MDNews - Greater Boston

increase in patient acuity and the evolution of accountable care organizations (ACOs). We need to develop and implement an integrated post-acute delivery model so that payors can see we deliver exceptional outcomes at a value-added price. To this end, Vibra is the first post-acute care system to seed the development and participate in the integration of an innovative data collection tool for tracking and measuring patient outcomes in our LTAC hospitals. We have also developed the Vibra virtual postacute continuum, which helps us manage the patient's episode of care and ensures cost-effective continuity of care. We must also reach out to healthcare providers along the continuum of care to collaborate on new ways to meet the various objectives of the ACA. Q Healthcare reform is changing the practice of medicine in profound ways. But what would you say is the most significant internal factor that will affect the business of medicine during the next five years? A: Stand-alone physician practices are finding themselves most challenged by healthcare reform. They're being pushed to adopt electronic health records (EHR) and increase volume, all while improving patient outcomes. That's why many are choosing employment with large hospital systems over the uncertainty of private practice. As a result, hospital providers, including Vibra, must establish a strong physician-centered culture, wherein we employ key physician specialists and integrate their practices with the hospital's clinical team. Q In what key medical or other technologies does your hospital system plan to invest in coming months? What benefits do you foresee from those investments — in terms both of providing superior patient care and maintaining a solid financial footing? A: When we recently integrated 11 specialty hospitals into the Vibra system, we completed the implementation of an EHR system at three of those hospitals. That expedited rollout continues today at a pace of adding one hospital a month to Vibra's EHR system. We expect all 52 hospitals in our system to be EHR-integrated by mid-2015. As we invest in these types of systemwide technologies, we also support key investments at each of our hospitals. New Bedford Rehabilitation Hospital's use of volumetric capnography, the latest noninvasive monitoring technology to accelerate the weaning process, is just one example. Described as "the GPS of ventilator management," it has resulted in a 29 percent reduction in the average length of time patients spend on ventilators. Q From an investment standpoint, how do you balance patient expectations about hospital amenities with needs such as leading-edge technology and facility expansions? A: One way Vibra understands patient expectations is through the use of LTRAX, a data collection tool and outcomes engine that is very useful in proving value in the post-acute healthcare continuum. It was built specifically for LTAC hospitals and collects concurrent, timely information, which it uses to impact day-to-day clinical services and patient outcomes. The system merges data from all points of a patient's hospital encounter to capture the broadest possible perspective of patient outcomes. Then it offers easy, multilayered drill-down reports for analysis. An integrated patient satisfaction system allows LTRAX to capture consumer feedback and deliver several related surveys. Using this information, we can deliver world-class health care to every patient and family member we serve. Q What strategies does your system have in place to develop organizational leaders from among your clinical team? A: Vibra's clinical liaisons work with patients and their families, physicians, case managers, and referring hospitals to provide the first step in patient care. They often rise to positions of leadership within hospital administration. So we have implemented a new orientation and training program that is key to onboarding new clinical liaisons. Through mentoring and coaching, opportunities are identified to provide feedback and education in an effort to ensure continued leadership growth and internal development of leaders for the future. Q What is the key to utilizing social media successfully to promote services in a healthcare setting? A: The key is proper planning. Any healthcare organization that chooses to use social media to promote services must have clearly defined goals and a plan in place for dealing with all scenarios before embarking on any campaign. Vibra has fully embraced social media as a venue to communicate with patients, families, physicians and staff to more effectively provide real-time collaborative communications. We have also developed a very successful recruiting and talent acquisition strategy through the use of various social media programs. I The CEO Edition I MD NEWS Greater Boston | 13

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