February 06, 2024
Hi Team –
Well, we are kicking off February with good news from Groundhog Day last Friday – Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow, providing a bit of optimism that spring will arrive early! Regardless of when the warmer spring weather arrives though, here at TriHealth, we have many reasons to be optimistic about the prospects ahead for continued progress in our work to Get Healthcare Right. Here is what’s new this week...
Getting Healthcare Right
Celebrating Black History Month
This first week of February marks the beginning of our celebrations of Black History Month, which is a time for remembrance, acknowledgment, and celebration of the meaningful and lasting contributions of African Americans in every facet of our society, including healthcare. Celebrating Black History Month, along with other such special months, including National Hispanic Heritage Month and Women’s History Month, are all part of TriHealth’s commitment to promote and foster Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEI+B), both within TriHealth and throughout the communities we serve. And this is not only the right thing to do, it is foundational to building a culture of belonging and trust which enables us to better carry out our mission of service to improve the health and wellbeing of our increasingly diverse community. Taking action to create a more equitable and just healthcare environment, which we are doing through our Center for Health Equity and DEI+B work, helps to ensure that EVERY member of our ENTIRE community has access to safe, high-quality, and affordable care when and where they need it. In celebration of Black History Month, our DEI+B team has developed a robust offering of opportunities to learn, share, celebrate, and give thanks throughout the month for the many contributions of Black Americans, including:
- An interactive panel discussion regarding the state of DEI+B: The panel features TriHealth Chief Equity Officer Dr. Thomas Shockley, DEI+B expert Vincent Brown, and other TriHealth leaders discussing the importance and state of DEI+B in our society and healthcare today.
- Food Trucks: Enjoy lunchtime with team members, featuring Black-owned food trucks that will be present at Good Samaritan and Bethesda North Hospitals.
- Black-Owned Business Marketplace: Black-owned apparel company – GO(O)D, along with Sweet Treats, a local Black-owned dessert business, will be at various TriHealth sites throughout the month.
- Showcasing Our Own: We’ll be spotlighting and celebrating the contributions of our own Black American team members, leaders, and physicians who have advanced TriHealth’s mission of improving the health of our community, while helping ALL of our patients be seen, be heard, and be healed.
- Black History Month Awareness Campaign: We’ll be promoting opportunities for team members to get involved with community engagement activities in support of local causes across Greater Cincinnati.
Check out my Weekly Updates and Bridge throughout the month for updates and more details about how you can participate. And in the coming months, we have similar plans to showcase the rich diversity at TriHealth and throughout our community, in recognition of National Hispanic Heritage Month, Women’s History Month, Diversity Month, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, PRIDE, our own ERGs, and more, so stay tuned!
Pillar Goal Performance for First Half of FY24
Now more than halfway through FY24, our work to Get Healthcare Right – and go from Good to Great for those we serve – is marked by encouraging progress and improved performance with many of our Pillar Goals, including reduced harm events, solid growth across all of our service lines, and strong financial performance, but also continued challenges in other areas.
Today, we face industry and environmental “headwinds,” including labor shortages and rising costs, as well as performance improvement opportunities with some of our other goals – especially with new hire turnover and patient experience. The work ahead in both overcoming these challenges and closing gaps with Pillar Goals will ensure we remain a strong organization, capable of consistently delivering on our promise of surprisingly human care that drives exceptional outcomes for all those we serve, ALWAYS.
Click here for more information on the progress we’ve made during the first half of FY24 with our Pillar Goals. We also plan to share our plans and the progress to date in overcoming these industry challenges as well as improving effectiveness with team member retention and patient experience, and we will do that in upcoming Weekly Updates and Town Halls, so be sure to join the conversation!
CBS’s Local 12 Special Highlights TriHealth’s Leading Cancer Care Program
As yet another example of TriHealth’s leadership in Getting Healthcare Right, our own, Dr. Douglas Adams, cardiothoracic surgeon (pictured left), and Dr. Thomas Shockley, Chief Health Equity Officer and Associate CMO for the Bethesda North region (pictured right) will be featured this Saturday, February 10, at 7pm, during a one-hour primetime special hosted by Liz Bonis airing on Local12 titled, “Cancer Breakthroughs.” The special will highlight how world-class physicians and healthcare providers are applying scientific and technological innovations to advance the diagnosis and treatment of cancer at all stages in Cincinnati and throughout the country. Dr. Adams will provide insights on the importance of early detection and specifically how TriHealth’s use of low-dose “screening” CT scans is more effectively detecting early-stage lung cancer for at-risk patient populations, often before patients experience symptoms. Dr. Shockley will speak about the importance of Health Equity in cancer treatment and the healthcare industry’s responsibility to ensure ALL Cincinnati residents have access to preventive services and treatment options.
A BIG thanks to Dr. Adams and Dr. Shockley for representing TriHealth so well and demonstrating how we are leading the way in Getting Cancer Care Right by providing the right care in the right place at the right time for the right cost to achieve the right and best outcomes possible for every patient in need! And increasingly, early detection leading to better treatment and cures is the right care at the right time!!!
Nursing Leadership Transition
Bethesda North Regional Chief Nursing Officer, Susan Macy, will be leaving TriHealth later this month. We wish Susan well and thank her for her years of service to TriHealth and our patients. TriHealth System Chief Nursing Executive, Jenny Skinner, will step in and be onsite at Bethesda North to provide continuous strong nursing leadership during the transition. A search for a new CNO for Bethesda North is now underway.
With more than 30 years of nursing leadership experience, we are confident in Jenny and the entire Bethesda North leadership team to continue the important work underway, all to ensure we consistently deliver the level of care and service our patients and community deserve and have come to expect from TriHealth.
An “Artrageous” Evening at The Good Samaritans’ Gala Benefits Good Samaritan Hospital Transformation
Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of welcoming The Good Samaritans and a sold-out crowd of 635 attendees to our 39th annual Gala. This year’s event was hosted at Music Hall and themed “Artrageous” – bringing together the vibrancy, brilliance, and heartfelt humanity of the arts with TriHealth’s mission-driven, patient-centered work to Get Healthcare Right.
And I’m thrilled to share that this year’s event set a new fundraising record of $718,000 in support of the Good Samaritan Foundation’s Forever Forward campaign – that’s over $100,000 more than last year! Forever Forward is an ambitious $30 million fundraising campaign that is helping to support our $240 million investment in the Good Sam campus which will create the “healthcare hub” of the future. Additionally, the Gala’s proceeds will benefit the Medical Education Research Fund and the Good Samaritan Free Health Center.Through our annual Galas, the Good Samaritans have raised more than $10 million and counting over the years. A very special thanks and congratulations go out to Mary Rafferty, President and CEO of the Good Samaritan Foundation, the entire Foundation Board and team, and The Good Samaritans for yet another very successful Gala in support of Good Sam and our entire community! Click here for a recap and photos of the Gala highlights.
At the heart of our continued success in Getting Healthcare Right, is YOU, the very best healthcare team anywhere! Thank you for ALWAYS giving your best in support of our shared efforts to BE the best for each other and all those we serve!!