December 10, 2019
Hi Team!
Just over a year ago, we announced our plans to consolidate our two heart surgery sites into a new, combined program on the campus of Bethesda North Hospital – all in order to bring even safer, higher quality surgical heart care and improved clinical outcomes to our patients and community. While the evidence has been clear for some time of the strong connection between higher site volumes and higher quality outcomes, this was, nonetheless, a very difficult decision representing significant change and challenge for our TriHealth Heart Institute physicians, nurses, and support staff. Yet despite understandable initial concern, our team chose to rise to the occasion to make this a seamless and successful transition for all – especially our patients and their families.
And rise to the occasion they did!! Because of the team’s hard work, collaboration, and true “can do” spirit, I am pleased to share that one year later, our consolidated heart surgery program has achieved significant year-over-year improvements in quality and clinical outcomes – and most importantly, is literally saving more lives, with an improved mortality rate that’s now dramatically below the national average!!
In fact, just last month, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) gave our Coronary Artery Bypass surgery program at Bethesda North a distinguished STS Overall 3-Star rating for patient care and outcomes!* The STS star rating system is one of the most sophisticated and highly regarded measures of healthcare quality in North America. The 3-star rating denotes the highest category of quality and places TriHealth’s performance among the top 8% of all heart surgery programs in the US and Canada! This serves as another meaningful indicator that our collective efforts to unify our heart surgery program at one location are paying off!
I want to personally thank all of our CT surgeons, cardiologists, intensivists, advanced practice clinicians, surgical assistants, perfusionists, nurses, techs, and other team members who embraced this bold step forward to bring safer, higher quality care and health outcomes to our cardiac patients. Thanks to you, our TriHealth Heart Hospital is quickly emerging as a regional and national model for cardiac surgery excellence and innovation – and the destination of choice for the best cardiac care, not just in Cincinnati, but anywhere!
*Based on hospital performance data covering the period from July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019.
Shining the Spotlight on TriHealth/bi3’s School to Work Program
TriHealth’s School to Work Program was recently highlighted in a local healthcare news segment. An innovative partnership between TriHealth, bi3 and Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS), the School to Work program will provide career development opportunities and mentoring by TriHealth team members to 50 students from CPS over the next three years. Visit Bridge to learn about the program from some of our first CPS students.
Total Rewards Updates: Spending Accounts & Vacation Sellback
Team members enrolled in HSA, FSA, LPSA or Dependent Care FSA for the SY2019 benefit cycle will experience a blackout period from Dec. 9-20, 2019. Measures are being put in place to handle claims during this blackout. Additionally, team members who did not sign up for vacation sellback during open enrollment are now able to complete the form on HR Central and return it to Payroll by Dec. 31, 2019. Visit Bridge for complete details about both Total Rewards programs.
New Emergency Notification System Coming in January 2020
TriHealth Alert, a new emergency alert notification system, will replace our current Red Alert system in January 2020. This new system will provide our team members with more reliable and more effective emergency notifications. Learn about the benefits and improvements of TriHealth Alert on Bridge.
TriHealth Sponsors Healthcare Career Fair
TriHealth was presenting sponsor at the annual HealthFORCE event, designed to expose high school students to careers in healthcare as well as careers in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. This year’s event included nearly 600 students from 25 schools from the Tristate. Our support allows us to educate high schoolers on healthcare careers, while helping build a diverse workforce pipeline to fulfill in-demand positions across the region. Learn more on Bridge.
Compliance Update: Reporting HIPAA/Privacy Concerns
The Compliance & Privacy Team are pleased to announce a work flow change that will make it easier to report HIPAA/Privacy concerns. Effective January 7, 2020, report HIPAA/Privacy matters directly to the Compliance & Privacy team as soon as they happen at Compliance@TriHealth.com. IRIS will no longer accept HIPAA or Privacy reports.
LifeStyles Holiday Health Tip
Prepare “Nice To Do For Me" and “Need to Do For You” lists. Writing down all that you have to do during the holidays will help you realize how do-able your tasks are. Be realistic as to what you put on your lists, then start tackling one item from each list in turn. For example, after buying gifts for your mom or significant other, take time to work out, too. By alternating between lists, you won’t feel deprived because you’re being good to yourself.
Weekly Huddle Message: Even Santa Uses Phonetic/Numeric Clarification!
As Santa and his reindeer are making their way over Ohio:
Santa: Rudolph, where is our next stop?
Rudolph: That would be 375 Dixmyth in Cincinnati, Santa
Santa: To clarify, that is 3-7-5 Dixmyth, with a “D” as in “delta,” right Rudolph?
Rudolph: That is correct Santa, 3-7-5 Dixmyth
Overall Rating: Comments:
Dittos Pete
Posted by: Team Member on December 14, 2019
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I had a friend d/c from Bnorth after valve replacement. She was given wrong medication instructions. Thank God it was caught by a visiting nurse. Please get more education for the staff. I know it was a very rushed decision to move everything to bnorth and hopefully things will get better.
Posted by: Gina Onorini on December 12, 2019
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The section of cardiology is demoralized by the THE ADMINISTRATIONS PROTRACTED CONTRACTEDNEGOTIATIONS THAT LOOK LIKE WE WILL BE LOSING ONE OF THE BEST AND MOST WELL LIKED CARDIOLOGIST , THE POSSIBILITY OF OTHERS EFFECTIVELY UNDERMINING ALL THE HAPPY TALK ABOUT THE HEART PROGRAM. THIS IS A SHAME.
Posted by: Pete Caples on December 11, 2019
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