October 22, 2024

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Hi Team –

With near-perfect weather over the weekend, I hope you had a chance to enjoy some of your favorite fall activities, including the return of BLINK – the nation’s largest public light and art event.

And given our system’s commitment to offer seamless access, as well as health equity for ALL, TriHealth was proud to serve as BLINK’s Accessibility Partner. Through this partnership, attendees with physical limitations were able to access special viewing areas with more accessible pathways and drop-off locations for easier travel, along with the availability of American Sign Language interpreters at many events.

Partnering with Xavier University to Launch New College of Medicine

• Partnerships are in our DNA. And over the past 20 years, our longstanding partnership with Xavier University has grown to encompass sports medicine, student and employee health and wellness, and academic innovation to train the next generation of healthcare professionals.
• Since Xavier University (XU) announced plans last year to launch the nation’s first Jesuit university-sponsored College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM), TriHealth has been working closely with the university to plan for the opening of the COM, which will welcome its first class in the Fall of 2027.
• Shortly after XU’s announcement, we formed a steering team made up of Graduate Medical Education (GME) program directors, along with physician and other clinical leaders who have helped to advise and guide decision making on ways in which TriHealth could assist XU while building on our mission and long history of GME.
• I’m pleased to share that our steering team and board have enthusiastically embraced the creation of new residencies in Internal Medicine and Anesthesiology at Bethesda North and Psychiatry at Good Sam while increasing the size of our General Surgery residency at Good Sam.
• We will also provide essential Undergraduate Medical Education (UME) clinical rotations and experiential learning for XU COM third- and fourth-year medical students. TriHealth’s decision to expand GME and UME will assist XU in meeting accreditation requirements, and most importantly, in providing exceptional medical education.
• As we prepare for a national and regional shortage of physicians in the coming years, our partnership with XU COM is an investment in the future of Greater Cincinnati’s healthcare landscape.
• Together, we will create a strong, local pipeline of the next generation of physicians who are more connected to our region and more likely to practice at TriHealth and in Greater Cincinnati. And this will ultimately, help to ensure we fulfill our promise of providing “surprisingly human care” and exceptional health outcomes to the entire community!
• Look for regular updates on our expanding role with the XU COM in future Weekly Updates and Town Halls in the months ahead.

Mark Witte to Take on Expanded System Role for Strategic and Clinical Program Development

• One of the most important ways we bring our bold vision and brand promise to life is through clinical programs that improve the health of those we serve.
• So, I’m pleased to share that Mark Witte, Vice President of Clinical Service Lines, will take on an expanded role for System Strategic and Clinical Program Development, in addition to his existing leadership responsibilities for the TriHealth Cancer and Blood Institute (TCBI), TPP Medical Specialties, and Precision Medicine.
• Mark’s impressive track record of helping to build world-class clinical programs at TriHealth, including Precision Medicine, Bone Marrow Transplant, and many more, has advanced our work of Getting Healthcare Right while making him uniquely qualified to take on this expanded role.
• In his new role, Mark will oversee key system initiatives which focus sharply on emerging new opportunities, including:
• Pharmacy Solutions: Mark will partner with Amy Cobb, Vice President of Pharmacy Services, to further leverage our broad pharmacy capabilities to better serve our growing patient population. This collaborative work will focus on:
• Expanding our 340B program through pharmacy-led referral pathways.
• Developing an infusion site of care strategy and Center of Excellence to expand access to infusion therapy modalities.
• Weight Management Program: Given recent breakthrough advancements in weight-loss medications and other therapies, Mark will work collaboratively with our leading Bariatric, Weight Management and Endocrinology physicians and clinical teams to enhance our program and its impact for our team members and patients. Areas of focus include:
• Establishing a single, integrated coaching model for patients
• Creating seamless navigation to enhance the patient experience and increase operational efficiencies.

Benefits Enrollment for CY2025 Now Open

• Annual Open Enrollment for CY2025 is now underway through Friday, November 1.
• This is your once-a-year opportunity to review and adjust your benefit elections to best meet your family’s health and wellbeing needs in the coming year.
• This is a passive enrollment, which means if you do not take action during Open Enrollment, your current elections for benefits and insurance coverage will continue in 2025, EXCEPT for your Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Health Savings Account (HSA), and PTO “sellback” elections.
• Visit Bridge for complete details.

October Town Hall Recap

• In case you missed it, click here to view our October Team Member Town Hall, where we shared our latest progress in our journey to take TriHealth from Good to Great, including updates on our Center for Health Equity, Open Enrollment, pillar goal performance and more.

Together, we continue to lead the way in Getting Healthcare Right by choosing to be our best and to bring out the best in each other and all that we do! Thank you for helping us deliver on our promise to provide “surprisingly human care” to all those we serve each and every day!