Dear Colleagues:
As a physician entity, we have the primary opportunity to reduce LOS at BWH by keeping focused on the goal, communicating to nurses and other members of the patient care team, and collaborating with the nurse care coordinators to sharpen the discharge process. These are all ways in which BWPO members can influence a decrease in LOS by year’s end and an overall half-day decrease by 2005. Even more important in the process is engaging the entire patient care team in the estimated LOS for each patient case by communicating it to the patient and his or her family members. Open and straight forward communication to patients and family members on the expected LOS and anticipated day and time of discharge is key to keeping discharges on schedule.
Like Andy and the other members of hospital senior management, BWPO leadership is committed to driving LOS at BWH down to its reasonable target while enhancing the quality of patient care. I encourage BWPO physicians to work together to make this a reality in order to aggressively move the institutional Strategic Plan forward.
Sincerely,
Lawrence H. Cohn, MD
Chairman, BWPO