Gregory Named New CEO for the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital
January 23, 2011
Posted by chcablogadmin in : Leadership
Luke Gregory
Effective immediately, Luke Gregory has been named Chief Executive Officer for Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Gregory has been serving as Interim CEO since last September. The appointment was announced to hospital faculty and staff at a town hall meeting Wednesday.
Luke’s rich background in health care administration has enabled him to quickly step in and understand our hospital. He has embraced every opportunity to learn about caring for children and families even as he has taught our team new ways to approach a challenge. It has been a true pleasure to work with him as he has engaged with leaders, faculty and staff to further our mission of providing excellence in children’s health care. I look forward to continuing to support him as he leads our team in this important work. — Margaret Rush, M.D., Chief of Staff
Gregory’s appointment comes at an important time with last fall’s announcement of a multi-phase, multi-year expansion to the facility. He joined Vanderbilt in 2007 as Senior Vice President and Chief Business Development Officer in the Office of Business Development. While in this role, he was active in the development of Vanderbilt Health at One Hundred Oaks, the acquisition of Franklin Bone and Joint, and was instrumental in the partnership expansion of Vanderbilt Home Care with Walgreen’s to include home infusion services.
Gregory earned his undergraduate degree from Emory University and holds multiple master’s degrees, including a Master in Religion from Vanderbilt; and a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Health Administration from Georgia State University. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
On a personal note, Gregory and his wife Susan, who also works in health care as a social worker, are celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary this year. They have two grown children, Kate and Ben. Kate is employed by Emory University’s Department of Development and Alumni Relations. Ben is a sophomore at Washington University in St. Louis.
add a commentGood Governance: Answers to Your Burning Questions
January 23, 2011
Posted by chcablogadmin in : Boards, Leadership
Governance and Board management are paramount for most CEOs. It comes as no surprise that governance is the topic CEOs most want to discuss, debate and contemplate. Over the last year, the Executive Institute team has worked with many of you to try to identify the best way to approach governance at the Executive Dialogue meetings. This has been a challenging endeavor because all of you have a slightly different question you are trying to answer. Questions like…
“I want to understand more about generational differences among Board members. How do I bridge the gap and create alignment between the different generations?”
“How do I identify the RIGHT composition of Board members?”
“What is the best way to educate Board members?”
“How do I involve Board members in the overall strategy without having them get too involved in the day-to-day operations?”
And the list goes on…
Next week’s Executive Dialogue meeting should answer some of your most pressing questions when we are joined by Ram Charan, author of Owning Up – the 14 Questions Every Board Member Needs to Ask. Let me tell you why I think Ram holds the answers to some of your most pressing questions:
- He is the coauthor of the bestseller, Execution. He believes that GOOD GOVERNANCE first and foremost starts with GOOD LEADERSHIP.
- As a corporate governance adviser, Ram has worked with companies from all over the world. During his dialogue with you, he will address the 14 most troubling questions he has heard in the boardroom – and guess what, some of the questions are the same questions you are asking!
- Ram is going to explain why Boards must change their modus operandi to address the new and complex issues that are emerging in this rapidly changing environment.
- Finally, Ram is going to share his knowledge about leadership and governance with you and your peers in an intimate setting. He isn’t going to use PowerPoint. He isn’t going to lecture to you, AND he will involve you in the conversation.
CEO ACTION STEP:
What are your organization’s most pressing Board and governance challenges? Jot down a few of your challenges and let’s get your questions answered in Scottsdale.
This session will definitely be worth your time. I look forward to seeing you!
add a commentPrevention Practices Help Hospitals Avoid 5,400 Harmful Pressure Ulcers
January 23, 2011
Posted by chcablogadmin in : Cost Reduction, Quality
Pressure ulcers, the most commonly reported “never event” in the Whole System Measures database, cause considerable harm to patients and cost as much as $70,000 to manage. With a consistent application of basic prevention practices, 14 hospitals saw a 65% reduction in ICU pressure ulcers over the 10-month action period.
There are three ingredients needed for change: will, ideas and execution. – Tina Logsdon, Director, Solutions, CHCA.
Q: What was the most powerful lesson learned from the Pressure Ulcers collaborative?
A: It’s not just what we know; it’s what we do that matters. We didn’t do anything really exciting or crazy — just simple prevention practices, reliably applied, to make the difference.
Q: Why do you think collaboratives work for our hospitals?
A: There are three ingredients needed for change: will, ideas and execution. A CHCA collaborative helps with all of these. We build will through making the topic very visible across the organization; we connect hospitals with pediatric-specific ideas. Finally, collaboratives provide accountability and structure that support execution.
Q: What was the application of this project across other areas of CHCA and within our Owner Hospitals?
A: This project really touched many areas. On the purchasing side, we’re adding a new contract for a specialized positioner and comparing notes on product use on everything from specialty beds to dressings. CHEX will be releasing a new curriculum which includes among other things, three online courses. I’m excited this curriculum not only spreads what we learned across more learners at our children’s hospitals, but also expands into areas were weren’t able to tackle during the collaborative, like staging of pressure ulcers. It’s a unique pediatric resource that we think will really make a difference.
Q: What would you say to those who weren’t able to participate but who would like to improve their pressure ulcers rate?
A: There are tons of resources available on chca.com open to all hospitals. We have the particular changes that we implemented, the metrics that we used, tons of algorithms, and policies, forms and checklists available and there for the taking. We also have this rich network now of hospitals across the United States that are very generous with their knowledge, resources and tools.
Q: You’re launching a new collaborative, “Reducing Harm from IV Infiltrates.” Can you tell us more about it and what our children’s hospitals will gain by participating?
A: Infiltration (leakage) of fluids from intravenous (IV) lines is the third most common “never event” in CHCA’s WSM database and can lead to full-thickness skin loss, necrosis, reconstructive surgery and even amputation. This collaborative will reduce patient harm by promoting the reliable and consistent management of intravenous lines and prompt treatment of infiltration. The all-virtual, highly interactive, nine-month project is offered for a participation fee of $3,500. Hospitals can enroll now through March 15 and the project kick offs with a virtual two-day learning session in May.
For more information about either collaborative, contact Tina.Logsdon@chca.com.
Children’s Insurance Policies Reinstated in CA
January 9, 2011
Posted by chcablogadmin in : Community Benefit, Healthcare Reform, Industry Trends
By Richard Cordova, FACHE, President and Chief Executive Officer, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Richard Cordova
In recent years, many parents in California found that health insurance coverage for their children was out of reach either because insurance companies denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition or parents simply could not afford the insurance premiums. A pre-existing condition could be as innocuous as an ear infection to something as serious as asthma.
On top of that, cuts to California’s Medicaid (Medi-Cal) program had a profound effect on children statewide. Families USA reports that more than a quarter of a million children lost health coverage, and another 160,000 were vulnerable to proposed further cuts.
Thankfully, good news is on the way with the passage of a new law that took effect Jan. 1.
With this new law and the subsequent reversal of health plan restrictions on selling these policies, parents now have more options to acquire insurance coverage for their children who were previously excluded from coverage due to a pre-existing condition. This dramatic change will offer coverage to an additional 80,000 children who are currently not insured by family policies or by their parents’ employer-based insurance coverage.
In terms of how this will affect Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, we serve a high portion of Medi-Cal patients. Efforts are underway to improve our payer mix and we expect to see more private pay patients over the next year, coinciding with the opening of our new patient tower in July 2011.
An added economic benefit of this new law is that California will now have an opportunity to save millions of dollars it has earmarked to fund state health insurance for our kids.
Good news, indeed.
Editor’s Note: For more information, read the L.A. Times article describing the new law, reinstatement of policies and insurance company reactions.
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