Volume 14
Issue 1
September 2014
SYSTEMnews CEO’s corner Penn Medicine
Ralph W. Muller
CEO, University of Pennsylvania Health System
University City
Now that we’ve closed the books on fiscal year 2014, I would like to share some of the highlights of this important year. By almost any criteria, the University of Pennsylvania Health System is not only successful, it is flourishing. The past fiscal year saw many important developments; I wish I had the space to include them all. To those whose accomplishments are not included, please accept my apologies and deepest appreciation. Most broadly, Chester County Hospital and Health System became the newest member of UPHS. With this addition, our ability to provide Penn-level care to Philadelphia area residents has grown significantly; we are proud to have such an outstanding addition to our family. During FY14, patient activity for UPHS (excluding the new Chester County beds) showed an increase of 1.2 percent, with inpatient admissions declines offset by solid growth in outpatient activity. These trends are in line with patterns in the health-care system nationally and conform to our own internal projections and planning activities. Addressing the shift to outpatient care, we’ve made substantial new investments in facilities that serve this ever-growing aspect of our operations. These include Penn Medicine Washington Square, Penn Medicine University City, and numerous sites throughout southeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. I’m pleased to report that our many quality and safety initiatives are producing positive results. These include a mortality rate that was 35 percent better than expected for our patient case mix; a 34 percent composite decline for safety indicators related to surgeries, procedures, and childbirths; a 30 percent fall in central-line-associated bloodstream infections; a 35 percent reduction in seven-day acute MI readmissions among heart attack patients; and a 10 percent drop in 30-day heart failure readmissions. Ongoing budgetary conscientiousness and careful planning have played a major part in our vigorous fiscal health. Our operating margin of $292M, or 7.4 percent, is above most of our peers and enables us to make investments in vital programs that will benefit our patients for years to come and keep us at the forefront of biomedical excellence. We will maintain that vigilance in FY15. (continued on page 5)
Inside Mahoney Promoted to EVP and Executive Vice Dean..........2 CAROT: A Focus on Treating Vision Impairment.....................2 Nominations Open for Next Master Clinicians..............2 Three Win Clinical Research C.A.R.E. Awards.........................2 Penn Medicine@Work..............3 Newsmakers..............................4 Hi-Tech Approach to Rehab.....5 Recruit, Retain, Reaffirm..........5 Leadership Transitions.............6
One–Stop Care and a Focus on Patient Engagement Penn Medicine University City, which officially opened last month, will serve as Penn Presbyterian’s most comprehensive site for ambulatory care. Similar to the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine and Penn Medicine Washington Square before it, the new facility expands the Health System’s outpatient services. This focus on outpatient care is essential to help keep Penn Medicine financially strong and maintain its leadership position in today’s health-care environment. In the early 1990s, outpatient care accounted for between 10 and 15 percent of a hospital’s revenue. Today, it’s closer to 50 percent… and growing. Even more important, however, PM University City, which adds 150,000 square feet to the PPMC campus, is designed to elevate the patient experience. For example, a shuttle elevator from the adjacent patient parking garage goes directly to the ground floor of the PM University City lobby, eliminating the need to go outside. Kiosks allow for quick and easy check-ins, with information automatically entered into EPIC, the Health System’s electronic medical records system for outpatients. And with more than 90 providers from a wide variety of services onsite — including outpatient pharmacy and radiology services and a 29,800-squarefoot Good Shepherd Penn Partners center — the facility truly offers one-stop care. “Having everything conveniently provided in a single location will eliminate the need for patients to make multiple visits to different sites for outpatient care,” said Michele Volpe, PPMC executive director and CEO. “It will also make it easy for providers to communicate with each other.”
A New Kind of Musculoskeletal Care
Opening with more than 90 providers
Located at 38th and Market Streets, Penn Medicine’s newest facility includes over 100 exam rooms. Nearly half will be dedicated to the Penn Musculoskeletal from a wide variety of services Center (MSK), which offers a unique multidisciplinary approach to treating onsite, Penn Medicine University orthopaedic disorders, injuries and other conditions of the joints, bones or muscles. On-site clinical specialties supporting the Center include orthopaedic City truly offers one-stop care. surgery, rheumatology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, internal medicine, pain medicine, and therapy services. The Penn Center for Human Performance, slated to open later this year, will use cutting-edge technology to give patients immediate feedback regarding their physiological and biomechanical disorder and the related medical or surgical treatment plan. L. Scott Levin, MD, chair of Orthopaedic Surgery, told the Philadelphia Business Journal, “I'm not sure there is anyone else who will be offering this kind of integrated approach.”
Care at MSK is very patient- and family-centered, said Fabian Marechal, director of Operations for the Musculoskeletal Service Line. “We surveyed patients to find out their top concerns when visiting a doctor and incorporated their feedback to make sure it was a good experience.” Gone is the large, central waiting room. Once patients check in, a concierge escorts them to one of the smaller hubs which group patients according to specific condition, for example, one is for patients with shoulder and elbow problems and another is for knee injuries. In keeping with the goal of providing patients with a more engaged and personalized experience, MSK offers iPads preloaded with injury-specific educational material and large flat screens in each exam room that make it easier for clinicians to explain X-rays or MRI results during a visit or show patient education videos between visits with specialists. Patients can get an X-ray — either before or after the visit — on the same floor as their visit. Surgical and other treatment options can be performed onsite as well, just a few floors below. Getting — and keeping — patients engaged in their care is important. A dedicated care coordinator serves as a single point of contact, connecting with the patient even before the initial visit. To ensure continuity of care, the coordinator will also schedule appointments for follow-up and referral visits and any necessary testing. (continued on page 2)
Awards & Accolades.................6
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