Dear Colleagues:
Successful partnerships with Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and referring physicians have led to significant increases in inpatient volume, outpatient visits and surgical cases at Faulkner Hospital. As more primary care practices establish themselves at Faulkner, the volume will continue to demonstrate the BW/F approach of providing the right care in the right location.

Our ability to continue our success with Faulkner Hospital, affects our ability to deliver on our payer contracts. For example, in many of BWH’s contracts, weighted days per thousand are 2.2 at BWH versus 1 at Faulkner. As physicians are already aware, whenever possible, appropriate admissions should take place at Faulkner, as it offers high quality academic care in a community setting. Your assistance in making certain that tertiary care is handled at BWH and other cases are appropriately admitting to Faulkner is appreciated.

Much effort has gone into making certain that the appropriate access, beds and OR capacity are available to make this process easier for you as clinicians. Such access improvements have increased surgical activity at Faulkner. The number of surgical procedures in the first five months of FY 04 is 22.6 percent higher than that in October to February of FY 03. In addition, actual surgical procedure totals have been more in line with budgeted totals compared to last year.

We continue to value your feedback to the BW/F model and other improvement efforts underway. Feel free to bring your ideas directly to your division chief or department chair.

Sincerely yours,

Lawrence H. Cohn, MD
Chairman, BWPO