E

DECEMBER 27, 2013 | VOLUME 13 | ISSUE 51

Mercy health coach selected to elite Emerging Leader team

Mercy among first to receive new designation for quality and cost-efficiency in cardiac proceduresWellmark® Blue Cross® and Blue Shield® has named Mercy Medical Center – Des Moines as one of the first hospitals in the nation to receive a Blue Distinction Center Plus (+) designation in the area of cardiac care, as part of the Blue Distinction Centers for Specialty Care® program. Blue Distinction Centers are hospitals shown to deliver quality specialty care based on objective, transparent measures for patient safety and health outcomes that were developed with input from the medical community.

“From the beginning in 1970, Iowa Heart Center has had a solid partner in Mercy,” says Mark Tannenbaum, M.D., chief physician executive officer Iowa Heart Center and physician leader of cardiovascular services at Mercy. “As evidenced by this recognition from Blue Cross and Blue Shield, together we have developed some of the best cardiac care available anywhere in the nation. With Mercy’s support we continue to break new ground, through participation in national and international research. For our patients we are shaping the cardiac care of the future.”

Click here for more information on this designation.

Health Coach Brittany Lourens, RN, BSN, MHA, was selected to be part of an elite team of 18 Emerging Leaders from across the nation.

After learning Mercy Clinics was among 30 clinics nationwide selected as an Exemplar Primary Care Practice by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Group Health Research Institute earlier this year, Mercy Clinics was presented with the opportunity to nominate a member of the Mercy staff to participate in the foundation’s Emerging Leader program. In September, Mercy ACO Health Coach Brittany Lourens, RN, BSN, MHA, was selected to be a part of this elite team, along with only 18 other health care professionals across the country.

“When I was notified about my nomination I was excited and honored to know my colleagues were so proud of and confident in the work I do as a health coach,” said Lourens, the health coach at Mercy Johnston Medical Clinic.

As part of the Emerging Leaders team, Lourens is participating in a one-year program held by the Daniel Hanley Center for Health Leadership. The kick-off event for the team was held during a conference in Seattle, Wash., in late October, and the group continues to meet on a monthly basis via webinars. During the training program, Lourens will complete a personal visioning statement and learn more about team building and effective leadership. She will also apply lessons learned during training sessions in her daily work and share best practices with her colleagues.

In addition, Lourens and the Emerging

Leaders team have been invited to present at the 15th Annual International Summit on Improving Patient Care in the Office Practice and the Community March 9–11, 2014, in Washington, D.C. Programs at the conference will focus on identifying new ways to create a culture of continuous improvement and to engage patients and communities in redesigning care. A complete understanding of these concepts is key as Mercy continues the transition to the ACO model of health care delivery.

“This opportunity has been a great learning experience for me,” said Lourens. “I enjoy the challenge of integrating the lessons I learn into the clinical setting and look forward to using the best practices from other health care organizations to improve quality of care and outcomes for patients.”

The Bulletin is published weekly for employees and friends of Mercy Medical Center, 1111 6th Ave., Des Moines, Iowa 50314-2611.

EDITORIAL STAFFLisa Jones ........................................ EditorMark Baldwin .............................ContributorAmy Bentz .................................ContributorHeidi Feltz .................................ContributorAllison Hay ................................ContributorGregg Lagan ..............................ContributorMatthew Meyer ..........................ContributorKaitlyn Summitt ..........................ContributorSarah Todd .................................ContributorLaura Vanden Bosch ........................ DirectorSara LeMosy ..................... Graphic Designer

If you are interested in submitting information to be printed in the Bulletin, send it to PR and Marketing or call 515-247-3050.

After a nearly two-week pilot at Mercy – Des Moines, the consensus is that CHI’s Health Information Exchange (HIE) and Clinical Portal has huge potential to connect hospital and clinic practitioners and clinicians with key time-saving information almost instantly. Forty Des Moines physicians and clinicians took part in the pilot.

The Clinical Portal provides a consolidated view of patient information from various electronic health record systems currently live in Iowa— such as Cerner, the Allscripts Ambulatory Electronic Health Record (AEHR) and NextGen systems. Eventually, patient information from the Oncology EHR also will be available in the Clinical Portal.

Physicians and clinicians alike agreed the Clinical Portal offers huge value.

“I have a patient in the hospital today who I needed to check on. I just clicked on the HIE link, and I was instantly able to get to the information,” said Dr. Erin Netteland,

physician at Mercy West Family Medicine. “That saved me having to also log in to ACIS (Cerner).”

“It is so much faster; it’s going to save us a lot of time,” said Angie Wagaman, a nurse at Mercy West. “But more important, I think it’s going to improve our conversations with patients because we’ll have the latest information right away. That will be a huge plus in our patient relationship, because they think we are all connected across Mercy now. With the HIE, we will be.”

Feedback from the participants will be used to update the system before all CHI clinicians and providers in Iowa receive access in early 2014. Eventually, all CHI regions will have access to the HIE and Clinical Portal. The implementation timeline is still being reviewed and will be announced in the coming weeks.

HIE and clinical portal pilot shows system’s potential to save time, improve care

Next session of “Better Choices, Better Health” chronic disease management workshops begin week of Jan. 6Start the New Year off right by signing up or referring a friend, family member, neighbor or patient to Mercy’s free “Better Choices, Better Health” chronic disease management workshop, beginning the week of Jan. 6.

The “Better Choices, Better Health” program is a six-week workshop designed to help people living with a chronic health condition learn how to self-manage their condition(s). Workshops are interactive in nature and focus on action-planning and problem solving. Each week is focused on a different aspect of self-care such as dealing with difficult emotions, healthy eating and weight management, or pain management. The program has been proven to help participants with health conditions feel empowered and in control of their lives.

For more information about the “Better Choices, Better Health” program or to register for a workshop, visit http://www.mercydesmoines.org/events/better-choices-health-program.cfm or call Stacey Clough at (515) 643-8632.

Congratulations to . . . Stephanie Olson, Mercy Franklin Center, and Klinton Blackdeer, on the birth of their son, Justis Roderick Blackdeer. Justis was born on Oct. 3 and was welcomed home by Klayton, 9.

Emily Wedmore, 5 North, and Tommy, on the birth of their son, Braxton Maynard. Braxton was born on Oct. 16 and is the couple’s first child.

Marcia Vaske, Mercy Urbandale Clinic, and Nathan Hardage, on the birth of their daughter, Ivy Rose. Ivy was born on Oct. 20 and was welcomed home by Asher, 8.

Kara Greenlee, Mercy One, and Chris, Emergency Department, on the birth of their daughter, Collyns Caroline. Collyns was born on Oct. 28 and was welcomed home by Ryan, 14, Casey, 10, Camryn, 9, and Kyler, 18 months.

Christa Michelson, Mercy North Pharmacy,

and Charlie, on the birth of their son, Wyatt Levi. Wyatt was born on Nov. 5 and was welcomed home by Ellie, 4.

Ashley Dominguez, 6 North - Neurology, and Rafael, on the birth of their daughter, Alba Liliana. Alba was born on Nov. 9 and was welcomed home by Gavin, 16 months.

Sarah Town, Trauma Services, and Brian, on the birth of their daughter Olivia Caroline. Olivia was born on Dec. 1 and was welcomed home by Max, 6, and Anna, 3.

Mandy Newton Rosenow, Ruan Neurology, and Dr. Justin Rosenow, Anesthesia, on the birth of their daughter, Clementine Iris. Clementine was born on Dec. 5 and is the couple’s first child.

In sympathy to . . . Joelle Henderson, Center for Pain Medicine, on the death of her mother.

Dave Vellinga, Administration, on the death of his mother.