Hi Team –

 

While Sunday’s Super Bowl did not provide the outcome we had all been cheering for, the Cincinnati Bengals certainly made us proud with all they accomplished during this historic season. And despite Sunday’s down-to-the-wire, heartbreaking loss, this young and promising Bengals team has a bright future ahead – including what we hope are many more Super Bowl appearances led by Joe Burrow and company. The Bengals’ winning game plan this season was built around teamwork, resilience and adaptability – the same characteristics that we have relied on at TriHealth as we have faced and overcome every challenge of this ongoing pandemic. 

 

The Bengals’ unexpected run to the Super Bowl also provided us with a much-needed distraction from COVID and a long-overdue opportunity to celebrate as a city and a great TriHealth team. But it was much more than a Super Bowl party…it was a celebration of two of the very best teams in town – TriHealth and the Cincinnati Bengals. We “showed our Bengals’ stripes” with pep rallies, games, prizes, and great food from LaRosa’s and Busken. And best of all, we sent four lucky team members to the Super Bowl in LA! Click here to view photos from all of our football festivities. We are blessed to have a truly amazing team at TriHealth – the very best healthcare team anywhere. And after the countless hardships we’ve faced together over the past two years to deliver on our mission throughout this global pandemic, it was so heartening to see the joy and enthusiasm in our team members and physicians. The hope and excitement we are now feeling are real evidence that brighter days are soon ahead.

 

All of the latest indicators now point to a continued downward trend in new COVID cases and hospitalizations and a likely end to this Omicron-fueled fourth wave. In fact, COVID hospitalizations in our region are at their lowest level in more than seven weeks. And as indicated in the COVID sidebar, the R-factor and positivity rate have again settled in well below 1.0, indicating a slowing rate of transmission. At TriHealth, our COVID inpatient census is also gradually declining, now around 140 patients, down from nearly 250 just a few short weeks ago. While COVID admissions remain elevated, this trend is another encouraging sign of our progress in putting this surge behind us as we safely resume full elective services including inpatient surgery and return to more normal operations.

 

As our Super Bowl celebrations come to a close, we continue to shine a spotlight on and celebrate the significant contributions of African Americans in healthcare and science throughout the month of February. TriHealth is fortunate to have the expertise of many extraordinary physicians, clinicians and leaders who are making a difference every day for all those we serve. I encourage you to visit Bridge to read the personal stories from a number of our own TriHealth African American physicians and nurses. You will learn about their influences, their community contributions, and the ways that diversity and inclusion have impacted their careers and benefit our system and community. 

 

Every three years, The Joint Commission (TJC) conducts a comprehensive site survey at our hospitals as part of the ongoing accreditation process to maintain “deemed status” which allows for full participation in Medicare and Medicaid Programs with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS). “Deemed status” means a hospital not only meets but often exceeds CMS requirements for safety, quality and other essential areas. Currently, Bethesda North Hospital, Bethesda Butler Hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital and Good Samaritan Hospital at Evendale are in a “survey window” with TJC for an unannounced survey. At TriHealth, we have adopted a “continual readiness” approach – a constant state of preparation so that we are ALWAYS ready to shine for any given accrediting body when they visit and survey our sites of care. And, as part of our High Reliability Journey, this approach also supports our work to consistently provide the safest, highest quality care to every patient in every care environment across TriHealth. Best of luck to our hospital leaders and teams in the coming weeks and perhaps months, as they show to TJC surveyors what “TriHealth Strong” means for the patients and families we serve.

 

Log in today at 12pm to participate in our monthly Team Member Town Hall, livestreamed on Bridge. We will spend time sharing the latest COVID updates and important system reports on our Journey from Good to Great. As always, we will have plenty of time to address your questions. And those who participate in the conversation will have the chance to win fun TriHealth prizes. See you this afternoon!

 

Hope and optimism are in the air throughout our city, and particularly here at TriHealth. Let’s carry this hope and optimism – sparked by the Bengals Super Bowl appearance and coupled with the positive trends in COVID cases – to continue serving our patients and community through the end of this COVID surge and beyond!