In the past three years, SHM has brought in-depth quality-improvement (QI) programs to nearly every state in the country.
Between its three major mentored implementation projects—Project BOOST (Better Outcomes for Older Adults through Safe Transitions), Glycemic Control Mentored Implemen-tation, and the Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) Collaborative—SHM has worked with more than 100 hospitals across the country and in Canada. SHM is expanding these three programs to additional hospitals and actively developing other QI initiatives.
“SHM’s quality-improvement programs focus on real change, and they have made a substantial impact,” says Joe Miller, SHM’s senior vice president and chief solutions officer. “Hospitalists using SHM’s quality-improvement methods have impacted the care of tens of thousands of hospitalized patients.”
SHM’s programs all use a mix of in-depth mentoring led by national experts and specially designed resource toolkits that enable hospitalists to lead major initiatives within their hospitals. The programs also facilitate “peer learning,” allowing hospitalists to learn from one another.
Project BOOST, which is designed to reduce unplanned readmissions to the hospital, has received national attention. In early 2010, SHM teamed with Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan and the University of Michigan to bring the program to more than a dozen hospitals in that state. SHM also announced a new collaboration with the California HealthCare Foundation to implement Project BOOST in more than 20 hospitals in California.
“Healthcare reform is creating a new focus on quality improvement,” Miller says. “SHM is bringing a multidisciplinary approach to transforming inpatient care to hospitals across the country.” TH
Chapter Updates
Milwaukee/SE Wisconsin
The Milwaukee/SE Wisconsin chapter held a meeting June 10 at Bacchus Restaurant in Milwaukee, at which congratulations were doled out to chapter member Eric Siegal, MD, SFHM, on his election to SHM’s board of directors. As chair of SHM’s Public Policy Committee, Dr. Siegal advocates for such issues as the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI).
The chapter also acknowledged Dr. Len Scarpinato of St. Luke’s Hospital, who achieved Senior Fellow in Hospital Medicine (SFHM) designation and was honored at HM10 in April in Washington, D.C. As the regional director of Cogent Healthcare in southeast Wisconsin, Dr. Scarpinato has been instrumental in bringing hospitalists together to network and exchange innovative ideas.
Chapter member Jeanette Kalupa, DNP, ACNP-BC, APNP, of St. Luke’s was mentioned in the opening presentation at HM10 for her work as co-chair of the Nonphysician Providers Committee. Despite a busy HM10 schedule, Drs. Don Lee, Wes Lafferty, Scarpinato, Betty Tucker, and Peter Quandt took time out for a White House tour.