Giving Thanks and Remembering

One person who has made a difference in my life has been Dr. Samuel Levey, one of my professors when I was a student at the University of Iowa College of Public Health. In recent years, I have enjoyed being a guest lecturer for Sam’s class. I gained a great deal from my experiences with him. It is fun to be in his classroom again. His students are always bright, engaging, and inquisitive. This year was no different.

A student asked me what my best and worst days have been as a hospital administrator. My response to “best days” was easy; there are too many to count. For the past 21 years I have witnessed on a daily basis so many selfless acts of compassion and healing, so many wonderful employees, physicians, volunteers…and more. The stories of women and men reaching out to others in the name of caring and healing are endless.

The worst day was so devastating, it still haunts me almost three years later.

On the morning of January 15, 2007, I received a phone call from the hospital that one of our employees had died while working that morning. Randy Criswell was our carpenter. His past experience as a private contractor and his wonderful personality made him a great employee. He worked with us at GRMC for just a year, but I had known him outside of the workplace for years. We coached our kids’ little league teams together. He was the baseball expert…I mostly stood at third base and hoped I would make the right decision sending the runner home. I really enjoyed him as a friend and a co-worker. I was thrilled when he decided to work at the hospital.

When it snows here in east central Iowa, we have an “all hands on deck” approach to clear the snow. A big priority for the medical center is our helipad. It must be cleared so helicopters can land to save lives. That morning, Randy was helping his colleagues in facilities management with snow removal. While clearing the snow from our helipad, Randy fell from the second story landing pad, and was killed instantly. We don’t know why the safety fencing failed to keep him from falling. Randy was a husband and father of three children. He was a committed man—committed to his family, committed to a job well done, and committed to helping others. He always had a smile on his face and a hand reaching out in support of those around him. He was my friend. And he was a valued GRMC employee. Randy made a difference. He has been missed.

In the days, weeks, and months that followed Randy’s death we pulled together as a hospital community. We cared for one another. We cared for Randy’s family. We finished the home Randy was remodeling for his family. We pledged to remember Randy for his commitment to pride in craftsmanship. We pledged to make GRMC a safer place to work. We pledged to be inspired by his spirit of compassion for others.

As I prepare for Thanksgiving, I am reminded that life is fragile. Each day is indeed a gift. Randy’s all too short, but extremely well-lived life, is an inspiration to me to live life to the fullest. I try to take nothing for granted and truly savor every moment – which can be challenging given the hectic pace of life today. As I reflect on the blessings of the holiday this week, I plan to remember all those who have made a difference in my life and redouble my efforts to do what I can to make a difference for others.

The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent GRMC’s positions, strategies, or opinions.

Aiming Higher for Excellence in Healthcare

Every two years, The Commonwealth Fund provides their State Scorecard, ranking all states according to 38 common benchmarks such as access to care, quality of care, costs, and health outcomes.

In 2009, Iowa tied with Hawaii for second place, the highest ranking for a state in the upper Midwest. This was also our ranking in the 2007 scorecard. The following is what is known as the Top Quartile.

1. Vermont
2. Hawaii/Iowa
4. Minnesota
5. Maine/New Hampshire
7. Massachusetts
8. Connecticut
9. North Dakota
10. Wisconsin
11. Rhode Island
12. South Dakota
13. Nebraska

“Leading states consistently outperform lagging states across indicators and dimensions; public policy and public-private collaboration can make a difference.”

“Some states in the Upper Midwest (e.g. Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota) achieve high quality at lower costs. Although these states are exceptions to the rule, they provide examples for other states to follow in pursuit of both goals.”

Interestingly enough, many of these states (Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota) provide some of the highest quality care at a lower cost. I’ve been beating the drum for years about the inequities in the Medicare reimbursement system. These states are setting the example for the rest of the nation in healthcare reform. There are wide geographical disparities in payment and if it holds, there is a provision in the recently passed House (H.R. 3200) that will call for review for rural healthcare providers to modify our reimbursement structure.

Hopefully, the term “tweener hospital” will be a thing of the past someday. What the future holds for healthcare and specifically for hospitals, remains to be seen.

Fighting the Flu

Last week, I helped staff our first “tier one” H1N1 immunization clinic held at the Grinnell Athletic and Recreation Center. Worried parents and pregnant women started lining up at 9 a.m. for a 3 p.m. clinic! Fortunately, the clinic was extremely well organized and all those seeking and eligible for the vaccine were served. The crowd of more than 400 was very orderly and seemed extremely well informed. With a shortage of vaccine and media hype, we were prepared for anything.

As it turned out, all the planning, practice, and training paid off with an orderly and efficient process. My hat is off to all our team members whose dedication to making a difference in the lives of others really burned brightly.

Two more clinics are scheduled in the next two weeks and I expect things will also go well thanks to the commitment of our employees and the people we are fortunate to serve in this area. We are working hard to get those who have their authorizations for the vaccine done as soon as possible, considering factors that are beyond our control.

For now, just remember to keep your hands washed, cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or the sleeve of your elbow, and stay home if you aren’t feeling well. Check out the GRMC website for updates on availability of vaccine and upcoming clinics.

Together, we will make it through this.

Raising the Red Flag on Identity Theft

Typically, when I think of identity theft, I think about someone stealing a credit card and racking up huge bills or opening financial accounts in that person’s name using their personal information.

In healthcare, we work very hard to protect individuals’ personal health information. This includes not only your everyday information such as your address, phone number, or Social Security Number; this includes your Medicare card, your health insurance account number, your medical information, and more. We are covered by a law known as The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, otherwise known to us as HIPAA.

In the past year, you may have noticed some changes when you come to GRMC for services. For example, we are now asking for a photo I.D. so we can make a copy for our records so we will always know who you are. Even though we see many of you on regular basis and certainly know who you are, this is not the same for everyone.

Using that same situation about a stolen credit card, consider this scenario:
Someone has stolen your wallet and has all your identification, including your insurance cards. They can sell your information to scam artists for a good deal of money, or they could use your card themselves. They could walk into the emergency room of an urban hospital and get medical care on your account. Untangling all that with your insurance company would be a difficult and lengthy process because now you have medical tests, results, and health conditions on your account that may or may not be yours.

We have also heard stories from other parts of the country where a friend with health insurance gives their insurance card to a friend who is without insurance and needs medical care. This may be well-intentioned, but is very dangerous for the same reasons. First of all, it is fraud and now existing health conditions are tagged with this insurance account complicating an already complicated situation.

Thanks for your patience as we implement these new rules designed to protect you and your financial and personal health information. Please let us know if you have any questions about the “Red Flags Rule.”

2009 Women's Health Focus

GRMC and the GRMC Auxiliary hosted more than 500 attendees at the 2009 women's health focus. Guests had the opportunity to visit educational booths, shop with local vendors, eat a fabulous buffet dinner, and enjoy a presentation by Tracey Conway.

Below are some photos from the event.


Guests were able to gather valuable information from the educational booths.


The Marketplace was a new addition this year. Guests were able to start their holiday shopping early.


The massage therapists from Postels Community Health Park relaxed guests with chair massages.


Fly High instructor Jenn Mavin taught guests how to practice yoga while seated.


Tracey Conway delivered a powerful message, and reminded women to make every beat count.

We’re No. 11!

Remember the ads that one of rental car companies did a few years ago? “We’re Number Two!” I’m glad to say, “We’re Number 11!”

I am really excited about this year’s Consumer Reports feature on healthcare. This is the first time they have rated healthcare institutions and GRMC did very well.

Despite the challenging financial situation we’ve been working with the past few years, GRMC ranked 11^th out of 117 hospitals in the entire state of Iowa for overall patient rating. We are also providing this excellent care at 30 percent below the national average for healthcare costs.

It’s a team effort and I am proud of everyone – medical staff, employees, volunteers, and our community supporters – who make GRMC the quality institution it is.

Hospitals were ranked using a variety of benchmarks on quality, patient satisfaction, as well as data from the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice for the Approach to Chronic Care section and pulled information from the Dartmouth Atlas study, which also presents Iowa hospitals and GRMC in a very positive way.

GRMC excelled above all of our competition. GRMC scored 77 along with Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids and Waverly Health Center. The highest score in the state went to Mercy Iowa City with an 84.

If you are familiar with the Consumer Report’s easy to understand rating circles, you’ll be excited to see we have five full red circles (the best score), two half circles in red (second best) and one empty circle, which is neutral. No black circles, the lowest rating.

There's one other tweener hospital that ranked higher than we did. I'm proud to say that our friends at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll, Iowa scored 82 and they are number five. There's a goal for us!

The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent GRMC’s positions, strategies, or opinions.

All Hands on Deck for Flu

Nearly every department at GRMC is involved in discussion and planning for this year’s flu season. Even our summer daycamp program got involved this year! It’s a greater challenge this year because we are dealing with two different kinds of flu. There’s the seasonal flu, which is actually a collection of flu viruses, different strains every year, and the novel H1N1 virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) hosted a nationwide contest asking participants to create a public service announcement about H1N1. An intern in our public relations department wrote and produced this spot with the rest of the PR team. The “actors” are GRMC kids. Their parents work here and these kids were involved with our summer day camp program.

Even though the message is presented in a fun and humorous way, there is a serious side to this. It’s important for you to get immunized against seasonal flu. Everyone needs to do that. But not everyone is going to need to be immunized for H1N1. Right now, it appears that infants, pregnant women, and children under age five are going to be at the greatest risk for complications from H1N1. And because this is the group that is at greatest risk, those who live with them and care for them regularly will also be a priority group for immunization.

There is a lot of information on our website that gives you the schedule for seasonal flu clinics, how to stay well, and prevent the spread of illness. Stay in touch with us through our website, sign up for Constant Contact email updates, follow us on Twitter, or call our 24-hour hotline for flu information, 641-236-2918.

The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent GRMC’s positions, strategies, or opinions.