Intermountain Trustee AN EMAIL BRIEFING FOR INTERMOUNTAIN HEALTHCARE TRUSTEES
June 2018
INTERMOUNTAIN ISSUES AND INITIATIVES
Intermountain CEO Named Nation’s Second Most Influential Physician Leader Modern Healthcare magazine releases 2018 list
Intermountain’s President and CEO Marc Harrison, MD, has been ranked No. 2 in Modern Healthcare magazine’s list of the nation’s most influential physician leaders, released June 18. Dr. Harrison was listed at No. 10 in the 2017 rankings.
A brief profile on Dr. Harrison in the magazine highlights his leadership in repositioning Intermountain, the announcement of plans to develop a generic drug company, and an increased emphasis on telehealth services at Intermountain. Current FDA Commissioner, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, is No. 1 on the list.
According to the magazine, “the 50 Most Influential Physician Executives and Leaders recognition program honors physicians working in all sectors of the healthcare industry who are steering their organizations and the healthcare delivery system through dynamic, challenging times. These physicians stand out for the scope of their executive responsibilities, personal achievements, innovation, and commitment to their communities.”
The ranking began with nominations which were narrowed to a final ballot of 150 physician executives. The final 50 honorees were chosen based on votes by readers and based on the input from a panel of judges and senior editors of Modern Healthcare and Modern Physician magazines. The winners were chosen for their leadership in the varied sectors of the industry, whether provider organizations, government agencies, associations, insurers, or supplier companies. You can review the complete list.
Dr. Harrison’s response to this recognition and his message to Intermountain caregivers: “I have an unfair advantage because 1) we stand on the shoulders of those who came before me; and 2) you are the very best team in healthcare. You bring your best every day. You’re strong, courageous, smart, principled, creative, hard-working, and fun! I care for and admire you. As I say, healthcare is a team sport. Together we will usher in a new era of health for those we are privileged to serve. This is not a choice. It’s an obligation.” Dr. Marc Harrison Discusses the Future of Healthcare at E2 Summit The annual event hosted by Mitt Romney brings together the nation’s top 250 business and political leaders
Intermountain Healthcare CEO Marc Harrison, MD, was among 250 healthcare, political, and business leaders from across the United States invited to attend the annual E2 Summit hosted by Mitt Romney in Park City in June.
Participants in the summit represented a wide spectrum of political parties and philosophies. Dr. Harrison was invited to do a one-on-one Q&A session with Governor Romney about the future of healthcare as part of the event.
Some of the issues they discussed:
The current U.S. healthcare environment • How Intermountain is working to address healthcare access and affordability • The importance of getting upstream of chronic health conditions • Intermountain’s new generic drug company collaboration • What Intermountain is doing to reduce opioid misuse • Ways the country’s business and political leaders can help improve the future of healthcare
“Presenting at the summit was a great opportunity to share Intermountain’s ideas for improving healthcare with some of the most influential people in the nation,” said Dr. Harrison. “In fact, Governor Romney used Intermountain’s prescription drug collaboration as an example of cost- bending innovation. I’m honored I was able to participate, and I hope we’ll see meaningful change as a result of the things Governor Romney and I discussed.”
Other healthcare-related presentations at the summit included those by Howard Weiner, MD, and Dennis Selkoe, MD, co-directors of the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, who discussed their research related to Alzheimer’s disease, and actor and comedian Seth Rogen, who spoke about brain health.
Other attendees at the event included former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, investor Stephen Schwarzman, and U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan. Other speakers included Andrew Cherng, Panda Restaurant Group founder and chair; Patrick Doyle, Dominos president and CEO; Karen Katz, former Niemen Marcus Group president and CEO; Joe Ripp, former Time Inc. CEO; Maynard Webb, Webb Investment Network founder; Utah Governor Gary Herbert; and Meg Whitman, NewTV CEO and former CEO of eBay. Healthy Dialogues to Welcome National Thought Leader Governor Mike Leavitt Free luncheon is scheduled for Thursday, June 28; register now
Mike Leavitt, former Governor of Utah, EPA Administrator, and Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will be the featured speaker at Intermountain’s Healthy Dialogues luncheon at noon on Thursday, June 28, 2018, at the Marriott City Center Hotel (220 South State Street, Salt Lake City).
Governor Leavitt is the founder and general partner of Leavitt Partners, where he helps clients navigate the future as they transition to new and better models of care.
There is no cost to attend the lunch event, but seating is limited. An RSVP is required by Monday, June 25. To reserve your seat, please call 801-442-2895 or go online to register.
Governor Leavitt’s professional life has been divided into the three distinct chapters. His early career included nearly 20 years building businesses in the risk management sector. This chapter was followed by 16 years in public service followed by his current role with Leavitt Partners.
Governor Leavitt served as Governor of Utah for three terms (1993 to 2003) before occupying two roles in the Cabinet of President George W. Bush: Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (2003 to 2005) and Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (2005 to 2009). Currently, he is focused on the advancement of value-based healthcare through Leavitt Partners, a family of businesses that provides investment support, data and analytics, member-based alliances, and direct services to clients to support decision-making strategies in the value economy.
Presented by Intermountain Healthcare, the Healthy Dialogues lecture series brings national healthcare leaders to Utah to engage in conversations about health policy with local business, healthcare, and community leaders. Past speakers include Dr. Donald Berwick, Clayton Christensen, Dr. Atul Gawande, Shannon Brownlee, and Dr. Carolyn Clancy.
Have You Checked Out Dr. Harrison’s ‘Thanks for Asking’ Podcast? Intermountain caregivers ask questions of CEO Marc Harrison, MD
This podcast features caregivers from across Intermountain asking questions of Intermountain CEO Marc Harrison, MD. Caregivers can request to join the podcast and ask their question by emailing [email protected].
Recent topics included questions about affordability, data security, and career paths and training opportunities for Intermountain caregivers. Annual Report Shares Messages from CEO, New Board Chair The report—‘Every Person Has a Health Journey’—is now available online
Intermountain’s new annual report to the community—titled Every Person Has a Health Journey— is now available online. The report includes short, sharable videos, as well as statistics and accomplishments from the past year that illustrate new ways we’re reaching patients, advancing medical science, and improving health in our communities. Check it out and share it with others who may be interested. A few highlights:
• Message from Our Chair and CEO. Hear from our new board chair, Gail Miller, and CEO Marc Harrison, MD, about how we’re putting patients and communities first and being a model for the future.
• Connecting with Intermountain Moms. Janna and Braden Coleman are two of 55,000+ parents who connect with Intermountain Moms and Nurse Dani for information and resources about pregnancy, childbirth, and care for their kids.
• Every Person Has a Health Journey. See innovative ways we’re building tools and convenient access to reach people when and where they need us.
• Opioid Addiction Hits Home. Each month, 24 Utahns die from opioid overdose. One of those victims was Billy Howard. Watch his story, shared by his mom Kelly, and learn how Intermountain is working to save lives and help end the addiction crisis.
• From Victim to Teen Advocate. Shawnee Thompson went from being a bullied teen who was thinking of ending her life to becoming a happy, emotionally healthy advocate who helps other at-risk teens.
UPDATES AND FEATURES
Intermountain’s Simulation Center Teaches Clinicians from Across the Globe Training involves simulating patient care scenarios so caregivers can practice how they’d respond
Groups from across Utah, the U.S., and the world are coming to Intermountain to learn how to train clinicians using simulations. The Intermountain Simulation Facilitator Course, held quarterly, teaches clinicians how to implement simulation training with their teams as a way to improve clinical outcomes. The latest class included attendees from Wisconsin and Ecuador.
Simulation training involves simulating patient care scenarios so caregivers can practice how they’d respond. Simulation aims to increase patient safety and improve clinical outcomes through hands- on scenarios that mimic real-life settings. “We use advanced simulation technology to help staff develop and practice physical skills, critical thinking, decision-making, collaboration, and communication in a safe, realistic environment,” said Jared Henricksen, MD, Intermountain’s Simulation Consortium Medical Director. “We often use robotic mannequins that mimic health conditions and respond to treatment methods, as well as actors in moulage—makeup that simulates injuries—as part of the training. Simulations allow caregivers to practice in a low-risk environment with close supervision and guidance from instructors.”
Louisa Franco, MD, and Andrea Betancourt, MD, came for Intermountain’s simulation facilitator training in May from Hospital de Niños Dr. Roberto Gilbert in Guayaquil, Ecuador, where they plan to establish their own simulation training program based on what they’ve learned here.
“I’ve had some experience, but this course has really helped me know what to do in certain situations. It’s given me a better idea of how to respond in hard situations,” said Dr. Betancourt. “I know how to improve and how to teach others. This will help not just in simulations, but in actual clinical settings—giving us more ability to take care of patients better.”
For the first time, the course included a simulation completely in Spanish so the Ecuadorians could get simulation experience in their native language. Multiple bilingual Intermountain caregivers participated.
RESEARCH
Roundup of Recent Intermountain Research News Research efforts help people live the healthiest lives possible
Major new Intermountain study will determine the benefit of proactive interventions in reducing premature births
Intermountain Healthcare is launching the first study of its kind that will use a new test to identify up to 10,000 women who are at risk for premature birth, and, in those with high risk, to evaluate the impact of early interventions designed to prolong their pregnancies and reduce the rate of premature delivery.
For the Prevent PTB study, half of the study participants will undergo normal medical screenings to determine their risk of preterm birth. The other half will give a blood sample for Sera Prognostics’ validated PreTRM test.
New Intermountain study finds new combined risk score more effectively predicts stroke risk in patients who have atrial fibrillation
Doctors know patients with atrial fibrillation are at a higher risk of having a stroke, and now a new study finds that integrating two separate clinical risk score models more accurately helps clinicians assess the stroke risk of patients with Afib.
The composite stroke decision tool studied by researchers from the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute combines the widely used CHA2DS2-VASc with the Intermountain Risk Scores (IMRS) to derive and validate new stroke prediction scores. The study shows the new model, IMRS-VASc, was significantly more effective in predicting stroke risk and will give clinicians a more effective and accurate tool to assess patients with cardiovascular disease.
Critical care/pulmonary researchers take the stage at worldwide conference
Critical care and pulmonary clinical researchers from Intermountain Healthcare were in the spotlight at the 2018 American Thoracic Society annual scientific conference held last month in San Diego.
Intermountain researchers presented or were involved in more than 35 posters and oral presentations, panel discussions, education sessions, and other leadership activities at the conference, which was attended by more than 13,000 critical care and pulmonary clinicians and researchers from around the world.
Intermountain risk score tool effectively predicts the future risk of hospitalization for patients with pulmonary disease
Intermountain Healthcare researchers have developed a new tool that utilizes basic laboratory tests to effectively identify patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who are at high risk of being hospitalized due to a flare-up of the condition.
The new risk-score stratification tool, developed and validated in more than 132,000 patient records by researchers at Intermountain Medical Center, is unique in that it uses laboratory tests used in routine care to determine whether patients are at high or low risk of hospital admission in real time.
New Intermountain research suggests a genetic link to a rare, life-threatening lung condition
Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, which is a rare but deadly condition that can occur after initial treatment of a blood clot in the lung, may be an inherited genetic disease, according to a first-of-its-kind study from researchers at Intermountain Healthcare.
Primary Children’s exhibits at research and academic conference outside the U.S. for the first time
The Primary Children’s outreach team exhibited for the first time at a conference outside the U.S.: the Pediatric Academic Society Meeting (PAS) in Toronto, Canada. The PAS Meeting brings together thousands of pediatricians and other health care providers united by a common mission: improve the health and well-being of children worldwide. This international gathering includes researchers, academics, as well as clinical care providers and community practitioners. AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
Cedar City Hospital Named Top 20 Rural Hospital Three Years in a Row National Rural Health Association recognizes hospital’s exceptional metrics
The National Rural Health Association again named Cedar City Hospital in Cedar City, Utah, one of the Top 20 Rural Hospitals in the nation—for the third year in a row. This award is given to hospitals with the highest scores among rural hospitals in areas like quality, outcomes (the end result after having received care), patient perspective (how well the care was given), cost and financial stability of the hospital.
Eric Packer, CEO of Cedar City Hospital, and Gerald Rowland, MD, Medical Staff Director of Cedar City Hospital, were recognized and presented with the award at a ceremony in New Orleans in May.
“One of the great things about Cedar City Hospital is that our caregivers are constantly striving to become better,” said Packer. “They provide superior care to our patients and to our community. And that’s one of the reasons why we’ve been selected as one of the top hospitals in the country is because of this commitment that our caregivers have to provide the very best care.”
Cedar City Hospital is a 48-bed, full-service community hospital that serves Iron County and surrounding areas. The hospital features a state-of-the-art cancer center, with cancer genomics and immunology programs, a robust surgical services program that offers nearly all surgical services, a new MRI and MRI care suite where one can watch TV or listen to music while getting an MRI.
A new tomosynthesis machine will also be available in June that can take 3D images inside the breast for even more accuracy in detecting breast cancer, earlier. These services are offered along with all imaging services, an Emergency Room, full Women and Newborns services, education, lab, cardiac rehabilitation, Joint Camp for those preparing for joint replacement, and outpatient and inpatient floors, among others.
McKay-Dee Hospital’s Stroke Program Recognized for Giving Excellent Patient Care Award recognizes commitment and success in implementing a high standard of stroke care
McKay-Dee Hospital earned the 2018 American Heart Association and American Stroke Association Get With the Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and the Target: Stroke Elite Plus Honor Roll—the highest stroke awards a hospital can receive from the organization. The award, given in May, recognizes McKay-Dee’s commitment and success in implementing a high standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment that meets nationally accepted, evidence-based standards and recommendations.
Chrisi Thompson, Clinical Program coordinator for McKay-Dee’s stroke program, congratulated the teams who are key parts of the program. This includes the emergency department, ICU, rehab, radiology, lab, and pharmacy. Because of the coordination of these teams and their hard work, stroke patients are receiving clot busting IV medication faster.
The hospital’s achieved door-to-needle time—or the amount of time it takes to give eligible stroke patients an intravenous dose of the complex protein tPA to break down potentially harmful blood clots in the brain—is 60 minutes or less in more than 75 percent of patients, and within 45 minutes in more than 50 percent of eligible patients. That’s crucial—because in treating a stroke, time is brain: For every minute blood flow is interrupted, almost two million brain cells die. If appropriate treatment is given quickly, research shows patients have better outcomes and less disability.
Other Intermountain hospitals receiving the same award from the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association include Intermountain Medical Center and Dixie Regional. Utah Valley and American Fork are also receiving similar awards.
INTERMOUNTAIN IN THE NEWS
What the World Is Saying About Us Recent news stories about Intermountain in the national and international media
Becker’s Hospital Review, May 15: 100 Great Leaders in Healthcare 2018. “Becker’s Healthcare is pleased to honor 100 individuals for their leadership in the healthcare field. Many individuals on this list serve at the helm of large health systems and nationwide organizations, taking the lead in transforming healthcare in the U.S. A. Marc Harrison, MD, President and CEO of Intermountain Healthcare (Salt Lake City). Dr. Harrison oversees Intermountain Healthcare, a nonprofit health system with 22 hospitals and 1,400 employed physicians at more than 185 Intermountain Medical Group clinics. Under his leadership, Intermountain is spearheading an initiative to create a new generic drug company that will place patient needs ahead of profits. Dr. Harrison is a pediatric critical care specialist who served as chief of international business development for Cleveland Clinic before joining Intermountain in 2016.”
Federal Telemedicine News, May 16: Connecting to Mental Health Providers. “Intermountain Healthcare recently launched Alluceo, a new Intermountain Healthcare company offering team-based mental health integration and technology.” The New England Journal of Medicine, May 17: Addressing Generic Drug Market Failures— The Case for Establishing a Nonprofit Manufacturer. “A consortium of hospitals and health plans, including Intermountain Healthcare, Trinity Health, SSM Health, and Ascension, in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs and philanthropists, is following this approach and developing a nonprofit generic-drug manufacturer code-named Project Rx.”
Becker’s Health IT and CIO Review, May 17: Intermountain Expands Precision Genomics DNA Test to All Providers. “Providers across Intermountain Healthcare now have access to RxMatch, the Salt Lake City-based health system’s genomics service.”
U.S. News & World Report, May 17: Could Nonprofit Drug Firms Cut Sky-High Prices? “The man spearheading the project is Dan Liljenquist of Intermountain Healthcare, a large network of hospitals and clinics in Utah.”
Becker’s Hospital Review, May 21: Why Intermountain Looked 1,400 Miles Away for its Home Health Partner. “Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare recently formed a joint venture, known as Homespire, with Minneapolis-based home health provider Lifesprk.”
Knowridge Science Report, May 21: Extreme Swings in Blood Pressure are Deadly Dangerous. “Following a review of electronic medical records, researchers from the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute discovered that patients with systolic blood pressure numbers that varied by as much as 30 or 40 between doctor visits over an extended period of time were more likely to die than those with less extreme variances in their blood pressure.”
Advisory Board, May 22: Meet Today’s Chief Experience Officer: Master of Everything from Patient Safety to Parking. “For example, describing her role as Intermountain Healthcare’s first CXO, Shannon Connor Phillips said her position “is truly about delivering an extraordinary experience for patients, and you can’t do that without (considering) safety and quality.”
Medical Life Sciences News, May 22: New LIVE Scoring Tool Effectively Predicts Future Risk of Hospitalization for COPD Patients. “The new risk-score stratification tool, developed and validated in more than 132,000 patient records by Intermountain Healthcare researchers at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City, is unique in that it uses laboratory tests used in routine care to determine whether patients are at high or low risk of hospital admission in real time.”
Modern Healthcare, May 24: Health System-led Drug Company Garners Strong Provider Support. “Providers are optimistic that the health system-led generic drug company will be able to lower drug costs and mitigate shortages, and the vast majority say they will buy drugs from the venture, according to a new survey. Intermountain Healthcare, Ascension, SSM Health and Trinity Health are working with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to pool their capital and fight back against drug companies that unexpectedly hike the prices of decades-old off-patent generic drugs.”
U.S. News & World Report, May 25: Chaplains at Utah Hospitals Try to Bring Peace to Patients. “At Primary Children’s Hospital and medical facilities elsewhere along the Wasatch Front and beyond — while doctors and nurses tend to medical concerns — chaplains strive daily to navigate a landscape of the soul comprising differing faiths. They pray with patients and families to restock dwindling reservoirs of hope, and console those slogging through the crucible of grief, while struggling to build a bridge of healing crafted of miracles both medical and spiritual.”
The Wall Street Journal, May 29: Do Doctors and Nurses Skip Hand Washing? Cue the Video. “Then the algorithm was applied to images collected at an intensive-care unit of Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City. Even though the hallway configuration was different, the algorithm was able to identify hand sanitization almost 85% of the time. When the algorithm was further trained on images captured by Intermountain Healthcare, its accuracy increased to 98% …”
Healthcare Industry Today, May 29: Intermountain Healthcare Honors 64 Nurses With 2018 Nursing Excellence Awards. “Intermountain has honored 64 of its nurses with 2018 Nursing Excellence Awards. Each year, the award winners are nominated and selected by their nurse colleagues and leaders for providing compassionate, clinically excellent care that makes a difference in the lives of their patients, families, and co-workers.”
Advisory Board Company, May 29: Will Intermountain’s New Drug Venture Actually Pay Off? Here’s What 750 Industry Stakeholders Think. “According to the survey, 90% of respondents from the health care provider industry expressed their willingness to become a customer of the nonprofit.”
LinkedIn, May 30: In Some Cities, It’s Too Expensive to be a Nurse. “In other cases, hospitals have partnered with local nursing schools to stem shortages by helping support a pipeline of new nurses. Intermountain Healthcare, which operates 21 hospitals in Utah, has done this and also made donations to support faculty salaries at those institutions.”
Healthcare IT News, May 30: Intermountain, University of Michigan Advance Precision Medicine for Cardiovascular Care, Cancer. “Two new studies shine a light on the promise and accelerating speed of precision medicine and genomics capabilities to transform healthcare faster than many observers might imagine. Intermountain Healthcare and the University of Michigan separately conducted research projects that uncovered a genetic link in a rare cardiovascular condition and a flaw in androgen-specific therapies, respectively.”
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