Hi Team –

 

While summer is typically the season for great weather in Ohio, unfortunately, from time to time, it also brings with it serious storms and threatening conditions. This was the case last Wednesday, as the community of Goshen in Clermont County suffered severe damage as a result of a tornado. Thankfully, there were no fatalities and just a few people were injured, some of whom were cared for at Bethesda North. However, many homes, businesses, community buildings, and other infrastructure sustained extensive damage. As recovery work in Goshen continues, many of our team members have asked how they can join with TriHealth to assist in these efforts. So, we have partnered with the Cincinnati chapter of the American Red Cross – whose Board Chair is our own Dr. Bryan Strader, President of TriHealth Physician Partners (TPP) – to contribute to and assist in the recovery. The donations will supply food, water, and shelter to those impacted by the tornado. Click here to learn more about how to contribute.

 

 

Now six years into our journey to Get Healthcare Right, it is time to “tell our story,” with compelling examples of how TriHealth is uniquely delivering on the Triple Aim of better care, better health, and better value/affordability. The audiences we are targeting include the purchasers and payers of healthcare, such as the government (through Medicare and Medicaid) and regional employers that offer Employee Health Plans (EHPs) like we provide here at TriHealth, and most importantly, our patients and the larger community.

 

As part of this effort, I’m excited to share that one new way we’re doing this, among many others, is through a partnership with the Cincinnati Business Courier to produce an ongoing podcast series, which launched this week. This bi-monthly series is aimed at educating the Greater Cincinnati business community on how TriHealth is leading the way in our region to improve both care and the overall health of our patients and community, while also making healthcare more accessible and affordable. In this first podcast, I discuss with Jamie Smith, publisher of the Cincinnati Business Courier, how COVID has changed healthcare delivery, financing, technology, and access, and the many ways TriHealth has gotten healthcare right throughout this global pandemic. Key topics include:

This year-long series will showcase other TriHealth leaders and physicians who are helping to lead the way in transforming how we deliver and finance care. Look for, and listen to, future Business Courier podcasts in the coming weeks and months, which I’ll also share as links in my upcoming Weekly Updates. 

 

Educating our community about what makes TriHealth uniquely different from other health systems – our unwavering commitment to expanding access, improving health, and delivering more affordable care – is part of our essential work for FY2023 and beyond. We’re doing this in a number of innovative ways, ranging from podcasts (discussed above) to our Event Medicine Programs, which will support two major Cincinnati sporting events occurring later this summer.

 

TriHealth is excited to serve as the exclusive medical provider for the Western & Southern Tennis Open in August and the LPGA Kroger Queen City Championship Golf Tournament in September. The W&S Open in Mason not only features the world’s best tennis professionals, it also attracts tens of thousands of tennis fans (current and future TriHealth patients) throughout the week. And, as medical provider for the LPGA Kroger Queen City Championship golf tournament, TriHealth will not only serve golfers and fans, we will also participate in an exclusive Women’s Leadership Program sponsored by the LPGA, called “Queen City Game Changers.” These non-traditional sponsorships offer us new platforms to better “tell our story” while serving an even larger segment of our community through our nationally recognized Event Medicine Programs.

 

I’m thrilled to announce that The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) has awarded its coveted Lantern Award to our Emergency Departments (EDs) at Good Samaritan Hospital and Bethesda North Hospital! This is the first win for Good Samaritan and the fourth win for Bethesda North!!

 

The Lantern Award is a three-year designation that recognizes EDs that consistently embrace evidence-based practices and achieve industry-leading performance in leadership, clinical care delivery, patient safety, education, advocacy, and research. This national award is the highest industry recognition of an ED’s commitment to quality, safety, and maintaining a positive and healthy work environment. Some of the important clinical initiatives recognized in our Lantern Award designation include best practice management of sickle cell patients, equipping patients with pulse oximeters for home monitoring during COVID, and development of innovative pandemic staffing strategies to ensure we were able to care for every patient in need, even during the worst of the pandemic. Five out of our six TriHealth Emergency Departments have achieved Lantern designation. And, in the coming years, we expect to see McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital’s ED recognized for its work now underway. 

 

A BIG thank you and heartfelt congratulations to our incredible Bethesda North and Good Sam ED teams for their talents, hard work, and unwavering commitment to excellence that made this outstanding achievement possible!

 

Bringing convenient and timely access to high-quality care close to home is a vital part of our work to Get Healthcare Right for our community. So, I’m pleased to share another exciting milestone in this effort! Yesterday (Monday, July 11), TriHealth opened our newest physician practice in Brookville, IN – TriHealth Physician Partners Brookville Pediatrics. Located at 10058 Cooley Road in Brookville, Drs. Heather Mandrell and Timothy Richmond (pictured right), and Nurse Practitioner Lisa Schultz will offer comprehensive pediatric care to the Brookville community – another step forward in our efforts to deliver the right care at the right time in the right place!

 

We’ve seen a slight uptick in COVID cases over the past week across the region and here at TriHealth, where we are now caring for 37 COVID inpatients with five on ventilators. The good news is most tri-state counties remain at a “low” community risk, and the regional positivity rate is stable at 11.2% (see COVID graphic to the right). However, we continue to monitor the more contagious Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 for any concerning new trends, but are encouraged that hospitalizations and severity remain relatively low due to vaccines, boosters, and anti-viral medications. 

 

Mark your calendars and be sure to join us next Wednesday at noon on Bridge for our July Team Member Town Hall. We’ll celebrate recent system wins, provide current COVID updates, and share more about our plans and initiatives underway for FY2023 and beyond! As always, we will also devote plenty of time to answer ALL of your questions – and those who participate in the conversation will have the chance to win some great TriHealth prizes. So don’t miss your chance to join in the team discussion and have some fun!

 

Thank you for everything you do to make TriHealth Great… for those we serve and those who serve! Together, we are leading the way to Get Healthcare Right regionally and nationally, and I am so grateful to have the privilege of working side-by-side with you on this sacred journey!!