Monday, January 14, 2013

CCRMC welcomes Tom Bodenheimer, MD to discuss Primary Care Redesign

Dear CCRMC Community:
I'm delighted to announce that one of the world's thought leaders and demonstrated experts in primary care redesign, Dr. Tom Bodenheimer, will be joining us at CCRMC this Wednesday for noon conference. See details below. We will open lines for those dialing in. Please join us for this important event as we continue our planned efforts in the redesign of our primary care system.
More very soon,
Anna
Click on the image

Saturday, January 12, 2013

5S in action at CCRMC's West County Health Center

CCRMC’s, Lean Promotion Office (LPO), has been partnering with our West County Health Center managers and staff to implement 5S throughout the Family Medicine Clinic suites since late October, roughly a month after they first opened the new clinic. Here are the slides from their efforts.
 


It was noted that like many areas of our operation, there is a need to create a standard way of organizing supplies or rooms and work areas.  The WCHC manager and charge nurse, Caroline and Lolly, requested help implementing 5S in the clinic. With the input and efforts from front line staff,  standard templates for exam rooms, dirty utility rooms, equipment rooms, EKG Rooms and treatment rooms were developed.  5S is planned for the treatment room, EKG room, nurse’s station and triage room. Standardize templates –checklists on “how to” 5S -  will support spread to all other suites (with some customization for specialty clinics), train staff in 5S and support the process as needed to create a sustainable system. After maintaining a standard and sustainable 5S system, the next planned step is to roll-out 5S in other clinics across our system.

Developing a 5S organization system could not have been accomplished without the incredible support and help from WCHC administration (Caroline, Lolly, Arturo), front line staff who participated in the 5S process (Nick, Armand, Sara, Cassie, Jami, Lu, Maria) and input from providers, nurses and other clinical staff. Staff has put in many hours labeling, rearranging rooms and supplies and standardizing the clinic in order to optimize work flow and create a better environment for everyone to work in and delivery the best care.

Many thanks to our WCHC team and the CCRMC, LPO for leading this important improvement effort.

More very soon,
Anna

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Looking forward to a New Year: Welcome 2013

Dear Contra Costa Health Services employees and partners, 

2012 was one of the most challenging years our organization has ever been through. Transforming a health system is no easy task. The winter holidays have been a chance for many of us to take a breath and gain some perspective on the past 12 months. We have come a long way on a bumpy road and made significant progress in optimizing our ccLink EHR to meet the needs of our community with our integrated system and in laying the foundation for expanding patient access to care. I look back at the past year with a sense of amazement (and a sigh of relief) of all that we have accomplished. Though I know we have more to do – I look forward to the next year with anticipation, as the goal of health reform is in sight with full implementation of the Affordable Care Act in 2014. 

There have been some astonishing changes in our system this past year. In addition to the launch of ccLink, we opened the new West County Health Center in San Pablo, started expanding the Concord Health Center and began construction of a new primary care/behavioral health complex (Building 2) at CCRMC. This year we continued our improvement efforts, which included the critical work to meet the performance requirements of the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payments Program (DSRIP). Finally, we wrapped up the year saying goodbye to a record number of valued staff and wishing them well in their retirement. 

We’ve faced some public scrutiny this past year and we’ve had some disagreements about how things are done, but we all have been striving toward the same goal: to meet our mission to care for and improve the health of all people in Contra Costa County with special attention to those who are most vulnerable to health problems.
 
The coming year promises to be an exciting one during which we will continue to face challenges and see the fruit of our labors. We will be more able than ever to provide care on a larger scale, doing so in better ways than we ever thought possible. In the coming weeks, I will share the 12 month plan that will serve as our Bridge to Reform and carry us into 2014. This plan should not hold any surprises as it incorporates the Sustainability Study and the DSRIP, which together serve as a road map for where we are going and clearly outline the requirements we must meet to ensure our ability to serve our community. Additionally, to help guide us and provide us with a shared vision, we will begin the process to develop a formal 5-year strategic plan scheduled to be completed by the end of 2013.

I want to give special thanks to those among us who serve our community on holidays, after hours and on weekends – those whose commitment to our mission has them assisting those in need. I could not be more thankful for the privilege of working with such a dedicated and caring community of professionals and partners. Each day you bring your skill and spirit, contributing to our mission, making us one of the finest health systems in our nation. I am grateful to work with such an amazing team. I wish you and all your family and friends a safe and peaceful holiday and coming year. 

Thank you all for your tremendous work and dedication.

Happy New Year! 
Anna