Good Day Ascension - Fall 2016

Good Day Ascension

for a ssociates of our one integr ated ministry / FAll 2016

Vision For Change A culture of innovation extends across the ascension ministry

Inside: Ascension Medical Group helps transform healthcare throughout the country / Strategic partnerships benefit community health services / A focused approach to clinical service lines improves patient care

W e l come

ONE MISSION. ONE INTEGRATED MINISTRY. ONE ASCENSION.

W

“ The deeper reality of our Mission is that there is a common thread of love; a thread of holistic, reverent care and a special concern for persons living in poverty.”

elcome to the second edition of Good Day Ascension magazine!

We received a number of positive comments about our first edition, which arrived in associates’ homes this summer. The magazine’s primary purpose is to help Ascension’s caregivers learn how our colleagues across our integrated national health ministry live our Mission every day — because our Mission is at the heart of all we do.

That’s been true since Ascension’s founding in 1999. The deeper reality of our Mission is that there is a common thread of love; a thread of holistic, reverent care and a special concern for persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. You can read on page 7 about our recent move to adopt a single common Mission statement across all of Ascension’s health ministries — a natural next step in our understanding of what it means to work and live as One Integrated Ministry for the sake of those we serve.

We’re also moving to a consistent way of naming our health ministries in the communities we serve, making it easier for people to navigate our sites of care and our full portfolio of services. You can read about that work starting on page 6, in a story that notes how the naming of our health ministries will evolve over time — starting with our ministries in Wisconsin and Michigan — to reflect the unity of purpose of our integrated national ministry, to honor our common Ascension heritage, and to help us sustain and grow our ministry for the future.

It’s an especially exciting time for all of us who are privileged to serve in Ascension, and we’re excited to bring this information to you in Good Day Ascension. As always, we welcome your feedback at GoodDay@ascension.org.

Nick Ragone, Esq. Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer

Good Day Ascension / Fall 2016 - Issue 2

Our Mission: Rooted in the loving ministry of Jesus as healer,

Good Day Ascension is published by Ascension Marketing and Communications for associates and family members across our integrated national health ministry. Stories in Good Day Ascension support our One Ascension journey and reflect the commitment of associates, physicians and volunteers across the health ministry to provide compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable.

we commit ourselves to serving all persons with special atten-

Executive Editor: Nick Ragone, Esq., nick.ragone@ascension.org

nities. We are advocates for a compassionate and just society

Editor: Ted Siegel, ted.siegel@ascension.org Design and Production: dcpubs.com To share comments, ask questions or suggest articles for Good Day Ascension, please email GoodDay@ascension.org, or send a note to Editor, Good Day Ascension, Ascension Marketing and Communications, 101 S. Hanley Road, Suite 1100, St. Louis, MO 63105.

All content copyright 2016 Ascension. Republication or any other use of the contents of Good Day Ascension without the express written consent of Ascension is prohibited. Any reference or depiction of a product or service does not constitute or imply an endorsement by Ascension. Online version available at Ascension.org/goodday.

2

G ood D a y ascension / ascension . org

tion to those who are poor and vulnerable. Our Catholic health ministry is dedicated to spiritually centered, holistic care which sustains and improves the health of individuals and commuthrough our actions and our words.

Contents

Departments 4 Mailbox Feedback from associates about the first edition of Good Day Ascension magazine. Plus, patients share notes of thanks.

5 Inspiration Enjoy continued reflections on the Prayer for Our Monica Smith, RN, describes her award-winning IV Pole Supply Bin at the Innovation Challenge event at Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas, part of the Ascension Texas Ministry Market.

One Ascension Journey.

6 Up Front Creating a truly integrated national health

Features 14 Creating the Future Innovative approaches across Ascension are transforming healthcare and elevating levels of care and service.

22 At Your Service

ministry includes moving to a unified Mission statement and naming approach. … Learn about the Ministry and Mission Fund established by the Tersigni Family Foundation to provide a creative opportunity to retain associates. … Ascension Medical Group includes some 6,500 employed providers in 16 states plus Washington, D.C.

12 Getting to Know You Meet Bernie Sherry, Senior Vice President,

A national focus on four service lines supports Ascension’s

Ascension Healthcare, and Ministry Market

Quadruple Aim — delivering exceptional health outcomes,

Executive, Ascension Wisconsin.

an exceptional experience for the people we serve, and an exceptional experience for providers, at an affordable cost.

26 Community Health Ministries Link to Our Roots

13 Keeping Well With Dr. K Michael Kobernick, MD, Chief Medical Officer, SmartHealth, writes about the stress of working in healthcare and ways to lighten your load.

Ascension’s Community Health Ministries are leading the way to

29 News from the Ministries

build a person-centered, seamless system of care that spans all

Read the latest news briefs from our health

settings.

ministries, community health centers and subsidiaries.

On the cover:

Good Day Ascension

FOR A SSOCIATES OF OUR ONE INTEGR ATED MINISTRY / FALL 2016

Vision For Change A CULTURE OF INNOVATION EXTENDS ACROSS THE ASCENSION MINISTRY

INSIDE: Ascension Medical Group helps transform healthcare throughout the country / Strategic partnerships benefit community health services / A focused approach to clinical service lines improves patient care

Amy Couvillion, BSN, RN, Director of System Stroke and Telemedicine Network; “patient” Laura Zelenak, MA, BSN, RN, Clinical Documentation Specialist; and neurologist E. Frank Lafranchise, MD, demonstrate telemedicine capabilities at Saint Thomas Health, in the Ascension Tennessee Ministry Market. Read about innovations like this across Ascension starting on page 14.

35 The Last Word See a few stories you might have missed from GoodDay.Ascension.org.

Back Cover Sr. Lois Bush, SSM, has played a major role in the history of Ascension Wisconsin.

fall 2016

3

M AIL B OX

The Good Day Ascension team would like to hear from you about what you like in this magazine and suggestions for future editions.

Send your letters to the editor to GoodDay@Ascension.org.

THANKS FOR THE MAGAZINE

… Thank you so much!

Janvier Tuyishime, PSA

Congrats on your publication. I received my copy recently — looks great!

Guy Parasch

St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital

VETERANS CHOICE

Project Manager, Retention Symphony

I received this in the mail yesterday, and I think it is a great idea to be able to have a magazine for knowing what is going on all around Ascension. Great work!

Avis Antoun Technical Engineering Analyst Ascension Information Services

Good Morning. I very much enjoyed the Good Day Ascension magazine. I live in Michigan, the first state to have an Ascension Baby Friendly hospital. I am so happy to see many other Ascension hospitals following suit. Also, I was proud to read the article on the care we give for high-risk mothers and infants.

Helen R. Callans, MSN, RN Staff Nurse and Childbirth Educator for the Alternative Birth Care Unit St. John Providence, Southfield, Michigan

I wanted to let you know that your magazine Good Day Ascension inspired and pleased me. … I was excited to read that St. Vincent Indianapolis was named a Level 1 Trauma Center. I see the care that the associates provide to the patients at that center all the time, so they really deserve the appreciation. That center is above and beyond.

4

It is the greatest satisfaction to work at Seton [Healthcare Family, Ascension Texas] with the Ascension Veterans Choice Program, who takes on this so important assignment. … The wait that veterans are faced with could be devastating to their health if it weren’t for this program. There is a great need for our veterans, and we must do our utmost to fulfill that need with the same devotion that veterans had to serve our country. God Bless our Veterans.

Martin S. Flores, LVN VA Navigator Veterans Choice Program Seton Healthcare Family

LETTERS FROM THOSE WE SERVE I am Fr. John, a priest from the Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri in Nigeria, West Africa. I came here to be treated for laryngeal cancer and thank God the treatment has been successfully completed. I received my main treatment, which is radiation for laryngeal cancer, from the Seton [Cancer] Institute, West Branch [part of Ascension Michigan]. …

Everybody, from the receptionists, the nurses and the doctors, is wonderful.

May the Almighty God in His love and mercy protect, guide and bless you in ways that He knows best.

Rev. Fr. John

G o o d Day a s c e n s i o n / a s c e n s i o n . o r g

I believe it was God’s divine plan that my father was taken to Providence [Hospital, Washington, D.C.], because the ambulance was supposed to take him to another hospital but was diverted there instead; and the care he received was just remarkable — there is no other way to put it. … My father’s health was the most important thing to our doctors, the nurses, everyone who helped us. He told me he was treated like a king.

LaTonya, daughter of cancer patient

I have severe arthritis, and have come to Miramar Beach [Florida] for the past two winters. I went to Sacred Heart Urgent Care on Highway 98 because my back hurt so bad I couldn’t sleep. I thought I was “dying,” and I was scared. Thanks to Lorrie Thomas, LPN, and Sean Del Grego, PA, I am much better. I was sent to Sacred Heart [on the Emerald Coast, part of the Ascension Gulf Coast Ministry Market] PT department, and Megan the PT and Laurie helped me even more.

Megan taught me stretching exercises so I can walk unassisted in the morning.

Thanks for changing my life to be better and less painful. … I know young educated people can make a difference, and these young people have made a difference in my life. I thanked them and gave them hugs, but I want all to know. Thank them again for me, and I plan to volunteer at Sacred Heart next year when I return.

Liz

I N S P I R AT I O N

Continued Reflections on the Prayer for Our One Ascension Journey As we continue our One Ascension journey …

O God, throughout time, You have been faithful to Your promise to be with Your people.

Help us to trust Your guiding presence in each step we take.

We ask Your blessing on our journey, a journey that will call for new ways of thinking, relating, communicating and leading. A journey that will challenge us to let go of things we hold close and inspire us to see beyond what we can imagine today.

✙ Where have I seen God’s faithfulness and presence in my own life, in my department, in my local ministry, or across Ascension?

✙ What is one way “One Ascension” has me thinking differently or interacting differently?

If I look to the future of One Ascension, what do I imagine that inspires me?

Be especially with our leaders.

Help them to grow in virtue, to listen to Your sacred promptings,

✙ What is my prayer for the person I report to?

and to make decisions that honor the common good and dignity of all.

Show us Your mercy and forgiveness when we fall short of all that we promise and may we offer that same mercy and

✙ Whom do I need to forgive?

forgiveness to each other.

We pray that as we walk this path together, that we will grow in unity with one another and in communion with You.

✙ Now I offer my own word of prayer for this journey.

✙ In this edition, we continue to share excerpts from the Prayer for Our One Ascension Journey by Julie O’Connor, Director, Formation.

For the full text of the prayer, visit documents.Ascension.org/communications/oneascensionprayer.pdf.

fall 2016

5

UP F r o n t

One Ascension Journey Leads to a Unified Name, Mission for Local Ministries

current individual names

What’s in a Name?

Wisconsin

As

Brand Identity

future Unified Names

we operate as a truly integrated national health ministry, our One Ascension journey is all about bringing associates, providers, health ministries and regions closer together in more intentional ways. One of those ways began in September, when two of our largest Ministry Markets — Michigan and Wisconsin — became the first to adopt the Ascension name and brand identity across their respective ministries. The timeline for other Ministry Markets to adopt a similar unified identity is still being discerned.

As part of this move toward naming clarity and consistency, Ascension areas of expertise have been reorganized within two divisions — Solutions and Healthcare — to enhance internal collaboration; better support physicians and other caregivers; and ultimately provide more affordable, high-quality care for those we serve.

proposed facility logos

WH Y CH ANG E ?

As the healthcare environment continues to evolve, efforts in population health, wellness and patient/family experience are coming into greater focus. The needs of those we serve are changing as well. With more choices available, consumers are making decisions based on quality, access and affordability. As we address these changes, we know that having a unified name and Mission, and speaking with one voice, matters.

“By creating more consistent names for our facilities and services beginning in Wisconsin and Michigan, we are making it clearer and easier for people to access the care they need and to navigate their health and wellness,” said Anthony R. Tersigni, EdD, FACHE, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ascension. “Just as our historic sponsors adapted to the needs of their times and communities to best serve God’s people, we continue to evolve to meet the needs of our times within the communities we are privileged to serve.”

6

G o o d Day a s c e n s i o n / a s c e n s i o n . o r g

Before considering a unified name and identity, we conducted significant research and interviewed patients, providers, volunteers and healthcare leaders across our Ministry Markets to understand patients’ behavior and their changing expectations. Patients are telling us that they: • Want their healthcare experience to look and feel connected with easy access to information about themselves and their providers

OUR COMMON MISSION STATEMENT ENCOMPASSES WHO WE ARE, WHY WE ARE, WHAT WE DO

As Ascension transitions to a unified name that makes clear that our local ministries are part of One Integrated • Consider “brand” (our name and all it represents) as they make decisions about healthcare • Like knowing that their local health ministry is part of

Ministry, an equally important change also took place, as all health ministries adopted the same Mission statement.

“The Mission statement of any organization is an out-

something larger than itself — making it more capable

ward sign of the deeper reality and identity that is lived,”

to draw upon the resources, talents and insights a larger

said Timothy Glover, Senior Vice President, Mission,

system can provide

Integration, Ascension Healthcare. “It explains who we are, why we are, and what we strive to do in light of that.”

“From a marketing perspective, a common name is a tangible way to reinforce in the minds of those we serve that when they choose an Ascension doctor or hospital or other service, they’re working with a connected national health ministry, with access to all the knowledge and experience across our System to bring to bear in serving their needs,” said Nick Ragone, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Ascension.

Ascension’s Mission statement was established when the Daughters of Charity National Health System and Sisters of St. Joseph Health System formed Ascension in 1999. But in the past 17 years, as more health ministries brought their gifts to the national ministry, new parts of Ascension adopted the Ascension Values, but did not immediately change their Mission statement.

Timm noted that, in the past, although there was variation in the Mission statements at different health

WH AT ’ S CH ANG I NG?

ministries, they all shared a common theme of continu-

The first transition unites all Ascension ministries under one common Mission statement. Health ministries that had not previously adopted the Ascension Mission statement are doing so in a formative, intentional way.

(See accompanying story.)

Our operating structure is now organized within two divisions — Healthcare and Solutions. The Ascension Healthcare Division includes the organization’s hospitals and related sites of care, as well as community clinics; Ascension Senior Living; the home care and hospice partnership Ascension At Home; Ascension Clinical Holdings; and the organization’s growing, doctor-led national physician practice known as Ascension Medical Group.

The Ascension Solutions Division brings together a number of existing subsidiary organizations that support the delivery of coordinated, high-quality healthcare services. These Ascension subsidiaries provide a variety of solutions including venture capital investing, investment management, biomedical engineering, clinical care management, information services, and contracting through Ascension’s own group purchasing organization — with a number of these solutions also offered to other healthcare providers.

The final transition at this time is happening in Ascension Michigan and Ascension Wisconsin, as they continue to unite their local health ministry names and

ing Jesus’ healing ministry and profound commitment to persons affected by poverty and vulnerability. Senior leaders recognized that as health ministries continue to come together in the communities Ascension serves to provide compassionate, personalized care for all, it was the right time to adopt a single Mission statement.

“This Mission statement was created by our historic Sponsors at the founding of Ascension in 1999. It has been our unchanging call, and so it enabled us to grow, freed us to evolve, and most recently to reorganize in response to great needs in a changing healthcare environment,” said Sr. Maureen McGuire, DC, Executive Vice President, Mission Integration, Ascension.

“And now, as Ascension, as one ministry rooted in and entrusted with the healing mission of Jesus, we hear the same words, uniting, inspiring and challenging us to lead transformation for the health of individuals and communities, with our focus on persons in poverty and those most vulnerable.”

While a change in the wording and how associates express their work might take adjustment, the meaning behind the collective work effort has not changed.

“We are articulating our Mission to the communities we serve,” Timm said, “providing greater clarity. We are not doing away with anything, but putting it in greater context, greater purpose, greater story.”

fall 2016

7

UP FRONT current individual names

S. J

brand identity

future Unified Names

teams under the Ascension name — a changeover that began in September. Lessons learned during their transition will help guide how and when similar changes might take place in other Ministry Markets.

“The Michigan ministries of Ascension have been moving to a more connected operating model for some time,” said Gwen MacKenzie, Senior Vice President, Ascension Healthcare, and Ministry Market Executive, Ascension Michigan. “This change is a reflection of what we’ve been doing internally, and will help our communities better understand the strength and scope of Ascension in meeting the needs of people across much of the state.”

In these two Ministry Markets, email signatures, name badges and intranet sites are changing to reflect the unified name. Next steps include communicating the unified name to the community through advertising, sponsorships and special events. New facility names, external signage and website changes are planned for 2017.

“Ascension Wisconsin has formed over the past several years, combining Affinity Health System, Ministry Health Care, Columbia St. Mary’s and Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, together weaving a fabric of unity from our unique legacy heritages,” said Bernie Sherry, Senior Vice President, Ascension Healthcare, and Ministry Market Executive, Ascension Wisconsin. “We are pleased to share with our many communities how we’re building a connected ministry across the state of Wisconsin, offering the highest level of quality, value and the best patient experience, every time a patient enters our doors.”

Michigan

proposed facility logos

WHAT R E M AIN S T H E SAM E ?

• The strength of our national Mission will always be rooted in our heritage as a Catholic ministry.

• Our desire to carry on the public healing ministry of Jesus continues.

• As we unite under one shared Mission statement and naming approach, we will continue to draw from the many gifts of our local health ministries.

WH E R E CAN I L E AR N MOR E ?

• For more information, visit Ascension.org/WeAreAscension.

• We encourage comments and questions at WeAreAscension@ascension.org.

8

G oo d D a y a s c e n s i o n / a s c e n s i o n . org

OU R SHAR E D M I SSION

Rooted in the loving ministry of Jesus as healer, we commit ourselves to serving all persons with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable. Our Catholic health ministry is dedicated to spiritually centered, holistic care which sustains and improves the health of individuals and communities. We are advocates for a compassionate and just society through our actions and our words.

UP FRONT

Ascension President and Chief Executive Officer Anthony R. Tersigni, EdD, FACHE, and his wife, Flora, have donated more than $2.5 million to the fund.

Ministry and Mission Fund Invests in Associates Ascension Helps Support the Leaders of Tomorrow

A

n innovative fund is investing in Ascension’s greatest strength — our dedicated associates. The Ascension Ministry and Mission Fund invites leaders to anticipate opportunities to prepare current associates for new roles and related skills for our rapidly changing environment.

Ascension is creating new models of care with greater emphasis on population health, preventive care and the use of technology to provide new approaches to care for persons in different settings. The Ministry and Mission Fund is a creative opportunity to retain associates, for example by training groups for telehealth technology or to serve as healthcare navigators in this changing world.

It was established in 2014 by the Tersigni Family Foundation. Ascension associates, from senior leaders to frontline associates, have generously contributed.

“The fund is truly a commitment to associates across our System,” said Sr. Maureen McGuire, DC, Executive Vice President, Mission Integration. “It allows associates to build upon their own gifts, and the breadth of contributors exemplifies how we invest in each other.”

A board of Ascension leaders from Mission Integration, Human Resources, Finance and Legal has reviewed funding requests and authorized an initial round of funding, with $1.59 million committed to seven programs.

• In Kansas, associates are receiving education through internships and certification programs for new roles related to population health such as healthcare navigators.

• In Michigan, pharmacy technicians are receiving training to educate patients about medication management with the goal of helping patients reduce medication errors and related readmissions. Also in Michigan, nurse assistants and technicians will be trained on new methods to follow up with patients to ensure safe care transitions, reduce readmissions and improve patient experience.

Consistent with our Vision for holistic, spiritually centered care, a portion of the grant funding is dedicated to innovative approaches to spiritual care. Ascension ministries in Wichita, Kansas, Baltimore and on the Gulf Coast received grants for spiritual care. Each Ministry and Mission project is developed and administered locally, and project coordinators are sharing learnings with others engaged in similar efforts across Ascension.

An Ascension ministry can apply for Ministry and Mission funds at any time, and associates can make donations to the fund at any time and in any amount.

For more information about the Ascension Ministry and Mission Fund, contact Herb Vallier, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, at hvallier@ascension. org, or Sr. Maureen McGuire, DC, Executive Vice President,

• In Wisconsin, work is underway to retain dedicated,

Mission Integration, at srmmcguire@ascension.org.

high-performing associates by preparing them through retraining for new care models and in response to changes in inpatient care settings.

fall 2016

9

Ascension Medical Group A Catalyst for Transforming Healthcare Across the U.S.

A

scension is committed to transforming the healthcare experience — for patients and providers alike — through a culture of collaboration. To that end, Ascension’s newly formed physician-led national provider network, Ascension Medical Group, is a crucial component of the One Integrated Ministry model.

Designed to further advance the Quadruple Aim — delivering exceptional health outcomes, an exceptional experience for the people we serve, and an exceptional experience for providers, at an affordable cost — Ascension Medical Group officially launched in July 2015 and includes some 6,500 employed providers in 24 communities spanning 16 states and the District of Columbia.

“In terms of numbers, we are building something that doesn’t exist anywhere

10

today,” said Robert J. Henkel, FACHE, Executive Vice President, Ascension, and President and Chief Executive Officer, Ascension Healthcare. “We have an extraordinary opportunity, I believe, given our resources, assets, competencies, and the quality of the care we provide, to truly lead the transformation of healthcare.”

Ascension Medical Group represents the physician enterprise component of an Ascension transformational initiative started three years ago to standardize, streamline and consolidate operations across all facets of the organization. As the nation’s largest fully integrated provider group, Ascension Medical Group serves as a catalyst to caring for populations of people through a value-based care model.

G o o d Day a s c e n s i o n / a s c e n s i o n . o r g

Early markers of Ascension Medical Group’s success in developing and operating integrated systems of care include the ongoing implementation of a single outpatient electronic health record (EHR); a nationwide billing system; and a standardized digital check-in system at all Ascension Medical Group provider offices.

More importantly, however, Ascension Medical Group has excelled in a variety of clinical quality initiatives, including surpassing its FY16 scorecard goal focused on mammography screenings.

Creating an ideal patient and provider experience is an important tenet of Ascension Medical Group.

“Ascension Medical Group is driven by the passion and belief that when you create an engaged community of providers and a more highly integrated care team, you take better care of people,” said Ziad Haydar, MD, MBA, Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer, Ascension Healthcare. “This enables providers to fulfill their calling and helps restore the joy of practicing medicine.”

UP FRONT

Behavioral Health Practitioner

Physician

Dietitian

Palliative and Hospice Care Provider

Spiritual Care Professional

Fostering a culture of engagement in which providers have a voice is a key priority. This is why Ascension Medical Group is ensuring that providers who have the desire and potential to lead locally, regionally and/or nationally are positioned as leaders in the organization. Using a dyad leadership model, Ascension Medical Group has identified not only individuals with administrative expertise, but also physicians who bring their understanding of the clinical world.

It is these pioneering principles that will set Ascension Medical Group apart, helping Ascension to sustain its Mission of providing compassionate, personalized care for all, especially persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable.

“This is the most exciting time in healthcare,” Dr. Haydar said. “We will fulfill the promise of transforming American medicine and make it truly the best in the world.”

A Population Health Management care model involves every member of the care team working together. This ensures an integrated, coordinated approach that optimizes healthcare for each person through seamless care delivery, transitions of care, disease management and case management.

Ascension Medical Group by the Numbers

6,500 employed providers in 16 states plus Washington, D.C. 195,422 mammography screenings in FY16 7,473 providers on a single medical billing system 3,362 providers on a single clinical electronic health record system 722 new veterans seen in FY16 through Veterans Choice Program 100,000 more unique primary care patients (year over year) fall 2016

11

Q&A

Getting to Know You Q&A WITH BERNIE SHERRY, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, ASCENSION HEALTHCARE, AND MINISTRY MARKET EXECUTIVE, ASCENSION WISCONSIN Q: What led you to your career?

A: My first job in healthcare was in IT, and I was assigned to a project with a gentleman who was working on his PhD from the Medical University of South Carolina who encouraged me to pursue my graduate degree in health administration. Having been married to a physician’s assistant and hearing the stories of lives being impacted by the physicians and other clinicians, I wanted to have a more expansive role in the operations and inner workings of healthcare delivery systems.

Q: What was a defining moment in your career?

A: In 2006, as CEO of Baptist Hospital in Nashville, we identified an opportunity for improvement in the culture of patient safety. It was at this moment in my career that I realized as a senior leader there were change initiatives that required more than an aspirational vision or a hope for better performance through others, and in this case I needed to fully engage and actively participate in activities, like patient safety huddles, that would lead to transformation.

Q: What are the differences you see in leading Saint Thomas Health vs. your role with Ascension Wisconsin?

A: Certainly the weather and geography are different.

A blizzard welcomed us on our second day in Wisconsin! Saint Thomas Health’s facilities are all within a 90-minute drive, while in Ascension Wisconsin, it’s a five-hour trip between Racine in the south and Eagle River in the northern part of the state.

The payer market in Wisconsin is complex, with approximately 17 provider-owned health plans in the state. There is not a one-size-fits-all approach. In Wisconsin, we are integrating four health systems into one and moving our legacy ministries toward alignment.

In Tennessee, there are many independent physicians, while in the Wisconsin market, about 80 percent of physicians are employed and aligned with one of the large health systems in the state.

12

G ood D a y ascension / ascension . org

Q: What advice would you give Ascension associates?

A: I ask our associates, leaders and physicians to join me in looking through the lens of hope and inspiration. As we align into Ascension Wisconsin, we come together to achieve a level of high reliability in all that we do and we can fulfill the promise that was created for our communities when our founders and foundresses first began their ministry in our communities. The gift of service, humility, compassion, and personalized caring for one another and our patients has been passed on to us and can only be continued if we remain aligned as a community of caregivers. The greatest gift we can give back is to create a strong, vibrant community that will ensure their vision is everlasting.

Q: Who inspires you?

A: I’m inspired by watching those who provide authentic, inspirational and transformational leadership.

Certainly my faith plays a large role in my inspiration and strength. My wife of 29 years has been by my side through the ups and downs of leadership and is one of my greatest fans, and I so appreciate her inspiring words. I have been blessed to meet and work with so many inspirational leaders throughout my time at Ascension.

Wellness Now

Keeping Well With Dr. K The Stress of Working in Healthcare

By

the very nature of what we do, working in healthcare can be stressful. Daily, we encounter situations that can be emotionally and mentally draining.

I felt this often during my 30 years as an ER doctor.

When we’re fully engaged in our work, patients share concerns and seek our guidance. Whether at the point of care or behind the scenes, we frequently carry their worries with us. And those are not the only concerns we bear. Concerns with children, aging parents, local and national issues, etc. can add to our stress. All this shows how invested we are in our family, work and community.

But it becomes unhealthy when we don’t know what to do with that extra load.

So wh at do we do?

I wish I’d asked myself that question years ago. Working in the ER, I didn’t realize all that I was carrying around — or how it was weighing me down. Once I did, I began identifying coping strategies to handle those burdens, while still providing effective patient care.

“ Self-care is essential to our well-being. In the very structure of creation, God intended for us to rest. When we don’t, it can lead to anxiety, depression or more serious issues.”

— Michael Kobernick , MD

Timothy Glover, Senior Vice President, Mission Integration, Ascension Healthcare, recently reminded me of the importance of giving ourselves time to rest and be refreshed. Self-care is essential to our well-being. In the very structure of creation, God intended for us to rest.

When we don’t, it can lead to anxiety, depression or more serious issues.

I find meditation helps me decompress. Every day, I take a few minutes to close my eyes, center myself and be mindful. Exercise also helps me release stress.

I encourage you to make time for self-care. Whether prayer or meditation, a quiet walk, a vigorous workout or time with friends, self-care is necessary for your health.

If you need a little more help to relieve stress or anxiety, Ascension offers an Employee Assistance Program that provides free short-term counseling for all associates and their immediate family members. The SmartHealth Wellness Program also has resources to help SmartHealth members get active, stay healthy and be well.

As we care for ourselves and others, let’s encourage each other to follow our Creator’s example: “… and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.” ~Genesis 2:2 Michael Kobernick, MD, MS, CPE, is Chief Medical Officer, SmartHealth, which provides comprehensive medical coverage that supports the health of Ascension associates and their families.

fall 2016

13

Creating the Ascension Shines a Light on Innovation Across the Ministry

From placing newborns in hammocks to partnering with an internationally recognized Indian heart surgeon, innovative ideas from every level of the organization are improving the care and service Ascension provides in communities across the country — and beyond.

Ascension’s focus on innovation is rooted in our Vision, which calls us to lead the transformation of healthcare and respond to the needs of individuals throughout the life cycle. Ascension health ministries have been innovating since their founding, introducing new techniques and technologies and developing new ways of providing safe, compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to people living in poverty and those most vulnerable.

We’ve gathered information here on just some of the innovative approaches across Ascension.

LAUNCHPAD ENERGIZES ALL OF ASCENSION

Ascension is committed to transforming healthcare.

That’s why, in spring 2016, the integrated national health ministry introduced Launchpad, a competitive way for associates to bring their innovative ideas to reality.

Associates have submitted nearly 40 ideas for Launchpad consideration from across our One Integrated Ministry.

Sponsored by Ascension’s Innovations Accelerator Team, Launchpad rewards Ascension associates through idea-funding and coaching in exchange for an innovative concept that presents unique and significant opportunities to improve Ascension products, services or processes.

Ascension associates and teams of associates were invited to submit ideas to Launchpad between March 23 and June 15, 2016. Ideas include a range of innovative services, programs and processes intended to advance us toward realizing our Vision.

“As we continue on our One Ascension journey, these submissions are tangible examples of how we can collaborate to leverage the wisdom, experience and creativity of associates and build a culture of innovation and entre-

14

G ood D a y ascension / ascension . org

preneurship within Ascension,” said Ascension President and Chief Executive Officer Anthony R. Tersigni, EdD, FACHE. “I couldn’t be more excited about the great potential of the Launchpad program to advance our 2020 Vision to provide Healthcare That Works, Is Safe, and That Leaves No One Behind, for Life.”

A panel of executive senior leaders reviewed the submissions, selecting three winners who will receive seed funding to further define and/or conduct a pilot of their idea: Kenneth Cole, PsyD, Clinic Manager, Columbia St. Mary’s, Ascension Wisconsin; Christopher La Berge, Acute Care Support Tech/CAIII, Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas, Ascension Texas; and Karen Smethers, National Clinical Pharmacy Integration Leader, The Resource Group.

The winners’ ideas include the integration of tablet computers during preregistration and check-in to help increase patient satisfaction, and to screen for measures that benefit from early intervention; an S-shaped hook that attaches an IV stand to a patient’s bed, wheelchair or crib to improve safety during patient transport; and an application that promotes evidence-based use of bivalirudin (a blood thinner) to reduce costs and improve patient outcomes.

Three semifinalists will also receive funding for their entries: Tammy Bass, Staff RN (RNC-NIC), Seton Family of Hospitals, Ascension Texas; Stephen Chen, JD, MPH, Technology Commercialization Consultant, Seton Healthcare Family, Ascension Texas; and Lori Stefanski, LPN, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, Ascension Wisconsin.

All of these participants may have the opportunity to spend time advancing their innovation and receive coaching and support from Ascension’s Innovations Accelerator Team to mature their ideas during the design and pilot processes.

The competition reopened for submissions Oct. 1, with a Dec. 31, 2016, deadline. Associates can visit Ascension.org/launchpad to learn more about the program and submit ideas.

Future

Spotlight Calls For anyone interested in what’s happening in innovation across Ascension, a Spotlight Call is scheduled every six weeks. If you would like to receive call-in details, email ehickman@ascensionhealth.org.

fall 2016

15

BRING YOUR

idea

launchpad winners

Integration of Tablets to Enhance Patient Health, Outcomes and Satisfaction, and Improve Operational Efficiencies Integrates the use of tablet computers during preregistration and check-in to help increase patient satisfaction, and to screen for measures that benefit from early intervention such as depression, substance abuse, domestic violence or other areas of health maintenance.

Ministry: Columbia St. Mary’s, Ascension Wisconsin Innovation Lead: Kenneth Cole, PsyD, Clinic Manager Ministry Sponsor: Aseem Pandey, Regional Director

TO REALITY

Launchpad Simply Safe IV Helper Consists of an S-shaped hook that temporarily and safely attaches an

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Bleeding Risk Calculator

IV stand to a patient’s bed, wheel-

Proposes the creation of an applica-

chair, or crib to allow associates to

tion that promotes evidence-based

safely transport a patient.

use of bivalirudin, resulting in

Ministry: Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas, Ascension

reduced cost and improved patient outcomes.

Texas

Ministry: St. Vincent, Ascension

Innovation Lead: Christopher

Indiana Ministry Market

La Berge, Acute Care Support Tech/

Innovation Lead: Karen Smethers,

CAIII

National Clinical Pharmacy Integra-

Ministry Sponsor: Mark Shen,

tion Leader, The Resource Group

MD, President

Ministry Sponsor: Ed Fry, MD, Chairman, Cardiology Division, St. Vincent Heart Center of Indiana

additional funded finalists Hammocks for Babies Proposes the creation of hammocks made for babies to be used instead of a hard mattress, which would improve sleep quality and allow the baby to be in a calmer awake state.

Ministry: Seton Family of Hospitals, Ascension Texas Innovation Lead: Tammy Bass, Staff RN (RNC-NIC) Ministry Sponsor: Mark Shen, MD, President, Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas Visual and Easy-to-Understand Test Proposes the creation of an easy-to-read and easy-to-understand test result using infographic-themed readouts that allow a patient to understand what test numbers and ratios mean.

Ministry: Seton Healthcare Family, Ascension Texas Innovation Lead: Stephen Chen, JD, MPH, Technology Commercialization Consultant Ministry Sponsor: Kristi Henderson, Vice President Virtual Care and Innovation All Saints Wig Closet Project Would establish a convenient way for patients who are experiencing hair loss due to cancer treatments to procure a low-cost or free wig, learn about hair care/wig care, and receive scarves and hats.

Ministry: Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, Ascension Wisconsin Innovation Lead: Lori Stefanski, LPN Ministry Sponsor: Tim Sio, Vice President-Operations, South Market, Ascension Wisconsin

16

G o o d Day a s c e n s i o n / a s c e n s i o n . o r g

Keeping Austin Innovative This Year, Seton Healthcare Family, Part of Ascension Texas in Austin, Hosted Two Large-Scale Innovation Challenges

S

eton Healthcare Family used the Healthcare Innovation Awards as a backdrop to raise money for its new teaching hospital, Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas. Companies were invited to submit innovative ideas that could help solve one of healthcare’s biggest, most complex problems: communication.

More than 80 applicants submitted ideas, and a panel of business and clinical leaders selected 10 finalists.

An awards luncheon attended by over 500 Austin civic, medical and academic leaders raised more than $300,000 for the new hospital. The event featured the top 10 innovative products and services.

The Innovation of the Year award went to Patient IO, a patient care coordination solution that can be integrated with virtually any healthcare software system, including electronic health records and population health management systems, empowering patients and clinicians.

The three runners-up were Rallyhood, UnaliWear and VSee. • Rallyhood is an online tool for coordinating and communicating emotional, practical and financial support for patients throughout their care.

• UnaliWear is a developer of a waterproof, voice-controlled watch that gathers and transmits patient data in real time to live call centers in case immediate medical intervention is required.

• VSee (Cloud Clinic) is an all-in-one suite that includes patient scheduling, ePay, a private waiting queue, and visit notes so a physician can easily manage his or her online practice and improve patients’ experience.

For more information, visit futureofcare.supportseton.org/ innovation-awards.

DELL CHILDREN’S ASSOCIATES GET IN ON THE ACTION

In another Austin innovation program, Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas, with the Seton Innovation and Technology Commercialization team, both part of the

Seton Healthcare Innovation Award winners, from left, Patty Rogers, Rallyhood; Rhone McCall, UnaliWear; Jason Bornhorst, Patient IO; and Milton Chen, VSee.

Ascension Texas Ministry Market, hosted an associate innovation competition to inspire ideas that could improve patient or provider experience. The inaugural challenge generated 88 submissions. Twenty semifinalists worked with expert mentors from the Austin area, and 11 finalists shared their ideas at Seton’s quarterly Leadership Development Institute meeting, attended by more than 700 people. All finalists received cash prizes, and the top five ideas were presented to an audience of Seton and Austin community leaders including the mayor, who congratulated them for exhibiting a “Quintessential Austin” entrepreneurial spirit.

Monica Smith, RN, won the grand prize for developing an IV Pole Supply Bin. The small supply bin mounts to an IV pole to store alcohol swabs/alcohol caps used for disinfection. Increasing accessibility to disinfectant supplies decreases infection risk and increases nurse efficiency. A prototype is being implemented in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit as production opportunities are explored.

“I am thrilled to announce the competition winners, but even more excited about the impact we have all witnessed on our culture,” Mark Shen, MD, President, Dell Children’s Medical Center, said during the awards presentation.

Find out more at dellchildrens.ascensioninnovation.com.

fall 2 0 1 6

17

Virtual Care Ministry Markets ■ Transitioned to Ascension Virtual Care in FY15 ■ Transitioned to Ascension Virtual Care in FY16 ■ Other states with Ascension health ministries

18

G o o d Day a s c e n s i o n / a s c e n s i o n . o r g

Virtual Care Is Creating New Connections for Patients and Providers Across Ascension

In

Luke Menet, APNP, at Our Lady of Victory in Stanley, Wisconsin, consults with Jennifer Jordan, APNP, in Eagle River, Wisconsin, via the Ascension Virtual Care telemedicine platform.

communities large and small, Ascension Virtual Care is connecting patients with specialists in real time through capabilities such as telestroke, telebehavioral and telecardiology. These virtual care capabilities already have been deployed in many Ascension Ministry Markets, including Bridgeport, Connecticut; Gulf Coast; Indiana; Michigan; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Tennessee; Texas; and Wisconsin.

The impact is especially significant in rural locations, such as Stanley, Wisconsin, where the number of primary care physicians is dwindling.

Faced with increasing physician shortages, Ministry Health Care, part of Ascension Wisconsin, found an innovative way to bring specialists to rural patients’ bedsides — knowing that patients would prefer to stay close to home rather than travel for care. Ministry found its solution in a hospitalist program that utilizes telemedicine. The program allows advanced practice nurse practitioners to serve patients with remote oversight from other Ministry Health providers.

“We care for many patients in their 80s and 90s. They want to be close to home and have people caring for them that they are familiar with,” said Luke Menet, APNP, Our Lady of Victory in Stanley, Wisconsin.

Karyn Nitz, RN, Our Lady of Victory, said her patients used to drive 40 to 60 miles to get the same care they are now able to get locally with the use of telemedicine.

“Many of the people in our community do not have the money for gas or access to resources for a ride. I had one patient that did not go to a dietary consult about 35 miles from here because of the travel costs,” Karyn said. “I remember another patient who had her driver’s license revoked due to frequent seizures. She would walk or ride her bike here, and we were able to care for her using telemedicine.”

“Our telemedicine system not only links patients with clinicians but also supports clinicians in their effort to provide care locally — reducing the need to send or transfer patients to a distant location,” said Peter Sanderson, MD, MBA, Ministry Health Care/Ministry Medical Group. “It will be a key resource as we transition from a fee-based world to a healthcare system centered on value-based care.”

fall 2 0 1 6

19

More Innovations From Across Ascension

Strengthening Nursing Education and Culture Ascension designed a program to help recruit and retain nurses called the Regional Onboarding Centers (ROC). The ROC uses innovative practices — such as simulation-based scenarios using mannequins — to introduce new nurses to complex care environments they may encounter. Nurses from St. John MacombOakland Hospital in Detroit, part of Ascension Michigan, and St. John Health System in the Ascension Tulsa Ministry Market in Oklahoma recently graduated from the pilot program.

for post-discharge feedback. The Patient Pulsing pilot was implemented at St. John Macomb-Oakland Hospital and the St. John Hospital and Medical Center Emergency Department in Warren, both part of Ascension Michigan; and Columbia St. Mary’s in Milwaukee, part of Ascension Wisconsin.

Enhancing the Health and Well-being of Associates

PARTN E RSHI P SU P P ORTS INNOVATION , ADDR ESSES UNDE RSE RVE D COM M UNITIES

In 2014, Ascension and partner Narayana Health of India opened Health City Cayman Islands (HCCI), a state-ofthe-art hospital designed to bring needed tertiary care services to residents of the island nation, the Caribbean region and the Americas. Narayana Health is the managing partner for HCCI and has applied its high-quality, low-cost model at HCCI. The hospital has performed hundreds of lifesaving surgeries, including free heart operations for more than 100 children living in poverty in the Caribbean.

HCCI, which is accredited by Joint Commission International, is expanding educational and economic opportunities for local residents while giving Ascension a way to learn about new models for high-quality, affordable care.

E ngag i ng Patie n t s i n Re al Time

In partnership with the Ascension myVoice program, Ascension is conducting real-time patient surveys to allow frontline leaders to interpret and respond quickly to strategies that have been implemented. This allows for course correction in a timely manner instead of waiting

20

G ood D a y ascension / ascension . org

SmartHealth is working with Via Christi Health in Wichita, in the Ascension Kansas Ministry Market, to pilot a virtual health coaching program. The program provides assistance in setting and meeting personal health goals and offers classes in healthy living, weight management, and diabetes prevention and management. Members can connect face to face with their health coach via computer, smartphone or iPad. Se rvi ng ‘At R i sk’ P op u l ation s

Now in its second year, the St. Vincent Healthy Transitions Clinic of Indianapolis, part of the Ascension Indiana Ministry Market, is an intensive outpatient clinic for patients who have been identified as “at risk” for hospitalization due to their multiple complex medical conditions.

Rather than being a primary care center, the Healthy Transitions Clinic serves as a “bridge” to providing intensive wraparound services for patients being seen in primary care or coming directly out of the hospital setting. In 2016, St. Vincent opened additional Healthy Transitions clinics in Evansville and Kokomo, Indiana. All three locations work collaboratively and share best practices to continue to

improve operations, efficiencies and quality of care for those patients who are under the clinics’ care. The clinics have helped more than 600 patients over the past year.

B R e a st CAnce r (B RCA) Sch e du li ng N ecessary Advi se d P roce du r es (SNAP)

Ascension Information Services has developed the BRCA SNAP mobile app, with insight provided by Anna Shaynak, Director of Screening & Diagnosis for Cancer Services, St. Vincent in the Ascension Indiana Ministry Market. The app helps women who carry a BRCA gene mutation keep track of their risk for breast and ovarian cancer. Users get reminders to schedule appointments and add them to their iPhone calendar, view past and upcoming procedures, and maintain an updated list of their healthcare providers. An Android version is under consideration. The app is not a substitute for a doctor’s clinical recommendations but a means for women to remain actively engaged in the management of their care. Available at St. Vincent in Indiana as part of a health ministry-based research study, the app incorporates National Comprehensive Cancer Network patient care guidelines.

the Health Promoter. Health Promoters serve as trusted, local healthcare guides who support MissionPoint’s experienced nurses, allowing them to work at the top of their license. This team approach allows MissionPoint to offer its wide range of services to more members and ensure all MissionPoint associates are leveraging their skills best.

T esti ng to Im p rove E f f ec tive n ess

As part of an Ascension Leadership Academy project, SmartHealth collaborated with Greg James, MD, Chief Clinical Officer, Ascension Tennessee Ministry Market, in a pilot study of a DNA-based laboratory test (known as pharmacogenomics testing) used to determine the optimal dosage of medication in patients taking four or more medications. The pilot demonstrated that the results of the test changed the physician’s prescription about 50 percent of the time. More targeted therapy will improve the safety and effectiveness of treatment.

SmartHealth is working to expand the availability of this testing to all associates and their families.

D e live ri ng Sm ar t e r C ar e

Enhancing the Gift of Motherhood

MissionPoint Health Partners, part of Ascension Care Management, is continuing its innovative approach to population health management by introducing a new role,

Ascension Information Services worked with internal stakeholders to develop the “Gift of Motherhood” mobile app. It provides information to expectant mothers and their families that will help support a mother’s successful pregnancy experience. The app addresses nutrition, labor and delivery, post-partum care, and newborn care.

The app will initially be available at three Ascension health ministries — St. Vincent in the Ascension Indiana Ministry Market; St. Vincent’s Health System in the Ascension Birmingham Ministry Market in Alabama; and St. Vincent’s HealthCare in the Ascension Jacksonville Ministry Market in Florida. The app will be available via both iTunes and the Google Play store. Additional health ministries eventually will have the ability to license the app after its initial introduction.

f all 2 0 1 6

21

At Your Service A New Approach to Four Clinical Service Lines Helps Focus the Strengths of One Ascension

It’s

not news that clinical service lines allow hospitals, clinics and long-term care facilities to rally around certain metrics, protocols and care pathways in an effort to reduce variation and improve care. Many Ascension ministries have established their own service lines as a way to improve patients’ experiences and outcomes by reducing nights away from home, readmissions, complication rates and costs.

Here’s what is new: Ascension is working to accelerate those benefits, developing national goals for reducing variation and increasing high reliability across Ascension while creating four clinical service lines in areas that would impact the most lives: behavioral health, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and oncology.

“We see service lines as a way to manage the care of populations and establish value through standardizing protocols and generating evidence-based practices and pathways on a national level,” said Patricia Maryland, Dr.PH, President, Healthcare Operations and Chief Operating Officer, Ascension Healthcare. “We want to lift up our successful programs, identify the protocols and results they have, and emphasize these within our national ministry.”

Early on, Ascension recognized the need to take a national approach to behavioral health services in order to position the organization as a clinically integrated system of care ready to care for populations.

Behavioral health leaders formed a steering committee to bring together providers from across the System and began the search for a national behavioral health service line lead.

The remaining three service lines grew out of collaboration among several affinity groups — made up of experts from across Ascension who work together to research and address common challenges in clinical care — with Ascension’s Care Excellence team and its contracting and group purchasing organization, The Resource Group.

As the affinity groups demonstrated how partnership with The Resource Group reduced cost variation across the System, Ascension leaders realized that clinical quality, operations and patient experience also could be enhanced if everyone worked together in a similar way under a national service line model. The cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and oncology service lines were launched as a result.

All four of Ascension’s national service lines will support achievement of the Quadruple Aim — delivering exceptional health outcomes, an exceptional experience for the people we serve, and an exceptional experience for providers, at an affordable cost — by enabling quality, financial and patient experience data to be tracked, reported and analyzed to identify opportunities and spread effective practices more readily.

“ We see service lines as a way to manage the care of populations and establish value through standardizing protocols and generating evidence-based practices and pathways on a national level.”­ — Patricia Maryland, Dr.PH, President, Healthcare Operations and Chief Operating Officer, Ascension Healthcare

22

Goo d D a y a s c e n s i o n / a s c e n s i o n . o r g

“Our national service lines allow us to define what excellence is and measure it across our organization,” said Ziad Haydar, MD, MBA, Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer, Ascension Healthcare. “We will be able to measure our success not only in quality but also in service, affordability, satisfaction and business success.”

L e ade r sh i p

Dr. Maryland and Dr. Haydar serve as the dyad leaders for this work. All four service lines are overseen by an Executive Steering Committee composed of System and Ministry Market clinical and operational leaders, and supported by Ascension’s Performance Excellence team, led by Gayle Trupiano, Vice President, Performance Excellence, Ascension Healthcare.

Under the direction of the Executive Steering Committee, Service Line Excellence Councils guide each service line. Each provider-led council is a multidisciplinary mix of physicians and other clinicians

along with leaders representing health ministry service lines, long-term care, Ascension Information Services and more. Together, each service line council recommends effective practices and programs to elevate person-centered care in Ascension.

Success Story

Each national service line has begun to collaborate on tools and protocols to help it achieve its goals. For example, the oncology service line came together to finalize a comprehensive, multidisciplinary lung nodule program.

The oncology teams at St. John Providence Health System in Detroit, part of Ascension Michigan; Saint Thomas Health in Nashville, in the Ascension Tennessee Ministry Market; and Seton Healthcare Family in Austin, part of Ascension Texas, worked together to develop the Ascension Comprehensive Lung Nodule Toolkit, detailing the clinical pathways and institutional structures supportive of a successful lung nodule program.

fall 2016

23

“ Ascension’s overall Mission is to improve the health and well-being of those we serve. We do this most

effectively by promoting wellness, prevention and early identification, and by offering treatment options that are inclusive of behavioral health and addiction issues.

We recognize that those with mental health concerns are some of our most vulnerable in our communities; therefore, it is important that we recognize their needs and provide holistic care through the right resources and the right interventions. We’re also working with our Ascension Medical Group providers as well as the other national service lines to ensure that patients receive

”

appropriate mental health screenings and treatment.

—Gayle Trupiano, Vice President, Performance Excellence, Ascension Healthcare

24

G o o d Day a s c e n s i o n / a s c e n s i o n . o r g

Service Line Ch air s a nd Vision Statem ents

Each health ministry contributed critical aspects to the program, from clinical pathway development to primary care physician outreach. Compared with baseline figures from 2012 that measured the stage at diagnosis, current data shows that the interventions that began in 2013 are beginning to shift diagnoses from advanced (Stage IV) to earlier and more treatable stages. As the percentage of diagnoses in Stage IV continues to slide, Stage III diagnoses went from 18 percent in 2012 to 29 percent in 2014. The Stage I diagnosis rate also has improved, by 4 percent.

“We can treat better and treat it for a lesser cost by diagnosing it early,” said Daniel Fortes, MD, Thoracic Surgeon, Seton Healthcare Family. “Prevention and screening is an absolute necessity for the care of lung cancer.”

This is just one example of the power of national service lines.

“Ascension’s national service lines will truly ensure the best possible outcome and an enhanced experience for those we care for,” Dr. Maryland said. “They will have confidence that our providers have come together to give them the right care, in the right setting, at the right time.”

“Through a national service line, we can begin to more thoughtfully develop measures of success and, in turn, reduce variability,” Dr. Haydar said. “Only One Ascension enables something like this. Coming together has brought many gifts to those we serve, and this is one of them.”

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH STEERING COMMITTEE Chair: Carol Hartmann, MA, LCPC Director of Behavioral Health and Network Development, Ascension Vision Statement: Emerge as a market leader for behavioral health across the country, and, in some cases, will serve as a destination site for treatment of specific mental health disease states.

Goals: Integrate behavioral health initiatives into clinical service lines and population health management strategy across all sites of care inclusive of integrating mental health providers into Ascension Medical Group offices; increase depression screenings provided in primary care offices to ensure prevention and wellness of those patients served; and implement­behavioral health services into Ascension emergency departments, ensuring that patients have access to mental health interventions and quicker care dispositions.

Email: BehavHealthSL @ascensionhealth.org Newsletter: Ascension.org/ connection-newsletter/ behavioral-health-connection

CARDIOVASCULAR SERVICE LINE EXCELLENCE COUNCIL

MUSCULOSKELETAL SERVICE LINE EXCELLENCE COUNCIL

ONCOLOGY SERVICE LINE EXCELLENCE COUNCIL

Chair: Ed Fry, MD Chairman, Cardiology Division Physician, CT Intervention St. Vincent Heart Center of Indiana

Chair: Fred Schreiber, DO Program Director-Physician Residency/Orthopedic Medical Director, Genesys Health System

Chair: Carole Miller, MD Director, Saint Agnes Hospital’s Cancer Institute Saint Agnes HealthCare

Vision Statement: To be the committed leader in compassionate cardiovascular health through a holistic, accessible, person-centered approach across the continuum; supported by nationally integrated research, innovation and education to achieve Ascension-wide standards of excellence.

Vision Statement: Optimizing quality of life and musculoskeletal function through compassionate, efficient, integrated personalized care.

Vision Statement: Working as One Ascension, we will be the nation’s leading community cancer program providing multidisciplinary and evidence-based care for the whole person across the continuum leading to collaborative, transformational, value-based care.

Goals: Reduce patient risk related to coronary artery bypass graft surgeries and present an abstract on Ascension’s performance improvement initiatives, highlighting the way our national, multisite system standardized clinical practices and improved patient quality and safety.

Email: CVSL@ascensionhealth.org Newsletter: Ascension.org/ connection-newsletter/ cardiovascular-services-connection

Goals: Improve surgical infection ratios and blood transfusion rates; ensure that Ascension ministries meet the requirements to join the American Joint Replacement Registry; and develop a strategy for collecting patient-reported outcomes data related to comprehensive joint replacement surgeries.

Email: OrthoSL@ascensionhealth.org Newsletter: Ascension.org/ connection-newsletter/ orthopedics-connection

Goals: Increase the number of Ascension oncology programs accredited by the Commission on Cancer; reduce the use of certain high-cost drugs in the inpatient setting and increase the use of palliative care services as appropriate; obtain access to the National Cancer Database’s data analytics capabilities; establish a precision medicine task force to look at emerging treatment approaches; and leverage telemedicine technologies to expand genetics programs.

Email: OncologSL@ascensionhealth.org Newsletter: Ascension.org/ connection-newsletter/ oncology-connection

fall 2016

25

Inset: Amy Freeman, Community Health President and CEO, Ascension

Connecting with Our Roots Focus on Improving Community Health Goes Back to the Founders’ Vision

As

Ascension works within the changing healthcare landscape to keep people well — both inside and outside the hospital — the focus on community health is increasing. Ascension leaders recognize that health doesn’t happen only when people are in the doctor’s office or the hospital. Health happens in the communities where they live, where they learn, where they work,

where they play and where they pray.

“This means we can’t look at individual health problems without looking at the larger context that created them,” said Amy Freeman, Ascension’s Community Health President and CEO. As a former CEO of Providence Hospital in Washington, D.C., Amy understands this very well.

“As a hospital administrator, I made daily rounds and would stop at the

NICU (neonatal intensive care unit), looking over the rows of premature newborns in intensive care,” she said.

“As an administrator, it was good to see the beds filled, but I’m looking at these kiddos thinking, Why are you here? Did your mom have transportation to prenatal care? Did she need better food?

Did she need better housing? Did she need medical care or a drug treatment program? Why are you here? And I knew that a large percentage of these newborns would have been at home had these needs been addressed.

“Providence Hospital is in a metropolitan area with numerous healthcare institutions and good public transportation systems.

More than 97 percent of people in the District of Columbia have insurance and doctors — so they have access to medical care — and yet there are great health disparities.

“So I began to go out into the community to talk with people, community providers, faith-based congregation leaders, to figure out what’s going on in our community,” Amy said.

“I realized we can’t stop with 100 percent access; we need to look at the social and economic barriers to good health. And we can’t do this alone.

Partnerships are a key missing link.”

Com m u n it y H e alt h i n A sce n sion

Community health has been part of Ascension’s Mission from the begin-

“ My whole concept of healthcare has been along the lines of prevention.” ­ — Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA, former U.S. Surgeon General, current Ascension Board member, AT Ascension’s 2015 Community Health, Equity and Inclusion Conference in New Orleans

26

G o o d Day a s c e n s i o n / a s c e n s i o n . o r g

“ With the pace of change accelerating, and with increasing challenges and opportunities in healthcare, we want to focus on population health — to promote disease prevention and wellness. The best way to do this is through our community health strategy.”

— Anthony R. Tersigni, EdD, FACHE, President and Chief Executive Officer , at Ascension’s 2015 Community Health, Equity and Inclusion Conference in New Orleans

ning. When the founders of our health ministries were called to serve in new communities, their focus wasn’t necessarily on building hospitals. Instead, it was on caring for people in whatever way they needed most.

Now, through hospital-based programs and freestanding clinics, our health ministries are called to renew efforts to engage community providers and social agencies. Working with them, we will determine the unique needs of each community and identify the barriers that stand in the way of our neighbors leading healthy, productive lives.

“This is critically important because it’s the right thing to do for those we serve and also because it’s vital as we prepare to provide value-based care through the development of clinically integrated systems of care throughout our health ministries,” Amy said.

The goal is to build a person-centered, seamless system of care that spans all settings, including the home,

community, doctor’s office, clinic, hospital or senior living facility. This coordination is especially important for those who are struggling — but even this is not enough.

“As we know, persons living in poverty often are the most medically and socially challenged people we serve,” Amy said. “We need to look at the inherent barriers to good health — the social and economic issues impacting our communities.”

Amy’s role, which reflects this increased focus on community health in Ascension, includes development of strategies for Ascension Community Health; needs assessment/ planning oversight; dissemination of Community Health best practices and programs; strategic partnerships; and enhanced philanthropic and grant funding support for community health improvement within the System and ministries. Additionally, Amy works in close partnership with Sr. Ellen Kron, DC, to oversee Ascension’s Community

Health Ministries in New Orleans; El Paso and San Antonio, Texas; Arkansas; and Kansas City, Missouri.

“As we move toward being rewarded for value over volume, addressing the nonclinical barriers that stand in the way of good health becomes a major focus,” Amy said. This work still follows the charge given when the Daughters of Charity was founded in Paris in 1633: to “go out and serve God through people who are poor, people who need care,” Sr. Ellen said. The same spirit spurred the other historical sponsors of Ascension as they began their work. “That has set the stage for us to evolve as needs change in our communities.”

Wor k i ng Tog e t h e r to H e l p P eop l e L e ad H e alt h y Lives

Recognizing that creating healthy communities requires a systemic, collaborative approach, Ascension partners and collaborates with diverse community stakeholders across the country to improve health by addressing food insecurity, housing, transportation, safety issues and employment needs.

These examples reflect the value in collaborating with strategic partners in communities across Ascension: • Genesys Health System in Flint, part of Ascension Michigan, is partnering with the Greater Flint Health Coalition, the United Way of Genesee County and other stakeholders to maximize the benefits of its support services and develop a long-term healthcare strategy for the

fall 2016

27

generation of Flint kids who might be adversely affected by the contamination of the city’s water supply with lead.

• Lourdes Youth Services, part of Ascension’s Our Lady of Lourdes Memorial Hospital in Binghamton, New York, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, partners with community providers to offer early childhood care, substance abuse prevention, at-risk/juvenile justice

integrating healthcare, education and

programs, and mental health and dental

training, and affordable housing, linking

youth services.

• Providence Hospital, Mobile, Alabama,

investment resources in the community.

• St. John Providence Health System’s

part of the Ascension Gulf Coast

Bridges to HOPE (Helping Others Pros-

Ministry Market, has developed a part-

per through Empowerment) program

nership with its local food bank through

— a partnership of St. John Community

Ascension’s agreement with Feeding

Health Investment Corporation (a divi-

America (which may be expanded to

sion of St. John Providence), Catholic

other ministries in the future) address-

Charities of Southeast Michigan and the

ing the relationship between food

Society of St. Vincent de Paul —

insecurity and health.

addresses poverty through person-

• San Vicente Family Health Center, a Community Health Ministry located

centered self-sufficiency initiatives.

• St. Vincent, Indianapolis, in the

in a federally designated medically

Ascension Indiana Ministry Market, is

­underserved area in El Paso, Texas,

addressing food insecurity in the com-

is partnering with Emergence Health

munities it serves through Ascension’s

Network (EHN), El Paso’s Mental Health

partnership with Root Cause Coalition,

Authority, to offer a specialty medical

a national nonprofit organization focus-

clinic serving individuals with a mental

ing on hunger and social determinants

health diagnosis and intellectual/devel-

leading to chronic health conditions.

opmental disability.

• Healthy Neighborhoods Detroit, of St. John Providence Health System, part of Ascension Michigan, is an economic and neighborhood revitalization approach

M uch Wor k Li es Ah e ad

Caring for the poorest and most vulnerable communities is at the heart of Ascension’s Mission. Those who work in

Ascension Community Health are called to stretch our thinking about the best ways to meet local needs — to help the people in our communities reach their greatest health.

“As I visited Ascension ministries across the country this summer, I discovered a wide range of critical, compassionate and evidence-based programs that are serving those most in need in our communities,” Amy said.

“My goal is to shine light on and share the best of those programs throughout all of our ministries where the same need exists.”

Why do this, many ask, knowing that as we improve community health, we lower admissions and readmissions in Ascension hospitals? The answer is a testament to the historic commitment of those who came before us. And it is a testament to the commitment we share today — the commitment to our Mission to improve the health of individuals and communities.

“ To me, the continuing reality of healthcare disparities is an obvious gap in our ability to convey God’s mercy … a gap we should aggressively work to remedy, using our creativity and passion with a distinctive urgency.” ­— Robert J. Henkel, FACHE, Executive Vice President, Ascension, and President and Chief Executive Officer , Ascension Healthcare, speaking at the 2016 Catholic Health Assembly

28

G o o d Day a s c e n s i o n / a s c e n s i o n . o r g

N e w s F r o m t h e Mini s t r i e s

Notes from Across Our One Integrated Ministry Birmingham, Alabama

President Recognized for Leadership For the second year in a row, Neeysa Biddle, FACHE, Senior Vice President, Ascension Healthcare, and Birmingham Ministry Market Executive, who serves as President and CEO of St. Vincent’s Health System, was named to the Birmingham (Alabama) Business Journal’s Most Influential Executives list. Selected executives are chosen based on a number of factors, including feedback from a reader survey. A fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Neeysa has more than 25 years of healthcare administrative and executive experience.

Bridgeport, Connecticut

Hospital Gets the Gold St. Vincent’s Medical Center has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for both stroke and heart failure. These programs contribute to realizing measurable results, including improved patient outcomes and fewer recurring events.

Washington, D.C.

Specialized Pulmonary Rehabilitation Providence Hospital launched a new Pulmonary Rehabilitation program designed for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that aims to reduce symptoms, optimize lung function, increase activity levels, and reduce healthcare costs by cutting hospital readmissions due to disease complications by as much as 20 percent.

Jacksonville, Florida

Cancer Center Opens Mayo Clinic has opened a cancer center on the campus of St. Vincent’s Riverside. The 11,500-square-foot medical suite is the result of a collaboration between the two health systems. It will bring Mayo’s world-renowned physicians, cutting-edge therapies and clinical trials to even more people on the First Coast — all in the compassionate setting St. Vincent’s is known for.

Gulf Coast

Gulf Coast Ministry Grows Sacred Heart Health System has opened physician offices in the downtown area of Pensacola, Florida, and has three new facilities under construction, including outpatient medical facilities in Gulf Breeze and Perdido Bay, Florida, that will offer convenient diagnostic and physician services in one location. Also in Gulf Breeze is a new 8,000-square-foot pediatric facility providing pediatric rehabilitation (physical and occupational therapy, speech therapy, and food-aversion therapies), autism services, diagnostic services, two pediatricians and an advanced registered nurse practitioner.

Associates Go Overboard for Good Cause Providence Hospital in Mobile, part of the Ascension Gulf Coast Ministry, partnered with the University of South Alabama College of Nursing, as well as 13 community sponsors to “Battle for the Paddle.” Proceeds from the event went to purchase pharmaceuticals for a new children’s medical center in Haiti.

The Children of Haiti Medical Center (part of the organization Danita’s Children) is a 50-bed, acute-care children’s hospital and outpatient center that

provides healthcare to the most vulnerable children in Ouanaminthe, Haiti, and surrounding communities.

Fifty canoe teams paid $100 each to race down the Providence Lake — all striving to win the coveted golden paddle award. Members of the Compass team, under the direction of Dr. Richard Oyler (“Dr. O”), were the victors.

Chicago

Cancer Center Consolidates Care AMITA Health is winning praise for the new, patient-friendly AMITA Health Cancer Institute in Hinsdale, Illinois.

The $48 million, 54,000-square-foot center features state-of-the-art technology in a comforting, healing environment, consolidating into one location a comprehensive range of services formerly scattered across two nearby AMITA Health medical centers.

Indiana

Expansions in Evansville St. Mary’s Westside Crossing opened in September and provides a variety of outpatient health and wellness services, all seamlessly connected to create an exceptional healthcare experience.

The facility offers easy and convenient access to urgent care, physician offices, lab and imaging, and medical equipment. Construction of St. Mary’s Orthopedic Hospital is also in the works. The 135,000-square-foot facility will provide surgical and nonsurgical care to address the growing orthopedic needs of the region.

First Medical Mission at Home St. Vincent’s inaugural Medical Mission at Home allowed the ministry to extend its Mission to some of the most vulnerable people in the Indianapolis community. Associates provided phys-

fall 2 0 1 6

29

News From the Ministries

ical exams; wellness training, including information about tobacco cessation; over-the-counter medications as needed and antibiotics as appropriate; assistance with signing up for health insurance; foot washing, in concert with foot examinations; mammography screenings; food pantry assistance; referrals for additional care as needed; and other forms of assistance.

Kansas

Clinic Helps Patients Transition Home In its first year and a half, Via Christi Health’s Transitional Care Clinic has helped reduce inpatient admissions and emergency department visits by 93 percent. The clinic, which delivers person-centered care to some of the most vulnerable patients in southcentral Kansas, was established in 2014 for patients who do not have a primary care provider or cannot be seen by their provider within seven days. A team of nurse practitioners, registered nurses, medical assistants and social workers provides primary medical care, support and encouragement.

Baltimore

Hospital Opens Training Center Caroline Center, a tuition-free education and workforce development program for unemployed or under­ employed women, opened a new career training site at Saint Agnes Healthcare.

Participants learn professional skills in a hospital environment to practice as certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and geriatric nursing assistants.

Since 2012, Saint Agnes has hired 85 percent of the new CNAs who have completed the program.

30

Stroke Award Saint Agnes Healthcare was recognized with the Get With the Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus Achievement Award with Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Elite by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to providing the most appropriate stroke treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines. Saint Agnes has received this honor for four consecutive years.

Michigan

First Students Arrive in Southfield Providence-Providence Park Hospital and Michigan State University (MSU) came together to welcome 27 thirdyear MSU medical students to the new Southeast Michigan campus of the MSU College of Human Medicine, based at the hospital in Southfield. The college plans to have a total of 60 thirdand fourth-year students next summer.

River District Earns Women’s Choice ER Award For the third year in a row, St. John River District Hospital (SJRDH), East China Township, earned the Women’s Choice Award for America’s Best Hospitals for Emergency Care. The award signifies that SJRDH consistently ranks among the best of the 3,800 hospitals reporting on the performance of their respective Emergency Departments and that have a solid HCAHPS recommendation rating. Hospitals are judged on eight Emergency Department performance measures reported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

G ood D ay ascension / ascension . org

Hospital Inside a Hospital Select Specialty Hospital, a long-term acute care hospital (LTACH) operated

by Select Medical, opened within St. John Hospital & Medical Center, Detroit. The opening represents the first LTACH within a St. John Providence hospital and will allow the hospital to meet the healthcare needs of an important patient population.

50 Years of Service St. John Macomb-Oakland Hospital’s Warren campus marks 50 years of providing healthcare to patients in the community this year. March 1, 1966, South Macomb Hospital opened its “ultra-modern” facility after two years of construction. The 202-bed hospital was planned after an extensive survey and identification of healthcare needs in the booming city of Warren and its surrounding communities.

Virtual Care Provides Specialty Pediatric Consults Genesys, Grand Blanc, in partnership with St. John Providence, Detroit, launched Pediatric Virtual Care. Pediatric subspecialists are brought to the patient’s bedside in real time with the use of video technology. Physicians at Genesys can consult a pediatric neurologist or a pediatric infectious disease physician from St. John Providence through a secure video connection inside the patient’s bedroom. This new service brings specialists to the patient instead of the patient traveling to see the specialist.

Skilled Nursing Facility Reduces Falls St. Mary’s of Michigan Standish Hospital’s Skilled Nursing Facility is on the right foot with its focus on fall prevention. Staff reported a decrease in fall-related injuries by instituting a daily “quiet time” from 2–4 p.m. During

this time, all associates, with the exception of those providing care, are asked to refrain from entering the unit.

have generously donated in the past.

The evening included a reception and tours of the sponsored ships.

Huron Shores Walk-in Clinic Opens With the completion of a Community Health Needs Assessment and identification of access to care as an ongoing need, St. Joseph Health System, Tawas City, opened a walk-in clinic to address this community health need. Staffed by a nurse practitioner, the clinic is located across the street from the hospital in a building formerly occupied by a pediatric clinic. The clinic is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m.–7 p.m.

Borgess Honored for Environmental Excellence Borgess Medical Center, Kalamazoo, received the 2016 Greenhealth Partner for Change award by Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s leading healthcare community dedicated to reducing healthcare’s environmental footprint. Borgess Health has repeatedly been honored for environmental achievements.

Foundations Recognize Donors As proud sponsors of the 2016 Tall Ships Celebration held in Bay City, Michigan, St. Mary’s of Michigan and St. Joseph Health System foundations hosted nearly 200 individuals who

Amsterdam, New York

St. Mary’s Healthcare Dedicates Peace Poles at Hospital Campus St. Mary’s Healthcare in Amsterdam, New York, has planted two peace poles in the Amsterdam community, one

Residents from across Tulsa, Oklahoma, attended The Fight to End Cancer health fair and cancer forum on June 11.

The Workplace Spiritual Committee led a dedication of the peace pole at St. Mary’s Healthcare in Amsterdam, New York.

on the main hospital campus and the other outside the Wilkinson Residential Health Center. These two join the tens of thousands of peace poles in almost 200 countries that are dedicated as monuments to peace. Most peace poles have four or six sides with the prayer “May Peace Prevail on Earth” written in various languages on each side. The poles at St. Mary’s Healthcare have four sides and serve as a reminder to visualize and pray for world peace.

Binghamton, New York

Bariatric Accreditation Earned Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital was accredited as a Comprehensive Center under the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program, a joint program of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

Tulsa, Oklahoma

St. John Hosts Cancer Forum St. John Health System and its partner in cancer care, Oklahoma Cancer Specialists and Research Institute, hosted The Fight to End Cancer community health fair and cancer forum. The event was the first of its kind for the Tulsa area. Oklahoma Cancer Specialists was one of only eight certified members of MD Anderson Cancer Network®, a program of MD Anderson Cancer Center, to participate in a live broadcast of MD Anderson panel discussions on cancer prevention, treatment and research.

People from all over the Tulsa area attended the health fair, which featured expert medical advice, health screenings, food trucks and family activities.

fall 2 0 1 6

31

Tennessee

A New Heart for Jim Earlier this year, Jim Talbot of Nashville, age 42, suffered a massive heart attack, and he needed a new heart quickly. Within a few days, he got that heart at Saint Thomas West, Nashville.

Ashok Babu, MD, and a team of surgeons, nurses and other medical staff worked around the clock to perform the hospital’s first heart transplant in five years. The hospital relaunched its heart transplant program in 2016. Six weeks after surgery, Jim was walking 4 miles, four days a week. Every day, he said, he thinks about the heart donor’s family and their pain. “I can’t express how grateful I am,” Jim said, fighting back tears.

Texas

Surgery Team Sends Gift to Orlando The surgery team at Providence Healthcare Network, Waco, extended a gesture of kindness and compassion to the surgery team at Orlando (Florida) Surgery Medical Center that performed surgery after surgery following the June 12 terror attack that took the lives of 40 people and injured countless others.

Acknowledging the unique bond surgery team members share, the Waco staff quietly gathered donations to purchase restaurant gift cards, authored a personal letter, and mailed a greeting card signed by each surgery associate with instructions to “have lunch on us.”

Seton Develops Women’s Heart Center The Seton Heart Institute Women’s Heart Center now provides comprehensive services for risk assessment, diagnosis and treatment of heart disease in women. Women often develop heart disease differently than men.

The differences affect how women

32

Proceeds from Battle for the Paddle purchased pharmaceuticals for a new children’s medical center in Haiti.

The arrival of the first students to the new Southeast Michigan campus of the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine at Providence-Providence Park Hospital, Southfield, Michigan, was commemorated by speeches and a ceremonial ribbon cutting by university and area dignitaries.

are diagnosed and respond to treatment, which is why Seton developed the dedicated resource. The center is designed to help women who have survived a heart-related crisis — or those who are at significant risk for having one in the future — through a preventive approach, with access to all of the state-of-the-art facilities within the Seton Healthcare Family, Austin.

Wisconsin

‘White Coat Ceremony’ Marks Milestone in Ministry Partnership The 26 students of the inaugural class of the Medical College of Wisconsin – Central Wisconsin received white coats from their physician mentors.

Twenty-one of the students are from Wisconsin communities including Marshfield, Wausau, Plover, Mosinee, Amherst Junction and Medford. The ceremony is a rite of passage that welcomes medical students into their new profession. The White Coat Cer-

G ood D a y ascension / ascension . o r g

emony marks an important milestone in the partnership among Ascension, the Medical College of Wisconsin and regional health system Aspirus that will address the need for primary care clinicians in rural parts of the state.

Ascension At Home

Partnership Celebrates Early Success In September, two years after the joint venture between Ascension and Evolution Health was announced, Ascension At Home celebrated exceeding operational performance projections by nearly 100 percent. “Financial results are important, but our success is based on much more,” said CEO Kirk Allen.

“Quality of care, satisfaction of patients, associates and referral sources, and growth are all components of the balanced performance we believe to be essential for long-term success.”

News From the Ministries

Ascension Care Management/ Ascension Risk Services

Alliance Leads to Improvements at Lower Costs Ascension Care Management is helping to build Ascension’s population health management enablement platform by integrating the services and operations of MissionPoint Health Partners, US Health Holdings and Ascension Risk Management. On a consolidated basis, Ascension Care Management’s population health programs serve 710,000 members, collaborate with 9,200 network providers and administer health claims in 27 states. Ascension Care Management’s risk and insurance team recently implemented an innovative integrated excess insurance plan, which affords Ascension substantially more protection for professional, general and other liability claims while lowering the System’s premium costs.

creating a new company to operate TriMedx is expected to help TriMedx achieve its potential for rapid growth, enhanced service, and expanded offerings for international and domestic clients — including Ascension’s sites of care. The Medxcel subsidiary Medxcel Facilities Management is not part of the transaction and will continue to be operated by Ascension.

Ascension Information Services

AIS Earns Workplace Culture Honors The Ascension Information Services workplace earned two notable honors.

The information technology subsidiary made Computerworld’s list of the 100 Best Places to Work in IT — coming in at No. 33 among large organizations.

AIS also earned a spot among Elearning! Magazine’s Learning! 100 for the fifth consecutive year, placing ninth.

Ascension Investment

Ascension Global Mission

Management

Heart Surgeries Funded for Seven Haitian Children Have a Heart Cayman provides lifesaving heart surgeries for children in the Caribbean at Health City Cayman Islands, a partnership of Ascension and Narayana Health of India. Have a Heart Cayman has initially focused on children in Haiti with the first surgeries being performed in October 2014.

Ascension Global Mission recently provided funding to cover the hospital-based costs for these heart surgeries for seven children ranging in age from 1½ years to 18 years old.

Two-year Investment Finalized In September 2016, Ascension Investment Management completed its allocation of $50 million among six investments for its Impact Investment strategy, which was launched in September 2014. Ascension Investment Management continues to evaluate opportunities for its clients to invest in a manner designed to generate a beneficial social and/or environmental impact.

Ascension Holdings

TriMedx Agreement Reached An investment agreement and partnership with TowerBrook Capital Partners

Ascension Leader Institute

Members Present Results at CHA Assembly Representatives from the 2014 Leadership Academy community addressed the Catholic Health Association’s Assembly in June to share their capstone

project on pricing transparency. The project started as one of six innovative pilots developed by the members, with the intent to better understand and deliver what patients want to know about the costs of a clinical procedure in advance. The pilot featured a “shop, book, pay” online approach, where patients could visit a website, read a description, see out-of-pocket costs after insurance is applied and schedule an appointment.

After a successful test in Ascension’s Jacksonville, Florida, market, the work is now collectively being led by a group of these members to charter a national strategy for Ascension.

Ascension Medical Group

Leaders Attend Development Cohort About 50 clinicians and administrative leaders completed the first Ascension Medical Group cohort for leadership development in Wisconsin, with a curriculum centered on the skills needed to lead in a fee-for-value environment. Planning is underway with Mission Integration and Talent Management for future cohorts in leadership development.

Ascension Ministry Service Center

Digitization Projects Reduce Manual Processes The Ascension Ministry Service Center achieved key milestones in a multiyear Procure to Pay Digitization Project this summer. New technologies, including smart optical character recognition, an electronic data interface exchange, and an electronic payments platform, will enable digital commerce — such as electronic invoicing, vendor self-­ service, and purchase order dispatch — with our suppliers.

fall 2 0 1 6

33

N e w s F r o m t h e Mini s t r i e s

Ascension Senior Living

Community Health Ministries

The Resource Group

Communities Recognized for Quality Ascension senior living communities recently named “best of” by readers of local publications included Providence Park in Waco, Texas, as well as Via Christi Village in Pittsburg, Kansas.

Reducing Health Disparities The Ascension Community Health Ministries (CHM) in El Paso and San Antonio, Texas; New Orleans; Arkansas; and Kansas City, Missouri, are effectively working to eliminate health disparities. The main vehicle for achieving the goals of decreasing health disparities and increasing access is transitioning primary care into patient-centered medical homes. At the same time, four of the CHMs have certified Navigators and certified Assistance Counselors to educate and enroll clients into Qualified Health Plans, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Medicaid.

Collaborative Results in Improved Care and Savings The Resource Group and Care Excellence are collaborating with clinicians, Finance, and Advocacy leaders across Ascension on Medication Management initiatives designed to further evidence-based medicine practice, improve patient care outcomes and mitigate the impact of hyperinflation in pharmaceutical costs. Accomplishments include $25 million in savings driven by the Therapeutic Affinity Group and $7.5 million in savings through collaboration with the Ascension Center of Excellence for Infection Prevention and Antimicrobial Stewardship.

Ascension Ventures

Anniversary Marks Achievements Ascension Ventures is celebrating 15 years of investing in private healthcare companies and providing financial and strategic returns to Ascension and its other limited partners. Ascension Ventures has made investments in more than 50 companies that have returned $432 million on $192 million invested, has introduced 350 companies to its partners, and has seen more than 270 adoptions across the System.

Stay Connected with Ascension @ Home, @ Work, @ your fingertips

Twitter: @Ascensionorg Keep up with Ascension tweets. Follow Ascension.

Learn more about Ascension at ascension.org.

Facebook: facebook.com/ascensionorg Like our Ascension page and get the latest updates on your newsfeed.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/ascensionorg Stay up to date with organization news and connect with other associates.

YouTube: youtube.com/c/ascensionorg Watch videos about Ascension on an array of topics.

Pinterest: pinterest.com/ascensionorg Choose from various boards, such as Care Excellence, Facility News and Reflections.

G+: google.com/+ascensionorg Read posts about Ascension and its health ministries.

34

G o o d D a y asc e n s i o n / asc e n s i o n . o r g

LA S T w o r d

As Seen on the Daily Good Day Ascension To read more about these stories and other news from across our One Integrated Ministry, visit goodday.ascension.org from within the Ascension network.

Instructions on how to download the Good Day mobile app are also available. ✙ St. Vincent Wound Healing Center Follows in Steps of Christ The 13th chapter of the Gospel of John tells the story of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet not long before his crucifixion. Following that example, a group of caregivers from the St. Vincent Wound Healing Center, part of the Ascension Indiana Ministry Market, recently ministered to people who are homeless in downtown Indianapolis. The group of volunteers visited the Wheeler Mission through My Brother’s Keeper Homeless Outreach Ministry.

Read more at GoodDay.Ascension.org/archive.

✙ Associates Participate in Tulsa United Way Day of Caring About 20 associates of St. John Health System, in the Ascension Tulsa Ministry Market, participated in the Tulsa Area United Way’s annual Day of Caring on Sept. 9. St. John partnered with Up With Trees, a nonprofit organization dedicated to beautifying greater Tulsa by planting trees and creating urban forestry awareness through education.

Read more at GoodDay.Ascension.org/archive.

✙ Ascension Medical Mission at Home Hits Texas More than 500 associates volunteered for Seton Healthcare Family’s first Ascension Medical Mission at Home event on Saturday, June 11. Seton Healthcare Family held the event at Hutto High School northeast of Austin. In a Town Hall meeting earlier this year, associates and leaders from Seton explained the need for the program, and why they were volunteering.

“This is our community,” said Glenn E. Harper, MD, a Seton neurosurgeon who served as Medical Director for the Ascension Medical Mission at Home. “We are pulling in as many community resources as we can to be able to help our family. To show them the love, and to reach out that hand.”

Seton associates recently joined Providence Healthcare Network in Waco for its inaugural Medical Mission at Home. Seton and Providence are part of Ascension Texas.

Read more at GoodDay.Ascension.org/archive.

fall 2016

35

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID

Salt Lake City, UT Permit No. 6563

101 South Hanley Road Suite 450 St. Louis, MO 63105

We Are Ascension Sr. Lois Bush, SSM Ascension Wisconsin/Years of Service: 48 Current Roles: • Vice President of Integration North Region, Ascension Wisconsin • Participating Entity Representative for the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother, Ascension • Provincial Councilor, Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother Sr. Lois celebrated her 50th Jubilee in August, marking 50 years as a member of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother.

First Job: In 1968, the year the U.S. was fighting the North Koreans and mourning the violent losses of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., Sr. Lois Bush began her career as a nurse at Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield, Wisconsin.

Final Vows: “I intended to devote my life to a career as a staff nurse, but God had other plans. I first met the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother when I started nursing school in Marshfield. The attraction to the Sisters connected with the values I learned growing up in a farming community: social justice toward those who were disadvantaged, a sense of community, sharing of faith and care of the earth (since we are Franciscan).”

Nursing Path: “I have worked in a variety of nursing roles, from a staff nurse, nurse manager, staff development and education, director of medical surgical areas and lastly as Vice President of Nursing at Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Although I have not been in an active role in nursing since 1983, one never leaves care for patients and families behind.”

Most Challenging Ministry: “When I was the Assistant Provincial for the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother in the 1980s, it became my responsibility to ‘do something about healthcare.’ I worked with a team of Sisters and led the creation of Ministry Health Care, bringing together eight hospitals into one healthcare system in 1984. I served as President and CEO for Ministry for 13 years.”

Best Part of My Job: “Taking apart some part of an organization or structure that is ineffective and putting something better back in its place. I love working with a team of passionate people who care deeply. I love to negotiate and debate — something I learned from growing up with five younger brothers and two younger sisters.”

Free Time: “My favorite hobby is geocaching, which is similar to high-tech treasure hunting, as well as road trip adventures with Sr. Sharee Hurtgen and our rat terrier, Sophie.

I like to read, crochet and spend time with my family.”