In November, BWH rolled out its new Strategic Plan designed to guide the hospital through the challenges of the next decade. Essential to the organization’s continued focus and success, the plan provides a structural roadmap with specific goals and objectives.
One of the key areas of focus is the Faulkner integration. In order to continue to integrate services with Faulkner Hospital in a way that makes sense to both Faulkner and BWH, there are specific goals over the next several years to fortify this affiliation that took place in 1998.
According to BW/F leadership, the goals fall into three categories—Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates (HVMA) and BWH primary care physician (PCP) integration into Faulkner; BW/F physician integration; and Faulkner capacity planning. Leaders at BWH and Faulkner have been working together to produce thoughtful ways of attaining these goals.
To meet the goals of the BWH Strategic Plan, HVMA and BWH PCP-directed admissions should grow to 2,900 on an annual basis. Currently, there are approximately 2,000 HVMA and BWH PCP annual admissions.
As the Departments of Medicine and Surgery have paved the way for solid physician partnerships between BWH and Faulkner, more and more divisions and departments are moving forward to combine efforts to deliver service to BW/F patients. The next phase of integration involves Radiology (see “Partners in Progress” above), followed by certain PCP practices that are expected to open offices at Faulkner starting in May. Other steps to move this component of the plan forward include:
- Growing BWH surgical volume at Faulkner;
- Finalizing the Brigham and Women’s/Faulkner Radiology agreement;
- Increasing BWH PCP admissions to Faulkner; and
- Expanding BW/F Cardiology.
Capacity planning at Faulkner has been underway since the BW/F 1998 affiliation, but more expansion potential still exists. Currently BWH and Faulkner are developing a three to five year space capacity plan at Faulkner to support BWH’s and Faulkner’s volume growth.