March 25, 2009

Dear Colleagues:

As we continue to implement the UCare initiative in partnership with the Studer Group, I wanted to provide you with some of the latest details on our journey to create a unified, patient-centric health system. Following is a brief summary of details from the fourth UCare Leadership Development Institute (LDI) held at University of Miami Hospital on January 15 and 16, in addition to some other important UCare updates.

The next LDI will be held on April 1 and 2. Beth Keane, a noted speaker from Studer Group, will share with us the effective methods for critical communication. In addition, we will be sharing our patient experience reports from our new vendor, Press Ganey Associates, Inc.

LDI 4
Every 90 days, your leaders participate in UCare Leadership Development Institute, a quarterly training session designed to give health system leaders the tools to achieve greater success. At the LDI, leaders learn about new tools and tactics to help them achieve their goals and excel in their duties as well as share their wins/results with the rest of the health system to foster consistency across the health system.

Competency, accountability, transparency, trust and measurement are the keys to success. We are embarking on the UCare journey to build on our current success using the tools and techniques learned through the LDI.

The focus of the most recent LDI was on behaviors – how to change behaviors and how to identify and build the behaviors we want in our organization.

Physicians & Service
It was a pleasure to welcome Stephen Beeson, M.D., a Studer Group speaker and a family medicine physician with the Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group, to January’s LDI. Dr. Beeson spoke about the role of physicians and service in implementing UCare, stressing that physicians must be a part of the change because everyone in the health system looks to them for guidance.

On the importance of service, he said, “Communication and how we treat the patient will define us as a system. Service improves patient compliance, clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction; increases growth and market share; and reduces malpractice risk.”

Most important, he emphasized that we are all part of a system, relying on each other to be collectively committed to delivering high quality patient care focusing on service.

AIDET
AIDET is an acronym that represents elements critical to effective communication with our patients and visitors. The goal of AIDET is consistent communication to provide information which can aid in reducing patient anxiety and increasing patient compliance.

Acknowledge: Greet patients by name
Introduce: Introduce yourself and briefly explain your position and/or qualifications
Duration: Share the length of the procedure, duration of hospital stay, procedure, or recovery time
Explanation: Clearly explain the procedure/test/treatment and what to expect during treatment in terms patients can understand
Thank You: Thank patients for trusting you with their care

Every staff member will be participating in the AIDET training throughout the month of March.

Communication Boards
Communication boards are the invaluable tools that display critical data and communicate to all the staff how the health system is progressing toward the goals or targets of each pillar. Soon you will see these boards, which reflect the five Pillars of Excellence -- Service, People, Quality, Growth and Finance -- posted by all departments. They are an interactive tool used by all staff to post key messages, goals and results, and to generate enthusiasm and cohesiveness among team members.

Town Hall Meetings
Outside of the LDI, town hall meetings help foster regular, consistent communication for all UHealth physicians and staff across the health system. In January, hospital administrators presented the “State of the Hospitals” at a concurrent series of eight town hall forums held at University of Miami Hospital, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. The address focused on how the current economy is affecting the performance of the hospitals, and outlined ways in which the hospitals are trying to increase revenue and decrease costs.

Thank you for your continued interest in UCare. I look forward to updating you regularly to share the challenges and “wins” on this journey to excellence. As always, I encourage you to contact me with your thoughts and questions.                

Sincerely,

Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D.
Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
CEO, UHealth