MD News

| November/December 2012 |

R ich m o n d/ Tr i - Citi e s

n a BUsiness & Pr ac tice manaG e me nt maGaZine | aBoUt PHYsicians | From PHYsicians | For PHYsicians n

2012: LY

N O W E I V E R

Looking Back,

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Moving Forward

IA MED M O UST C H T NOR E U R 12 T Š 20

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Contents

NOv/Dec 2012

2012:

8

on the cover

Looking Back,

Moving Forward

Y L N O W E I V E R

FEATURES

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IA 2012: Looking Back, Moving Forward 8 MED M O Pulled in all directions by a battle of many wills, the U.S. health care system has charted T CUS The coming year promises further transformation an uneven course over the past Hdecade.

T R O the health care community at large face a number of looming as government officials E Nand U R T questions revolving around electronic health records, Affordable Insurance Exchanges, 12 accountable Š 20 care organizations and more. Read on as we take a look at recent developments in U.S. health care and examine the challenges it will face in the near future.

Emerging Ownership Models for Physician Practices 12 As physician ownership of medical practices continues a steady decline that began more than 20 years ago, recent trends find independent practices becoming increasingly less profitable.

With a number of factors continuing to push doctors away from solo practice, some experts predict the demise of the business model over the coming decade. In this feature, we explore the reasons behind evolving changes in ownership structure and examine alternatives to independent ownership.

DEPARTMENTS That’s News 5 Bariatrics 6 CME Activities 7 Medical Equipment and Supplies 10 Hospital Rounds 14

12 7

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from the

Publisher Richmond/Tri-Cities

Publisher: Paul Darden

H

to the September/October issue of MD News Richmond/Tri-Cities.

Managing Editor: Ed Lammon

e llo, an d we lcom e

Y L N O W E I V E R President and Chief Executive Officer: Charles DallAcqua

In our cover story, we examine the decades-inChief Operating Officer: Tony Young development trend away from solo ownership of Chief Marketing Officer: Jason Skinner medical practices. While physician-owned practices are Chief Technology Officer: Chris Rushing becoming less profitable and their numbers continue to decrease, some experts anticipate they’ll disappear Vice President, Operations B2B: Carrie Dierks .

ITED B altogether over the next five to 10 years. We explore I H In Memoriam: Robert J. Brennan, Founder Paul Darden PRO the factors driving the trend — from accountable care Y L T Publisher RICBarnett organizations (ACOs) to medical record and patient STAshley Richmond/Tri-Cities Account Manager: S I pdarden @ mdne w s . c o m NT management technology — and take a look at alternaMECreative Director: Eric Jackson U (757) 389-5473 C tive business models and strategies for success.

DO S I Designer: Travis Knight H In another feature, we look back at the mostFimpactful O T E S Creative Services: Aimee Burchard, Michael Ferguson, U.S. health care developments seen in U recent years and ZEDand lawmakers will I Lisa Hill, Maggie Neff, Kimmi Patterson, R contemplate the challenges leaders THO Michael Simmons, David Smith, Julie Van Valkenburg face in the nearUfuture.

NAU While the past few years have A I Production: Allison Fincher, Kelsey McAuliffe brought shifts in health care, including the pasED Mdramatic M O sage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Financial Services: April Charlton, Doug Condra, ST H CU and swift movement toward the adoption of electronic Lori Elliott T R O health records (EHRs), the coming year promises still UE N Audience Development: Mitzi Brock, Debbie Dodski R T 12 more transition. Over the next 12 months, decisions 0 2 © made regarding the implementation of EHRs, Affordable MD News is published by True North Custom Media Insurance Exchanges and ACOs — just to name a 735 Broad Street, Suite 708 Chattanooga, TN 37402 few — will affect every American’s health care future.

(423) 266-3234 | www.truenorthcustom.com As the landscape of the American health system rapAlthough every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy of idly changes, so, too, are the operations and technologies published materials, MD News cannot be held responsible that guide the practice of medicine. In this and all issues for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors. of MD News, we strive to provide content pertaining Copyright 2012, True North Custom Media. All rights to these and other matters that impact you most. Feel reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without free to contact me to learn how you can contribute to written permission is prohibited. the conversation.

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Paul Darden

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Advertise in MD News For more information on advertising in the MD News Richmond/Tri-Cities edition, call Publisher Paul Darden at (757) 389-5473 or email pdarden@mdnews.com.

Contact Information Send press releases and all other information related to this local edition of MD News to pdarden@mdnews.com or via fax to (757) 389-5477.

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 That’sNews

New Medication Promising for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis A new class of drugs that reduce

this class of medication would aim to pre-

drugs have already been put through the

inflammation in the brain could eventually

vent the formation of beta amyloid plaques

first phase 1 clinical trial stage.

become a treatment option for chronic

in the brain, which are thought to lead to

conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease,

Alzheimer’s disease. The drugs suppress

Feinberg School and the University of

Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis,

brain inflammation and keep the brain

Kentucky, mice that were given MW151

and speed healing for patients with

from overproducing cytokine molecules.

experienced a delay in the progression of

traumatic brain injuries.

Currently known as MW151 and MW189, the

Alzheimer’s disease. n

In a study conducted by Northwestern’s

Under development at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine,

Y L N O W E I V E R

FDA

Approves HIV Home Test Kit In July 2012, the U.S. Food and

Drug Administration announced the

approval of the first over-the-counter

IA MED M virus (HIV). Developed by OraSureSTO U Technologies and presented THasCa R O EN screening optionUfor people who TR 2 1 otherwise would not be tested, the 0 2 © test kit for human immunodeficiency

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OraQuick In-Home HIV test allows people to test for both HIV type 1 and HIV type 2 in the comfort of their homes.

Using an oral swab, users take a

sample of skin cells from the inside of their mouths, then place it in a special vial containing a developing solution.

Within 20 to 40 minutes, they obtain results indicating the presence (or lack) of antibodies to HIV. Because the test can produce false positive results, the FDA strongly urges consumers to follow up with a health care provider. In addition, people who have had the virus for fewer than three months — or, in some cases, longer periods of time — may not exhibit the antibodies that would yield a positive result, making follow-up care paramount. n

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++++++++++++++++++ + +++ +Bariatrics  +++ ++++++++++++++++++

Rx TWO NEW MEDICATIONS APPROVED FOR WEIGHT LOSS

BY THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA) GIVE PHYSICIANS MORE OPTIONS FOR TREATING OBESE PATIENTS BUT REINFORCE THE NEED FOR ONGOING PATIENT EDUCATION AND A TEAM APPROACH FOR LONG-TERM SUCCESS.

Y L N O W E o VI E R BEsity is an epidemic in the United States, affect-

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SE ing more than one-third of the adult population.

DU E Z I R Two new drugs, Belviq (lorcaserin hydrochloride) THO U A and Qsymia (phentermine and topiramate), were N AU approved this past summer for chronic weight EDImanagement M M when used as adjuvant therapy toST aO regimen that includes U C H exercise and a reduced-calorie Measures of success T diet. The approvals marked the NORmedications in more than a decade.

E FDA’s first for anti-obesity Three randomized, placebo-controlled trials were used to U TR 12medications These 2 new will join phentermine, recommended evaluate Belviq’s effectiveness. Nearly 8,000 overweight and 0 © for short-term use, and orlistat — available over the counter as obese patients — some with and some without type 2 diabetes alli or in a prescription as Xenical — but they work differently.

— were treated for one to two years with a regimen including Belviq is a first-in-class medication that binds to serotonin exercise counseling and a reduced-calorie diet. receptor 5HT2C to help patients feel full after consuming Nearly half (47%) of patients without type 2 diabetes in the smaller portions of food. Qsymia, a combination of two already active group lost at least 5% of their body weight, compared with approved drugs — phentermine, an appetite suppressant, and about 23% of those taking a placebo. Treatment with Belviq for topiramate, an anti-seizure medication — targets brain pathways up to one year resulted in an average weight loss of 3% to 3.7% to curb overeating. of original body weight.

Belviq can disrupt memory and attention and should not definition of Effectiveness be used during pregnancy. Patients who have not lost at least According to Quang Nguyen, D.O., FACP, FACE, endocri5% of their body weight after 12 weeks of treatment should nologist at Carson Tahoe Physician Clinics in Carson City, NV, discontinue use. medication is deemed an effective weight loss agent by the FDA Qsymia was evaluated during two one-year, placebo-controlled, if, after one year of treatment, either: randomized trials open to obese and overweight individuals + The difference in mean weight loss for subjects using the active without significant weight-related conditions. Participants also folproduct compared with those using the placebo is at least 5%. lowed a reduced-calorie diet and participated in regular exercise.

In this group, weight loss at one year showed patients taking + The proportion of subjects who lose a minimum of 5% of the recommended and the highest dose had an average weight baseline body weight in an active product group is at least loss of 6.7% and 8.9%, respectively. More than half of patients 35% and is at least double the proportion in the placebo group.

(62% and 69%) in the active group lost at least 5% of body weight, compared with 20% of those taking a placebo. n

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Y L Oncology News: N O W E I V E BR

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LY RICT T S IS ENT Says Breast Groundbreaking New Research M U DOC S I H Reconstruction Surgery After Mastectomy OF T E S U May Be an Option ZED for Obese Women I R THO NAU U A r e a s t c a n c e r c a n be a EDIPR M A s u r g e on s c on d u c t e d a women may still be able to have breast M M O devastating diagnosis forSmany retrospective analysis of 639 DIEP reconstruction surger y and should U T C H women, and R the consult a plastic surgeon specializing T thought of f laps in 418 patients, concluding E NO beingRpermanently disfigured that, “Increasing body mass index in advanced breast reconstruction techU 12 T after a2mastectomy only compounds that predisposes patients to delayed wound niques like the DIEP flap.

0 © devastation. In the July issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: The Journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, physicians with San Antonio, TX-based PRMA Plastic Surgery take on the controversial topic of breast reconstruction in obese women and say their research indicates that DIEP (deep inferior epigastric perforator) flap breast reconstruction is safe in obese populations and, in fact, may be the recommended method of abdomen-based breast reconstruction in patients with a body mass index (BMI) of less than 40.

Historically, women with a high BMI were discouraged from having breast reconstruction because of the prospective risk of complications. A higher BMI was associated with poor outcomes in breast reconstruction using traditional techniques.

healing complications in both flap and donor-site locations, but given a similar flap complication profile and maintenance of abdominal stability, DIEP flaps are recommended in patients with increased body mass index.”

Surgeons with PRMA have conducted more than 4,000 of these reconstruction surgeries, and this research confirms that the DIEP flap method of reconstruction in obese populations should be considered an option.

“The DIEP flap, which is today’s gold standard in breast reconstruction, is one of the safer reconstructive procedures in patients with a BMI as high as 40,” says PRMA surgeon Minas Chrysopoulo, M.D. He adds that, while complications can occur with any surgery, obese

To learn more about the DIEP method and receive CME credit, please visit http://cme.dannemiller.com/mdnews/oct.

This continuing education activity offers an interview with Dr. Chrysopoulo about the journal article “Abdominal Wall Stability and Flap Complications after Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator Flap Breast Reconstruction: Does Body Mass Index Make a Difference?”

This continuing medical education activity is brought to you by Dannemiller.

For more than 28 years, Dannemiller has been an independent provider accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education and holds the highest level of accreditation. Dannemiller provides accredited education online, in printed publications and via live courses. Dannemiller is proud to present accredited education in partnership with MD News. n mdnews.com n md

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Cover Feature

2012:

Looking Back, Moving Forward

Y L N O W E I V E R HEALTH CARE IN AMERICA HAS CHARTED AN UNEVEN COURSE DURING THE LAST DECADE. AS 2013 LOOMS LARGE ON THE HORIZON, LEADERS AND LAWMAKERS ARE STRUGGLING TO BRING HEALTH CARE DELIVERY UP TO PAR.

M STO U C H ORT N E RU 12 T 0 2 ©

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BattLE oF Many wills has been pulling the U.S. health care system in every direction. With the arrival of the Obama administration in 2008 and the passing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) in 2010, the gears of the health care machine finally seemed to be moving. But an uncertain economy D. ITE continues to undermine progress, and voters have become increasingly jaded about HIBthe O R P likelihood of a permanent health care solution being reached.

TLY

IC STR S I T turning the Elusive corner MEN U C In a 5-to-4 ruling this past June, the U.S. DO Supreme Court voted to uphold the HIS to buy health insurance or pay a “penalty,” T individual mandate requiring Americans F E O Other mandates of the act will continue to be USPPACA. a central component ofDthe E IZ upheld, such as: HOR T U + People younger than 26 can still be covered by their parents’ health insurance plans.

UNA A I D ME +The government will continue to back Medicare.

+ Insurance companies can’t deny anyone coverage because of a pre-existing condition.

While these provisions are designed to ensure every U.S. citizen has health insurance, the jury is still out on their effectiveness.

As a case in point, 50 million Americans are without health insurance. Pundits from both sides offer differing explanations. Some say the PPACA is inherently flawed, while others argue the lack of results comes down to delays in the implementation of the PPACA. With political standoffs slowing progress, the light at the end of the health care reform tunnel still looks dim.

Ehrs and the Mystery of Meaningful use As 2012 winds down, one of the biggest question marks hanging over the heads of hospital CEOs involves the use of electronic health records (EHRs). Since the enactment of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act in 2009, health systems and practice groups have been vying for a piece of the $17.2 billion pie. Unfortunately, meaningful use stipulations seem to inherently favor large health systems with a lot of capital, as successful EHR implementation requires a hefty financial investment up front. In addition to purchasing an EHR product and hiring outside consultants to explain the complex meaningful use clauses, hospitals must also invest the time to train physicians and staff members. They also need to unify and consolidate any disparate electronic filing systems. Financial penalties for failing to achieve meaningful use will be doled out starting in 2014. Hospitals and physician groups that haven’t yet started the process are quickly running out of time.

THE NEW ERA OF MODERN MEDICINE whiLE hEaLth carE reform slowly comes to fruition, medical breakthroughs continue to advance at breakneck speeds. Here are a few highlights:

ROBOTIC SURGERY Since its debut in 1999, the da Vinci Surgical System has raised the bar for nearly every type of surgery. Recently, robotic technology has been applied to spinal surgery through use

Y L N O W E I V E R of the Mazor Renaissance guidance system,

which significantly reduces the incidence of permanent nerve damage.

Supplementary advances are also increas-

the Future of affordable coverage ing the noninvasiveness of robotic surgery.

Looking forward, 2013 is shaping up to be a big year for new ideas. One of the most Firefly, a fluorescent imaging dye, is now being promising of them involves the Affordable Insurance Exchange (AIE). The Center for . used to help robotic surgeons remove kidney ITED B I Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO), a subset of the Centers for H tumors with enhanced accuracy. Seen PRO through Medicare & Medicaid Services, has proposed the AIE as a way to promote a competitive Y L a fluoroscopic camera, the ICTdye helps surgeons private health insurance market. While specifics around AIEs are still forming, the STR S differentiate between healthy and cancerous I general objective is to create a one-stop shop where small businesses — including ENTit possible to spare more M tissue, making U OC physician practices — can compare insurance rates and enjoy the same purchasing Dhealthy S tissue and reduce surgical trauma.

I H T power as a large entity. As the CCIIO notes, the provision of the PPACA prohibiting F O E of LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY UShand discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions will forceDthe E Z I The push for minimally invasive surgery has R insurance companies holding out on competitive prices. According to the Congressional THO U led to the recent development of single-port A Budget Office, these state-based exchanges will reduce average premiums by as much UN laparoscopic surgery (SPlS). SPlS utilizes one DIA as 10%. AIEs are due to be up and runningM byE2014.

M system may depend largely on executive incision in the abdomen to access the procedural The future of the country’s health care STO U C area, thus minimizing scarring and postsurgical H branch activity in the coming ORT year. Over the next 12 months, the major questions N pain. The single-port approach has been utilized E facing the Department TRU of Health and Human Services and the health care community 2 1 for a wide range of procedures, among them at large2will © 0 be: bariatric surgery, appendectomy, colectomy, + How will EHR implementation affect smaller entities? hysterectomy and hernia repair.

+ Will initiatives such as AIEs be able to tackle the challenge of affordable health care coverage?

TRANSCATHETER AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT

+ Will accountable care organizations be able to overturn the broken health maintenance organization system?

in the United States. As the nation’s elderly

+ Will wide-scale initiatives to incentivize preventive care work?

Heart disease remains the No. 1 cause of death population continues to grow, the need for minimally invasive cardiac device implantation is ever-present. Some of the first successful attempts at transcatheter aortic valve replace-

W hat are your answers to these questions? Join the conversation at www.mdnews.com. n

ment (TAVR), a minimally invasive procedure to implant a new device called a transcatheter heart valve, were seen in 2012. TAVR allows surgeons to implant the valve without having to cut through the chest wall or perform a cardiopulmonary bypass.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + +++ +Medical Equipment and Supplies  +++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Top recent NLY O innovations in W E I Life Sciences V E R SE DU E Z I R THO U A UN

IA MED M O UST C

By Vito Di Bari H T NOR E U TR 12thE or past four years, The Scientist: Magazine of the Life © 20

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Sciences has published a list of the Top 10 Innovations in the life sciences field that will have a major impact on our lives in the future. Read on for my brief summary of and thoughts on the list of 2011’s top innovations, as chosen by the magazine’s panel of judges from more than 65 entries.

The name’s self-explanatory, but it’s not just a shrunken version of the microscopes high school students use in biology class. This holographic instrument, developed by an electrical engineer at the University of California, Los Angeles, can be attached to a cellphone’s camera.

The images can then be transmitted and re-created using an algorithm on a distant computer. The microscope, called LUCAS for “Lensless, Ultra-wide-field Cell monitoring Array platform based on Shadow imaging,” weighs less than 50 grams. Since cellphone networks exist throughout the world, LUCAS can be carried into remote villages in the developing world, where it can help identify diseases in people with no access to hospitals.

MicroscopE on thE MovE:

in vivo opticaL iMaging: In vivo is Latin for “in the living,” and Bioscan’s BioFLECT device will, for the first time, give

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researchers a 360-degree look inside lab animals. The device reconstructs light emissions and provides an accurate optical look inside living tissue.

PCR is the short form of “polymerase chain reaction,” the process used to develop enough DNA to be adequately tested. Among other things, the process is used in detecting disease-causing pathogens in humans. The FilmArray system, developed by Idaho Technology Inc., makes the pathogen identification process so simple that virtually anyone can do it. Insert DNA from a nasal swab, for instance, in the FilmArray pouch, then insert the pouch into the machine.

Before you know it, pathogens are identified at half the price of traditional methods.

pcr siMpLiFiEd:

ZEroing in: Cytometry refers to the measurement of the physical

characteristics of cells, and a mass spectrometer is a device that measures the masses of atoms and molecules. DVS Sciences has now developed CyTOF, a mass spectrometer that can zero in on molecules within and on the surface of cells. The exciting development will facilitate research that could lead to creation of “boutique” drugs to treat rare diseases.

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Mighty MicroscopE: Optical microscopes have been around so the numbers can be analyzed. Developed by the Lighting D. ITE for more than four centuries, but the N-SIM Super Resolution Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the device HIB O R P Microscope marks an evolutionary leap in their development. is giving researchers insight into the physiological TLY impacts of C I R The instrument, developed by Nikon, incorporates a technique light and how it affects circadian rhythm.

This could prove to S ST I T N first developed more than a decade ago. It uses light from differbe very important in treating diseases.

E CUM ent angles and a computer algorithm that produces images with O D THIS prEp: Preparing research samples for mass double the resolution available from standard microscopes. If singLE-stEpFsaMpLE O SE can take several days, but with Protea Biosciences’ you are an amateur biologist, however, you might think twice spectrometry DU E Z I about buying one. Cost of the complete system is $600,000.HOR LAESI (Laser Ablation Electrospray Ionization) system, the time UT frame can be cut to a matter of hours. Basically, a laser creates UNA A I D dna sEquEncing systEM: RainDance Technologies’ nexta mini explosion that vaporizes any samples containing water.

ME M O generation ThunderStorm SystemSpushes DNA sequencing to The machine then converts the gaseous particles into a form U T C H the next level. DNA informs cells what proteins to produce, that can be analyzed by a mass spectrometer. The efficiency of ORT N E and these proteins dictate their function.

DNA sequencing the device should free up a lot of time and substantially improve U TR 12 up has opened enormous possibilities for targeted therapies researchers’ efficiency.

0 2 © to treat illnesses. The system is fully automated and has enormous processing capabilities, making it ideal for large-scale supEr-rEsoLution Microscopy: Overlapping light waves scientific studies. limit standard fluorescent microscopes, preventing them from resolving objects less than 200 nanometers (billionths of a Mri MiniaturiZEd: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) meter) apart. Leica’s SR GSD Microscopy System solves this machines have always been big and hugely expensive — until problem by illuminating and photographing just a few molecules now. Aspect Imaging has developed a portable, mini MRI that at a time, but doing so thousands of times until a complete image can fit on a tabletop. The $500,000 price tag for the M2 Compact is assembled. The Hubble Space Telescope has enabled us to MRI System doesn’t make it cheap, but the cost is a fraction of peer farther and farther into space. Advances in microscopy that for a full-size MRI system. The device is ideal for research are enabling us to look deeper and deeper into the microcosm. centers working with lab animals. The machine doesn’t require shielding, so researchers don’t have to worry about it erasing The Scientist’s list of Top 10 Innovations isn’t science fiction — information on their credit cards. it’s science fact. Technology is expanding exponentially, and it’s enabling us to expand our knowledge of the life sciences at the shEdding Light on circadian rhythMs: You can wear same pace. This bodes well for a better future. it as a pendant, attach it to your shirt or wear it like a tiny timepiece — although it won’t carry quite the cachet of a Cartier.

Vito Di Bari is an acclaimed futurist, author and authority on Function, not form, is what’s important with the Dimesimeter. innovation. He was chosen to be the Innovation Designer for the The instrument, about the size of a U.S. dime, is designed upcoming 2015 Universal EXPO to be held in Milan. He is recognized to measure the wearer’s activity and exposure to light. The worldwide for his numerous innovative theories and multitude of information collected is transferred wirelessly to a computer published works. n

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+++++++++++++++++++++++++ + +++ +Hospital Rounds  +++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++

Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital Announces Partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities

McDonald House Charities of Richmond will teers for Bon Secours’ efforts to provide

John Randolph Medical Center Recognized as a Top Performer by the Joint Commission

Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital and Ronald

comfort and care to families of St. Mary’s

John Randolph Medical Center has been

McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of

pediatric patients.

selected as a Top Performer on Key Quality

provide expertise and additional volun-

Richmond are teaming up to bring world-

Measures for 2011 by The Joint Commission

class comfort to the families of pediatric

— one of the nation’s leading accreditors of

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Richmond, which has supported families of

VCU Medical Center Chosen for National Program to Test House Calls

children receiving medical treatment away

VCU Medical Center has been selected as

The program recognizes hospitals that

from home for decades, has committed a gift

one of 19 sites nationwide to participate in

achieve excellence in accountability measure

of $75,000 to build two dedicated sleep-

the Independence at Home Demonstration

ing rooms and a respite lounge on the fifth

to test the advantages of house calls for

floor at St. Mary’s. The rooms will allow the

elderly patients too ill or disabled to visit

families of patients to take a moment away

their physicians.

patients at Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital.

Ronald McDonald House Charities of

to rest and recharge before returning to their children’s bedsides.

In addition, St. Mary’s is one step closer to breaking ground on a new guest house for patients’ families, thanks to a gift of $175,000 from the Ronald McDonald

M

O House Charities of Richmond. This gift STwill CU

H St. Mary’s establish a pediatrics wingR atTthe

IS O at VCU Medical Center, along USEhis team of D with E Z I R physicians, nurse practitioners, social workers THO U A and support staff, are operating the threeUN A I D year initiative, which began in September, ME in collaboration with the University of

ond consecutive year John Randolph Medical Center has received this designation.

.

TED

I performance and is based on data reported HIB

RO T C I R best treatments that are shown to S beTthe IS Eleven hospitals in T N for certain conditions.

E CUMreceived The Joint Commission’s DOVirginia P about evidence-based clinical LYprocesses

Top Performer designation; however, John

Randolph Medical Center was the only acute care hospital in the Richmond area selected

for achieving and sustaining excellence in accountability measures for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care.

“This recognition is a firm testament to our

O Guest House. Focusing UE Non the comfort of R T 12 families, the gift will allow young 2 patients’ © 0

Pennsylvania and MedStar Washington

St. Mary’s to create three sleeping rooms

Services approved the program, known

and a playroom.

as the Mid-Atlantic Consortium for the

Center. “Everyone on the patient care team at

Independence at Home Demonstration,

John Randolph Medical Center has contrib-

McDonald House Charities for these

based on a model tested and promoted

uted to this milestone, and I thank all of them

generous gifts,” says Toni R. Ardabell,

by VCU House Calls, a program that has

for striving to keep our standards high.”

CEO of Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital.

provided in-home primary care for more than

“It is invaluable not only to have financial

5,000 home-bound patients over the past

hospitals representing the top 18% of

support from Ronald McDonald House

25 years.

Joint Commission hospitals reporting core

“We are profoundly grateful to Ronald

Charities, but also their expertise in providing a home away from home for patient families.”

Hospital Center.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid

Similar programs are operated by the other two consortium partners.

commitment to quality and unwavering ef-

forts to provide top-notch patient care,” says Dia Nichols, CEO of John Randolph Medical

The Top Performers list includes 620

measure performance data for 2011. The Top Performers on Key Quality Measures

“By going to these patients, you make it

program supports and provides an incentive

much easier for them to have the care they

for organizations to continually improve. The

efforts of Bon Secours’ pediatric health care

need when they need it, both for chronic

program also provides an opportunity for

providers,” says Derek W.H. Kung, President

illnesses and newly developing problems,”

top-performing hospitals to celebrate their

of the Board of the Ronald McDonald House

Dr. Boling says. “This program can help keep

achievement of excellence in accountability

Charities of Richmond, VA, Inc. “We are

our patients from needlessly riding in ambu-

measure performance. n

proud to be teaming up with an organization

lances and going to emergency rooms when

and be part of a Richmond community that

their conditions can safely be managed at

feels so passionately about the health and

home, which could also keep patients out of

well-being of sick children and their families.”

harm’s way and save the Medicare program

“RMHC is honored to be part of the heroic

In addition to the financial gifts, Ronald

14

Peter Boling, M.D., professor of medicine

and Chair of the Division of Geriatric Medicine F TH

health care organizations. This marks the sec-

| Richmond/Tri-Cities md news

n mdnews.com

billions of dollars each year.”

A dv e r t i s e r s ’ i n d e x Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU.......... Back Cover Hospice of Virginia.................................... 5

5

Reasons Your Hospital Will Fail.

Y L N O W E I V E R

LY RICT T S Your marketing and strategy is uninformed or underinformed.

IS ENT The IBM Global Chief Marketing Officer Study found that 80% of CMOs plan M U to use customer analytics more extensively over the next three to five years.

DOC S I H FT SE O U D Your marketing is not targeted.

RIZE O H Top-performing companies are three times moreUlikely T to be leading NAInstitute for Business users of analytics, according to a report from the UIBM A I ED SMR).

Value and MIT Sloan Management Review M(MIT M O ST H CU T R You lackEcompetitive advantage.

NO Ureports R MIT SMR that 58% of organizations now apply analytics to T 12 create © 20a competitive advantage within their markets or industries, up from

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1

2

3

37% just one year ago.

4

You don’t understand your individual customers.

An IBM study found that 88 percent of business executives — and an astounding 95 percent of those heading the most successful organizations — feel that getting closer to their customers was the top priority for success.

5

You don’t measure decisions.

Nearly two-thirds of CMOs think return on marketing investment will be the primary measure of their effectiveness by 2015.

EMR...Meaningful Use…EHR…ICD-10…Accountable Care…HIPAA 5010…

HCAHPS…Telemedicine...RFID…Health Data Exchange…PACS… Cloud Computing…Virtualization…

The volume of healthcare data is exploding — and understanding the data you create is imperative. If you’re not leveraging analytics to inform and measure strategy, it’s a formula for failure.

Take the first step toward success. Visit irmhealth.com. © 2012 True North Custom Media | All rights reserved. True North Custom Media, True North Custom Media logo, IRM, Intelligent Relationship Marketing, IRM logo, and other trademarks, service marks, and designs are registered and unregistered trademarks of True North Custom Media and its subsidiaries in the United States and foreign countries.

Y L N O W E I V E R

IA MED M O UST C H T NOR E U R 12 T © 20

SE DU E Z I R THO U A UN

LY RICT T S IS ENT M U DOC S I H OF T

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ITED B I H PRO