Can You Hear Me Now?

The Hospitalist. 2010 October;2010(10):

October 1, 2010|The Hospitalist

In the past three years, SHM has brought in-depth quality-improvement (QI) programs to nearly every state in the country.

Between its three major mentored implementation projects—Project BOOST (Better Outcomes for Older Adults through Safe Transitions), Glycemic Control Mentored Implemen-tation, and the Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) Collaborative—SHM has worked with more than 100 hospitals across the country and in Canada. SHM is expanding these three programs to additional hospitals and actively developing other QI initiatives.

“SHM’s quality-improvement programs focus on real change, and they have made a substantial impact,” says Joe Miller, SHM’s senior vice president and chief solutions officer. “Hospitalists using SHM’s quality-improvement methods have impacted the care of tens of thousands of hospitalized patients.”

SHM’s programs all use a mix of in-depth mentoring led by national experts and specially designed resource toolkits that enable hospitalists to lead major initiatives within their hospitals. The programs also facilitate “peer learning,” allowing hospitalists to learn from one another.

Project BOOST, which is designed to reduce unplanned readmissions to the hospital, has received national attention. In early 2010, SHM teamed with Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan and the University of Michigan to bring the program to more than a dozen hospitals in that state. SHM also announced a new collaboration with the California HealthCare Foundation to implement Project BOOST in more than 20 hospitals in California.

“Healthcare reform is creating a new focus on quality improvement,” Miller says. “SHM is bringing a multidisciplinary approach to transforming inpatient care to hospitals across the country.” TH

Are You Ready for the Spotlight?

SHM now accepting submissions for 2011 Research, Innovations, and Clinical Vignettes competition

SHM is accepting abstracts for the 2011 Research, Innovations, and Clinical Vignettes (RIV) competition. The deadline for submissions is 10 a.m., EST, Dec. 6, 2010.

SHM members can submit abstracts at the HM11 website, www.hospitalmedicine2011.org.

“SHM’s annual conference has become the clearinghouse for the best thinking in hospital medicine,” says Geri Barnes, SHM’s senior director for education and meetings. “It’s a great opportunity for new and emerging hospitalist leaders to present their ideas to their peers.”

Submissions presented at SHM regional meetings or other organizations’ meetings (e.g. SGIM or ACP) within the past year are eligible for the RIV competition.

Authors who have been selected to present at the 2011 annual conference in Dallas will be notified early next year. The competition includes a poster session and oral presentation. Awards will be presented at the conference.

All accepted abstracts will be included in a booklet published by SHM.

Nearly 400 authors presented abstracts at HM10 in Washington, D.C. More than 20 were selected as the best in the field.

“There is no shortage of good ideas in this specialty,” Barnes says. “Our RIV competition helps the best of those ideas rise to the top.”

Chapter Updates

Milwaukee/SE Wisconsin

The Milwaukee/SE Wisconsin chapter held a meeting June 10 at Bacchus Restaurant in Milwaukee, at which congratulations were doled out to chapter member Eric Siegal, MD, SFHM, on his election to SHM’s board of directors. As chair of SHM’s Public Policy Committee, Dr. Siegal advocates for such issues as the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI).

The chapter also acknowledged Dr. Len Scarpinato of St. Luke’s Hospital, who achieved Senior Fellow in Hospital Medicine (SFHM) designation and was honored at HM10 in April in Washington, D.C. As the regional director of Cogent Healthcare in southeast Wisconsin, Dr. Scarpinato has been instrumental in bringing hospitalists together to network and exchange innovative ideas.

Chapter member Jeanette Kalupa, DNP, ACNP-BC, APNP, of St. Luke’s was mentioned in the opening presentation at HM10 for her work as co-chair of the Nonphysician Providers Committee. Despite a busy HM10 schedule, Drs. Don Lee, Wes Lafferty, Scarpinato, Betty Tucker, and Peter Quandt took time out for a White House tour.