Dear Colleagues:
Following the momentum created by the four 2003 Service Excellence initiatives, two additional programs will soon be underway for 2004. As with all Service Excellence efforts, the 2004 projects will address highly visible tasks that are relatively well circumscribed, measurable and sustainable over time. The 2004 projects mark the second of five years worth of initiatives to help BWH differentiate itself from other academic medical centers and community teaching hospitals. The next round of Service Excellence programs are again being coordinated by BWH’s Center for Clinical Excellence, in collaboration with the outside design firm, IDEO.

Chosen to bring about improvement within the patient care team and the patient’s experience, the 2004 Service Excellence programs include Enhancing Referring Physician Communication and Enhancing Team Communication and Patient Flow.

The first initiative, led by Drs. Andrew Sussman and Robert Goldszer and Vicki Amalfitano, will strengthen the initial and follow-up communication between referring physicians and BWH specialists. This will be achieved by a comprehensive approach, addressing areas of opportunity related to accessing appointments, requesting a consult and communication on patient progress once that patient is seen or admitted at BWH.

The second initiative, Enhancing Team Communication and Patient Flow, involves a three-prong approach to enhancing communication between all members of the care team and eliminating delays in patient flow. First, a group of General Medicine and Surgery residents will be brainstorming and testing ways to redesign components of existing work and educational processes, to maximize the overall educational experience. Second, service line teams in Oncology, General Medicine, and Thoracic Surgery will be designing and implementing new ways of rounding, communicating the care plan, anticipating discharges, and expediting discharge work. Third, a bed turnaround and patient transport design team will look at ways to improve these aspects of patient flow.

Both initiatives are critical to meeting BWH’s education and patient care goals.

Sincerely,

Andy Whittemore, MD
Chief Medical Officer