A Culture of Quality

Written by Judith K. Bodnar, M.D., Medical Staff President

I want to thank those who took the time to attend our MEC retreat - the physicians and administrators, John Hill, for his unending support, Monica Branch who proved to have incredible organizing skills and Lynn Stockton who was her usual helpful self in facilitating medical staff activities. Thank you all! 

At the retreat, the doctors unanimously agreed on one thing: Patient care is, "very important". This was the first query in a survey participants kindly completed. They noted that quality improvement and review is the next most important issue. No wonder our patients receive such fine care. 

Both the physicians and the hospital continue to experience an increasing administrative burden surrounding quality of care. Others want to be able to see it and compare it. Physicians continue to ask, "If we are striving for the right reasons...what is important for patient care?" We need to place all of this on the canvas of the hospital's strategic plan and meld it together. We have work to do.

The medical staff, everywhere I look from CMS to the Board of Governors, exists for one reason.  We are responsible for the quality of care. The doctors know this and made the following comments at the retreat in response to the question, "Medical staff input into hospital administration and governance is very important because?": 

• "The medical staff is best qualified for evaluating quality."
• "The medical staff provides patient care and should decide what is appropriate...the hospital should help provide a vehicle for achieving our goals."
• "The end result of what we do is treat the patient...and both sides have significant input."

What else did MEC physicians say? More than 80 percent thought that we have too many committees, need to simplify structure and should reduce the number of meetings. More than 50 percent thought medical staff input into hospital administration and governance was very important, wanted greater influence on medical staff activities and that the QI plan should be redesigned.  This supports a need to change our medical staff organization to reflect current delivery of care.  One physician stated, "I agree with the goals to streamline and create a closer relationship between activities and patient care!"  Nicely said!

To this end, we are voting to change our medical staff categories to ACTIVE and AFFILIATE. This change, if approved, will enable us to meet regulations imposed to review the ongoing professional practice of those who deliver care in the hospital (ACTIVE). The two medical staff categories will have equal voting and participation rights. We will then discuss the plan to restructure the medical executive committee which has been facilitated by a Greeley Company consultant.  As always, your participation will be welcomed as we continue in our culture of quality and focus on the patient.

Please note that I endeavored to keep participants comments contained in this article in the spirit with which they were given.  They were made anonymously and I appreciate everyone's frank input.  I look forward to seeing you at our General Medical Staff Meeting and gathering your thoughts and opinions.  Thank you all for your participation in our medical staff.