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Innovations for the Hospital Medicine Adventure

In his book Organizing Genius: The Secrets of Creative Collaboration, Warren Bennis explores the success of such diverse enterprises as the development by Apple of the Macintosh, the engineering mastery at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works of the stealth aircraft, the Manhattan Project that developed the nuclear bomb, and Disney’s creation of animated feature films (e.g., “Snow White”) and found that an adventurous spirit was critical element. Adventure was defined as “risk, jeopardy, a daring feat, encountering a hazardous enterprise.”

Hospital medicine is on no less of an adventure. The prize at the end of the journey is better healthcare for our communities. Hospitalists are the soldiers in this battle. Whether you are the general or the foot soldier, we must all help prevail. SHM will be there to do its part. TH

Dr. Wellikson has been CEO of SHM since 2000.

LETTERS

Correction

In the April 2006 issue we inadvertently misspelled Norma Melgoza’s name in “Start Me Up,” p. 1. It was listed as “Malgoza” instead of “Melgoza.” We apologize for the error.

Praise for Families Article

Thanks to Gretchen Henkel for her timely and thorough article on dealing with the families of hospitalized patients (“The Challenge of Family,” April 2006, p. 23). This is an overlooked and under-appreciated aspect of communication. Involvement of family members is a dimension that defines “Patient Centered Care.”1 The expectations of family members related to decision-making and treatment plans must be met to achieve satisfactory service outcomes including patient satisfaction.

From a risk management standpoint, poor communication is cited as a frequent cause for plaintiff malpractice concerns. Often family members bring lawsuits on behalf of deceased or disabled patients.

Practical communication tools include proactive phone calls to family members not present at the usual rounding times, or an extra bedside visit when they are available. These types of services offer more than patients and families expect and can result in high levels of patient satisfaction.2

Patrick J. Torcson, MD, MMM, FACP

Director of Hospital Medicine

St. Tammany Parish

Hospital, Covington, La.

  1. Gerteis M, Edgman-Levitan S, Daley J, et al. Through the Patient’s Eyes. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass; 1993.
  2. Torcson PJ. Patient satisfaction: the hospitalist’s role. The Hospitalist. 2005; July/Aug:27-30.
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