Grabbing the bull by the horns.

 

 

What does Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Jesus Christ, Charles Darwin and Socrates all have in common?  They all exhibited a great deal of...

 

cour·age

ˈkərij,ˈkə-rij/

noun

noun: courage

1.

the ability to do something that frightens one.

"she called on all her courage to face the ordeal"

• strength in the face of pain or grief.

One does not have to be a famous person to exhibit a large degree of courage.  In fact some of the biggest acts of courage sometimes go un-noticed.  As health care workers we see this every single day.  The courage of people battling illness, diseases and staring death in the face and winning (and losing).  That courage can be quite monumental in comparison to many of the above mentioned people.

 

Also, courage can simply be willing to face change during difficult times.  A lot of times we do things not because it is the best thing to do, but it is the easiest thing to do.  The phrase that comes to my mind is "because that is just the way we have always done it".  This statement along with the rapidly evolving and changing health care landscape can be detrimental to many health care organizations. 

 

Many battles have been lost due to the inability to find the silver lining in/and embracing change that is needed to adjust and adapt to changes that are uncontrollable.  At MPMC there has been change and there is more change to come.  This will require courage from the top leadership team and board of directors down to every single position in the MPMC organization. 

 

Sometimes you gotta grab the bull by the horns...

 

Our fearless leader, Cole "Tuff" White

 

 

HIPAA...It's a serious matter.

Ya it's boring, but it's serious...

Just about everyone has heard of HIPAA, it is especially drilled down into all health care workers for obvious reasons.  The whole reason of HIPAA is to protect sensitive information from becoming public knowledge.  HIPAA can be confusing, but it is also fairly simple.  The biggest phrase to remember is "is the information or access to information necessary to perform my job".  If the information is not a necessity, and you access it anyways you are in violation of HIPAA.  This pertains to even your personal records, your spouses records and your families' records.

The seriousness of the violation can be summed up in the following paragraph:

"Even if a person is the victim of an egregious violation of the HIPAA Privacy Rule, the law does not give people the right to sue. Instead, individuals must file a written complaint with the Secretary of HHS via the Office for Civil Rights. It is then within the Secretary’s discretion to investigate the complaint. HHS may impose civil penalties ranging from $100 to $25,000, and criminal sanctions ranging from $50,000 to $250,000—with corresponding prison terms—may be enforced by the Department of Justice." 

All hospitals must self report any violation that is observed in its' organization.  usually this leads to immediate termination.  Also, it is worth noting that even minor violations can land a person on the National Database that will prevent any organization that participates in federal programs from hiring the violator.  Essentially if you violate HIPAA you won't be working in the health care field again. 

MPMC will be increasing the presence in the security of HIPAA related issues.  Also, we will be enforcing the rules and penalties.  I, myself, am astounded at how well the security system monitors for HIPAA violations.  So please...don't be the one that causes a jellybean (red flag)  to be sent to our HIPAA administrator's...

Here are a few HIPAA Myths/Facts:

Myth #1 Health care providers can share personal health information with employers.

FACT .

Myth #2 One doctor’s office cannot send a patient’s medical records to another doctor’s office without that patient’s consent.

FACT

 

Myth #3 The HIPAA Privacy Regulation prohibits or discourages doctor–patient e-mails.

FACT

Myth #4 Hospitals are prohibited from sharing information with the patient’s family without the patient’s express consent.

FACT

 

Myth #5 A patient’s family member can no longer pick up prescriptions for the patient.

FACT

Myth #6 The Privacy Regulation mandates new disclosures of patient information.

FACT

 

Myth #7 Patients can sue health care providers for not complying with the HIPAA Privacy Regulation.

FACT Myth #8 Patients’ medical records can no longer be used for marketing.

FACT .

Myth #9 If a patient refuses to sign an acknowledgment stating that he or she received the health care provider’s notice of privacy practices, the health care provider can, or must, refuse to provide services.

FACT

Myth #10 The HIPAA Privacy Rule imposes many new restrictions on hospitals’ fundraising efforts so that fundraising becomes almost impossible.

FACT

In the eye's of our patients...

 

I posted this video a few weeks ago..if you can't see it at work, please watch it at home...

 

 

 

 

Sometimes as health care workers we get caught up in the many processes that comes with the territory.  We are focused on documenting in the charts, hurrying up to get a patient chest x-ray done, speedily trying to fax lab results, going from meeting to meeting to make strategic plans, texting a friend instead of working,  not answering the phone during shift change, etc.  We all sometimes fail to realize the purpose of the work we do here.  This is collectively coming together and providing outstanding patient care for our #1 priority...our customer, the patient.  Even if you have no patient contact, your job affects the patient some how, some way...there are no exceptions to this rule. 

 

A simple way to help with this is a process called AIDET.  Or:

 

Acknowledge — Greet people with a smile and use their names if you know them. Attitude is everything. Create a lasting impression.

 

Introduce — Introduce yourself to others politely. Tell them who you are and how you are going to help them. Escort people where they need to go rather than pointing or giving directions.

 

Duration — Keep in touch to ease waiting times. Let others know if there is a delay and how long it will be. Make it better and apply service recovery methods when necessary. (we will be adding said recovery methods in the future)

 

Explanation — Advise others what you are doing, how procedures work and whom to contact if they need assistance. Communicate any steps they may need to take. Make words work. Talk, listen and learn. Make time to help. Ask, "Is there anything else I can do for you?"



 

Thank You — Thank somebody. Foster an attitude of gratitude. Thank people for their patronage, help or assistance. The phrase "Thank you for choosing MPMC" should be ingrained in every ones customer service skills. 

 

As you can see this process is based on communication skills.  This is interesting in that majority of the issues that arise in almost all industries and personal lives are communication related.  Just remember at all times try to view your work through the yes of our patients and ask yourself..."How would this look to me if I were coming through MPMC for care". 

 

A well oiled machine...

 

 

 

One of my all-time favorite movies is The Incredibles.  In fact it is the only thing I wanted for my birthday the year it came out (my 30th...I am a kid at heart).  In the movie there are many takeaways and real life lessons that apply to a broad spectrum of life issues and work instances.  The one that really applies to MPMC, especially the last week, is the scene where Bob (Mr. Incredible) is getting lectured by his boss, Gilbert Huph, for helping his customer's finding their ways through Insuracare's red tape.

 

 

 

 

Mr. Huph: "We're supposed to help OUR people! Starting with our stockholders, Bob! Who's helping them out, huh?! (sighs) You know, Bob... a company..."
Bob: "Is like an enormous clock."
Mr. Huph: "Is like an enormous clo-- Yes! Precisely! It only works if all the little cogs *mesh* together! Now, a clock needs to be clean, well-lubricated, and wound tight. The best clocks have jewel movements, cogs that fit, that cooperate by design. (chuckles) I'm being metaphorical, Bob. You know what I mean by cooperative cogs?"

 

Bending Huph's metaphor a bit, MPMC and any other medical organization, is like a clock...or a system.  For the system to work well all parts must be functioning at a high level and all jobs must be done in the best possible manner.  Also, all pieces are important, without one piece the clock will not function.

 

With the impending Affordable Care Act or "Obamacare" there is a part called the Value Based Purchasing Program (VBPP).  There are two main components of the VBPP one that focuses on patient outcomes and one that focuses on patient experience.  Patient experience items are room cleanliness, staff friendliness, etc. 

 

This area is important because it requires all staff to be on top of their game.  Future reimbursements from medicare will be tied to the scores we receive from the patients.  But the bottom line is...we should be doing this for our patients and each other anyways...to make sure we don't end up like this:

 

 



The past week was a very challenging week in a lot of areas in the MPMC organization.  However, when push came to shove we pulled through.  This makes me proud to be a part of something great. I look forward to watching MPMC grow into a great provider and employer of choice.

In the little time that I have been at MPMC one area needs addressed.  This also goes for the majority of other organizations across all spectrums of industry; this is accountability.  O'Hagan, J., & Persaud, D. (2009) states that “accountability encompasses the procedures and processes by which one party justifies and takes responsibility for its activities such as for achieving various organizational goals”. 

As health care workers this can be anything from not taking responsibility for medication errors, blaming others for your mistakes and letting your co-worker down by not performing your job in accordance to normal standards.  Accountability comes from the top level of CEO, COO and CNO holding each other accountable down to the most important health care workers….the front line workers.

We will be working more on accountability in the future to ensure we transform into the employer of choice and provide of choice.  In the meantime watch the video…there is a lot of take away in it.  BTW we will be moving my blog to the MPMC website in the future.

 

 

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Health care...it's not just in the hospital.

This past Wednesday the Middle Park Medical Foundation hosted its annual meeting and dinner. This was held at the park in downtown Kremmling. The food was excellent and the fellowship even better. Meara Michel and the rest of the foundation did an outstanding job. The foundation does several things for the hospital and the community and they should be commended on their efforts.

Health care is not just about what we do within the four walls of the organization. Health care is about ensuring that our communities and population as a whole has an excellent quality of life. There are many ways that we at MPMC can ensure that happens. Right now there are already several good programs that MPMC does to promote the quality of life such as the health fair, partnerships with the school districts on concussion education, West Grand School nurse program and numerous others too many to list.

In the future MPMC will be collaborating with more schools in our area on the school nurse program. Furthermore, it is my goal to bring the Kremmling Recreation District, West Grand School district, the City of Kremmling along with MPMC together to explore more recreational and health promotion services. The ultimate goal is a facility where these types of activities can take place.

 

 

This would help increase the health of the 80% of the community who need little resources in order to focus our resources on the 20% of the population that requires said services (Pareto Principle). This increase in resources would greatly enhance the outcome of care on that 20% of the population that needs it.

Moving forward any ideas or comments for these types of services are greatly appreciated (no matter how wild).

 

This past week has been a wonderful week as the new Chief Operating Officer.  I have met a lot of really great people who no doubt make MPMC the great health care provider that it is.  I feel blessed to be part of an organization as awesome as MPMC.  I plan on helping make our organization the best place for health care needs, the VERY best place to work and help our communities of Kremmling, Granby and the surrounding areas grow to be strong, heal
thy communities.

My family and I are excited to call Kremmling and Grand County home.  Though my family will not be joining me until at least the first weekend of August.  We have purchased a new home and we will have two weeks of transition time before we can move into our new home.  We will be living in our RV until that time comes, but that is one of our favorite pastimes...camping! 

Me, my daughter, my son and my wife, Elizabeth.

Speaking of my family my wife and I have two kids...a 11-year-old daughter and a 8-year-old son, who are going into the 6th and 3rd grades respectively.  You will see us around a lot as we like to be active in community events, church and just out and about always as a family. 

A lot of people ask me, "why did you chose to move here"?  My family and I have always wanted to move to the mountains.  Also, we dislike the stifling heat of lower elevations, and we love snow!  Just a week or so ago in Sidney, NE, where we moved from, it was 97 degrees at 1915 hrs (7:15 pm for you non-clinical folks)...so I was VERY glad to move to Grand County. 

Phone screenshot of heat...ugghh!

The purpose of this blog is to help communicate MPMC's message to our patients, employees and community helping keep everyone connected.  Our goal is to "keep life grand!"