F E AT U R E S 4 President’s Message Janet S. Holland, FACHE 5 Regent’s Message John Allen, FACHE 6 Member Spotlight 44 Membership Annoucements
12 Commitee Reports 20 2017 Awards 26 Event Encore
Editor-In-Chief
Joan Clark, DNP, FACHE Thomas Peck, FACHE
Contributing Writers Creative Direction
Raj Dhameja Naveena Reddy Phillip Breedlove Valerie Shoup, FACHE
Advertising/ Subscriptions
info@achentx.org
Caleb Wills, calebsemibold.com
Questions and Comments: ACHE of North Texas Editorial Office, c/o Executive Connection 300 Decker Drive, Suite 300 | Irving, TX 75062 p: 972.413.8144 e: info@achentx.org w: achentx.org 2017 Chapter Officers
2017 Board of Directors Jaquetta Clemons-Davis, FACHE Jennifer Conrad Director of Healthcare Business Development WHR Architects Michael Hicks, MD, FACHE EVP for Clinical Affairs University of North Texas Health Science Center Scott Hurst, FACHE Ben Isgur Director, Health Research Institute PricewaterhouseCoopers Kristin Jenkins, JD, FACHE President DFW Hospital Council Foundation
President
Janet Holland, FACHE Executive Vice President, Business Development, BroadJump, LLC
President Elect Past President
Kevin Stevenson, FACHE IntegraNet Health Executive Vice President
Martin Ostensen University of North Texas Health Science Center Faculty, Ex-Officio, Student Council
Dresdene Flynn – White, FACHE Managing Director Acquired Leadership Solutions
Jared Shelton, FACHE President Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Allen
Secretary
Jessica Fuhrman, FACHE VP, Business Development BroadJump, LLC
Amanda Thrash Senior Dir of Professional & Support Services TX Health Presbyterian Hospital
Treasurer
Dustin Anthamatten VP, Operations Methodist Charlton Medical Center
Regent
John Allen, FACHE Prog Dir Safe Transitions for the Elderly Patient Univ of North Texas Health Science Ctr
Executive Director
John Whittemore ACHE of North Texas
Nancy Vish, FACHE President Baylor Heart and Vascular Hospital Demetria Wilhite Academic Advisor and Program Director University of Texas at Arlington Faculty, Ex-Officio, Student Council
The ACHE of North Texas e-magazine, The Executive Connection, is published triannually and includes information on the latest regulatory and legislative developments, as well as the quality improvement and leadership trends that are shaping and influencing the healthcare industry. Readers get indepth reporting on the issues and challenges facing hospital and health system leaders today. We make it our job to tell you about the great things the organization and Chapter are doing every day to ensure the health of our community. If you have any news and updates that you want to share with other members, please e-mail your items to info@northtexas. ache.org. Microsoft Word or compatible format is preferable. If you have a graphic or picture that you'd like to include, please send it as a separate file. The following are the types of information that our members shared in past ACHE of North Texas magazines, Advocacy Issues, Legislative Issues, Educational Opportunities, Awards / Achievements, Promotions (Members On the Move), Committee Updates, journal submissions, conference submissions, and workshop participations, sharing mentoring experiences, etc.
President’s Message The Purpose That Connects Us The greatest heroes are those who do their duty in the daily grind of domestic affairs whilst the world whirls as a maddening dreidel. - Florence Nightingale, 1820-1910
M
ost of us who choose professional careers in healthcare realize at some point – whether from the outset or somewhere along the way – we are answering a calling, and we are connected by its purpose. We work together to achieve common goals – to advance quality of care, to improve health outcomes, and to ensure the cost effectiveness of the care we provide. We collaborate and innovate in earnest effort to move the needle, and become frustrated when we cannot move it fast enough. At some point, things magically start to fall in place, and we can quantify real progress; then we are thrown a curveball, or two! A new year ushered in a new President of the United States. With a change in administration in 2017, we entered a fresh cycle of regulatory and payment uncertainty, flecked with the occasional “surprise” we never seem to see coming. As we have done so many times before, we react, adapt, innovate and collaborate to ensure our continued survival. Mother Nature did not take a back seat. Earlier this year, we watched in dismay as our colleagues in Southeastern Texas, South Florida, Puerto Rico and beyond, struggled in the face of catastrophic weather events. Recovery efforts continue today, and for some of the least fortunate, things will never be the same. Here in North Texas, we didn’t watch for long before we started helping with the efforts to rebuild. First, we opened our hearts, then our wallets. The efforts
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didn’t stop there, however. Many of you joined material efforts to rebuild. You organized teams and rolled up your sleeves. You collected food, medicine and supplies. You traveled hundreds of miles to provide patient care, to sweep away debris, to listen, to reassure. While doing so, you probably realized that as hard as things may be in your own life, there are others whose needs are far greater than yours – at least in that moment. This brings us back to the purpose that connects us all. We commit to this profession because we find meaning in the work we do and satisfaction in the contributions we make. We know when we are thrown a curveball, we can gain strength and perspective from the experience. We know if we put people – our patients, our colleagues, our communities first – everything else eventually falls into place. The world may be spinning around us, but when we are focused on the well-being of one another, our center holds. It has been my honor and privilege to serve as your chapter president this year. Thank you to all who helped make this the successful year it was – all my faithful fellow board members, our devoted committee chairs and the countless dedicated committee members and other volunteers. Please join me in welcoming Kevin Stevenson as your president in 2018. I wish you all good health and prosperity in the new year and beyond. With gratitude, Janet S. Holland, FACHE Chapter President
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Regent’s Message Dear Colleagues, It is hard to believe that the holiday season is upon us again. This time of year is an opportunity to pause and spend quality time with family and friends-nothing is more important. It is also a time to personally re-charge and do some self-reflection in preparation for the future. As a reminder, check out your local chapter’s website for activity information: Texas Midwest Healthcare Executives East Texas ACHE Forum ACHE of th Texas
As Regent, one of my responsibilities is to work with the chapters to realize collaboration opportunities. There are two such multi-chapter collaborations in the coming months. First, in May or June 2018, the East Texas and North Texas chapters will be spearheading another educational event. This will be the third year in a row for this collaboration and it has been a resounding success each year, with more than 70 attendees each year. The second event will occur during the late summer of 2018 and will include the chapters in Midwest Texas, Oklahoma, North Texas, and East Texas. These events provide opportunities for members to earn a large number of face to face credits in one sitting. Be on the lookout for more information for both events. On 11/3/18, Midwest Texas Chapter President Brian Bessent, FACHE, exercised collaboration by holding a face to face education event in Wichita Falls. Thanks to Brian and his chapter team, ACHE members in this region had better access to earn ACHE face to face credits. For the second year in a row, the ACHE North Texas Chapter will be hosting the “New Horizons” event on February 8. New Horizons is an event that focuses on health administration
students. This year’s event will be featuring mock interview and resume workshops in a “speed dating” format and a leadership panel discussion. The ACHE North Texas Chapter is excited about this event and will be sending event details before the end of the year. In my last message, I talked about the importance of continuously growing your leadership skills. In this message, I want emphasize the value of maintaining your professional knowledge and technical skills in a profession where technology and policy are constantly changing. In many cases, healthcare technology and policy are tightly interwoven. Take MACRA for example. MACRA is a complex government policy that requires practices to electronically report and meet the thresholds of quality and administrative measures; hence, you have an inseparable marriage of policy and technology. Additionally, MACRA itself has undergone many changes in the last two years that have led to its current structure. The point here is simple: it does not take long to get left behind. I encourage you to find ways to continuously learn and become a lifelong learner. It positively impacts performance and fosters credibility. I had a mentor who once told me to read something professional daily, regardless of how busy I might be. This is sage advice I still adhere to today. I wish you the very best. Please feel free to contact me at any time. John G. Allen, FACHE Regent for Texas - Northern Program Director, Safe Transitions for the Elderly Patient University of North Texas Health Science Center Jgallentexas@gmail.com
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Member Spotlight Marty Heath, FACHE
Marty Heath has been a member of ACHE since the mid-1990’s. While in graduate school, Marty launched a student chapter of ACHE at Our Lady of the Lake University’s Dallas campus. In July 2013, he became an ACHE Fellow. Heath’s area of specialty is marketing. He recently left his role as Brand Director for EmCare to pursue placement with hospitals, physician groups, non-profit organizations, technology companies, pharmaceutical companies, device manufacturers or revenue cycle companies. When asked what is the most important issue facing Healthcare today, Heath says, “It is imperative that healthcare leaders develop ways to ascertain more affordable healthcare options. At nearly 18% of the country’s GDP, healthcare is a major driver of the economy, but the cost is growing at an unsustainable pace. The healthcare industry is approaching levels where people will not be able to pay for care that they need. Healthcare is different from other consumer necessities in that the relief of suffering is a moral pillar of civilization.“
Heath says that becoming a member of ACHE is important because membership offers the basis for standards of professionalism in the healthcare field. “Between the emphasis on lifelong learning, the opportunities for networking with others in the profession and a clearly defined code of ethics, ACHE is the backbone for a career in healthcare. ACHE helps its members rise above the mechanics of merely managing to become inspiring leaders,” Heath says. “For early careerists, joining ACHE should be one of their priorities.” When Heath advanced to Diplomate and later to Fellow, he found that senior leaders in the organization started taking him more seriously. “Board certification is recognized and respected,” he explains. A little known fact about Heath is that when he was 9 years of age, he won second place in the Illinois State Fair accordion competition. He played “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean”. Lucky for him, he laughed, “there were only 3 contestants!”
Member Spotlight Daffodil Baez, MPH, MBA
Daffodil Baez, MPH, MBA, is a clinical practice manager overseeing two surgery clinics at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. When asked about the most important issue facing healthcare today, she says, “ Given the turbulence in the current healthcare climate, including changing legislation, and the increasing load of morbidity, the challenge for healthcare providers is the ability to quickly respond to changes in the external environment while maintaining quality care and fiscal sustainability.” As member of ACHE for seven years, Baez says membership is important because it provides a venue to collaborate with like-minded individuals. “ACHE provides an opportunity for continuous learning and offers exposure to areas in healthcare the member may not otherwise experience. This exposure is essential to keeping up with the evolution of healthcare,” she says. Outside of her day job, Baez is involved with community work related to education and health. She is a board member of a Native American school located on a reservation, speaks at community education events on how to implement a healthy lifestyle, and is launching a company that provides practical,
natural solutions for everyday healthcare needs. She is interested in exploring all aspects of healthcare including those outside of mainstream medicine. She is also deeply interested in the Fort Worth Blue Zones Project, a comprehensive way to live a healthy life.
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Member Spotlight Hui Tian, Research Scientist UT Southwestern Medical Center Hui Tian has been a member of ACHE for three years. She says ACHE provides a great platform for education and for networking. As an early careerist, she benefitted by being able to access a network of industry leaders. Additionally, she is pleased that ACHE has a depth of advancement resources. “ACHE is a way of getting involved in the conversations of current healthcare issues and learning from the experts,” says Tian. “There is no doubt that being a member of ACHE has been a very rewarding experience for me, and I will continue to learn and build strong relationships within the organization.” Tian is working as a Research Scientist at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, investigating potential therapeutic targets in lung cancers. As a recent graduate from UT Dallas with a Masters
in Healthcare Management, she is interested in pursuing a career in healthcare administration, possibly in operations, project management and clinical research. Tian says the most important issue facing healthcare today is the high cost of care. Regarding advice she has for early careerists or those considering membership in ACHE, she says, “ACHE is a great organization for all the professionals in the healthcare industry with a broad variety of online and faceto-face education, networking, and training opportunities. It is especially beneficial for the early careerists to join ACHE because of the great tools and exclusive resources of career development and the mentorship programs. I would highly recommend all the early careerists to become a member to have the opportunities to learn and grow professionally.”
Member Spotlight Ed Bittner, FACHE
Why is being a member important to you? I enjoy the educational aspects of ACHE as well as the friendships developed. The organization provides an opportunity to learn and to share with others with similar interests. As a “non-provider” I can learn from a provider’s perspective and create more effective solutions.
What are you doing now? I am the Client Solutions Director at Real Estate Strategies (RES). RES developed a model that helps providers pinpoint locations for services. Using Big Data the predictive analytics model is a game changer for growing providers. In your opinion, what is the most important issue facing Healthcare today? Access and affordability How long have you been a member of ACHE? I have been an ACHE member for eight years and a Fellow for three years. I have been a volunteer for most of my tenure and a member of the Communications Committee. Often, you will see me photographing the ACHE events. This volunteer role is essential for the newsletter publication.
What advice would you give early careerists or those considering membership? Join and participate as much as possible! Tell us one thing that people don’t know about you. I was born and raised in Green Bay, WI, and remain a Packer Backer.
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Diversity and Inclusion (D & I) Committee Year End Update: Committee Co-Chairs: Crispin Hocate, Kris Sanders The D&I Committee worked on three major goals in 2017 - Recruit new committee members; increase diversity and inclusion on other ACHENTX committees, and identify 2018 long range goals. These were all largely accomplished by the committee throughout 2017 through establishing a sustainable foundation for future work of the committee. For 2018, planning is underway for a diversity event to help raise diversity awareness. Increasing diversity of young careerist internships is also planned as well as encouraging more diverse participation in committee participation. An important note is that the group’s focus is not just on ethnic diversity. Emphasized are gender diversity, generational diversity and healthcare diversity (hospital, corporate, consulting, vendor). Opportunities are widely available for all these populations on committees and members are encouraged to volunteer to help their chapter meet the needs of populations seeking healthcare in north Texas through its committee work. Thanks to John Whittemore for his support of the work of this committee.
Advancement Committee Year End Update Committee Co-Chairs: Mike Vinson, FACHE, Nick Kagal, FACHE In 2017, the committee hosted one face to face Spring Advancement Education session with Paula Zalucki (faculty) as a pilot. This represented a move from the traditional web-based seminar series. The idea was to promote the reimbursement process for ACHENTX members who attend an offered session and then take and pass the BOG exam within six months. Looking forward to 2018 the committee hopes to provide two education sessions and well as develop better capability to track advancement from Associate to Fellow and align more with the Communications Committee to provide newsletter and other media updates on the value of ACHE Fellowship. If you are interested in joining this committee, please sign up on the ACHENTX website.
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Mentorship Committee Year End Update Committee Co-Chairs: Dani-Bree Bialke, FACHE, Cardell Velez The mentorship committee goals for 2017 included achieving 30 matches and year to date matches are at 22. In addition, goals achieved included improving upon orientation by adding suggested activities and leadership assessments which included a networking event for mentors and mentees at the Ranch at Las Colinas, building participation in volunteer events such as the Dallas DME event in May 2017, and holding a webinar that introduced the Career Edge program to the general membership. This program is a tool for mentor/mentee matches within the mentorship program and the educational webinar was attended by over 30 chapter members. Another accomplishment involved including the Life Fellows, with the Mentorship Committee co-chairs Dani-Bree Bialek and Cardell Velez at a Life Member breakfast event and adding 3 Life Fellows as Mentors to the program this year. The committee also continued to build relationships with closing ceremony program sponsor, the Baylor Executive MBA program, securing sponsorship for this year and an ongoing commitment from the outgoing and the new program chair. The committee will continue to meet through the end of 2017 to create the 2018 plan and dates, and begin advertising for the program year to build greater participation in the program and allow for a smoother start to the new year. Kudos to the committee for its great work, especially Derrick Villa who did an amazing job leading the Career Edge team and getting this completely new program off the ground, Amy Walz who served as a team lead and team member for several events and projects this year, and Claire Cobb who increased volunteer and networking participation to new heights. Interested in joining the committee in 2018? You may become part of the committee and work on an event or specific task or become a mentor or mentee. Contact Cardell Velez for more information.
Membership & Networking Commitee Committee Chair & Vice Chairs: Julio Perez, Jennifer “J” Alexander, Ashley Sadlo M&N Committee goals for 2017 included the facilitation of four “Breakfasts with the CEO” events, four “After Hours Networking” Events, one “Cocktail with the Chief”, one Community Event, one Women’s Breakfast, two “New Member Orientations” (Networking Blitz), and the General Membership Dinner as well as supporting Quarterly Education Event offerings with volunteers. Overall, the goal of the M&N Committee was to provide meaningful and valuable networking events and opportunities for ACHENTX members to engage with the other members and the ACHENTX chapter. In terms of accomplishments, the M&N coordinated a new event, the “New Horizons Education & Networking” Event, two “New Member Orientation Networking Blitz’s”, “Dallas Cocktails with the Chiefs” with over 100 attendees and expanding this event that was offered in the fall with a second “Cocktail with the Chiefs” event in Fort Worth. One additional major accomplishment of the M&N Committee was promoting member engagement in committee events. In 2017, more members were
involved in the M&N Committee in a more consistent way than previously experienced by the committee. This is due in part by regular faceto-face committee meetings with a call-in option. The committee also successfully initiated the new annual “Heart of Healthcare Award.” This award recognizes an organization that is benevolently committed to serving the DFW area for the greater good of others for which their service embodies the purpose and heart of healthcare. Major highlights for the M&N Committee included financial support of academic partners and healthcare firms as “hosts” to underwrite the costs of certain events allowing for previously budget neutral events to generate a profit, development of the Heart of Healthcare Award to be presented at the General Membership Dinner in November, and a December networking event with proceeds to benefit the Texas Hospital Association’s Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund. An active year is planned for the NTACHE with plenty of opportunities for networking and education. Check out the calendar of events for upcoming opportunities.
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Education Committee Year End Update Committee Co-Chair: Jason Durrett, Shane Jones Secretary: Teresa Huskey, FACHE The Education Committee set some aggressive goals for 2017 and the results have been outstanding. ACHENTX hosted four face-to-face educational events, one per quarter and several other events, including some jointly sponsored with other ACHE chapters. Topics included: • Q1 Event: The Future of Healthcare Financing (MACRA), Mindful Leadership: Leading with Heart and Mind for Healthcare Leaders. • Q2 Event: Emergency Department Service Standards: A Best Practice Approach (Free Standing ERs), Ensuring Your Community’s Emergency Preparedness • Joint event with East Texas ACHE Forum: Collaboration: Sustaining a Financially Vibrant Healthcare Organization, Leading a Successful Multigenerational Organization, Interdependence of Public, Private and Federal Healthcare Delivery, Green Hospitals and Healthcare • Local Program Council Event: The Future of Healthcare Financing • University of Alabama at Birmingham Symposium: The Future of Healthcare Financing (What will it look like tomorrow) • Q3 Event:) Leading Information Safety: Planning for Data Privacy and Security, New Governmental Focuses on Fraud and Abuse Enforcement • Q4 Event: The Healthcare Organization’s Role in Formulating Public Policy, Ethical Challenges in Healthcare Leadership Attendance averaged 70 attendees per event with an overall rating of 4.54 (91%). The committee is planning to increase those numbers in next year’s events.
The highlights of the education committee’s accomplishment in 2017 included: • A high number of attendees who consistently attended and participated in the educational events • The high-quality speakers who participated on the education panels and moderated the event. They were volunteering their time to advance the knowledge base of the other professionals in the room. • The amount of thought, time, and effort to organize events according to the ACHE requirements and consumer expectations. Education Committee plans for 2018 include: • Q1 Event: March 22, 2018: Panel 1—Equity of Care; Panel 2: Diversity in Healthcare Management: Value-Added Business Sense • Q2 Event: April 26, 2018: Panel 1 – Financial Implication: The Push from Inpatient to Outpatient Care; Panel 2: Managing Your Clinical Supply Chain • Local Program Council Event: June 21, 2018: It’s All About Vision: The Role Vision Plays in Your Strategic Planning Process • Joint Event with East Texas ACHE Forum: May 18, 2018: Multiple Panels featuring Multiple Chapters; Panel 1: -- Care Coordination: Acute Hospital Becoming a Preferred Provider in a Narrow Network; Panel 2: Improving the Bottom Line by Optimizing Patient Throughput In A Narrow Network; • Q3 Event: Care Coordination: Acute Hospital Becoming a Preferred Provider in a Narrow Network; Improving the Bottom Line by Optimizing Patient Throughput • Q4 Event: October 25, 2018 Submission: Panel 1: It’s all about vision: The role vision plays in your strategic planning process ; Disruptive Innovation in Healthcare Delivery The Committee welcomes volunteers, especially those who can recommend local experts and speakers and those who know of possible meeting sites. Although there are many individuals on the education committee the committee chair would like to single out Maria Murray as one who exemplifies what it means to be a true volunteer leader. Bottom line, Maria always gets it done, and gets it done quickly, efficiently, and correctly, always having a great attitude and smile on her face.
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Sponsorship Committee Year End Update Committee Co-Chairs: Adam Panter, April Audain, FACHE Over the past year, the Sponsorship Committee worked to diversify sponsorships as well as to engage ACHENTX sponsors through a Liaison program. The committee also revised the benefits for sponsors more in line with their expectations and goals. This included creating a rolling timeclock based on when the sponsor signed up, versus a calendar year renewal process. The committee also streamlined the invoicing process. In 2018, the committee would like to increase membership, increase the number and diversity of sponsors, with a goal to raise $100,000 in sponsorship revenue. To better understand each committee’s needs for sponsorship, better collaboration with other committee chairs is also a committee goal. ACHENTX members can help this committee by providing new leads for sponsors, especially those that align with the chapter’s values. If interested in becoming part of this committee in 2018, please sign up through the chapter website.
Student Council Year End Update Committee Co-Chairs: Martin Ostensen, Demetria Wilhite, John Allen, FACHE The Student Council’s focus in 2017 was providing the ACHE Case Competition associated with the AGM (John – not sure what this stands for). The council has recruited four teams and judges for the competition to take place at the Program Directors on December 4, 2017 at the University of Texas Arlington. For 2018, the council is planning a New Horizons event that will be held on February 8, 2018 and will include mock HR interviews and resume reviews. Registration will be limited to 25 participants and will also include roundtable discussions and a professional photographer. The Student Council plans to engage more student members as well in 2018, especially in participation in new programs.
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Congratulations David Helfer, FACHE 2017 ACHENTX Mentor of the Year
Congratulations Jennifer “J” Alexander 2017 ACHENTX Volunteer of the Year
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Congratulations Jared Shelton, FACHE 2017 ACHENTX Early Careerist of the Year
Congratulations Agape Clinic 2017 ACHENTX Heart Healthcare of the Year
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Congratulations University of North Texas Health & Science Center: Crystal Bui, Liana Cherian Monica Kovuri, Laci Sherman Ela Vashishtha 2017 ACHENTX Student Case Study Competition
Congratulations Dani-Bree Bialek, FACHE Tom Peck, FACHE Kevin Stevenson, FACHE Jessica Daw Fuhrman, FACHE Dr. Mike Hicks, FACHE 2017 ACHE National Awards Recipients
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EVENT ENCORE On Location Event: The Future of Healthcare Financing July 20, 2017 We had a great turn out for this event, another sold out/waitlisted ACHENTX program! In 2015, healthcare spending in the United States increased 5.8% to reach $3.2 Trillion, about $9,990 per capita. As concern with the cost of healthcare continues to grow, ACHE North Texas brought together a panel of local healthcare executives to discuss the topic, The Future of Healthcare Spending. The panel consisted of Paul Aslin from Wise Health System, Tim Ruse from Abio Enterprises, Tammy Walsh Director of Physician Services for BKD LLP, and Blake Allison from Baylor Scott and White. Scott Grandjean of Lakeside Healthcare Strategies was the moderator. Questions evolved around strategies to enhance healthcare delivery to reduce costs. One strategy discussed was pay for performance. The panel discussed opportunities for shared savings between providers and payors to encourage providers to reduce cost of care. Patient education including encouraging patients to call before going to the emergency room was found effective in one system to reduce cost. Another provider focused on addressing patients who might be emerging risks and presented various practices that might prevent patients from becoming high risk thus preventing higher cost of care. ACHE would like to thank the Texas Health Neighborhood Care and Wellness Prosper Facility for graciously hosting the event.
EVENT ENCORE
Breakfast with the CEOs August 2, 2017 Texas Scottish Rite Hospital hosted a special “Breakfast with the CEO’s” panel discussion on August 2, 2017. A panel of executives from four North Texas children’s hospitals addressed current issues of concern to children’s hospitals in Texas and nationwide. More than 100 guests attended the sold-out breakfast. The panel was moderated by Stacy Wilson, JD, President of the Children’s Hospital Association of Texas. The panel included: • David Berry, MS, FACHE, President, System Clinical Operations, Children’s Health System of Texas • Robert L. “Bob” Walker, MHA, FACHE, President and CEO, Scottish Rite Hospital • Bill Lee, MBA, MHA, CEO, Medical City Children’s Hospital • Dr. Jim Cunningham, Executive Vice President/Chief Medical Officer, Cook Children’s Health Care System The panel answered questions from the audience as well as those presented by the moderator. They discussed several topics including transitioning to valuebased purchasing, navigating times of economic and legislative uncertainty, and competition between adult and children’s hospitals. The North Texas chapter of ACHE wishes to thank Texas Scottish Rite Hospital and its President and CEO, Bob Walker, for graciously hosting this event and for providing the delicious breakfast. For more information on future events, please visit us our website or send us an email.
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EVENT ENCORE
After Hours Networking Event at Bowlounge August 8, 2017
Moving a profession forward Building leaders. Fostering professionalism. Providing education. That’s what the North Texas Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives is all about. PwC is proud to support its mission and the work of ACHE of North Texas. www.pwc.com/healthcare
© 2017 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership.
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EVENT ENCORE
Third Quarter Education Event August 24, 2017 How to prevent fraud and abuse in this digital age and ensure health information safety was the topic of third quarter education event cohosted by The American College of Healthcare Executives North Texas chapter (ACHENTX) and the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS). The event was held on August 24, 2017 at Methodist Dallas Medical Center. More than 88 attendees updated their knowledge on health information systems safety and had the opportunity to network with colleagues and other health professionals. This event included two panel discussions, one focused on Fraud & Abuse, the other on Leading Information Safety.
• how do you know what you don’t know • how do you disseminate legislative updates/changes to your team and ensure compliance • areas of most frequent frauds and abuse in healthcare systems • how to address and prevent overuse of or inappropriate diagnostic procedures.
Panel 1- Fraud and Abuse was moderated by Pamela Stoyanoff, executive vice president & COO at Methodist Health System. The panelists included Erma Lee, director of Compliance and Privacy Officer, JPS Health Network, Sean McKenna, shareholder, Greenberg Traurig, LLP, and Martin Ostensen, University of North Texas Health and Science Center. The discussion covered various topics such as:
Panel 2 - Leading information Safety was moderated by Nick Kagal, senior regional director, Premier Inc. The panelists include Rick Frie, manager of Information Security, JPS Health Network, Will Long, VP & CISO, Children’s Health, and Ron Mehring, vice president, Technology & Security. The discussion started with how to strategize for long-term information security and through several questions from the moderator and audience, topics
The panelists were well versed on these topics and shared their expertise with the group. They agreed that billing and coding has been the area of highest risk for fraud and abuse. The discussion ended with sharing some real-life best practice examples.
such as cost, regulatory requirements, impact of organizational culture, and ways to achieve competitive edge in health information safety were discussed. The panelists stressed that the information systems security should be evaluated on a continuous basis in the areas of people and process. It should be compared against the benchmark and past performance and make necessary adjustments to achieve competitive edge. The panelists also stated that collaboration with other organizations is essential to stay abreast of regulatory changes, tackle technical issues, etc. The committee members of ACHENTX and HIMSS appreciate Methodist Dallas Medical Center for hosting the event. For more information on future events, please visit us our website or send us an email.
EVENT ENCORE
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EVENT ENCORE
Cocktails with the Chiefs September 14, 2017
EVENT ENCORE
New Member Network Blitz September 28, 2017
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EVENT ENCORE
Annual Women’s Breakfast October 3, 2017 If you’re committed to enhancing the patient experience and building loyalty, start from the inside out! “Patients Come Second”, a book that shakes up the traditional model of healthcare delivery, was the theme of discussion at The American College of Healthcare Executives North Texas chapter’s (ACHENTX) Annual Women’s Breakfast Event at La Cima club. The discussion was moderated by Kristen Jenkins JD, MBA,FACHE, President of Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council Foundation and Senior Vice President of Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council. The panelists include Kate Conklin BS, BA, CPMSM, CPCS, CPHQ, Chief Compliance Officer at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Luann Culbreth, M.Ed., MBA, Director of Clinical Operations at HealthTrust, Susan Hernandez, MBA, BSN, RN, Health System Chief Nurse Executive at UT Southwestern Medical Center, and Marcia L. Schneider, MBA, Vice President at Baylor Scott & White HealthTexas Provider Network. These experienced healthcare executives
voiced their perspective on some of the principles discussed in the book along with how these principles were applied at their organization. Overall 118 members registered for the event. The attendees included committee members, all levels of careerists, and healthcare management students/interns. Some institutions were represented more heavily than others including UT Southwestern Medical Center, Broadjump LLC and Texas Health Resources. The principles from the book that were discussed include maintaining diversity while going through mergers and acquisitions, changing the perception of compliance from “culture killer” to “culture of safety”, fostering fun at work place, and promoting lifelong learning. The strategies discussed to ensure diversity include building teams with individuals whose core strengths complement each other, setting realistic goals, mission and values that promote
diversity, and facilitate opportunities to attract diverse individuals. The panelists reported practicing lifelong learning through regular reading on the topics of interest, attending professional seminars, pursuing certifications and other higher learning through universities, and by participating in mentorship programs. Everyone agreed that lifelong learning should be promoted at workplace at all levels. The attendees commented that the moderator and panelists were engaging and enlightening. The committee members of ACHENTX deeply appreciate La Cima club for their gracious hosting and delicious breakfast. Our appreciation also goes out to the attendees for making this event a great success. For more information on future events, please visit us our website or send us an email.
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Mentorship Program Closing Ceremony October 19, 2017
Happy Holidays from
ACHENTX
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Fourth Quarter Education Event October 26, 2017 More than 100 ACHENTX members and guests participated in the chapter’s fourth quarter face-to-face educational event on Oct. 26 at the T. Boone Pickens Hospice and Palliative Care Center in Dallas. The event featured two panels. Panel 1 addressed the topic “The Healthcare Organization’s Role in Formulating Public Policy.” Panel 2’s focus was on “Ethical Challenges in Healthcare Leadership.” Steve Love, President/CEO of the DFW Hospital Council, moderated the first panel. Panelists included: Josh Floren, FACHE, president, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano; Doug Lawson, FACHE, president/CEO, Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas; and, David Tesmer, senior vice president, Community Engagement & Advocacy, Texas Health Resources. Love asked each panelist to address how he defined his role in terms of formulating public policy. Floren: As president of a community hospital in Plano, we talk a lot about the Collin County market and the importance of our role in the market. I site on the Texas Hospital Association Council on Policy Development so I spend a lot
of time synthesizing information from many sources. It is important that I know and understand the potential impact of legislation on our physicians, employees, families, and the hospital itself. I have worked hard to develop meaningful relationships with our two legislators. My job is to help them understand the operational issues that potential legislation poses to the hospital. I bring data that shows the economic and operational impact of specific policies. I have been especially vocal about the serious impact legislation might have on patients. As a part of the community, I am also deeply concerned with and involved in the socioeconomic disparities in the county in the areas of transportation, food deserts, education and other factors. I have to be involved in all of these things in terms of public policy because they all make an enormous impact on my hospital. Tesmer: I do evidence-based advocacy for THR at the local, state and national level. My job is to make sure our leaders are able to tell the story to legislators about the impact of proposed legislation on our facilities, patients, other stakeholders and the system itself. There are no quiet times in Austin or in Washington, D.C., so you have to be engaged at all
times. You have to have relationships with elected officials so they can understand the impact of what they are doing. We spend a lot of time on the regulatory front, trying to get legislation to be as favorable to us as possible. Lawson: When I think about my role in public policy, I always come back to our core set of values, our true North, that guides our delivery of care. What we say and what we do is incredibly important in the area of public policy. Often, our hospitals are the largest employers in town, economic engines for their communities. People depend on us. We have to make sure we have a viable organization that is sustainable over time. As we work with our elected officials, we start with what we’re doing to engage our patients in their own health, to put forth a framework that promotes individual responsibility. We also address reimbursement challenges, especially those that lack insurance. Of course, we want to make sure we have an environment that encourages innovation and new models of care. One of my biggest public policy concerns is assuring that we have a highly trained workforce in the future. As the number of medical schools increases, we haven’t seen the same growth in the number of
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action has occurred around substance abuse. There is a greater awareness about mental and behavioral health issues, but Texas still ranks at the very bottom in terms of funding and we are way behind the curve on the issue. Lawson: The Affordable Care Act did some positive things in terms of opening access to mental and behavioral health resources and it broadened mental health options for a number of individuals.
residency programs. How are we going to fund medical education? Finally, for Baylor Scott & White Health, we have seven key areas of public policy that we focus on: the uninsured population; health for the elderly; poverty; patient compliance and the disconnect that exists in personal responsibility; housing; transportation; and, mental health. On the question of mental health, the panelists had this to say: Floren: One of our legislators dedicates time each month to learn about issues affecting the hospital. He called together all of the healthcare CEOs in Collin County to discuss current challenges. The big issue that emerged was behavioral
health. He wants to convene a group to begin discussing mental health in Collin County. My role is to educate him and others about what is really happening. The fact is that now, we have at least a 72 hour hold on behavioral health patients in the ED. Mental health parity has come up in discussions, but if you take it to a local level, you have to find local solutions with behavioral health providers. There needs to be more support for additional funding for local MHMRs. As we talk about true healthcare reform, this is a perfect area to focus on best practices. Tesmer: At the state level, the last two sessions have seen the biggest funding for mental and behavioral health. At the federal level, some
Love asked the panelists about the change in telemedicine law in Texas and its impact on healthcare in the state. Lawson: Technology is evolving so quickly, one of our challenges is adjusting our clinical practice to accommodate those changes. We are working to adapt telemedicine technology into several disciplines, but we haven’t done nearly enough work in mental health to leverage the telemedicine technology. We need to work with policy makers to improve reimbursement for telehealth. Floren: The use of telemedicine in diagnosing and treating stroke is a best practice we can look to. The technology is there. Physicians aren’t quite on board yet, but we need to continue to pilot new programs that use telehealth.
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Tesmer: Hospitals are still trying to figure out how to incorporate telemedicine into their operations. The scope and practice of medicine is touchy, especially as they relate to telemedicine in Texas. We want providers to have flexibility to adopt new technologies, but public policy isn’t following the developing practice. There are lots of things on the regulatory front that can make a big difference.
The audience also asked the panelists questions about helping legislators understand the importance of expanding Medicaid, end-of-life care, views on capitation and working with Federally Qualified Health Centers.
Love asked the panelists to talk about what the healthcare industry can do to coordinate the support of social service agencies to align public policy with acute, long-term acute and post-acute care.
Tesmer: The uninsured. We’re seeing the number of uninsured increase in Texas and across the nation. We are simply not addressing the issue of whether we want individuals covered or not.
Lawson: We have to create a more aligned payment mechanism between acute and post-acute. We achieve that informally through relationships, or formally through policies. Floren: Until we address payment mechanisms it will be hard to turn the ship. We all do community health needs assessments. Part of those assessments feed into community councils that are populated by no-profit agencies. In the foreseeable future, bundled care may be an answer because bundles incorporate post-acute care. Tesmer: Everyone is working on this and we need to do a better job of coordinating with these agencies for delivery of care.
Love’s final question to the panel was what public policy issues keep you up at night.
Lawson: The uninsured and the impact it is having on hospitals financially and our ability to provide care to all. Mental health is the second issue on my list. If I had a family member in mental health crisis, the fact that I don’t know where to send them bothers me to no end. Floren: Mental health. I’ve seen the impact on our ED. Uninsured is also on my list and the preservation of the 1115 waiver. Scott Hurst, FACHE, moderated the second panel focused on ethical challenges in healthcare leadership. Panel members included Benjamin J.
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Retta LMSW, senior director, Support Services, Children’s Medical Center of Dallas; Becket Gremmels, PhD, system director of Ethics, Mission Integration Department, CHRISTUS Health; J. Russell Hoverman, MD, PhD, vice president of Quality Programs for Texas Oncology, P.A. and medical director-Managed Care for the U.S. Oncology Network; and, Jason Wren, president/CEO, Wise Health System. Wren: Wise Health System is a governmental acute care hospital with east and west campuses in Decatur. The system is pursuing a growth strategy including a new surgical hospital in north Fort Worth with another slated to open soon in Argyle. I deal with three broad categories of ethical issues: business ethics in the hospital setting (how you deal with business partners, vendors, people managing services for you); medical executive issues including credentialing, quality measures, behavioral issues, etc.; and, ethics in general related to a set of principles that define an organization’s behavior. It is extremely important that I, and all of my leadership team, model ethical behavior, doing the right thing regardless of the consequences. You have to define a core set of value and communicate them throughout the organization. In a smaller market like Decatur, everyone know everyone so if you don’t live up to your core values, you’ll hear about it from someone.
Retta: When I was in DISD I was familiar with social work as a career. I was placed at Children’s Medical Center in 1979 for an internship. I returned to Children’s in graduate school. I worked on the weekend as a social worker. In off shifts, I encountered dilemmas that couldn’t be escalated to a senior administrator. So, I developed decision-making skills. Many involved ethical issues. Listening to the voice of others and learning from their ethical training was very valuable. I returned to Children’s in 1999 and in 2000 became the director of Social Services. I currently co-chair the ethics committee. My co-chair is Tom Mayo, an infectious disease physician at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He is one of the three authors of the Texas Directive Act – also known as the medical futility act. Our ethics committee is comprised of physicians, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, genetics counselors, community members, nurse practitioners from the hear center, a neurologist, and others. Most of our decisions are clinically-related so we end up influencing policy. Dr. Hoverman: In a previous job I worked for United Healthcare when they introduced capitated contracts. They published guidelines for physicians based on evidence of drug versus outcome. This created evidence pathways and balanced costs against benefits of the drug. That certainly touches on ethics. I consider our Oncology Care Model that
we are piloting with Aetna to be the mother of all value based care programs. Ethics is what determines if a leader leads from the front or behind. If you lead from the front, you must convince your staff that your are doing the right thing for your patients. You can do well by doing good. You center for value is always the patient. In you pursuit of ethics, you must be relentless about collecting data and using evidence. Gremmels: For me, the key question is who am I and who do I want to become. You can ask that of an individual and of an organization. Ethics and values help you navigate that path. Everything is ethics. Clinical ethics impact financial and operational aspects of the organization. Are you doing things for the patient or to the patient? Moral distress for caregivers leads directly to turnover. There is definitely a role for a well functioning ethics committee to impact clinical operations and overall operations. Hurst asked the panelists to describe the forum their organizations have created to discuss ethical issues. Gremmels: CHRISTUS Health has a formal structure to create and support an ethics committee. We have an ethics council with representatives from all ethics committees. We breakdown decision-making ito separate specific steps. An example is a region closing a service line and the CHRISTUS facility
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is the only one in the region to offer it. Our bylaws state that the Sisters must approve closing certain service lines. In one instance, after going through the steps of the ethical process, they decided to wait because the service line was important to the community. Dr. Hoverman: At Texas Oncology we have many avenues that relate to ethics. We have a quality oversight committee, peer review committee,
This ensures that from day one, all new employees learn about the values of the organization and the resources of the ethics committee. We promote that ethics is available 24/7. The ethics committee reports to the quality and patient safety committee. Our executive sponsor is the chief safety officer and the VP of quality. We thread the ethics component throughout all of our training. Wren: We have various committees
Hurst’s final question to the panel was is ethics getting better or are we fighting a rising tide? Retta: It is getting better at my institution. A major part of our purpose is to be conscious of the fact that we are responsible for the development of young healthcare professionals at our institution. When you teach folks to do the right thing and why they should do the right thing, the rest of the stuff takes care of itself. Dr. Hoverman: Anywhere there is a n incentive there is ethics. The scope of our caring has changed quite a bit. Look at how our mission statement has changed over the past 20 years – initially it was internally focused, now it is externally focused. Doing the best for our patients is the reason. We’ve had to make this transition consciously. Gremmels: It’s hard to answer this question. There are always new challenges. If you have a new leader and ethics is not his or her focus, things can change dramatically overnight in the organization.
physician disability committee, and an anonymous safety reporting system. The key is the process is transparent and anonymous. Anyone an contact the chair of the quality committees. Retta: I asked the VP of our Learning Institute to join the ethics committee.
where aspects of ethics and ethical issues are dealt with and considered. You need to be careful because you can too narrowly define ethics. On a global level, it comes down to who we are, why we exist, and what our fundamental purpose is. We use ethical language liberally in our organization daily.
Wren: When hiring a CEO and that person is hiring, it is important to walk the talk and keep true to your values and ethics. If leaders don’t intend to tackle ethical issues in the right way, it’s not difficult to slide the other way to see tings happen in our organizations that aren’t desirable. For more information on future events, please visit us our website or send us an email.
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General Membership Dinner Event November 14, 2017
One hundred and sixty seven members attended the ACHE North Texas chapter Annual General Membership Dinner event. Janet Holland and Kevin Stevenson, outgoing and incoming Presidents, jointly hosted the event including awards presentation to members for their exemplary work this year. The special guest at this event was Dr. Rulon Stacey, Managing Director, Navigant. Janet Holland started the event with updates on chapter committees’ activities and accomplishments. This year, ACHENTX was nationally recognized
for the quality of the Newsletter, and as one of the largest chapters of the ACHE community with 1570 members. Kevin Stevenson then announced and presented the awards such as Volunteer of the year, Mentor of the year, etc. Ted Shaw, President and CEO, Texas Hospital Association explained the status of healthcare in Hurricane affected areas of Texas through a short presentation and requested generous donation from the members as part of fund raising efforts. Dr. Rulon Stacey then presented on latest healthcare trends and top 10 concerns leaders are facing today. He then concluded his presentation discussing
strategies to improve performance specifically Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework. The committee members of ACHENTX deeply appreciate Renaissance Dallas Hotel for their gracious hosting. Our appreciation also goes out to the Sponsors, attendees, and volunteers for making this event a great success. For more information on future events, please visit us our website or send us an email.
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ACHENTX’S
NEWEST
FELLOWS
July Carol Crowell, RN, FACHE Victoria O. Sanders, FACHE Amanda S. Thrash, FACHE August Andrew B. Smith, FACHE
September Gary A. Bonacquisti, MD, FACHE Ron Goodstein, FACHE October Eric Gaines, PharmD, FACHE John J. Klitsch, III, FACHE Ajith Pai, PharmD, FACHE
WELCOME ACHENTX’S NEWEST MEMBERS JULY
AUGUST
Sylvia Aziz Anquan B. Brown Marie A. Cassion-François LTC Jerry R. Criswell, II Spencer H. Flanagin Jessica Guilbeaux Beverly S. Hightower Clark Houser Maisam Ileiwi Cherie Johnston Neil Kirchhofer Lenora J. Mathis Lauren Miller Joseph Okungu Rod Phillips Maj Duane Schreiber I. Andrew Udeme Michael A. Williams, Jr. Ryan J. Alcantar
Huda Alhafidh, DDS Larry Bisno Adam Blagburn Mohammad W. Bushnaq Mark Cortez Alyssa R. Endres Adriaan Epps Ryan J. Hill, JD Sarah E. Hopps, DDS Allison Hurlock, RN Travis Leissner Thomas Maryon, DHA Emily A. Maze, DPT Jason M. Metcalfe Adebola Omoloja Lacey R. Romines-Snavely Doreen Rue Ryan Schwab John S. Sistrunk
Alyssa H. South Jamie F. Wilson
SEPTEMBER Athena M. Abujaber Kimberly A. Danielson Matthew G. Davidson Justin H. Gilmore Edward L. Kersten, PhD Taibat Lawal Lacy R. Matsler David J. Mendelson, MD Salman Moti Viswanathan Sahadevan Joe D. Thomason Byron Westbrook Nelson Whistance
OCTOBER David W. Braeutigam Melissa Bryant Robert Bush Alma A. Cortez Chris Grossnicklaus Chris Hutson, MD Dana Landers Maggie McDowell Stacie Merrill, RN Garrick Palmer Mitesh J. Patel, PA-C Laura D. Reeves, RN Samir S. Shah Daniel Triche Mara Vecchio
RECERTIFIED FELLOWS JULY
SEPTEMBER
David A. Disbrow, FACHE Christopher J. Durovich, FACHE Edwin K. Hutchenrider, Jr., FACHE Karen N. Massey, PhD, FACHE Darin Szilagyi, FACHE Dennis L. Wade, FACHE Robert L. Walker, FACHE
Dean Achterberg, FACHE Nancy Jennings, DBA, FACHE Ernest C. Lynch, III, FACHE Michael J. Ojeda, FACHE Valerie A. Shoup, DBA, FACHE
AUGUST Greg W. Johnson, FACHE Frank aD. Kittredge, Jr., FACHE Theresa Meadows, RN, FACHE Nkem Okafor, FACHE Jennifer Parks, FACHE Leticia Ramirez, FACHE
OCTOBER Jeffrey L. Canose, MD, FACHE Teresa L. Huskey, FACHE Sharon J. Larson, FACHE Michael A. Lieb, FACHE David S. Lopez, FACHE Clifton N. Orme, FACHE Byron J. Serna, FACHE Craig York, FACHE
MEMBERS WHO RECENTLY PASSED THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS’ EXAM SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
Daniel Alemayehu
Benjamin Isgur
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