FROM THE CHAIRMAN

by Michael Gregory, M.D., Chairman

Who Receives the Value

November 14, 2008

Recently I wrote an article on the August Program Directors’ Summit and the impact it had on me personally. In that article I discussed Michael Gregory’s reading of the book “The Go-Giver” which described the path to success for business and for life. The first of the five lessons that the author of the book describes is “providing move value than you receive in payment”. This is a very powerful message and provided the basis for the rest of the book.

Today, I wanted to give you an example of how an Apogee Program has taken it upon themselves to do just that. The Providence Medford Medical Center Program, under the leadership of Dr. Michael Marvinney, agreed to pilot a patient call back initiative. Basically, this initiative involves the Apogee Physician responsible for discharging the patient to home, calling the patient within two days.

The objective is simple: Are the patients doing well and do they have any other questions or concerns?

Dr. Marvinney’s interest based on the understanding of the impact of a physician taking time from a very busy day to show how much he or she cares. He also recognized the impact this call would have on the safe transition to outpatient care. Safety, service and value. The Hospitalist Promise!

Over the past month, Kevin Gregory, the Apogee CIO and Dr. Marvinney worked on a system to support the physicians in this plan. The power of the Apogee information system, ICE was leveraged to provide the physicians with the contact information for patients discharged home every day. Dr. Marvinney needed the buy in of his team. In their team meetings, the entire Apogee Physicians group at Medford committed to the call back system. So far, so good.

Reports from the PICs in Medford after the first week were less than positive. More work, a new process, the physicians were too busy. However, a week later the tone of the reports completely changed. The physicians were engaged in the process and were making the calls with renewed commitment. What turned them around? The feedback and appreciation they were receiving from their patients!

This is the secret of providing more value than you are paid for. Not only are they making their patients safer, happier and more loyal, they are recapturing the joy of being a physician. They are showing how much they care. For every patient, every day, every time...

Thanks to the Medford Apogee team for showing us what can be done.

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