices on consistently engaging seniors and women to drive loyalty.
Why is physician engagement strategically important? How can you design a strategy that is laser-focused on increasing clinical demand by ensuring your medical staff is aligned?
This presentation highlights key data, a framework for focusing your efforts with an aim statement and developing a programmatic approach to physician engagement.
Build Physician Relationships that Drive Business Results; Part 2Renown Health
Baystate Health has established a comprehensive, data-driven approach to cultivate new physician referrals, retain current business and earn trust. In this presentation, learn how market intelligence, business analytics and customer engagement are used to focus physician outreach efforts and drive bottom line results.
Leading the Customer Experience Revolution: Baystate Health, Cleveland Clinic...Renown Health
Leading the Customer Experience Revolution. Customer experience is radically shifting to the forefront in healthcare. Examine the leadership role of marketing in driving excellence in service design, patient experience, and social engagement.
Margaret Coughlin, SVP and Chief Marketing & Communications Officer
Boston Children’s Hospital (Boston, MA); Suzanne Hendery, VP, Marketing & Public Affairs, Baystate Health (Springfield, MA); Paul Matsen, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, OH); Linda MacCracken, (Facilitator), Senior Principal, Accenture. Presented at the 2016 Healthcare Marketing & Physician Strategies Summit, Chicago, 5/22/2016
New Ways to Improve the Patient Experience: Because it Begins Before the Fron...TraceByTWSG
This presentation will review strategic initiatives for revenue cycle leaders to further engage patients in their care experience – beginning before they enter the hospital’s front door. The session will present key strategies and related outcomes in patient satisfaction, staff performance, reimbursement and upfront patient collections.
• Ensure meaningful upfront encounters with Patient Access – at each and every encounter.
• Hardwire measurable standards throughout Patient Access teams.
• Reduce process time and eliminate duplication for quicker patient turnaround.
• Ensure consistent practices across hospital entities and among associates.
• Avoid financial harm through automated documentation.
• Protect staff through documentation integrity.
• Increase visibility of – and access to – critical patient touch points across the organization.
Leading the development of Texas Health’s Patient Access infrastructure, Patti Consolver and Scott Phillips oversee the centralized patient access intake center and the patient access departments for the system’s 13 wholly-owned hospitals.
Clinical Integration: A Value-Based Model for Better CareHealth Catalyst
For many who work on the front lines of delivery system reform, clinical integration is not just a generic phrase to describe health care professionals working more closely together. It describes the enormous day-to-day efforts that allow hospitals and physicians to collaborate on improving quality and efficiency, while keeping the focus on clinical care and the patient.
Join Holly Rimmasch, Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer at Health Catalyst, as she shares this framework and model for greater value care delivery.
Holly will discuss:
The key functions of a clinically integrated system
The key roles and processes critical to sustained improvement methodology
The importance of the organizational structure in supporting systemic improvement
We look forward to you joining us.
10 Must Know Techniques for Managing Physician Relations in Today's Digital W...Endeavor Management
10 Must Know techniques for managing physician relations is Today’s digital world including 4 techniques to help you increase physician engagement, 3 ideas for enhancing strategic planning and 3 tips on demonstrating program effectiveness.
This is a copy of my presentation from the 2012 AAM GIA Professional Development Conference in Palm Springs, California. The topic is marketing to referring physicians. Presenters: Dan Dunlop and Jill Lawlor.
The 3rd Physician Liaison Summit – Chicago provides real-life examples and strategies for liaisons to strengthen their programs, capture referrals, and increase hospital/health system revenue. This meeting provides proven methods and best practices from your local peers who are leaders in the field as they share insight and tips on how to adapt and implement these same methods into your hospital/health system. Conveniently located, this Midwest Summit is a must-attend meeting for all physician liaisons – whether new to the role, or in a leadership position with years of experience.
Discover how to use analytics to drive objectives and results.
Establish value both internally and in referrers' offices.
Prepare for the future of the liaison role.
http://www.worldcongress.com/events/HL14020/
Improving Healthcare Outcomes: Keep the Triple Aim in MindHealth Catalyst
The battle cry for healthcare organizations throughout the United States? Improve outcomes! However, as organizations begin to measure outcomes they realize not all outcomes are created equal and the question of what constitutes an improvement becomes more challenging. Healthcare leaders would be wise to keep the Triple Aim in mind when creating a strategy for optimizing outcomes. Achieving the appropriate balance among the three dimensions of the Triple Aim is critical to driving real, long-term change in healthcare delivery outcomes.
The Evolution of Physician Group from Patient Centric Medical HomesVitreosHealth
A Quest to Achieve Higher Quality and Bend the Employers Health Care Cost Curves. Medical Clinic of North Texas (MCNT) enjoys a stellar FY 2010 performance with Total Medical Cost trend for their managed population 2.4% better than market. We tried to understand the journey and the drivers behind the success of Medical Clinic of North Texas from its early years and its future direction.
Communication in Healthcare Culture: Eight Steps to Uphold Outcomes ImprovementHealth Catalyst
Healthcare leaders looking to establish and sustain a culture of large-scale outcomes improvement must communicate their health system’s values, beliefs, and norms throughout the entire organization. Effective communication spreads understanding of outcomes improvement, ensuring broad engagement and ongoing progress toward shared goals.
An eight-step strategy describes essential elements of organizational outcomes improvement communication plan:
Include a communications specialist on the outcomes improvement leadership team.
Analyze the stakeholders early and often.
Craft the central message around shared values.
Be a constant champion.
Commit to regular times and mechanisms for communication.
Make sure communication flows both ways.
Be transparent.
Be creative.
Think Your Patients Are Loyal? Think Again. It Takes Work!Renown Health
Accenture provides latest insights on patient loyalty. Suzanne Hendery from Baystate Health shares successful best practices on consistently engaging seniors and women to drive loyalty.
Why is physician engagement strategically important? How can you design a strategy that is laser-focused on increasing clinical demand by ensuring your medical staff is aligned?
This presentation highlights key data, a framework for focusing your efforts with an aim statement and developing a programmatic approach to physician engagement.
Build Physician Relationships that Drive Business Results; Part 2Renown Health
Baystate Health has established a comprehensive, data-driven approach to cultivate new physician referrals, retain current business and earn trust. In this presentation, learn how market intelligence, business analytics and customer engagement are used to focus physician outreach efforts and drive bottom line results.
Leading the Customer Experience Revolution: Baystate Health, Cleveland Clinic...Renown Health
Leading the Customer Experience Revolution. Customer experience is radically shifting to the forefront in healthcare. Examine the leadership role of marketing in driving excellence in service design, patient experience, and social engagement.
Margaret Coughlin, SVP and Chief Marketing & Communications Officer
Boston Children’s Hospital (Boston, MA); Suzanne Hendery, VP, Marketing & Public Affairs, Baystate Health (Springfield, MA); Paul Matsen, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, OH); Linda MacCracken, (Facilitator), Senior Principal, Accenture. Presented at the 2016 Healthcare Marketing & Physician Strategies Summit, Chicago, 5/22/2016
New Ways to Improve the Patient Experience: Because it Begins Before the Fron...TraceByTWSG
This presentation will review strategic initiatives for revenue cycle leaders to further engage patients in their care experience – beginning before they enter the hospital’s front door. The session will present key strategies and related outcomes in patient satisfaction, staff performance, reimbursement and upfront patient collections.
• Ensure meaningful upfront encounters with Patient Access – at each and every encounter.
• Hardwire measurable standards throughout Patient Access teams.
• Reduce process time and eliminate duplication for quicker patient turnaround.
• Ensure consistent practices across hospital entities and among associates.
• Avoid financial harm through automated documentation.
• Protect staff through documentation integrity.
• Increase visibility of – and access to – critical patient touch points across the organization.
Leading the development of Texas Health’s Patient Access infrastructure, Patti Consolver and Scott Phillips oversee the centralized patient access intake center and the patient access departments for the system’s 13 wholly-owned hospitals.
Clinical Integration: A Value-Based Model for Better CareHealth Catalyst
For many who work on the front lines of delivery system reform, clinical integration is not just a generic phrase to describe health care professionals working more closely together. It describes the enormous day-to-day efforts that allow hospitals and physicians to collaborate on improving quality and efficiency, while keeping the focus on clinical care and the patient.
Join Holly Rimmasch, Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer at Health Catalyst, as she shares this framework and model for greater value care delivery.
Holly will discuss:
The key functions of a clinically integrated system
The key roles and processes critical to sustained improvement methodology
The importance of the organizational structure in supporting systemic improvement
We look forward to you joining us.
10 Must Know Techniques for Managing Physician Relations in Today's Digital W...Endeavor Management
10 Must Know techniques for managing physician relations is Today’s digital world including 4 techniques to help you increase physician engagement, 3 ideas for enhancing strategic planning and 3 tips on demonstrating program effectiveness.
This is a copy of my presentation from the 2012 AAM GIA Professional Development Conference in Palm Springs, California. The topic is marketing to referring physicians. Presenters: Dan Dunlop and Jill Lawlor.
The 3rd Physician Liaison Summit – Chicago provides real-life examples and strategies for liaisons to strengthen their programs, capture referrals, and increase hospital/health system revenue. This meeting provides proven methods and best practices from your local peers who are leaders in the field as they share insight and tips on how to adapt and implement these same methods into your hospital/health system. Conveniently located, this Midwest Summit is a must-attend meeting for all physician liaisons – whether new to the role, or in a leadership position with years of experience.
Discover how to use analytics to drive objectives and results.
Establish value both internally and in referrers' offices.
Prepare for the future of the liaison role.
http://www.worldcongress.com/events/HL14020/
Improving Healthcare Outcomes: Keep the Triple Aim in MindHealth Catalyst
The battle cry for healthcare organizations throughout the United States? Improve outcomes! However, as organizations begin to measure outcomes they realize not all outcomes are created equal and the question of what constitutes an improvement becomes more challenging. Healthcare leaders would be wise to keep the Triple Aim in mind when creating a strategy for optimizing outcomes. Achieving the appropriate balance among the three dimensions of the Triple Aim is critical to driving real, long-term change in healthcare delivery outcomes.
The Evolution of Physician Group from Patient Centric Medical HomesVitreosHealth
A Quest to Achieve Higher Quality and Bend the Employers Health Care Cost Curves. Medical Clinic of North Texas (MCNT) enjoys a stellar FY 2010 performance with Total Medical Cost trend for their managed population 2.4% better than market. We tried to understand the journey and the drivers behind the success of Medical Clinic of North Texas from its early years and its future direction.
Advancing Team-Based Care: Building Your Primary Care Team to Transform Your ...CHC Connecticut
Advancing Team-Based Care: Building Your Primary Care Team to Transform Your Practice
Presented 2/18/2016 as part of the CHC Primary Care Workforce Development National Cooperative Agreement
Dr. Edward Wagner, Director (Emeritus) MacColl Center, Senior Investigator, Group Health Research Institute addresses the 2014 Weitzman Symposium on The Future of Primary Care
Listening to employers how health systems-masterCentralPAHEF
On March 3, 2016 at Highmark Blue Shield there were healthcare executives gathered for the Healthcare Executive Forum of Central PA's quarterly event. The three speakers shared their experiences, which opened doors for discussion and furthering healthcare in our transition of providing quality care. These speakers included: The speakers were: Moderator: Terry Madonna, Director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs, Franklin and Marshall College; Speakers: John Holmes, VP, Finance-Population Health and Payor Contracting, Wellspan Health; David Vasillaros, Esq., The Benecon Group; Diane Hess, CLU CEBS, Interim Executive Director, Lancaster County Business Group on Health. This American College of Healthcare Executive's event was worth 1.5 face to face credits. Visit our website for full biographies and more at www.centralpa.ache.org.
Team based care model for better productivityJessica Parker
In an old-fashioned practice model, the physician is solely responsible for most, if not all of the work undertaking of his facility, which also involves charge entry, to medical billing and coding till the time of claims reimbursements.
My integrated marketing communication campaign for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital targeting the Millennial audience (ages 21-30) to donate and become lifelong ambassadors of the hospital and its causes.
This was a final capstone project for West Virginia University's Integrated Marketing Communication master's program. Grade: 100% (A+).
Manage production, timeline, execution of print and web versions of 32 customized Program Guide booklets twice a year, averaging 205,000 web page views and 138,866 unique page views between August 12, 2013 and February 1, 2014.
I re-wrote and refined the copy in this brochure, which made it stronger and highlighted the benefits of the week-long camp for overweight/obese kids in the Houston area.
During Spring 2013, I sent out e-newsletter to YMCA donors, informing them of the importance of giving.
Each e-newsletter included a letter from our board chair, a thermometer of the amount raised and highlighted a different program benefited.
1. MedGroup News
Summer 2016
Message from The President
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”
- Henry Ford
In February, more than 120 CHI Greater Texas Physician Network physicians, advanced practice
clinicians, and support staff met for the first time at The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center
to learn about one another and set a course for the future.
Our challenge is not inconsequential. In a matter of months, we formed a regional network of
physicians that spans a geographic area larger than many states. We represent many specialties and
practice models, while bringing our own practice history and culture. However, I think most in attendance
would agree: our diversity is a strength to be celebrated, not a weakness to overcome.
Conference participants engaged in a small group activity to identify strategic advantages of our growing physician enterprise.
Two major themes emerged:
There is no perfect means of communication—newsletter, website, email blast, snail mail. One physician’s useful and timely
nugget of information is another physician’s spam.
Furthermore, it cannot be a unidirectional solution. Communication is not about leadership pushing information out to
physicians. It must be bi-directional. Perhaps engagement is a more accurate term. Our colleagues must be informed about
practice issues, and have their opinions heard and actively considered.
We need to keep patients within our practice family, whenever possible, and when in the interest of our patients. Network
integrity has direct economic benefit to our practices. More significantly, developing a more contained practice ecology
positions us to manage the triple aim—better quality, lower cost, and enhanced patient experience—more effectively.
We need to do a better job learning about our strengths and resources across the network.
To these items, I would add a third theme—development of trusting relationships. In the coming months, you will see new
faces, new physician leadership positions, new means of electronic engagement, and new mechanisms to facilitate referrals
and communicate results of those referrals.
Your leadership team will continue to build a modern practice infrastructure. However, we must build familiarity and
relationships with each other. Working together is success, and we will succeed.
James McDeavitt, MD
Chief Clinical Integration Officer
CHI St. Luke’s Health
Dr. McDeavitt
2. Physician Committee
QIPP Committee Update
Update
Herman Grewal, MD, Family Medicine, St. Luke’s Medical Group The Vintage and chair of the Quality Improvement, Patient
Safety, and Population Health (QIPP) Committee, recently presented the following updates:
• The Patient Outreach Protocol Training was conducted from March 28-April 1. Additional training and implementation isin
process.
• The St. Luke’s Medical Group Controlled Substance Therapy Agreement is currently in development, with adult and pediatric
versions.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics“Refusal to Vaccinate”form is currently under review for implementation in all clinic
offices, along with providing updated Vaccine Information Statements (VIS) for patient/parent education.
For questions or suggestions regarding QIPP, please contact Rachel Ruiz, Clinical Education Coordinator,
at rruiz1@stlukeshealth.org.
COATS Monthly Update
• ACO Registry and documentation updates are live in EPIC for all SLMG primary care physicians.
• Physicians can access InBasket Medication Refill messages through the EPIC Haiku Mobile Application.
• SLMG Physicians can expect an EPIC Optimization Bundle update via email each month. These optimizations are
available in production the second Tuesday of the month.
Formed in 2015, the Charting Optimization and Training Subcommittee (COATS) is sponsored and led by physicians to help
provide focused attention and prioritization to our national EPIC team on system optimizations.
For additional information regarding the COATS committee or if you have suggestions for priority optimizations
to the EPIC platform, please contact Lisa Wall, RN (Clinical Informaticist) at lwall@stlukeshealth.org.
3. Reflection: All the Way
Success requires that you go the distance. Results depend not only on what
you start to do, but on what you complete. Accomplishment depends not on
what you intend to do, but on what you actually get done.
Wishing, hoping, planning, and trying will not get you there by themselves.
Your persistence, your commitment, your actions are what will bring the success
you seek.
The world is full of those with great ideas and big plans. Unfortunately, too many
of those ideas are never fully explored. Too many of those plans are never
completely implemented.
Dream big dreams. Make big plans. And then take the actions to make those
dreams a reality. Give real time and effort to your best intentions and you’ll
transform them into accomplishment.
Living Our Mission
Congratulations to the Team Members of the Month for February and March!
From left: Neena Patel, Director of Operations; Matt
Wright, VP SLMG; Marie (DeDe) Sanchez; James Anton,
MD, SLMG; Cesar Castillo, MD, SLMG; Evan Roller, MD,
SLMG, Nadia Ali, Practice Manager
February: Tina Muro, Medical Assistant, St. Luke’s
Medical Group (SLMG) Texas Medical Center,
Internal Medicine Clinic
From left: Dedra Turner, Office Assistant; Rebecca
Villanueva-Office Assistant; Katelyn Cady, CMA. Matt
Wright, VP; Angelica (Norma) Hernandez, CMA, Tina Muro,
CMA; Marilyn Boss-Practice Manager; Joel Kneitz, MD,
SLMG; Neena Patel, Director of Operations; Mona Clover,
Office Assistant; Jasmine Grindle, Office Assistant
March: Marie (DeDe) Sanchez, Clinical
Administrative Secretary, SLMG CV Anesthesiology
• Service Beyond Job and Organization
• Customer Service
• Quality
• Team Work
• Stewardship
• Leadership and Mentoring
St. Luke’s Medical Group recently announced an awards program to recognize medical group staff members who
best exemplify our core values:
4. Feeding Houston Families
The St. Luke’s Medical Group management team recently volunteered at the Houston Food Bank, where they prepared
3,219 meals for Houston area families in need. In support of increasing community engagement, St. Luke’s Medical Group
plans to provide more service opportunities for physicians, staff, and their families throughout the year. Partnering with our
community will empower us to make a difference. More service opportunities to come.
The Catholic Health Initiatives Physician Services (CHIPS) delivers key business functions and physician management
services in revenue cycle, patient and referral scheduling, patient outreach, and practice reporting and analytics.
CHIPS Corner
Time of Service Collections: It’s a Win-Win
Over the past few months, we have been re-educated on
benefits verification and the effect on time of service collections.
Insurance verification, along with the pre-registration process, is
the beginning of the revenue cycle process.
When insurance is verified in advance, we can better
identify the patient’s financial responsibility, whether through
copay, deductible, or co-insurance. It’s important for patients
to receive information about their financial responsibility prior
to their visits, which keeps them informed and improves our
ability to collect the patient portion. By strengthening our time
of service collection skills, we can help patients understand their
health plan, collect the accurate amount due at the time of
service, and improve the patient experience regarding the
billing process.
A method for tracking time of service collections is through
the OTC Collections per Clinical Event metric in our monthly
reporting, which consists of all patient payments made at the
time of the clinical event, including copays, deductibles,
coinsurance, and payments on previous balances. In January
and February, we saw an increase in collections per clinical
event. Having a better understanding of the patient’s
financial responsibility and a strong process for collecting at
time of service will be a win-win for both the patient and
the clinic. Keep up the great work!
Keys Customer Service Success
• Set expectations
• Be positive
• Be empathetic
• Be knowledgeable
• Keep promises
• Smile
Feb-16
Feb-15
M
ar-15
Apr-15
$25.00
$20.00
$15.00
$10.00
$5.00
$0.00
M
ay-15
June-15
July-15
Aug-15
Sep-15
Oct-15
Nov-15
Dec-15
Jan-16
OTC Collections Per Clinical Event
$15.24
$15.84 $14.55 $15.74
$16.52
$16.70
$18.35
$16.93
$14.48
$20.16
$18.12
$16.85
$17.44
5. Physician
Spotlight
Pediatric Bridge Clinic
For families without an established
primary care physician, with a newborn…
there’s hope.
The Pediatric Bridge Clinic, led by Morganne Mathew, MD, partners with Texas Children’s Pediatrics Group to
provide care for newborns who don’t have a pediatrician and were recently discharged from the hospital.
Located adjacent to CHI St. Luke’s Health–The Woodlands Hospital, the clinic specializes in taking care of
newborns with health concerns, such as jaundice, breastfeeding, weight, formula choices, and parent education.
After the newborn’s concerns are addressed and insurance is established, the clinic transitions the newborn to a
primary care physician, usually between one to six months of life.
“The clinic is a fabulous success,”said Dr. Mathew.“Our patients are grateful for the high quality care
we provide. Our incredible staff helps families find a physician in their area who can be a good
long-term match for them.”
Since opening in 2014, the clinic has received more than 1,864 patient visits. Most patients are from the North
Houston metro area, such as Spring, Magnolia, Conroe and The Woodlands, while others travel from Houston.
The clinic is partially funded by a grant by the state’s Delivery System Incentive Payment (DSRIP), a program that
seeks to enhance access to cost-effective, quality health care to families served. Recently, the clinic was
recognized for its success to the Texas Legislature.
“To be recognized as one of their most successful programs is very rewarding,”Dr. Mathew said. “We exemplify
the goal of increasing access to primary care by keeping newborns healthy, and helping families to
establish a long-term medical home.”
To refer families to the Pediatric Bridge Clinic, call 936.266.3400. Families are also welcome to schedule an
appointment at the clinic prior to hospital discharge.
Services
• Immunizations
• Vaccines
• Newborn preventative care
• Transition of care coordination
6. Around
Town
Sugar Land Hospital’s First Baby
Congratulations to Brooke Jemelka, MD, OB/GYN, St. Luke’s
Medical Group Caritas Women’s Care in Sugar Land, who recently
delivered the first baby at the Family Birthing Center at CHI St.
Luke’s Health–Sugar Land Hospital. Angel Marie Morfin, daughter
of Jorge and Maria Morfin, weighed 8 lbs. and measured 21 inches.
New Patient Check-in Project
In the Works
St. Luke’s Medical Group Texas Medical Center is developing a
project to streamline new patient check-ins. The group
recently implemented an“interact patient wait time process”
and developed a team-based culture that supports teamwork
throughout the clinic.
Left to right: José, Angel Marie, and Maria Morfin; Dr. Brooke Jemelka, MD;
Wes Garrison, VP, Patient Care Services, Sugar Land Hospital
Speaker Series: Dr. Nangrani Featured
Chaitali Nangrani, MD, Family and Functional Medicine, St. Luke’s
Medical Group The Woodlands, presented at the 2016 Physician
Speaker Series at CHI St. Luke’s Health–The Woodlands Hospital on
“Fatigue in Women.”Dr. Nangrani specializes in preventative care,
women’s health, functional medicine, and chronic disease
management in adults and children.
Left to Right: Shannon Acreman, SLMG Practice Manager; Chaitali Nangrani,
MD; Lila Fass, Physician Liaison.
7. Woodforest Community Health Fair
St. Luke’s Medical Group provided stroke education and
blood pressure screenings at the Woodforest
Community Health Fair.
Physician Collegiality Award: Dr. Castillo
Cesar Castillo, MD, was selected as the 2015 recipient of the
Physician Collegiality Award by the Staff Nurse Professional Practice
Council at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center. The award recognizes
the role of collegiality and collaboration in physician and nurse
job satisfaction, as well as improved patient outcomes evident as a
result of effective
Your Physician Enterprise Team
Since January 2015, the CHI St. Luke’s Health Physician Enterprise
team has increased physician growth of the St. Luke’s Medical
Group by 30 percent. The team plays a fundamental role in
recruiting some of the area’s best physician practices to join
CHI St. Luke’s Health Texas Division, while also growing the IPA
and CIN in the Houston market.
Left to Right: Amy Weaver, SLMG team; Sura Ayoub, MD, Family
Practice; Shannon Acreman, Manager; Sara Gibson, OB/GYN
First Row: Jagi Chandnani, Sugar Land, Galleria, Interstate
10 corridor, Katy, PMC; Nick Racine,The Woodlands
Second Row: Janel Greig, TMC and Sugar Land; Stacey
Wallace, System Director; Brenna Neves, The Vintage
8. Thanks for Reading
Thank you for all you do, and for following MedGroup News. I encourage you to
contact me with any questions or stories you want to share.
Matt Wright
Vice President, St. Luke’s Medical Group
mwright@stlukeshealth.org
832.355.8716