Intermountain Trustee AN EMAIL BRIEFING FOR INTERMOUNTAIN HEALTHCARE TRUSTEES
December 2017
INTERMOUNTAIN ISSUES AND INITIATIVES
Intermountain Leaders Join White House Discussion on Electronic Medical Record Sharing CEO Dr. Marc Harrison and Dr. Stan Huff invited to broad discussion on making health records and data more easily shared
Intermountain CEO Marc Harrison, MD, and Stan Huff, MD, Chief Medical Informatics Officer, were among approximately 35 people from a range of healthcare sectors invited to a special meeting at the White House on December 12.
The meeting—led by Jared Kushner, White House Advisor and Director of the Office of American Innovation, and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma—featured a broad discussion on making health records and data more easily shared.
Dr. Huff said topics discussed included ways to get data into patients’ hands, meaningful use, and improving electronic health records. He says the meeting was mostly a listening session, but helped lay the foundation for future work.
Dr. Harrison tweeted from the event: “Privileged to represent @Intermountain in a patient- centered conversation about EHR interoperability at the @WhiteHouse hosted by @ SeemaCMS and Jared Kushner.”
You can read more about the meeting from FierceHealthcare, Politico, and Becker’s Hospital Review. Associate Chief Medical Officer Named for Specialty-Based Care Group Paul Krakovitz, MD, FACS, joined Intermountain earlier this year at Primary Children’s Hospital
Paul Krakovitz, MD, FACS, has been named Intermountain’s Associate Chief Medical Officer for Specialty-Based Care. Dr. Krakovitz reports to Mark Briesacher, MD, Senior Vice President, Chief Physician Executive, and President of Intermountain Medical Group, and will work with Associate Chief Nursing Officer Lisa Graydon, RN, and Associate Chief Operating Officer Steve Smoot to lead the new Specialty-Based Care Group under our One Intermountain organizational structure.
Dr. Krakovitz joined Intermountain earlier this year at Primary Children’s Hospital. And he’s already been involved in helping surgical and medical supply teams find efficiencies and reduce healthcare costs. Before coming to Utah, he was the Section Head of the Cleveland Clinic’s Pediatric Otolaryngology, Vice Chair of Surgical Operations, and an elected member of their Board of Governors.
“Dr. Krakovitz’s experience in surgical operations brings new perspectives and thinking to our organization,” said Dr. Briesacher. “He’s uniquely suited to lead us through our development of One Intermountain, particularly in the specialty care area.”
In his new role, Dr. Krakovitz will lead hospital medical directors and specialty care-based Clinical Program and Clinical Services medical directors in their work to set clinical standards and advance our performance in each of our Fundamentals of Extraordinary Care. He’ll also collaborate with population health leaders to determine appropriate use of hospital-based clinical services and the advancement of centers of excellence. Dr. Krakovitz will also continue practicing pediatric otolaryngology at Primary Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Briesacher said, “I’m impressed with Dr. Krakovitz’s commitment to our mission, patients, and caregivers and to the professional and personal development of our physicians.”
Spillman Family Gives $5 Million to Support Cancer Care in Cache Valley New endowment will fund oncology clinical support services
Richard Spillman says cancer is personal to his family: he has a sister currently in treatment and his wife Jane’s sister died from the disease. Their experience is what led Richard and Jane to give a $5 million gift to the Intermountain Foundation at Logan Regional Hospital to fund the Richard and Jane Spillman Supportive Care Program.
The program is a perpetual endowment that will fund oncology clinical support services, including several caregiver positions—nurse navigators, a financial navigator, a dietitian, and a social worker—who will guide patients throughout their cancer journeys at no additional cost. “We were touched by the opportunity to provide services that will ease the burden families feel during these stressful times, when their priority should be caring for their family member,” said Richard Spillman. “We’re pleased to share our family’s legacy in an area that means so much to us personally, and we hope this gift will enhance even further the wonderful cancer care available here.”
David Flood, Intermountain Foundation President and system Chief Development Officer, said, “As we all know, a cancer diagnosis can be daunting, and fighting a battle with cancer is physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging. We’re deeply grateful to the Spillman family for their vision and commitment to helping others receive the best possible care, now and into the future.”
“My wife and I don’t feel like heroes,” said Spillman. “You’ve got people and families who are fighting this every day; those are the heroes. Those who work in the hospitals and are helping them day-in and day-out are heroes.”
The Spillman’s gift follows a $2 million contribution made in March by Gossner Foods, Inc. Together, the gifts will help fund a 9,000-square-foot expansion of the Gossner Cancer Center at Logan Regional Hospital and support the skilled group of medical oncologists and other caregivers who care for patients. Construction is planned for 2018.
You can find more information about the Intermountain Foundation.
Intermountain Heart Institute Leaders Fill Prominent Roles at National AHA Conference Researchers and clinicians were in the spotlight at 2017 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions
Researchers and clinicians from the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute were in the spotlight during November’s 2017 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Anaheim, California. The annual meeting is one of the largest cardiovascular scientific conference in the country. More than 14,000 of the nation’s top cardiologists, heart scientists, and researchers attended.
Intermountain’s research team presented a dozen research posters and abstracts at the conference, eight oral presentations (including one TED Talk), and moderated several key panel discussions. A look at Intermountain’s profile at the conference:
• The Intermountain study findings generated considerable news media and social media buzz. More than 100 articles have been published in major news outlets across the world on Intermountain research, along with 7.3 million impressions on social media channels. • Thousands of providers and researchers learned about services and potential research collaboration opportunities at the Intermountain booth in the AHA exhibit hall. • Other major cardiovascular hospitals with similar booths at the conference included Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and Duke University. “This is an important conference for us to share our research findings with our colleagues from around the world,” said Donald Lappé, MD, Chief of Cardiology of the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute. “It’s a great way to develop collaborative partnerships and to demonstrate the high level of care and innovative research that we’re engaged in here in Utah.”
You can fiind research abstracts and other Intermountain conference activity on the Heart Institute’s AHA 2017 web page.
2018 Trustee Conference to Be Combined with Report to the Community Conference and Dr. Marc Harrison’s Report scheduled for Friday, May 11, 2018
Instead of being held in March, Intermountain Healthcare’s 2018 Trustee Conference will be held Friday, May 11, at The Grand America Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City. The conference will be followed immediately by CEO and President Dr. Marc Harrison’s Report to the Community: Intermountain 2018.
The morning will provide an opportunity for trustees to interact with Intermountain’s leadership, be introduced to the Intermountain Governance Plan and Trustee Experience work underway, as well as network with their colleagues.
After the morning session, we’ll invite other community leaders to join us for a plated lunch. Then Dr. Harrison will deliver his second Report to the Community since becoming President and CEO in October 2016.
Please save the date—May 11, 2018—and watch for your invitation and more information in the coming months.
UPDATES AND FEATURES
Ronald McDonald Family Room Officially Opens at Primary Children’s The Family Room offers a place of respite for parents or guardians of children receiving care.
Caregivers, dignitaries, and patient families gathered Wednesday, Dec. 6, for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the hospital’s second Ronald McDonald Family Room. Located on Level 2 of the hospital, the room serves parents or guardians of children receiving care in the PICU, CICU, and NTU units.
At the ceremony, Primary Children’s CEO Katy Welkie talked about the stress parents face when they have a child in the ICU, and expressed her gratitude for the respite this new space will provide for families. “To be able to provide a place—this Family Room—where they can come for a moment of rest, of relaxation, of safety, and refuge from the storm of emotions is an amazing gift,” Welkie said. “I offer my heartfelt thank you to all of those who supported this project.”
Carrie Romano, CEO, Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Intermountain Area, discussed the success of the hospital’s third floor Family Room and the need for this new space.
“This grew out of the seed of our original Family Room on the third floor,” Romano said. “It’s the largest family room in the world. In the 4½ years since we’ve been open, we have welcomed about 25,000 families that have visited the room more than 287,000 times. The sleeping rooms on that floor tend to operate at 93-94 percent occupancy, so they’re always well-utilized.”
The new space includes a quiet respite area; kitchenette with snacks and beverages; restroom, shower and laundry areas; and four retreat rooms for overnight sleeping and daytime naps.
“This is a very sacred, special place,” Romano said. “What we hear from families is that having a respite, home-like space in the hospital helps them support their child patient, and this partnership with Primary Children’s has been extraordinary. Your commitment to the highest quality patient care and supporting the caregivers who are so critical is exceptional. Thank you to the folks who have worked so hard to make this possible.”
Intermountain to Provide Services at Summit Vista Retirement Community New retirement community will open in August 2018
Summit Vista, a new retirement community in Taylorsville that will open in August 2018, will work with Intermountain Healthcare as their preferred healthcare provider. The community’s planned on-site comprehensive, coordinated, and integrated healthcare will be a first for Utah. In addition, SelectHealth will offer its Medicare Advantage plan to residents of the community.
“Intermountain is slated to provide primary care services for Summit Vista residents,” said Mark Briesacher, MD, Intermountain’s chief physician executive and president of the Medical Group. “Those services include excellent access to medical care at Intermountain’s hospitals and clinics, as well as LiVe Well resources, Homecare, TeleHealth, and pharmacy. We’re pleased to work with Summit Vista to deliver effective health and care for seniors.”
Summit Vista will include a 105-acre campus designed for active, independent seniors, with a focus on healthy aging. The community will offer a wide range of wellness services as well as assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing facilities if those services are ever required by residents.
“In other parts of the country, it might have been difficult to find a healthcare provider that understands the value of this comprehensive approach,” said Mark Erickson, managing director of Summit Vista. “We’re fortunate that Intermountain already sees the value of integrated medicine and employs a substantial array of physicians and other healthcare professionals to provide excellence in care for retirees and older seniors.” In the news: Partnerships with Intermountain are bringing healthcare close to home. Kelly Ornberg of Summit Vista tells KSL-TV about how the community is collaborating with Intermountain Healthcare to provide physician services to residents there. Options for seniors there include assisted living, memory care, long-term care, and rehabilitation. The partnership is furthering Intermountain Healthcare’s mission to bring quality healthcare close to home.
‘Dietitian Preferred’ Program Helps Shoppers Find Healthy Foods at a Glance Intermountain and Associated Food Stores partnership makes finding healthier choices much easier
Wouldn’t it be nice to easily find the most nutritious foods at the grocery store? Thanks to a partnership between Intermountain Healthcare and Associated Food Stores, finding healthier choices is now much easier. The “Dietitian Preferred” program uses an innovative shelf tagging system to help shoppers quickly identify the most nutritious foods. The program will be in more than 42 Associated Foods stores throughout Utah by the end of December.
Dietitians from Intermountain and Associated Foods established strict nutrition criteria to identify the healthiest food choices. These foods have the Dietitian Preferred label on the price tag.
“We identified our choices based not just on fewer calories or sugar, but also on important nutrients like vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber,” said Joy Musselman, Registered Dietitian at Intermountain. “If you’re interested in improving your diet but don’t have time to read up on nutrition information, the Dietitian Preferred label is guidance for a healthier choice.”
Ron Beckstrom, Corporate Dietitian for Associated Food Stores, said each food category was evaluated with its own unique criteria because different foods provide different nutritional value. For example, breads and cereals were evaluated primarily on their whole grain content, while frozen meals were evaluated based on their nutritional balance and the wholesomeness of ingredients.
“Foods labeled as Dietitian Preferred are in most categories throughout the store, but foods that provide little nutritional value, like desserts, chips, or soda, have no tags,” said Beckstrom.
The food labeling program can help shoppers make healthier choices, but it does have limitations. “The program isn’t about labeling foods as good or bad, nor can it replace nutrition counseling for those who need it,” said Musselman. “But it can be a way for those in a hurry to get the information they need to make healthy choices. Foods that don’t earn a tag can still be part of a healthy diet if consumed in moderation.”
Musselman emphasizes that if you have specific dietary needs or a health condition, a consultation with a registered dietitian is helpful. “It’s part of Intermountain’s mission to help members of our community live healthier lives,” she said. The 42 corporate-owned Associated Food Stores throughout Utah plan to feature the Dietitian Preferred labels by the end of 2017. They include Macey’s, Dan’s, Dick’s Market, Lin’s, Fresh Market, and Honey Bee Produce Company. Shoppers will also find the labels in many other Associated Foods member stores throughout the state. The 42 corporate-owned stores also feature LiVe Well Lanes for checkout and Park Farther stalls to help people meet their health goals.
‘Healthy Mind Matters’ Raises Awareness about Mental Health, Addiction Issues Media partnership incorporates radio, television, and online news
Intermountain’s Healthy Minds Matter radio show and podcast, which began airing in September on KSL Newsradio, offers helpful information about emotional wellness. Topics discussed so far include opioid addiction, suicide prevention, postpartum depression, and anxiety in adults and young children. Hosted by KSL Newsradio’s Maria Shilaos, the program includes commentary from Intermountain caregivers and community partners, and also features personal stories of people struggling with emotional wellness.
How to listen: You can subscribe to the podcast through the iTunes store. Android users can use Player FM to subscribe on their website. New episodes are uploaded each week, usually on Monday.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
Intermountain’s Fulfillment Center Internationally Recognized as a Top Warehouse Operation Recognition shows Intermountain continually improves, provides opportunity for advancement
Intermountain’s supply chain Fulfillment Center has earned a professional honor very few warehouse operations have ever achieved. Warehousing Education and Research Council— an international organization focused on improving logistics management within supply chains—evaluated our operations in eight categories, and the Fulfillment Center was the first warehouse in the country to achieve a perfect score in the category of “picking and shipping” and achieve a best practice rating in all eight categories.
The council—which evaluates warehouse operations in almost all industries, such as retail, food, and manufacturing—evaluated our process from start to finish over three days and interviewed Fulfillment Center caregivers.
“We take this very seriously,” said Gordon Slade, SCO logistics director. “The council is an independent organization that’s internationally recognized for establishing standards of excellence in logistics, distribution, and warehousing. The audit outcome is less about the certification and more about identifying areas of opportunity for improvement.” Intermountain’s first certification was three years ago, and at that time we ranked near the top globally among certified warehouses across all industries. This recertification audit shows how we’re continually improving and provides additional areas of opportunity for even more advancement.
Intermountain’s Work Integrating Nutrition into iCentra Earns National Praise Registered dietitian shares work at Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ annual conference
Registered Dietitian Curt Calder has worked closely with the Cerner and Intermountain nutrition teams to embed nutrition terminology and related codes into iCentra—all in an effort to help us compare nutrition care processes across hospitals in and out of our system. The nutrition codes he’s helped develop are giving us a better understanding of where our nutrition care efforts will be best focused.
While the terminology and guidelines have been available since 2005, few health systems have been able to embed them in their electronic record for efficient use.
Cerner has recognized Calder’s work as best in class and plans to add it to their base system. Plus, Calder was recently invited to share his work at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ annual conference in Chicago—which attracted 11,000 participants—and the Cerner Health Conference in Kansas City, which drew an audience of 14,000.
“Curt’s work has been recognized by Cerner and the academy as something no other healthcare organization has accomplished and all are trying to adopt,” said Robin Aufdenkampe, Food and Nutrition Services System Director. “He and the rest of our nutrition team are continuing their work to use cutting-edge practices in caring for our patients.”
Communications Team Earns Industry Praise for Extraordinary Work Awards recognize excellence, best practices in public relations and business communications in Utah
Intermountain’s Communications team earned several 2017 Golden Spike awards from the Public Relations Society of America. The awards are given by industry leaders to recognize excellence and best practices in public relations and business communications in Utah.
For content creation and social media excellence: Jason Carlton from Intermountain Medical Center accepted a Golden Spike Award in the Creative Tactics category for his work to develop content to share on blogs and social media that’s helped the hospital become a social media influencer. For supporting the Jubilee of Trees: Bailey McMurdie from Dixie Regional Medical Center accepted Golden Spike finalist plaques in two categories for her work, along with Intermountain’s Foundation and Women and Newborn teams, in support of Dixie Regional’s 2016 Jubilee of Trees—which raised $950,000 for the hospital’s Women and Newborn program.
For promoting Zero Harm: Steve Christiansen from Central Communications accepted a Golden Spike Award in the Internal Relations category in recognition of the Communication team’s efforts to support Zero Harm. The communication efforts have contributed to a decrease of more than 33 percent in serious safety events and a substantial increase in the culture of safety at Intermountain.
TRUSTEES AS ADVOCATES AND AMBASSADORS
Meet Fellow Trustee Linda Wilson Wilson has served on Cedar City Hospital’s Governing Board for 10 years
Linda Wilson, who has served as a member of the Governing Board of Cedar City Hospital for 10 years now, will retire from the board at the end of this year. “As hard as it is to have her leave, it’s even harder to overstate how much she has done for our hospital,” said Eric Packer, Cedar City Hospital administrator. “Her contributions to our community and hospital are immeasurable.”
Wilson was born in Cedar City, the daughter of Loren and LaVeve Whetten. She received her bachelor’s degree in clothing and textiles from Brigham Young University, and met and married Rich Wilson, living for a time in Hawaii, where Rich is from. She taught elementary school in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, before moving back to Cedar City and teaching at South Elementary. Wilson later received her master’s degree in education from Utah State, and was chosen to lead Fiddler’s Elementary in Cedar City as their principal. She later served as Clinical Practice Supervisor of the Education Department at Southern Utah University.
Packer said, “There are so many ways Linda has positively impacted our hospital through her service. She’s always positive in her perspective and actively seeks for ways to make things better. She has always been very engaged in her board assignments and goes above and beyond to fulfill those assignments.”
Packer added that Wilson has a good finger on the community pulse. She’s brought important information about community perceptions to leadership, which has helped Cedar City Hospital improve those perceptions and become the strong community partner the hospital is.
“Her recommendations are insightful and well thought out, and she is the definition of ethical. She carefully evaluates all the information before arriving at a conclusion, and her conclusions are solid and best help our hospital and its governance. Linda didn’t just sign up for a role, she’s put in countless hours to fully understand her board role and responsibilities so she would fulfill those with excellence. Her dedication and expertise are invaluable,” he said. INTERMOUNTAIN IN THE NEWS
What the World Is Saying About Us Recent news stories about Intermountain in the national and international media
Forbes, November 1: How to Create More of the Magical Moments that Transform Life and Business. “When a patient at Intermountain Healthcare is diagnosed with cancer, he and his family are invited to a meeting within a week of the cancer diagnosis. They stay put in one room and the members of their caregiving team circulate in and out: surgeons, oncologists, dietitians, social workers, and nurses. The patients walk out at the end of the day with a comprehensive plan of care and a set of scheduled appointments.”
U.S. News & World Report, November 2: Affordability and Quality Key to Future of Value- Based Care. “Robert Allen, an executive at Intermountain Healthcare, a not-for-profit health system based in Utah: ‘Affordability and patient experience are key as providers begin taking risk and shifting their approach to health care delivery,’ Allen said. In the future, Allen thinks virtual visits—phone calls and video chatting sessions—will become increasingly popular to reduce the amount of time patients must spend in doctors’ offices. ‘People are going to find the services that meet them where and how they want to be met, and it may not be the local providers anymore,’ he said.”
Pharmacy Choice, November 2: Research Finds Pharmacist Collaboration Can Improve Diabetes and High Blood Pressure Care. “In a joint effort between Intermountain Healthcare’s Pharmacy Services, Primary Care Clinical Program, and the organization’s Institute for Healthcare Delivery Research, researchers demonstrated that adding an ambulatory care clinical pharmacist to the primary care team helped more patients achieve their blood pressure and diabetes goals. Their research, ‘Pharming Out Support: A Promising Approach to Integrating Clinical Pharmacists into Established Primary Care Medical Home Practices,’ was recently published in The Journal of International Medical Research.”
The Advisory Board Company, November 17: 4 Ways Hospitals Can Tackle the Opioid Epidemic. “Through their work in the Opioid Community Collaborative, Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City, Utah, created public awareness messaging around safe use, storage, and disposal of prescription opioids.”
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