June 23, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB Health System has announced the winners of its inaugural Innovation Awards, which acknowledge novel and inventive programs, policies, ideas and processes implemented in the last two years that have led to significant, measurable improvements in patient care and/or operational efficiency.
The awards recognize best practices in UAB Health System entities and affiliates, with a goal of promoting widespread adoption of exceptional programs and ideas. Montgomery-based Baptist Health took first place in this first year of the program after the Health System CEO Council reviewed 36 nominations and selected three winners in each of two categories: Impact, for programs that have had the greatest positive effects on patient care or operations, and Creativity, for programs that demonstrate exceptional vision and imagination.
"Not only did we want to recognize outstanding effort with this program, we also want to use it as a forum for sharing these ideas so we can all gain from the creativity of others," said Health System CEO William Ferniany, Ph.D. "The UAB Health System is both internationally renowned and the heart of health care in Alabama in large part because of its innovative network of services that provides a complete range of care for patients from all over the world.
"We congratulate all the winners," Ferniany said. "They are making a difference in people's lives every day."
CREATIVITY AWARDS
First Place: Synergistic Medical and Resource Team Training (SMART Training), Baptist Health
A team at Baptist Health created SMART training to improve patient safety by enhancing communication and teamwork among clinical care teams. SMART training, which began two years ago, combines evidence-based practice, aviation crew resource management, high-fidelity simulation and purpose-based decision making. More than 1,200 health care professionals have received the training, which is now a part of general orientation. As result, Baptist Health has undergone a culture change that has resulted in a positive, measurable impact on patient outcomes.
Primary program collaborators were Baptist Health Chief Patient Safety Officer Randy Johnson, Ph.D., former professor of aviation, Auburn University; COO Robin Barca, R.N., M.S.; and Institute for Patient Safety and Medical Simulation Director Judi Miller, R.N., M.S.N.
Second place: The Ambassador Program, UAB Health System
The Ambassador Program gives referring physicians a complete picture of their patients' visit to the UAB Health System, providing them with secure online access to clinic documentation, lab results, pathology results and hospital documents. The program offers physicians many benefits, including timely and complete access to patient records, improved continuity of care, elimination of redundant and costly paperwork and increased overall satisfaction.
Health System Information Services Directors Donald G. Fast and Geoffrey D. Gordon developed the concept and designed the system with the help of Chief Information Officer Joan Hicks and The Kirklin Clinic and Physician Services staff. Mary Gibson, R.N., B.S.N., and Kimberly D. Hummel, R.N., M.S.N., of Physician Services traveled throughout the state to introduce this system to referring physicians. More than 600 physicians have enrolled, accessing information on more than 5,000 patients.
Third place: UAB Bereavement Program, UAB Hospital
The Family Support and Bereavement Program was developed to improve support for families who lose a loved one at UAB and provide resources for care teams who experience the death of a patient. The program began with the creation of a family support coordinator position to provide increased emotional support and counseling to families of patients who die during hospitalization.
The Bereavement Program expanded quickly and now offers families seven points of contact during the first year after death. Families can opt out of the program or add more family members to the mailing list. Since the program began in November 2007, more than 1,800 family members have received materials. The seventh point of contact is an invitation to a memorial service. More than 370 family members and caregivers attended this year's April service, and the overall response to the program has been overwhelmingly positive.
The program was designed and is overseen by Family Support Coordinator Wendy B. Walters, LCSW, OSW-C, and Assistant Vice President Deborah McGrew, Transplant and Ambulatory Services.
IMPACT AWARDS
First Place: CareAdvisor Program, Baptist Health
Baptist Health developed the CareAdvisor Program to find cost-effective methods for provision of high-quality care. Program goals were to open bed capacity, reduce readmission rates and improve outcomes for the recently discharged, as well as to improve the health and wellness of patients in the Baptist Health community.
The CareAdvisor patient management team includes two nurse case managers, a social worker, a health resource coordinator, a primary care residency program, a 24/7 Nurse Advice Line and a retail pharmacy. Nurses work closely with each patient's health care provider and offer self-care education to patients and their caregivers. Patient services are provided at no cost for one year.
Early findings show that CareAdvisor has reduced average patient costs for those enrolled in the program by 70 percent and decreased costs for unmanaged. The program also has decreased costs per encounter for emergency department care.
Second place: Ensuring a Safe, Consistent Blood Supply for UAB and the State, UAB Hospital
Faced with a constant shortfall in critical blood supplies, Sherry R. Polhill, administrative director for Hospital Laboratories, worked with Hospital Administration to ensure a safe, consistent blood supply. Program goals were to conserve resources and increase local collections to limit the need for blood imported from outside Alabama. A second approach focused on decreased utilization, as medical evidence has shown that conservative blood transfusion policies improve outcomes.
Frequent hospital-wide blood drives were promoted on campus and closely tied to programs designed to increase employee participation and keep them involved in donation. Closer monitoring of blood units also has led to better utilization. Results have been impressive: Compared with fiscal year (FY) 08, first quarter FY09 showed a 125 percent increase in collections, while blood product utilization decreased 19 percent. Annual hospital blood costs also sharply decreased. In FY07, annual blood costs topped out at $10,895,693. The projected cost savings for FY09 blood products is $1,876,557. Since 2006 the hospital has saved $2.6 million dollars.
Third place: Reduced Documentation Time with Electronic Medical Records (EMR), UAB Hospital
UAB Hospital's implementation of EMR has increased electronic documentation requirements substantially. To reduce time spent documenting while maintaining a complete and accurate EMR, UAB Hospital partnered with the IMPACT system vendor to improve methods for gathering patient data. Project goals were to increase patient safety and workflow efficiency for clinicians.
The project includes monitors, ventilators, IV pumps, fetal monitors and collaboration from several departments, including Biomedical and Clinical Engineering, Nursing, and Respiratory Therapy and HSIS. Time saved by implementing electronic data gathering vs. manual entry is considerable; nursing time savings for documentation are more than 5 million minutes per year, and the average time to document vital signs was dropped from 4 minutes to 20 seconds.
About UAB Health System
The UAB Health System includes all of the University of Alabama at Birmingham's patient care activities, including UAB Hospital, the Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital and The Kirklin Clinic. UAB is the state of Alabama's largest employer and an internationally renowned research university and academic health center whose professional schools and specialty patient care programs are consistently ranked as among the nation's top 50; find more information at www.uab.edu and www.uabhealth.org.