Author Archive for Karen M. Cheung
Karen M. Cheung is the associate editor for HCPro, Inc., the healthcare compliance publisher, delivering news and information to the hospitalist market with products such as books, e-newsletters, seminars, and broadcast events. Before arriving at HCPro, Karen served as the news editor for Reviewed.com (including DigitalCameraInfo.com and lead blogger for CamcorderInfo.com), providing unbiased tech reviews for the WashingtonPost.com. Having trained with The Washington Post photo department and earning a B.S. in Journalism from Boston University, Karen has experience with news and commercial photography. During her time in D.C., she covered Capitol Hill and the White House for daily New England newspapers.
GMSI: More photos from the hospitalist track
Here are some more photos from the wonderful speakers in the hospitalist track at the Greeley Medical Staff Institute Symposium, Naples, FL, this month.
John Nelson, MD, FACPE, FHM, speaks on the surgical hospitalist movement. (HospitalistLeadership.com Photo / Karen M. Cheung)
John Maa, MD, FACS, discusses the important of surgical hospitalists in today's reform climate. (HospitalistLeadership.com Photo / Karen M. Cheung)
Kirk Mathews, MBA, provides tips on hospitalist recruitment and retention. (HospitalistLeadership.com Photo / Karen M. Cheung)
GMSI Live: Photo spotlight on hospitalist track
The attendees of The Greeley Medical Staff Institute (GMSI) Symposium have the option to switch between the four tracks of:
- Physician-hospital alignment
- Peer review and physician performance
- Health Law, bylaws, and regulatory issues
- Hospitalist program management
Here are some of the photos that highlight our great hospitalist speakers from today’s sessions:
Martin B. Buser, MPH, FACHE, partner of Hospitalist Management Resources, LLC, talks on the specialty "ist" movement. (HospitalistLeadership.com Photo / Karen M. Cheung)
Roger Heroux, MHA, PhD, FACHE, partner of Hospitalist Leadership Resources, LLC, talkes about designing a "fourth-generation program." (HospitalistLeadership.com Photo / Karen M. Cheung)
Hussein Akl, MD, director of inpatient and regional medicine at Bronson Methodist Hospital, explains strategies for aligning incentatives. (HospitalistLeadership.com Photo / Karen M. Cheung
Robert J. Holloway, MD, FACP, FHM, CEO and CMO at InCompass Health, names various hospitalist ROI strategies to maximize value of the program. (HospitalistLeadership.com Photo / Karen M. Cheung)
Rest up tonight, and check back tomorrow for the final day of GMSI.
GMSI Live: Health reform panel talks on new bill passed by House
The Greeley Medical Staff Institute (GMSI) Symposium opened its doors this morning to attendees of the plenary session, “Healthcare reform: What it means for hospitals and physicians.” Just hours after the House of Representatives voted to pass its version of the healthcare reform bill, otherwise known as HR 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, moderator Richard A. Sheff, MD, CMSL, chair and executive director of The Greeley Company joked that many sleepy-eyed attendees, like him, may have also stayed up to watch the House vote of 220-215. The hotly debated issue shocked many as both Republicans and Democrats came to a final vote.
Panelists Jonathan H. Burroughs, MD, MBA, FACPE, CMSL, John Maa, MD, FACS, and Kirk Mathews, MBA, debate what healthcare reform will look like in the coming months. (HospitalistLeadership.com Photo / Karen M. Cheung)
With panelists Jonathan H. Burroughs, MD, MBA, FACPE, CMSL, John Maa, MD, FACS, and Kirk Mathews, MBA, the GMSI Symposium opening session similarly focused on the issues of bundled payments, a public option, and what and when to expect healthcare reform.
Although unclear when the Senate will vote on the healthcare reform bill, many wait with held breathes for reform to become reality.
GMSI Live: Symposium kicks off
The Greeley Medical Staff Institute Symposium takes place at the Ritz-Carlton, Naples, FL. (HospitalistLeadership.com Photo / Karen M. Cheung)
We’re here in beautiful Naples, FL, at the Ritz-Carlton!
The Greeley Medical Staff Institute Symposium Pre-conference kicked off today with attendees in the three tracks of ED Call, Medical Staff Bylaws, and Physician Performance Measurement for intimate, interactive workshops.
Led by speakers, Richard A. Sheff, MD, CMSL, Michael R. Callahan, Esq., Jonathan H. Burroughs, MD, MBA, FACPE, CMSL, and Robert J. Marder, MD, CMSL, the workshops were a three-hour intensive, chock-full of good information.
Particularly interesting was Marder’s session on how to select indicators and targets for the six general competencies and OPPE.
“Who’s a mediocre physician?,” asked Marder for a show of hands in the room of medical staff leaders who chuckled. Most people simply use data to distinguish between acceptable and not acceptable performance. Instead, Marder explained, medical staffs need to have targets to distinguish between excellent, average, and not average performance, and not simply the traditional acceptable/nonacceptable data. Physicians should be distinguished between mediocre and those who go above and beyond. Therefore, set targets.
“If you don’t have targets, it’s not a performance measurement; it’s just data,” said Marder.
Get some rest tonight for a full day tomorrow as we dive into the programs of Physician-Hospital Alignment, Peer Review and Physician Performance, Hospitalist Program Management, and Health Law, Bylaws, and Regulatory Issues. Keep a look at for more stories and pictures from GMSI Live!
The Ritz-Carlton features balconies that overlook Naples, FL. (HospitalistLeadership.com Photo / Karen M. Cheung)
See you in Naples!
HCPro and Greeley are gearing up and flying out to Naples, FL for The Greeley Medical Staff Institute Symposium (November 8-9, Naples, FL)!
Will you be joining us this weekend? Come over and say hello to me or another HCPro or Greeley representative. All the speakers would love to see you too. We’d love to meet you!
Can’t join this year? Don’t worry; you can still follow the action right here on HospitalistLeadership.com for stories and photos. Remember, you can always follow me on Twitter.
Cartoon: October 2009
"...And spellers!" (Illustration / HCPro, Inc.)
If you’d like more, click on the tag, “Cartoons” for our illustration archives.
Recruitment tip: Engage in the wrap-up discussion
The goal of each interview is for the candidate to leave wanting the job. That puts the power of the recruiting process in your practice’s hands.
Remember to allow time at the end of the interview to ask the candidate about his or her impressions of your practice. Establish a timeline for follow-up procedures, including the final decision date. Your practice might want to reach a decision on the candidate within 24 hours of the interview, but if the decision can be reached before the candidate leaves, that is even better.
Also, use this wrap-up discussion time to correct any false impressions the candidate might have received during the interview. It is good to ask some closing questions during this time, such as the following:
- Can you see yourself living and working here?
- Are you concerned about anything you saw or heard?
- Did this interview accomplish your goals?
- How do we stack up in your mind?
The above excerpt is adapted from Practical Guide to Hospitalist Recruitment and Retention by Kirk Mathews, MBA, foreword by John Nelson, MD, FACP, FHM, published by HCPro, Inc, in Marblehead, MA.
Tool: Sample surgical hospitalist clinical responsibilities
We've heard from readers that you would like to see more forms, policies, and tools. You asked, and here it is!
Because the clinical role of a surgical hospitalist, or “surgicalist,” vary from one setting to the next, we are including a sample job description. Remember, the duties are typically listed in employment contracts and maintained in the practice policy and procedure manual, which the hospital updates periodically.
News round-up: ABFM and ABIM pilot certification for hospitalists
The American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) and the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) this month jointly announced the pilot program, Recognition of Focused Practice (RFP) in Hospital Medicine.
After years of speculation on the details, the RFP in Hospital Medicine is the “first customized maintenance of certification pathway,” according to an October 10 ABFM press release. The RFP criteria will include ABFM- and ABIM-developed tools targeted at hospitalist practice-based learning.
The RFP in Hospital Medicine pilot program is expected to start in the fall of 2010 and continue for three years, according to the press release.
Find a list of news stories from around the Web below:
- Wachter’s World: Board certification for hospitalists: It’s Heeeere!
- The Hospitalist: HM’s watershed moment
- Hospitalist Leadership Connection: All board certification equal, study says
- HospitalistLeadership.com: Blog discussion
And don’t forget to check out the December issue of Hospitalist Leadership Advisor, supplement to Medical Staff Briefing, where we will be covering RFP certification in detail.
Physician executives earn more money with business degrees
Cejka Search, a healthcare executive and physician search organization, recently released its annual Physician Executive Compensation Survey for 2009. Based on a survey of members of the American College of Physician Executives, this group is seeking business degrees; one-third of physician executives (33%) possess an MBA, MMM, MPH, or MHA.
Physician executives are also earning more based on their degrees. For example, they earned more compared to those who didn’t have a post-graduate degree:
- An average of 11% more with an MBA
- An average of 10% more with an MHA
- An average of 8% more with a MMM
"Healthcare organizations are now mandating advanced business degrees in conjunction with strong clinical expertise for their physicians in executive leadership positions," said Lois Dister, executive vice president and managing director with Cejka Search's Executive Search Division in a Cejka press release.
Compare the 2009 results to the 2008 results on blog posts on HospitalistLeadership.com from Cejka Search Manager of Industry Research and Publications Nancy Burns, MBA.
How to improve handoffs
Communication is key to hospitalist handoffs, according to a new study, “Hospitalist handoffs: A systematic review and task force recommendations,” published in the September issue of the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
Researchers from the University of Chicago made recommendations during the handoff period in which patient safety is sometimes at risk. They found that best way to communicate information during service changes is a verbal handoff with written documentation. The documentation should be in a structured format or through electronic means. Communication should be refreshed daily with the latest clinical information, according to the study.
Geriatrician-hospitalist model cut costs and LOS
A collaborative consultation model between geriatricians and hospitalists can help improve the care of older hospital patients with acute illness, according to a new study, “Development and Implementation of a Proactive Geriatrics Consultation model in Collaboration with Hospitalists,” published in the September issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Called the Proactive Geriatric Consultation Service, hospitalists, geriatricians, and nurse practitioners at Indiana University worked together to consult on cases early during the hospital stay. They focused these consultations on functional and psychosocial issues.
Researchers found that the geriatrician-hospitalist model reduced length of stay and cut hospital costs. In addition, most hospitalists (96%) rated this model as excellent and believed it to improve the care of the patients.
