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The staff at HealthShare/THA is extremely appreciative of the direction and guidance we receive from the dedicated people on our board of directors. They are a critical link between us and our customers, hospitals throughoutTexas. We asked a few of them to share their thoughts this month.
"HealthShare plays an important role in helping THA membership get quality for its money, by ensuring that endorsed vendors offer a value-added product at the best possible price," says HealthShare/THA vice chair Karen H. Sexton, RN, PhD, FACHE, vice president and CEO, UTMB Hospitals and Clinics. "I understand the need for quality companies. There is genuine alignment among the staff that the number one priority is to serve customers well. Both the board and the staff are committed to finding only the best companies, those that promise high standards in their products and excellent service to their customers." She also noted that HealthShare serves as a source of revenue to THA, helping to minimize dues increases.
Board member David S. Lopez, FACHE, president and CEO of Harris County Hospital District, said "HealthShare has been, and continues to be, an organization that assists hospitals and health systems improve their net margins by introducing them to organizations that address efficiency concerns or enhance effectiveness. Ultimately, these relationships enhance the quality of care provided to patients."
Thanks to Karen and David for their comments. Thanks to everyone on our board, and to all of you, our customers and colleagues, for your support.
Vicki Pascasio, FACHE
President/CEO
NEWS
Solucient announces its Action O-I Executive Briefing, a webinar for hospital executives interested in information on the scope and purpose of Action O-I, highlighting examples of how others are using the program to improve their performance. The event is March 13, 2007, Noon to 1 PM Central Time. To register, go to solucient.com and look for the Action O-I webinar in the lefthand box.
PROFILES
$367 Million Waiting
The federal government's Universal Service Funding program is designed to help rural, non-profit hospitals and their affiliates offset the higher cost of Internet and data networking services, by providing rebates generated through USF taxes on carriers. The fund is $367 million and allows up to $23,353 per year per facility. Eligible services include any Internet connection, T-1 and DS-3 connections for medical data transport, PRIs used for data, and many other applications. Only one end of a circuit needs to be rural and non-profit in order to be eligible. The application process can be lengthy and time-consuming, but HealthShare/THA endorsed SpectraCorp Telemanagement will handle it for you. Call Ryan Harmon at 800/375-7945, ext 306, for more information on how your facility can benefit.
Keys to Recruiting
Jobscience, endorsed by HealthShare/THA, provides access to 267,000 job candidates - for free! On the firm's free health care networking site, you can post your own blog, participate in forums, and meet people live online. Just remember three keys to recruiting. One, make a good first impression. Two, follow through with a consistently impressive message so you don't lose focus and fail to convert a prospect. Third, make your efforts personal with, for example, targeted, personal direct mail. For more information, visit jobscience.com or call us at 800/252-9404 or contact Terry Elliott at 866/284-1892 ext. 102.
Valuing Outpatient Opinions
What really sets you apart from other outpatient facilities is the service you provide, according to Martin Wright, consultant with Press Ganey Associates. Improve your service by focusing on the Top Ten Outpatient Priority Index Items, which include responding to concerns and complaints, sensitivity to needs, coordination of care, concern for questions and worries, waiting room comfort and wait times, and ease of finding destinations within the facility. If resources are limited, he recommends that you focus on those first two. Finally, know these best practice tips for defining why opportunities arise in your organization: look at patient comments, take the survey, meet with employees, perform follow-up calls, and chart the steps in the process. For more information, visit pressganey.com or call us at 800/252-9404 or contact Tracy Wilson at 800/816-9504.
SPOTLIGHT
Comment Online
You may have noticed that Sharing is a bit slimmer this month. We've moved our comment card to the HealthShare/THA website, healthshare-tha.com. Your comments and feedback are very valuable to us, and we think the online format will make it easier for you to let us know what you think about our companies and services. Of course, you're always welcome to pick up the phone and call us at 800/252-9404, or to drop us a line by "snail mail." We want to hear from you!
Programs on CD
The Press Ganey National Client Conference in New York, November 13-15, 2006, included a wealth of information on making the most of data and feedback from patients, staff and physicians, along with actual success stories from your peers. Order these programs on CD at pressganey.com/education_events/national_conferences.php.
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