Hi Team –

 

While our internal clocks may still be adjusting from last Sunday’s “spring forward,” the return of daylight savings time means longer days, the promise of warmer, sunnier weather, and more opportunities to enjoy our favorite Springtime activities. And we’ve got two great ways to enjoy some outdoor fun in the weeks ahead, all compliments of TriHealth. 

 

As shared last week, we are offering every TriHealth team member, physician and volunteer a FREE pair of tickets to a Cincinnati Reds game. Look for an email from TriHealth Internal Communication which was sent March 7 or visit Bridge to learn more about how to order your tickets. 

 

And as we count down to Reds Opening Day, the city’s favorite soccer team, FC Cincinnati, is back on the “pitch” for what we hope to be another successful season. So, as one more way to usher in Spring and say thank you to the very best healthcare team anywhere, we’re providing an opportunity for eight lucky TriHealth team members and their guests to cheer on the “Orange and Blue” from a suite at TQL Stadium. Click here to register by Friday, March 15, for your chance to win a pair of suite tickets to watch FC Cincinnati take on New York City FC on Saturday, March 23 at 7:30 pm. Winners will be announced in my next Weekly Update, so stay tuned and good luck!

 

Since embarking upon our bold vision to Get Healthcare Right nearly nine years ago, we have learned that when we consistently use evidence-based safety and reliability best practices, it results in reduced harm, a better and safer environment in which to deliver and receive care, an enhanced patient experience and, most importantly, improved clinical outcomes. With breakdowns in communication contributing to an estimated 80% of harm events in healthcare, it should be no wonder that many of our high reliability best practices revolve around effective and consistent communication. 

 

In 2017, we kicked off our safety and reliability journey to Zero Patient Harm with the training of every TriHealth team member and physician in evidence-based safety and reliability practices borrowed from the safest and most reliable industries, like nuclear power and aviation. Since then, our commitment to achieving Zero Harm has been reinforced in many ways, including through our Annual Safety Summits and regular Culture of Safety Surveys. Today, we are continuing to make meaningful progress in becoming a more reliable and safer organization for patients and team members alike as evidenced by the strong and improving Culture of Safety survey results and continued declines in harm and serious safety events. As much progress as we have made, we know errors and miscommunications continue to occur… and even one serious safety or harm event is too many. 

 

So, next week, our 800+ TriHealth leaders and physician leaders will come together for our 28th Leadership Development Institute (LDI) and Annual Safety Summit, themed Hardwiring Highly Reliable Communication… In the Patient Care Setting and with You! 

 

This one-day program on March 19 will be devoted to reinforcement and mastery of high reliability and safety practices related to communication. From easing patient anxiety through the use of AIDET + The Promise to creating situational awareness of safety through the use of daily huddles and rounding to reducing mistakes and human error through proven high reliability tools like 3-way Repeat Backs, STAR and Peer Checks, we know that communicating effectively helps to ensure we provide the safest and highest quality care to every patient we serve… always! And, we know that communicating openly and honestly with YOU ensures that you are fully informed and have the information you need to be fully engaged in our work to Get Healthcare Right for those we serve and those who serve!

 

Expect to hear from your leaders soon after the LDI about what they learned, how they will be actively assisting team members to hardwire these foundational TriHealth Way best practices and how we are working as a leadership team to continue to communicate openly and honestly. 

 

Thank you, as always, for supporting your leaders as they take the necessary time away from their daily responsibilities to participate in this important LDI. Ultimately, this will help all of us to become the best servant leaders for you, supporting and enabling you to do your best and be your best for those we serve! 

 

We know that fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging to build trust and promote health equity begins with understanding our own strengths and weaknesses in both the process and outcomes of care. To do better, we first have to measure our performance and understand where opportunities for improvement or “gaps” exist as it relates to access, care delivery, service, and experience.

 

And that’s why I’m pleased to announce that Good Samaritan and Bethesda North Hospitals have been awarded “Leader” and “Advocate” badges by Mama Certified, a first-of-its-kind certification aimed at advancing maternal health equity for Black families.

 

Mama Certified was developed in response to shocking racial disparities in maternal and infant mortality in the region and across the nation. DID YOU KNOW? Black moms in Ohio are 2.5 times more likely to die during childbirth and nearly 3 times more likely to experience infant loss than any other race, regardless of education and socioeconomic factors.

 

Developed through a partnership with Cradle Cincinnati, The Health Collaborative, Queens Village, and local health systems, Mama Certified is improving quality and reducing morbidity and mortality by setting standards and assessing performance across four categories: infant care, maternal care, staff care, and community care. Importantly, it also provides Black parents-to-be with the information they need to make informed decisions about where to seek and receive care based on this certification which assesses a health system’s commitment to eradicate birth-related health disparities. 

 

Good Sam and Bethesda North both received the highest awards – “Leader” badges in maternal care and “Advocate” badges in infant care for our progress in creating inclusive and equitable experiences and ultimately improving health outcomes for Black parents and babies. Congratulations to the TriHealth Mama Certified Team and the entire Women’s Services and Maternity Teams at Bethesda North and Good Sam for this well-deserved recognition of your leadership and advocacy in proactively addressing and ultimately eliminating health disparities for Black parents and babies! And a BIG thank you to Jill Miller, President & CEO of Bethesda Inc. and bi3, for generously funding this important community program, which is breaking down barriers, improving best care and saving lives!

 

TriHealth’s Graduate Medical Education (GME) program has a long history of preparing the next generation of physicians, including my own father many years ago who like many of our GME graduates went on to practice at TriHealth hospitals. Our 10 nationally recognized residencies and fellowships attract over 130 top physician residents and fellows from across the nation and around the world.

 

And that’s why I’m thrilled to share that for the first time in the history of our Family Practice Residency Program, all seven graduating residents – the entire class – have chosen to remain with TriHealth and will join TriHealth Physician Partners (TPP) this summer!!! At a time when our region and nation are experiencing a shortage of primary care physicians, tapping into our GME “pipeline” to retain these exceptional physicians “at home” here at TriHealth is an important part of our work to build a world-class physician community for the patients we serve.

 

These physicians had many options and could have chosen to go anywhere, but they have elected to remain with TriHealth because of our one-of-a-kind TriHealth Way culture, our shared commitment to advancing population health, and the opportunity to work beside the very best team within TPP and our system. And with Cincinnati Magazine reporting once again in January that TriHealth has more Top Doctors than any other health system in the region, they are joining a great team!

 

A BIG thank you to Family Medicine Residency Program Director Dr. Scott Woods and our entire faculty and staff who continue to train and prepare our next generation of physicians. And let’s all give a big TriHealth welcome to these seven Family Medicine residents (pictured to the left) who will soon join TPP: Dr. Colton Briggs; Dr. Lindsay Darkins; Dr. Casey Gallagher; Dr. Kendra Hall; Dr. Subhra Jana; Dr. Mikaela Moore; and Dr. Lauren Trout.

 

And speaking of our Top Doctors, earlier this month, the TriHealth Surgical Institute (TSI) hosted its first TriHealth Hernia Symposium since the onset of COVID. The program drew nearly 40 surgeons, clinicians and perioperative team members from across the region who gathered to learn from TriHealth’s Hernia Center surgeons about acute hernia care and other hernia-related topics. This symposium is the latest example, among many others, of TriHealth’s position as a leader in the region in educating physicians on the latest clinical advances and a model for Getting Healthcare Right. Congratulations to Hernia Symposium leader, Dr. Bryan Ellis, Symposium presenters Dr. Robert Bradley, Dr. Kshitij Kakar, Dr. Samuel Osei, and Dr. Kevin Schrand, and the entire TSI team for bringing together our surgical community in the name of delivering better, safer patient care. 

 

Don’t miss your chance to send in your design for our 2024 Healthcare Appreciation Week t-shirt. We’ve already received nearly 75 designs from our team members but there is still time to tap into your creative side and submit your concept! The winning t-shirt design will be selected by team member voting and it will be unveiled at the Healthcare Appreciation Week Town Hall on May 15. Visit Bridge for contest details, prize information and design submission instructions. Don’t be late: t-shirt designs must be received by next Tuesday, March 19.

 

Thank you for all you do as ONE Team, TriHealth STRONG to help us move TriHealth from good to great – all so we can achieve our bold vision of Getting Healthcare Right for all those we serve, always! It is because of you and your commitment to delivering “surprisingly human care” to all those we serve that our patients are healthier and the care we provide is more accessible and more affordable!