A PUBLICATION FOR THE SPONSORS, BOARDS, REGIONAL LEADERSHIP, SYSTEM OFFICE AND COLLEAGUES OF CATHOLIC HEALTH EAST12

H O R I Z O N S

H O R I Z O N S

C A T H O L I C H E A L T H E A S TC A T H O L I C H E A L T H E A S T

LIFE Programs Allow Seniors to Stay at Home

Committed to Creating a Culture of Inclusion

CHE Pilot Projects: Making the Case for Social Media

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4 & 5

continued on pages 6 & 7

Across the System

10 Minutes with … Ted Schlert

eCommerce Initiative Launched at Several RHCs 8 & 9

ACT Initiative Update 310 & 11

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HORIZONS is a publication for the Sponsors, Boards,Regional Leadership, System Office and Colleaguesof Catholic Health East.

Horizons Editorial Staff

Scott H. Share Vice President, System Communications

Maria Iaquinto Communications Manager

Meg J. Boyd Communication Specialist

Design, Production, Printing & Mailing Fulfillment by JC Marketing Communications • jcmcom.com • Southington, Conn.

Catholic Health East is a community of persons committed to being a transforming, healing presence within the communities we serve.

Locations: Located in 11 eastern states from Maine to Florida.

Workforce: Approx. 54,000 employees.

SponsorsCongregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Scranton, Pa.Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, St. Bonaventure, N.Y. Hope Ministries, Newtown Square, Pa.Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pa.Sisters of Mercy of the Americas: Mid-Atlantic Community, Merion Station, Pa. New York, Pennsylvania, Pacific West Community, Buffalo, N.Y. Northeast Community, Cumberland, R.I. South Central Community, Belmont, N.C.Sisters of Providence, Holyoke, Mass.Sisters of St. Joseph, St. Augustine, Fla.

Published by:

Please direct comments and suggestions to info@che.org

3805 West Chester Pike, Suite 100Newtown Square, PA 19073Phone 610.355.2000Fax 610.271.9600www.che.org

H O R I Z O N S

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T10 Minutes with... Ted Schlert

ed Schlert, vice president, insurance/risk services and chief risk officer and secretary, Stella

Maris Insurance Company, Ltd., has been with CHE since 1987 when he joined Eastern Mercy Health System as the system’s first director of insurance and risk management. Before joining CHE, Ted worked at Thomas Jefferson University, an academic health center located in Philadelphia, Pa., and at Albert Einstein Healthcare Foundation, also in Philadelphia. Ted received his M.B.A. from Philadelphia University and a bachelor of science degree from Kutztown University, Kutztown, Pa. CHE’s insurance/risk services department provides system-wide risk finance programs, including workers’ compensation and non-clinical loss prevention programs to CHE member organizations. Can you describe the role of insurance/risk services and how it applies to health care? Generally, the overriding objectives of insurance/risk services here at CHE are to manage our Core Risk Finance Programs and our captive insurer, Stella Maris Insurance Company, Ltd.—our Workers’ Compensation and Colleague Safety Program. These programs assist our RHC and JOA partners in the management of non-salary expenses related to insurance/risk transfer; help protect their fiscal stability through the balance sheet protection offered by risk transfer programs; and assist in the preservation of CHE’s human, financial and physical resources. What are the biggest challenges in health care risk management today? What are some of the specific areas that CHE insurance/risk services is working on now and over the next year? From a finance perspective the challenge is attempting to pinpoint when the nature of the insurance markets might change. For just about every line of coverage that comprises

CHE’s Core Risk Finance Programs, we are still in a competitive marketplace which means for high quality risks such as CHE, pricing tends to be favorable. However, from experience we know that insurance pricing is extremely cyclical in nature and at some point it will be “advantage insurers.” From a colleague safety perspective I believe the biggest challenge is to continue to promote and integrate a cultural change in how colleague safety is viewed throughout CHE. I often think there is so much we can learn from other industries where there seems to be more focus on and promotion of colleague safety. Under the leadership of Mary Leblanc, CHE director, risk finance; Kathleen Harlan, director of workers’ compensation; CHE and RHC/JOA senior management; and our workers’ compensation executives at our local ministries, there has been renewed attention on colleague safety at CHE and our local ministry colleagues are working diligently to move to the “zero is possible” culture. We have made significant strides in the past two years and I fully anticipate this to continue. From the clinical perspective the biggest challenges are to maintain the traction CHE has generated in the clinical transformation

and patient safety arenas. These areas are a significant focus here at CHE. Through Tom Garthwaite, M.D., CMO; Kathleen Meredith, vice president, clinical transformation; and Kathy Young, Esq., vice president, claims services and clinical loss prevention and their respective teams, we have the committed leadership to face these challenges and be successful in achieving the collective goals established.

What should RHC/JOA and System Office colleagues know about insurance/risk services and its role in corporate and hospital operations? The CHE Core Risk Finance Programs are the oldest core programs in CHE ... they actually predated the formation of CHE when between 1986 and 1991 the vast majority of the current programs were established under Eastern Mercy Health System. With the unwavering support of CHE’s senior management team and the RHC/JOA CEOs as well as the risk management and workers’ compensation executives at the local level we have been able to consistently provide comprehensive and cost effective programs to our member organizations. We believe the work that our team performs and the results that are achieved collectively as a system allow additional dollars to be directed to patient care. I might also add that we have an extremely dedicated and committed group of individuals who focus on clinical and non-clinical loss prevention initiatives. Their collective talents and expertise make meaningful contributions to day-to-day RHC/JOA operations.

What role do our colleagues have in minimizing risk? Our colleagues at the local ministries play the most important role in our initiatives. We depend entirely on them to integrate the programs and services that are provided from insurance/risk services into the day-to-day operations of their organizations.

magine keeping your independence in the comfort of your own home as you age. Thanks to PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly), some senior citizens are doing just that and enjoying a higher quality of life. What started in California in the 1970’s continues today to meet the needs of long-term care clients, providers and payers. The comprehensive service package permits seniors to continue living at home while receiving services rather than being institutionalized. Capitated financing allows providers to deliver all services participants need rather than be limited to those reimbursable under the Medicare and Medicaid fee-for-service systems. Typically, available services include physician care by a certified geriatrician, primary medical care, nursing, health education and wellness, dental and vision services, medications, rehabilitative therapies, social services, nutrition services, transportation and more. Other services often available include meal preparation, light housekeeping, home-delivered meals and caregiver respite.

Catholic Health East (CHE) operates three of the 70+ PACE programs now in existence in the United States, with plans to open more in the future. All of these programs are referred to as LIFE (Living Independently for Elders).

St. Francis Medical Center, Trenton, N.J., recently opened the first PACE program in New Jersey. “Each LIFE enrollee receives

customized care that is planned and delivered by a coordinated, interdisciplinary team,” said Jerry Jablonowski, president and CEO of St. Francis. “A participant’s care plan usually integrates some home care services from the team with several visits each week to the LIFE Center. LIFE provides a new level of care for our area’s seniors.”

As the PACE “trail blazer” in the state, St. Francis staff worked closely with state regulators to develop policies, procedures and an administrative infrastructure for the program. According to Christine M. Fares Walley, manager, marketing and enrollment,

LIFE Programs AllowSeniors to Stay at Home

Mercy SEPA Opens New LIFE CenterCarol Quinn (second from left), CEO, Mercy Home and Community Health Services,

prepares to cut the ribbon for the new Mercy LIFE center. Joining Quinn, from left: Maria Gonzalaz, vice president, HACE (Hispanic Association of Contractors and Enterprises);

Edward Hillis, president, Domus, Inc. (general contractor);Guillermo “Bill” Salas, president, HACE; Maria D. Quinones Sanchez, Philadelphia

councilwoman, 7th district; H. Ray Welch, Jr., president and CEO, Mercy Health System of Southeastern Pennsylvania; Sister Kathleen Keenan, R.S.M., senior vice president, mission

and sponsorship, Mercy SEPA; and Joanne Gray, Mercy LIFE.

Ted Schlert, CHE vice president,insurance/risk services and

chief risk officer and secretary,Stella Maris Insurance Company, Ltd.

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C atholic Health East (CHE) is committed to the transformation to person-centered health care.

This commitment is reflected in our Mission and Core Values. It is through our Culture of Inclusion initiative that we demonstrate our Core Value of reverence for each person, where we believe that each person is a manifestation of the sacredness of human life and community, where we demonstrate our connectedness to each other through inclusive and compassionate relationships. The CHE Board of Directors’ Statement on Diversity defines the Board’s vision for developing a culture of inclusion:

Recognizing that the CHE Board of Directors is a competency-based Board, and committed to the ongoing development of a culture of inclusion, we will work toward a fuller representation of all aspects of diversity, especially in terms of gender and racial/ethnic diversity. We do so in order to benefit from a multiplicity of perspectives and experiences.

CHE’s Senior Management Team developed a plan to create a culture of inclusion, which welcomes, embraces and is enriched from individual differences and similarities. The goal is to create a system that integrates the principles of inclusion as essential elements of a mission-centered organization.

Culture of Inclusion (COI) is a system-wide initiative, designed to be driven at the local level in order to meet the needs of the community it serves. Each RHC’s Values in Practice team completed an assessment of its current state of inclusion. The COI assessment items are categorized and focused on the Five Pillars of Excellence: Service, People, Quality/Safety, Finance and Growth. Each RHC was asked to review the assessment items, determine three to five goals that will help raise the bar for inclusion in 2010, and use them to create an action plan to move the organization towards a more inclusive culture.

Charlene Wilson, vice president, human resources and organizational development, St. Francis Hospital, Wilmington, Del., was one early assessment submitter:

“I identified key stakeholders who should be involved in the process. We focused on the background of the culture of inclusion and diversity initiatives as well as looked into the future of our business. We need to be able to develop and embrace this culture of inclusion, and make it a part of our language as an organization and make it about who we are. It was eye-opening to see how our focus on outreach to the community changed during these conversations. We found ourselves connecting this COI initiative with our business objectives and recognizing how this will enhance our professional growth.”

Creating a more inclusive culture is not only who we are as an organization and the “right thing” to do but CHE reaps the tangible benefits of improving patient satisfaction, colleague satisfaction and increasing revenue as a result.

By promoting a culture of inclusion CHE:

• Helps to attract and retain an inclusive workforce of physicians, colleagues, associates and volunteers that are essential for the Ministry to reflect the communities it serves.

• Advances understanding of a culture of inclusion amongst CHE’s physicians, colleagues, associates and volunteers that will aid in their development of a greater social awareness and consciousness.

• Enables CHE to both promote social justice within health care and provide more culturally competent and compassionate health care.

• Allows CHE to improve its ability to effectively and successfully compete for new patients by providing relevant culturally competent care and services to all patient populations.

Eddie Rundle, vice president, human resources at Mercy Hospital, Miami, Fla., identifies how this will impact their organization going forward:

“Mercy Miami is in a unique position. We are statistically extremely diverse, and many of the staff are bilingual. In completing the assessment, the team recognized that they would be able to take the initiative to the next level regarding patients and staff. The focus on sensitivity and awareness, in this already diverse community, will be the focus of their planning.”

For more information about CHE’s Culture of Inclusion initiative, please contact Cecilia Gerard, manager, human resources, at cgerard@che.org.

Committed to Creatinga Culture of Inclusion

“An environment that rewards and motivates all individuals to fully realize their potential while seeking, receiving, providing or contributing to care.”

Culture of Inclusion:

Eddie Rundle,Mercy Hospital Miami, Fla.

Charlene Wilson,St. Francis HospitalWilmington, Del.

}{CHE’s goal is to create a system that integrates the principles of

inclusion as essential elements of a mission-centered organization that demonstrates a reverence for each person

and is recognized in the community, the marketplace, and the organization itself as demonstrating a culture of inclusion.

Two names and faces very familiar to the CHE family—Sr. Kathleen Popko and Mark O’Neil—are moving on to new professional challenges.

In the mid-1990’s, Sr. Kathleen Popko, S.P., in her role as president and chief executive officer of Sisters of Providence Health System, brought her system together with Eastern Mercy Health System and the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany Health System to form Catholic Health East, now one of the largest Catholic health systems in the nation.

From CHE’s founding in 1998 through 2005, she served as executive vice president of CHE’s Northeast Division. In 2006, Sr. Kathleen accepted the new position of executive vice president for strategy and ministry development. Some of her key accomplishments included the implementation of CHE’s strategic plan (Vision 2017), the creation of CHE’s first Governance Charter, the development of CHE’s comprehensive care management model, the integration of Saint Michael’s Medical Center into CHE, and the planning and facilitation of our 2009 Governance-Management Conference, which focused on the steps required for CHE to “build the bridge” to person-centered health care.

Sr. Kathleen recently was called to assume a new role; one that she had previously held from 1985 thru 1993: president of her congregation, the Sisters of Providence. She started in her new position at the end of September.

Catholic Health East has been blessed to have Sr. Kathleen Popko play an integral role in its inception, development and maturation. We are thankful for her leadership, vision, innovation and energy, and for the vital role that she played in shaping the strategic direction of our ministry for many years to come.

Mark O’Neil has served Catholic Health East ably and with distinction for many years. He first joined the CHE family in 2000 as president and CEO of Mercy Health System of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Three years later, he joined the system office to serve as executive vice president of CHE’s Mid-Atlantic Division, and shortly thereafter was promoted to the role of CHE’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. In this position, he was responsible for providing mission and values-based leadership, direction, support and assistance to CHE's operating divisions to optimize their operational effectiveness and strategic position.

In addition to his operational responsibilities, some of Mark’s key accomplishments included the creation and development of information technology shared services, implementation of CHE’s productivity initiative, the introduction of mission synergy initiatives, and the creation of the Advancing Clinical Transformation (ACT) initiative, which in its first year has identified over $100 million in savings while implementing clinical transformation opportunities that will enhance quality and patient safety system-wide. He also led the recruitment of executive teams for supply chain and information technology, supported several organizations in stabilization and turnaround efforts in several ministries, and served as CHE’s Values in Practice champion.

Beginning in December, Mark will become market chief executive officer for Hilton Head Regional Medical Center and Tenet Health System in Hilton Head, S.C. This position affords Mark the opportunity to provide leadership to two hospitals, ambulatory care facilities, and physician practices serving the growing region in the “low country” of coastal South Carolina. Mark also plans to pursue his longtime interests in writing and teaching.

We thank Mark O’Neil for the gifts that he brought to his role as a dedicated member of CHE’s senior management team, and for unselfishly sharing of his time, skill, knowledge and expertise to benefit our entire ministry. We wish him well in his future endeavors.

Two Senior Management Team Members Take On New ChallengesTwo Senior Management Team Members Take On New Challenges

I n just the first few months of its existence, CHE’s system-wide ACT initiative has made great

strides in identifying, analyzing and implementing clinical transformation opportunities that will result in superb clinical outcomes and enhance quality and patient safety across the system. Through the dedication and support of colleagues throughout our ministry, the Advancing Clinical Transformation (ACT) initiative is helping Catholic Health East make significant progress on achieving its strategic objectives via the first phase of Comprehensive Care Management. Specifically, the work that has been completed in the first few months of hospital case management transformation—including the MIDAS+ implementation—represents the engagement of many clinical colleagues, especially the hospital case management directors. Hospital case management is a process for evaluating medical care efficiency. The case manager identifies appropriate levels of care and collaborates with the physician to consider alternative therapies and resource utilization. To improve medical care efficiency, the case manager presents care providers with specific opportunities to improve and monitors their progress over time. The MIDAS+ system provides CHE case managers with state-of-the-art tools and systems for tracking and authorizing services across the continuum of care. The care management module includes entry forms for certification, authorization, concurrent review, avoidable days and discharge planning. The system enhances a hospital’s ability to track avoidable days and denial detail by department, provider or payer attribution, and to quickly review the appeal history, including days and dollars recovered. One of the major advantages of this new system is that it provides a “real-time” interface with each participating hospital’s existing information system, populating the MIDAS+ Hospital Case Management

module with patient data, demographics, encounters, coded diagnoses and procedures. The entire hospital case management process is tied to individualized worklists for automatic notification of reviews and follow-up. New tools such as online documentation, physician referral, electronic mail and online faxing are enabling each participating CHE hospital to transform its entire review process to a paperless one.

One of the key performance indicators used to measure improvements in hospital case management is length of stay (LOS). In early 2009, CHE hospitals examined their overall Medicare LOS which had no exclusions and no severity adjustment. As they worked through setting targets for 2009, they refined the LOS definition to include Medicare LOS for acute care inpatients only, thus excluding the rehabilitation, psychiatry, hospice, SNF (skilled nursing facility) and LTAC (long-term acute care) patients. On June 9, all but two CHE acute care hospitals ‘went live’ with the new and transformed model for hospital case management which included the implementation of the MIDAS+ software. In

addition to the benefits described earlier, the MIDAS+ system allows CHE hospitals to compare their data with the experiences of over 500 hospitals nationally.

CHE hospitals are now in the process of analyzing and documenting a baseline LOS for acute care inpatients over the age of 64 years. Currently, CHE hospitals have an ‘observed LOS’ (for patients over the age of 64) of 5.3 days; this compares to the national database LOS of 4.97 days. RHC champions, comprised of physicians, nurses and case managers are in the process of setting 2010 targets for each RHC based on their current baseline.

“In order to achieve our targets, it is critical to involve the entire case management team, including case managers and social workers, staff nurses, revenue cycle, decision support, administrators and physician leaders such as the chief medical officer, the hospitalists and the physician advisors,” said Kathleen Meredith, CHE’s vice president, clinical transformation. “This is truly a team effort which will achieve successful outcomes by breaking through barriers that frequently exist between hospitals, physicians and the interdisciplinary care teams.”

Advancing Clinical Transformation ThroughHospital Case Management and

MIDAS+ Implementation

Kathleen Meredith

}{“This is truly a team effort which will achieve successful outcomes

by breaking through barriers that frequently exist between hospitals, physicians and the interdisciplinary care teams.”

Kathleen Meredith, vice president,clinical transformation, CHE

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Chef Manager, Kevin Scott, with “Go Green” mugs at St. James Mercy Hospital, Hornell, N.Y., part of an effort to reduce the usage of Styrofoam cups. With 1,500 foam cups used each week at MercyCare (nursing home) and 72,000 foam cups being thrown away each year at the hospital, the use of mugs make St. James Mercy greener and saves significant dollars.

The spiritual care department at St. Mary Medical Center, Langhorne, Pa., celebrated the Golden Jubilee of Sr. Margaret Jones signifying her 50 years of dedicated service as a Sister of St. Francis of Philadelphia. Sr. Margaret served as a chaplain at St. Mary and now volunteers for the spiritual care department.

Left to right: Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio; Elaine Shimberg, St. Joseph’s Hospitals Foundation chairperson; Sr. Marie Celeste Sullivan, past administrator of St. Joseph’s Hospital; and Isaac Mallah, president and CEO of St. Joseph’s-Baptist Health Care cut the ribbon to mark the official unveiling of a new History Wall during the celebration of St. Joseph’s Hospital’s 75th anniversary. St. Joseph’s Hospital is one of 10 hospitals that comprise BayCare Health System.

Left to right: Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio; Elaine Shimberg, St. Joseph’s Hospitals Foundation chairperson; Sr. Marie Celeste Sullivan, past administrator of St. Joseph’s Hospital; and Isaac Mallah, president and CEO of St. Joseph’s-Baptist Health Care cut the ribbon to mark the official unveiling of a new History Wall during the celebration of St. Joseph’s Hospital’s 75th anniversary. St. Joseph’s Hospital is one of 10 hospitals that comprise BayCare Health System.

The Rev. Carl Naylor (right), mission outreach director for St. Joseph of the Pines (Southern Pines, N.C.), and Father Francis Maloney send 66 motorcycles out on the road with their blessings at the Second Annual Memory Ride who joined more than 150 pedestrians taking part in the annual Memory Walk® for the Alzheimer Association’s Western North Carolina Chapter.

The Rev. Carl Naylor (right), mission outreach director for St. Joseph of the Pines (Southern Pines, N.C.), and Father Francis Maloney send 66 motorcycles out on the road with their blessings at the Second Annual Memory Ride who joined more than 150 pedestrians taking part in the annual Memory Walk® for the Alzheimer Association’s Western North Carolina Chapter.

A Nebraska hospital patient who had surgery for a rare cancer disorder shared her

experience via YouTube; this generated so many requests for the surgery that it prompted the hospital to open a monthly clinic for the condition.

A hospital in Florida is using Twitter to actively answer patient questions and provide real time customer service and support for patients and their family.

A Tennessee hospital’s success at engaging tens of thousands of Facebook “fans” has opened new doors for its fundraising efforts. Facebook®, Twitter™ and YouTube™ are at the forefront of a communications tsunami that has swept across the American landscape over the last couple of years.

The enormous social networking website Facebook, which allows users to build personal profiles, add friends, post photos and send messages, now claims over 60 million active users in the United States and nearly 300 million worldwide. Twitter, a web-based communications tool that enables its users to send and receive short written messages (tweets) up to 140 characters in length, has millions of daily subscribers throughout the nation. And YouTube is already the largest on-demand broadcast medium for anyone with an Internet connection, with over 70 million unique users each month. According to a recent study, 75 percent of all Americans have watched at least one video clip online in the last month.

Consumers are increasingly turning to online communities and social media to form opinions of brands and to make purchasing decisions. A study by The Society for New Communications Research showed that more than four in five consumers believe that blogs, online rating systems and discussion forums give them a greater voice; about three in four individuals based their intended

purchases at least partially on online feedback from others; and 59 percent of respondents use social media to “vent” about a customer experience they’ve had. And a recent Pew study revealed that one-third of adult Internet users have established a social media profile.

What does all of this really mean for health care providers? Are Facebook, Twitter and YouTube “passing novelties,” or are they legitimate marketing communications tools that can connect providers with patients, improve access to important educational and preventive information, and ultimately show a return on investment?

According to one industry estimate, today in the United States there are nearly 400 hospitals that are actively using social media. Collectively they are responsible for about 200 YouTube Channels (which house over 5,000 videos), and nearly 300 Twitter accounts. Hundreds more have Facebook pages that invite “fans” to interact with the organization and learn more about new procedures, new doctors, support groups, health fairs, seminars and other hospital happenings.

Marketing communications colleagues throughout Catholic Health East have been interested in adding social media to their marketing mix for some time. Because access to social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube had been historically blocked at CHE due to security, privacy and productivity concerns, there was a growing frustration and sense of urgency on the part of a few facilities that saw value in social media and were anxious to establish a presence in these new media.

Recognizing the growing popularity and mainstreaming of social media, and cognizant of some of the potential benefits, in the spring of 2009 CHE leadership took a pragmatic approach to the issue. CHE’s Security Leadership Team, staffed by System Office IS, communications, legal, compliance and human resources colleagues, invited RHCs to submit proposals to establish social media “pilot projects.” In order to limit the scope of these pilots, and since most of the initial interest in social media emanated from the marketing departments, this initial round of

CHE Pilot Projects: Making

Jenifer Harris, director of marketing and external affairs at St. Francis Hospital,Wilmington, Del.

}{“Our goal in developing

eCommerce and loyalty programsis to extend the relationship we have

with those we serve by providing easily accessible, quality health-related products that support

healing after they leave our care.”Scott Ash, vice president,

business development, CHE

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e-mail promotions and targeted health and wellness information."

The RHCs that have already launched are linking their sites to women and children’s services, bariatrics, cardiac care, memory care, neuro psych, rehabilitation and sports medicine. When products are sold, the RHC receives 50 percent of the net proceeds after cost-of-goods-sold.

In mid-2009, 11 RHCs began the process of implementing their eCommerce sites by working with Scott Ash and Paquin representatives. RHC leaders participated in a series of webinars, presented by the Paquin Group, on such topics as developing a branded storefront, internal communications, the marketing cycle and clinical connections. Armed with a variety of tools and processes, each site’s steering committee has progressed along the path to launching its hospital storefront internally and then externally.

Mercy Medical, Daphne, Ala., was the first CHE site to "go-live" on June 1, 2009; it was followed by the Sisters of Providence Health System, Springfield, Mass., on June 16; Lourdes Health System (Camden and Willingboro, N.J.) on June 30; St. Francis Medical Center, Trenton, N.J., on July 1; Holy Cross Hospital, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., August 21; and Saint Michael’s Medical Center, Newark, N.J., August 30. Mercy Community Health (West Hartford, Conn.), St. Mary Medical Center (Langhorne, Pa.) and Mercy Portland (Maine) are expected to launch by the end of the 2009.

For more information about eCommerce efforts at CHE, please contact Scott Ash at 610.355.2040 or sash@che.org.

Launched at Several RHCs

Please visit the links below toview our active eCommerce sites;we welcome you to support their

efforts by purchasing healthand wellness products from them.

Mercy Medical: mercymedical.thehospitalstore.com

Sisters of ProvidenceHealth System:

www.mercyplus.com

Our Lady of LourdesHealth System:

ourladyoflourdes.thehospitalstore.com

St. Francis Medical Center:stfrancis.thehospitalstore.com

Holy Cross Hospital:holycross.thehospitalstore.com

Saint Michael’s Medical Center:stmichaels.thehospitalstore.com

}{“... we saw the [Facebook] page as an

opportunity to step into the lives of our physicians, colleagues and friends to remind them of who we are and how we continue to be a compassionate

healing presence in our community.”Jenifer Harris, director of marketing and

external affairs, St. Francis Hospital

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5

I n a world where hospital stays are getting shorter and shorter, more and more patients are

required to spend at least part of the recuperative process at home. These patients are often in need of products—such as adaptive devices for daily living—that will assist in their recovery. Rather than shopping and purchasing needed products at retail outlets, people are increasingly turning to online vendors for this purpose. In recognition of this growing trend, last year CHE chief executive officers evaluated the opportunity to develop an eCommerce program focusing on health and wellness products at our Regional Health Corporations (RHCs). Research showed that many patients consider their hospital a trusted source, and may see an advantage in the ease and access of purchasing needed post-discharge supplies online from their hospital.

After a review of this opportunity in 2008 and a comprehensive contract development process, CHE signed an agreement with Paquin Healthcare on behalf of 11 RHCs who decided to pursue this initiative. This contract enables RHCs to link their websites to Paquin’s eCommerce site, an Internet-based health and wellness store with over 6,000 products ... and growing. In addition, a related Loyalty Program allows colleagues, volunteers, patients and community residents to earn points redeemable for products on the hospital eCommerce website.

“Our goal in developing eCommerce and loyalty programs is to extend the relationship we have with those we serve by providing easily accessible, quality health-related products that support healing after they leave our care,” said Scott Ash, vice president, business development, CHE. “We are always looking for meaningful ways to make a

difference in the lives of our patients, residents and their families and to have a positive impact on the quality of care we provide.”

eCommerce also provides a way to reach out to those we serve who are well, such as mothers and their new babies, and for those who are interested in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. For RHC colleagues, buying such items as uniforms, vitamins, or wellness products, the site is a convenient resource. For those with chronic diseases, such as diabetes or arthritis, there are many aids for daily living. Even family members or friends at a distance have the convenience of clicking on the hospital eCommerce

website and ordering flowers or gifts for their loved ones. Moreover, the eCommerce site includes a nationally known health care newsletter, provided by Health Day, which provides timely information on current health issues and is customizable for each RHC.

“The program creates a way to bolster our existing marketing initiatives by linking the store site and its specific resources to specialized programs,” said Ash. “It enables both a passive and active link to patients and their families. We can link our home pages and clinical program web pages to the store for passive marketing or we can push our message to patients and families through

eCommerce Initiative

The Saint Michael’s Medical Center eCommerce website is one of a half dozen launched by Catholic Health East RHCs this year.

the Case for Social Media

}{“In this ‘on the go’ mobile environment, both Facebookand Twitter have been valuable tools in keeping peopleup to date with Lourdes news and events and driving

traffic back to our website.”Jen McCoy, communications manager,

Lourdes Health System

pilot projects was limited to marketing and public relations departments. Interested RHCs were asked to state their objectives, identify target audiences, identify their messages and platforms, develop implementation plans and establish metrics.

By early July, seven RHCs—Sisters of Providence Health System (Springfield, Mass.), Lourdes Health System (Camden, N.J.), St. Francis Hospital (Wilmington, Del.), St. Mary Medical Center (Langhorne, Pa.), Mercy Health System of Maine (Portland, Maine), Holy Cross Hospital (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), and Mercy Hospital (Miami, Fla.)—had submitted their proposals and embarked on their 90-day pilot projects. In late October, pilot participants conferenced together to report on their efforts, sharing their experiences and “best practices.” Their collective feedback will help CHE to establish social media guidelines that will be used throughout the ministry.

“Facebook and Twitter have helped Lourdes to further expand our presence on the web by capturing a younger and more technologically savvy audience,” said Jennifer McCoy, communications manager at Lourdes Health System. “In this ‘on the go’ mobile environment, both Facebook and Twitter have been valuable tools in keeping people up to date with Lourdes news and events and driving traffic back to our website. It has also had a positive impact on our physicians and associates who appreciate that Lourdes is responding to and keeping up with ever-changing technology.”

Lourdes has used the tools to provide updates on the H1N1 virus, and to promote networking, CME events and fundraising efforts. “The Lourdes Health Foundation has a young professionals group,” said McCoy. “When I indicated that I had posted their event on our Facebook page, they immediately asked me to send them an invitation so they could display it on their individual Facebook pages as well.”

According to McCoy, Lourdes hopes to use social media to help expand fundraising

efforts and enhance the health system’s recruitment efforts.

St. Francis Hospital in Wilmington, Del., is another RHC utilizing social networking tools:

“In creating the St. Francis Hospital Facebook fan site, we saw the page as an opportunity to step into the lives of our physicians, colleagues and friends to remind them of who we are and how we continue to be a compassionate healing presence in our community,” said Jenifer Harris, director of marketing and external affairs at St. Francis. “Although our page is still evolving, I believe that Facebook will become a central repository for all St. Francis news, events and important community announcements. We are pleased to be able to communicate with our St. Francis family through this CHE initiative.”

While our social media pilot projects progress, more good examples of how others in the health care industry are increasingly utilizing these communications tools continue to mount. There are public health departments and health care organizations that are using Twitter to provide timely updates on H1N1 cases. The

American Red Cross has used Twitter to exchange minute-to-minute information about local disasters, sharing key statistics and directions. Hospitals are building Facebook pages that provide news links to “fans,” establish forums for patient testimonials, and provide access to educational videos and podcasts. Human resources departments are excited about the new recruitment opportunities presented by social media, and fundraising departments are already finding ways to expand their reach to new audiences in new ways.

A blogger on a health care website in 2007 noted that “... all of the technology we are investing in is trying to get people to come to us. Instead, maybe we need to develop technology that brings health care to where they are already.” This is precisely in synch with CHE’s focus on person-centered health care. Through their creativity and energy, our seven pilot projects are helping to pave the way for our entire ministry to gain a better understanding of how consumers are using social media to gather information, make health care decisions and open new communications channels with providers and each other.

Jennifer McCoy, communications

manager at Lourdes Health

System

6 7

H O R I Z O N S F A L L E D I T I O N 2 0 0 9

...continued from page 1

LIFE St. Francis, “This was something that has been in the works for 14 years. Seeing the difference we are making in our participants’ lives makes it all worthwhile. We are learning every day about how the program affects the lives of individuals and the challenges that you have to take on.” The LIFE program was developed in part with a grant from the N.J. Health Initiatives Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

According to Eloise Leonard, a caregiver whose sister and daughter are in the LIFE St. Francis program said, “LIFE St. Francis is a miracle which all participants have been blessed with.”

Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center, Camden, N.J., opened its LIFE program a month after St. Francis. According to Sam Crawford, LIFE at Lourdes executive director, “LIFE takes a team approach to health care, keeping the senior and his or her family at the center of health care decisions. Care through LIFE is complete, preventative and ongoing.”

Erin Oldt is the manager of outreach and enrollment for LIFE St. Mary, the PACE program scheduled to be opened by St. Mary Medical Center, Langhorne, Pa., in 2010. In addition to a full range of medical services, Oldt noted that “the St. Mary program will also provide a stimulating therapeutic recreation program, which will offer generally homebound participants opportunities to join in exercise, music, arts and crafts, discussion groups, pet therapy, spiritual programming and other activities.”

“The PACE model allows for tremendous flexibility in addressing individuals’ needs because the funding from Medicare and Medicaid is not tied to eligibility for individual services,” said Oldt. “Assumption of full risk by LIFE means that the entire package of services, from adult day health to medications to transportation, and even occasional hospitalization and/or short or long-term

nursing home placement, is covered by the program.”

According to Vicki Christian-Baggott, vice president, clinical improvement, CHE’s Continuing Care Management Services Network (CCMSN): “The overarching goal is to maintain function and independence for the frail elderly in their own homes and in the community, and thereby reducing hospitalizations and hopefully delaying nursing home placement. It is a much more cost effective model.”

For many, the program is an efficient and effective alternative to institutionalization. Tangela Thompson, LIFE at Lourdes director of marketing, notes the tangible benefits for program participants. “We have a number of seniors who live in housing communities,” said Thompson. “We work with the social

workers who discuss with us the changes that they have witnessed. One example is a patient who has become more coherent and more socially interactive since joining the program. We have seen changes and the community has seen changes.”

A patient must be assessed to be accepted into the LIFE program and meet certain criteria. This includes individuals who:

• are age 55 or older;• are assessed as needing nursing home level

care;• are able to live safely in the community with

LIFE services;• are eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, or

able to pay privately; and• reside in a zip code where services are offered.

According to Crawford, most LIFE participants have no out-of-pocket costs. All prescription drugs, durable medical equipment, and other items needed to support the medical needs of participants and keep them living independently in the community are covered with enrollment into the program. Participants who do not qualify for Medicaid are responsible for paying the Medicaid portion of their enrollment costs. Participants may also privately pay for LIFE services in lieu of Medicaid and Medicare as long as they meet the level of care standard set forth by the state and are deemed to be safe to live in the community with PACE support.

Learning day to day is relevant to the LIFE at Lourdes program. With an average age of 78 years old, the staff at Lourdes knew they had to appeal to a more inclusive audience. “We had to make a

shift to more sophisticated activities,” said Crawford. A sizable percentage of their patients are cognitively intact, in addition to the population who suffer from mild to severe dementia.

“One of the things that we did was bring in an English literature professor from Camden County College to volunteer his time and teach a class on mythology. Some of the patients really look forward to this time. Some activities appeal to both groups though, such as the Nintendo home video game, Wii™. Everyone likes Wii!”

“A consistent challenge in enrolling new LIFE participants is getting them approved for Medicaid. The Medicaid process is slow and tedious. Much of the documentation needed to apply for Medicaid takes time to acquire or find. The population LIFE serves generally needs services at the point that they seek our resources and having to wait for Medicaid approval puts them in a position of having to find alternative resources or looking into long term care options,” said Crawford.

Future growth and new facilities are on the horizon at CHE. In fact, this past June Mercy LIFE, part of the Mercy Health System of Southeastern Pennsylvania and the longest-running LIFE program at CHE, opened its third site. The benefits to the community are three-fold: elders get to stay in their homes and remain an active part of the community, families are given some relief and in the case of the third Mercy LIFE site, the creation of dozens of jobs is a boon in an area that is undergoing an economic revitalization.

In addition, Mercy LIFE recently celebrated two milestones. The program celebrated its tenth year of positively impacting countless lives and there are currently 300 participants across the three locations, a number that continues to grow.

“We’ve come a long way since opening our first site with just seven participants,”

said Carol Quinn, CEO of Mercy Home and Community Health Services. “We owe it all to the tremendous dedication and commitment of our staff and the participants who bring purpose to our mission every day.” Kelly Hopkins, vice president, finance and growth for CCMSN, is spearheading the growth of PACE programs throughout CHE. LIFE at Lourdes plans to open additional centers. Catholic Health, Buffalo, N.Y., will open a new facility and planned programs, in addition to LIFE St. Mary, include St. Joseph of the Pines, Southern Pines, N.C., and Saint Michael’s Medical Center, Newark, N.J “This is a major initiative in continuing care,” said Hopkins. “The model improves the patient’s quality of life while reducing inpatient stays. It’s a win-win situation.” Although it is not without challenges.

“The system can be a very cumbersome and complex program to initiate and requires interaction with the state and the federal government, as well as a fairly substantial amount of capital investment,” said Christian-Baggott. “There has to be a commitment to do the program from the start. It can take close to two years to break even ... if the program is run correctly.” Mercy LIFE, St. Francis LIFE, and LIFE at Lourdes are setting the stage for others to follow.

“At CHE, we are trying to maximize the potential for what this program can offer to the patients we serve … and really serve our ministry as well,” said Christian-Baggott. “The LIFE program is a living example of our Person-Centered Care vision and our mission to be a transforming, healing presence within the communities we serve.” For more information about PACE programs at CHE, please contact Kelly Hopkins, vice president, finance & growth, CCMSN, at 610.492.3855 or via e-mail at khopkins@che.org.

“The biggest benefit of NOELLE is she allows us to work together under stress

and build trust ... the scenarios are as realistic as they can be without using

a real patient.”Kem Mixon, R.N., director ofSt. Mary’s Family Birth Center

“In a safe learning environment, they (the

staff) can gain familiarity of those rare and potential risky situations that they

may never have experienced before.”

Nellie Renn, R.N.C.-OB, M.S.N.,nurse educator at

St. Mary Medical Center

Walter Jarrett, M.D., and St. Mary’s Family Birth Center nurses Tabby Bonner, R.N.C., and Hope DeLaigle Collier, R.N., participate in a recent emergency training session using robot simulator NOELLE, while Family Birth Center Director Kem Mixon, R.N., looks on.

}{“The LIFE program is a

living example of our Patient Centered Care vision and our mission to be a transforming, healing presence within the

communities we serve.”Vicki Christian-Baggott, vice president,

clinical improvement, CCMSN

Dr. Paul Bryman, medical director of LIFE at Lourdes, talks with a client.

Caregiver Eloise Leonard looks on as her sister, Marie Leonard (seated) is joined by Dorothy Ginsburg, PACE administrator (left) and Patricia Polansky, assistant commissioner (right) of the NJ Department of Health & Senior Services, Division of Aging & Community Services, at the LIFE St. Francis blessing and dedication.

LIFE Programs AllowSeniors to Stay at Home

6 7

H O R I Z O N S F A L L E D I T I O N 2 0 0 9

...continued from page 1

LIFE St. Francis, “This was something that has been in the works for 14 years. Seeing the difference we are making in our participants’ lives makes it all worthwhile. We are learning every day about how the program affects the lives of individuals and the challenges that you have to take on.” The LIFE program was developed in part with a grant from the N.J. Health Initiatives Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

According to Eloise Leonard, a caregiver whose sister and daughter are in the LIFE St. Francis program said, “LIFE St. Francis is a miracle which all participants have been blessed with.”

Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center, Camden, N.J., opened its LIFE program a month after St. Francis. According to Sam Crawford, LIFE at Lourdes executive director, “LIFE takes a team approach to health care, keeping the senior and his or her family at the center of health care decisions. Care through LIFE is complete, preventative and ongoing.”

Erin Oldt is the manager of outreach and enrollment for LIFE St. Mary, the PACE program scheduled to be opened by St. Mary Medical Center, Langhorne, Pa., in 2010. In addition to a full range of medical services, Oldt noted that “the St. Mary program will also provide a stimulating therapeutic recreation program, which will offer generally homebound participants opportunities to join in exercise, music, arts and crafts, discussion groups, pet therapy, spiritual programming and other activities.”

“The PACE model allows for tremendous flexibility in addressing individuals’ needs because the funding from Medicare and Medicaid is not tied to eligibility for individual services,” said Oldt. “Assumption of full risk by LIFE means that the entire package of services, from adult day health to medications to transportation, and even occasional hospitalization and/or short or long-term

nursing home placement, is covered by the program.”

According to Vicki Christian-Baggott, vice president, clinical improvement, CHE’s Continuing Care Management Services Network (CCMSN): “The overarching goal is to maintain function and independence for the frail elderly in their own homes and in the community, and thereby reducing hospitalizations and hopefully delaying nursing home placement. It is a much more cost effective model.”

For many, the program is an efficient and effective alternative to institutionalization. Tangela Thompson, LIFE at Lourdes director of marketing, notes the tangible benefits for program participants. “We have a number of seniors who live in housing communities,” said Thompson. “We work with the social

workers who discuss with us the changes that they have witnessed. One example is a patient who has become more coherent and more socially interactive since joining the program. We have seen changes and the community has seen changes.”

A patient must be assessed to be accepted into the LIFE program and meet certain criteria. This includes individuals who:

• are age 55 or older;• are assessed as needing nursing home level

care;• are able to live safely in the community with

LIFE services;• are eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, or

able to pay privately; and• reside in a zip code where services are offered.

According to Crawford, most LIFE participants have no out-of-pocket costs. All prescription drugs, durable medical equipment, and other items needed to support the medical needs of participants and keep them living independently in the community are covered with enrollment into the program. Participants who do not qualify for Medicaid are responsible for paying the Medicaid portion of their enrollment costs. Participants may also privately pay for LIFE services in lieu of Medicaid and Medicare as long as they meet the level of care standard set forth by the state and are deemed to be safe to live in the community with PACE support.

Learning day to day is relevant to the LIFE at Lourdes program. With an average age of 78 years old, the staff at Lourdes knew they had to appeal to a more inclusive audience. “We had to make a

shift to more sophisticated activities,” said Crawford. A sizable percentage of their patients are cognitively intact, in addition to the population who suffer from mild to severe dementia.

“One of the things that we did was bring in an English literature professor from Camden County College to volunteer his time and teach a class on mythology. Some of the patients really look forward to this time. Some activities appeal to both groups though, such as the Nintendo home video game, Wii™. Everyone likes Wii!”

“A consistent challenge in enrolling new LIFE participants is getting them approved for Medicaid. The Medicaid process is slow and tedious. Much of the documentation needed to apply for Medicaid takes time to acquire or find. The population LIFE serves generally needs services at the point that they seek our resources and having to wait for Medicaid approval puts them in a position of having to find alternative resources or looking into long term care options,” said Crawford.

Future growth and new facilities are on the horizon at CHE. In fact, this past June Mercy LIFE, part of the Mercy Health System of Southeastern Pennsylvania and the longest-running LIFE program at CHE, opened its third site. The benefits to the community are three-fold: elders get to stay in their homes and remain an active part of the community, families are given some relief and in the case of the third Mercy LIFE site, the creation of dozens of jobs is a boon in an area that is undergoing an economic revitalization.

In addition, Mercy LIFE recently celebrated two milestones. The program celebrated its tenth year of positively impacting countless lives and there are currently 300 participants across the three locations, a number that continues to grow.

“We’ve come a long way since opening our first site with just seven participants,”

said Carol Quinn, CEO of Mercy Home and Community Health Services. “We owe it all to the tremendous dedication and commitment of our staff and the participants who bring purpose to our mission every day.” Kelly Hopkins, vice president, finance and growth for CCMSN, is spearheading the growth of PACE programs throughout CHE. LIFE at Lourdes plans to open additional centers. Catholic Health, Buffalo, N.Y., will open a new facility and planned programs, in addition to LIFE St. Mary, include St. Joseph of the Pines, Southern Pines, N.C., and Saint Michael’s Medical Center, Newark, N.J “This is a major initiative in continuing care,” said Hopkins. “The model improves the patient’s quality of life while reducing inpatient stays. It’s a win-win situation.” Although it is not without challenges.

“The system can be a very cumbersome and complex program to initiate and requires interaction with the state and the federal government, as well as a fairly substantial amount of capital investment,” said Christian-Baggott. “There has to be a commitment to do the program from the start. It can take close to two years to break even ... if the program is run correctly.” Mercy LIFE, St. Francis LIFE, and LIFE at Lourdes are setting the stage for others to follow.

“At CHE, we are trying to maximize the potential for what this program can offer to the patients we serve … and really serve our ministry as well,” said Christian-Baggott. “The LIFE program is a living example of our Person-Centered Care vision and our mission to be a transforming, healing presence within the communities we serve.” For more information about PACE programs at CHE, please contact Kelly Hopkins, vice president, finance & growth, CCMSN, at 610.492.3855 or via e-mail at khopkins@che.org.

“The biggest benefit of NOELLE is she allows us to work together under stress

and build trust ... the scenarios are as realistic as they can be without using

a real patient.”Kem Mixon, R.N., director ofSt. Mary’s Family Birth Center

“In a safe learning environment, they (the

staff) can gain familiarity of those rare and potential risky situations that they

may never have experienced before.”

Nellie Renn, R.N.C.-OB, M.S.N.,nurse educator at

St. Mary Medical Center

Walter Jarrett, M.D., and St. Mary’s Family Birth Center nurses Tabby Bonner, R.N.C., and Hope DeLaigle Collier, R.N., participate in a recent emergency training session using robot simulator NOELLE, while Family Birth Center Director Kem Mixon, R.N., looks on.

}{“The LIFE program is a

living example of our Patient Centered Care vision and our mission to be a transforming, healing presence within the

communities we serve.”Vicki Christian-Baggott, vice president,

clinical improvement, CCMSN

Dr. Paul Bryman, medical director of LIFE at Lourdes, talks with a client.

Caregiver Eloise Leonard looks on as her sister, Marie Leonard (seated) is joined by Dorothy Ginsburg, PACE administrator (left) and Patricia Polansky, assistant commissioner (right) of the NJ Department of Health & Senior Services, Division of Aging & Community Services, at the LIFE St. Francis blessing and dedication.

LIFE Programs AllowSeniors to Stay at Home

8

H O R I Z O N S F A L L E D I T I O N 2 0 0 9

5

I n a world where hospital stays are getting shorter and shorter, more and more patients are

required to spend at least part of the recuperative process at home. These patients are often in need of products—such as adaptive devices for daily living—that will assist in their recovery. Rather than shopping and purchasing needed products at retail outlets, people are increasingly turning to online vendors for this purpose. In recognition of this growing trend, last year CHE chief executive officers evaluated the opportunity to develop an eCommerce program focusing on health and wellness products at our Regional Health Corporations (RHCs). Research showed that many patients consider their hospital a trusted source, and may see an advantage in the ease and access of purchasing needed post-discharge supplies online from their hospital.

After a review of this opportunity in 2008 and a comprehensive contract development process, CHE signed an agreement with Paquin Healthcare on behalf of 11 RHCs who decided to pursue this initiative. This contract enables RHCs to link their websites to Paquin’s eCommerce site, an Internet-based health and wellness store with over 6,000 products ... and growing. In addition, a related Loyalty Program allows colleagues, volunteers, patients and community residents to earn points redeemable for products on the hospital eCommerce website.

“Our goal in developing eCommerce and loyalty programs is to extend the relationship we have with those we serve by providing easily accessible, quality health-related products that support healing after they leave our care,” said Scott Ash, vice president, business development, CHE. “We are always looking for meaningful ways to make a

difference in the lives of our patients, residents and their families and to have a positive impact on the quality of care we provide.”

eCommerce also provides a way to reach out to those we serve who are well, such as mothers and their new babies, and for those who are interested in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. For RHC colleagues, buying such items as uniforms, vitamins, or wellness products, the site is a convenient resource. For those with chronic diseases, such as diabetes or arthritis, there are many aids for daily living. Even family members or friends at a distance have the convenience of clicking on the hospital eCommerce

website and ordering flowers or gifts for their loved ones. Moreover, the eCommerce site includes a nationally known health care newsletter, provided by Health Day, which provides timely information on current health issues and is customizable for each RHC.

“The program creates a way to bolster our existing marketing initiatives by linking the store site and its specific resources to specialized programs,” said Ash. “It enables both a passive and active link to patients and their families. We can link our home pages and clinical program web pages to the store for passive marketing or we can push our message to patients and families through

eCommerce Initiative

The Saint Michael’s Medical Center eCommerce website is one of a half dozen launched by Catholic Health East RHCs this year.

the Case for Social Media

}{“In this ‘on the go’ mobile environment, both Facebookand Twitter have been valuable tools in keeping peopleup to date with Lourdes news and events and driving

traffic back to our website.”Jen McCoy, communications manager,

Lourdes Health System

pilot projects was limited to marketing and public relations departments. Interested RHCs were asked to state their objectives, identify target audiences, identify their messages and platforms, develop implementation plans and establish metrics.

By early July, seven RHCs—Sisters of Providence Health System (Springfield, Mass.), Lourdes Health System (Camden, N.J.), St. Francis Hospital (Wilmington, Del.), St. Mary Medical Center (Langhorne, Pa.), Mercy Health System of Maine (Portland, Maine), Holy Cross Hospital (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), and Mercy Hospital (Miami, Fla.)—had submitted their proposals and embarked on their 90-day pilot projects. In late October, pilot participants conferenced together to report on their efforts, sharing their experiences and “best practices.” Their collective feedback will help CHE to establish social media guidelines that will be used throughout the ministry.

“Facebook and Twitter have helped Lourdes to further expand our presence on the web by capturing a younger and more technologically savvy audience,” said Jennifer McCoy, communications manager at Lourdes Health System. “In this ‘on the go’ mobile environment, both Facebook and Twitter have been valuable tools in keeping people up to date with Lourdes news and events and driving traffic back to our website. It has also had a positive impact on our physicians and associates who appreciate that Lourdes is responding to and keeping up with ever-changing technology.”

Lourdes has used the tools to provide updates on the H1N1 virus, and to promote networking, CME events and fundraising efforts. “The Lourdes Health Foundation has a young professionals group,” said McCoy. “When I indicated that I had posted their event on our Facebook page, they immediately asked me to send them an invitation so they could display it on their individual Facebook pages as well.”

According to McCoy, Lourdes hopes to use social media to help expand fundraising

efforts and enhance the health system’s recruitment efforts.

St. Francis Hospital in Wilmington, Del., is another RHC utilizing social networking tools:

“In creating the St. Francis Hospital Facebook fan site, we saw the page as an opportunity to step into the lives of our physicians, colleagues and friends to remind them of who we are and how we continue to be a compassionate healing presence in our community,” said Jenifer Harris, director of marketing and external affairs at St. Francis. “Although our page is still evolving, I believe that Facebook will become a central repository for all St. Francis news, events and important community announcements. We are pleased to be able to communicate with our St. Francis family through this CHE initiative.”

While our social media pilot projects progress, more good examples of how others in the health care industry are increasingly utilizing these communications tools continue to mount. There are public health departments and health care organizations that are using Twitter to provide timely updates on H1N1 cases. The

American Red Cross has used Twitter to exchange minute-to-minute information about local disasters, sharing key statistics and directions. Hospitals are building Facebook pages that provide news links to “fans,” establish forums for patient testimonials, and provide access to educational videos and podcasts. Human resources departments are excited about the new recruitment opportunities presented by social media, and fundraising departments are already finding ways to expand their reach to new audiences in new ways.

A blogger on a health care website in 2007 noted that “... all of the technology we are investing in is trying to get people to come to us. Instead, maybe we need to develop technology that brings health care to where they are already.” This is precisely in synch with CHE’s focus on person-centered health care. Through their creativity and energy, our seven pilot projects are helping to pave the way for our entire ministry to gain a better understanding of how consumers are using social media to gather information, make health care decisions and open new communications channels with providers and each other.

Jennifer McCoy, communications

manager at Lourdes Health

System

A Nebraska hospital patient who had surgery for a rare cancer disorder shared her

experience via YouTube; this generated so many requests for the surgery that it prompted the hospital to open a monthly clinic for the condition.

A hospital in Florida is using Twitter to actively answer patient questions and provide real time customer service and support for patients and their family.

A Tennessee hospital’s success at engaging tens of thousands of Facebook “fans” has opened new doors for its fundraising efforts. Facebook®, Twitter™ and YouTube™ are at the forefront of a communications tsunami that has swept across the American landscape over the last couple of years.

The enormous social networking website Facebook, which allows users to build personal profiles, add friends, post photos and send messages, now claims over 60 million active users in the United States and nearly 300 million worldwide. Twitter, a web-based communications tool that enables its users to send and receive short written messages (tweets) up to 140 characters in length, has millions of daily subscribers throughout the nation. And YouTube is already the largest on-demand broadcast medium for anyone with an Internet connection, with over 70 million unique users each month. According to a recent study, 75 percent of all Americans have watched at least one video clip online in the last month.

Consumers are increasingly turning to online communities and social media to form opinions of brands and to make purchasing decisions. A study by The Society for New Communications Research showed that more than four in five consumers believe that blogs, online rating systems and discussion forums give them a greater voice; about three in four individuals based their intended

purchases at least partially on online feedback from others; and 59 percent of respondents use social media to “vent” about a customer experience they’ve had. And a recent Pew study revealed that one-third of adult Internet users have established a social media profile.

What does all of this really mean for health care providers? Are Facebook, Twitter and YouTube “passing novelties,” or are they legitimate marketing communications tools that can connect providers with patients, improve access to important educational and preventive information, and ultimately show a return on investment?

According to one industry estimate, today in the United States there are nearly 400 hospitals that are actively using social media. Collectively they are responsible for about 200 YouTube Channels (which house over 5,000 videos), and nearly 300 Twitter accounts. Hundreds more have Facebook pages that invite “fans” to interact with the organization and learn more about new procedures, new doctors, support groups, health fairs, seminars and other hospital happenings.

Marketing communications colleagues throughout Catholic Health East have been interested in adding social media to their marketing mix for some time. Because access to social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube had been historically blocked at CHE due to security, privacy and productivity concerns, there was a growing frustration and sense of urgency on the part of a few facilities that saw value in social media and were anxious to establish a presence in these new media.

Recognizing the growing popularity and mainstreaming of social media, and cognizant of some of the potential benefits, in the spring of 2009 CHE leadership took a pragmatic approach to the issue. CHE’s Security Leadership Team, staffed by System Office IS, communications, legal, compliance and human resources colleagues, invited RHCs to submit proposals to establish social media “pilot projects.” In order to limit the scope of these pilots, and since most of the initial interest in social media emanated from the marketing departments, this initial round of

CHE Pilot Projects: Making

Jenifer Harris, director of marketing and external affairs at St. Francis Hospital,Wilmington, Del.

}{“Our goal in developing

eCommerce and loyalty programsis to extend the relationship we have

with those we serve by providing easily accessible, quality health-related products that support

healing after they leave our care.”Scott Ash, vice president,

business development, CHE

44 9

H O R I Z O N S F A L L E D I T I O N 2 0 0 9

e-mail promotions and targeted health and wellness information."

The RHCs that have already launched are linking their sites to women and children’s services, bariatrics, cardiac care, memory care, neuro psych, rehabilitation and sports medicine. When products are sold, the RHC receives 50 percent of the net proceeds after cost-of-goods-sold.

In mid-2009, 11 RHCs began the process of implementing their eCommerce sites by working with Scott Ash and Paquin representatives. RHC leaders participated in a series of webinars, presented by the Paquin Group, on such topics as developing a branded storefront, internal communications, the marketing cycle and clinical connections. Armed with a variety of tools and processes, each site’s steering committee has progressed along the path to launching its hospital storefront internally and then externally.

Mercy Medical, Daphne, Ala., was the first CHE site to "go-live" on June 1, 2009; it was followed by the Sisters of Providence Health System, Springfield, Mass., on June 16; Lourdes Health System (Camden and Willingboro, N.J.) on June 30; St. Francis Medical Center, Trenton, N.J., on July 1; Holy Cross Hospital, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., August 21; and Saint Michael’s Medical Center, Newark, N.J., August 30. Mercy Community Health (West Hartford, Conn.), St. Mary Medical Center (Langhorne, Pa.) and Mercy Portland (Maine) are expected to launch by the end of the 2009.

For more information about eCommerce efforts at CHE, please contact Scott Ash at 610.355.2040 or sash@che.org.

Launched at Several RHCs

Please visit the links below toview our active eCommerce sites;we welcome you to support their

efforts by purchasing healthand wellness products from them.

Mercy Medical: mercymedical.thehospitalstore.com

Sisters of ProvidenceHealth System:

www.mercyplus.com

Our Lady of LourdesHealth System:

ourladyoflourdes.thehospitalstore.com

St. Francis Medical Center:stfrancis.thehospitalstore.com

Holy Cross Hospital:holycross.thehospitalstore.com

Saint Michael’s Medical Center:stmichaels.thehospitalstore.com

}{“... we saw the Facebook page as an opportunity to step into the lives of our physicians, colleagues and friends to remind them of who we are and

how we continue to be a compassionate healing presence in our community.”

Jenifer Harris, director of marketing andexternal affairs, St. Francis Hospital

I n just the first few months of its existence, CHE’s system-wide ACT initiative has made great

strides in identifying, analyzing and implementing clinical transformation opportunities that will result in superb clinical outcomes and enhance quality and patient safety across the system. Through the dedication and support of colleagues throughout our ministry, the Advancing Clinical Transformation (ACT) initiative is helping Catholic Health East make significant progress on achieving its strategic objectives via the first phase of Comprehensive Care Management. Specifically, the work that has been completed in the first few months of hospital case management transformation—including the MIDAS+ implementation—represents the engagement of many clinical colleagues, especially the hospital case management directors. Hospital case management is a process for evaluating medical care efficiency. The case manager identifies appropriate levels of care and collaborates with the physician to consider alternative therapies and resource utilization. To improve medical care efficiency, the case manager presents care providers with specific opportunities to improve and monitors their progress over time. The MIDAS+ system provides CHE case managers with state-of-the-art tools and systems for tracking and authorizing services across the continuum of care. The care management module includes entry forms for certification, authorization, concurrent review, avoidable days and discharge planning. The system enhances a hospital’s ability to track avoidable days and denial detail by department, provider or payer attribution, and to quickly review the appeal history, including days and dollars recovered. One of the major advantages of this new system is that it provides a “real-time” interface with each participating hospital’s existing information system, populating the MIDAS+ Hospital Case Management

module with patient data, demographics, encounters, coded diagnoses and procedures. The entire hospital case management process is tied to individualized worklists for automatic notification of reviews and follow-up. New tools such as online documentation, physician referral, electronic mail and online faxing are enabling each participating CHE hospital to transform its entire review process to a paperless one.

One of the key performance indicators used to measure improvements in hospital case management is length of stay (LOS). In early 2009, CHE hospitals examined their overall Medicare LOS which had no exclusions and no severity adjustment. As they worked through setting targets for 2009, they refined the LOS definition to include Medicare LOS for acute care inpatients only, thus excluding the rehabilitation, psychiatry, hospice, SNF (skilled nursing facility) and LTAC (long-term acute care) patients. On June 9, all but two CHE acute care hospitals ‘went live’ with the new and transformed model for hospital case management which included the implementation of the MIDAS+ software. In

addition to the benefits described earlier, the MIDAS+ system allows CHE hospitals to compare their data with the experiences of over 500 hospitals nationally.

CHE hospitals are now in the process of analyzing and documenting a baseline LOS for acute care inpatients over the age of 64 years. Currently, CHE hospitals have an ‘observed LOS’ (for patients over the age of 64) of 5.3 days; this compares to the national database LOS of 4.97 days. RHC champions, comprised of physicians, nurses and case managers are in the process of setting 2010 targets for each RHC based on their current baseline.

“In order to achieve our targets, it is critical to involve the entire case management team, including case managers and social workers, staff nurses, revenue cycle, decision support, administrators and physician leaders such as the chief medical officer, the hospitalists and the physician advisors,” said Kathleen Meredith, CHE’s vice president, clinical transformation. “This is truly a team effort which will achieve successful outcomes by breaking through barriers that frequently exist between hospitals, physicians and the interdisciplinary care teams.”

Advancing Clinical Transformation ThroughHospital Case Management and

MIDAS+ Implementation

Kathleen Meredith

}{“This is truly a team effort which will achieve successful outcomes

by breaking through barriers that frequently exist between hospitals, physicians and the interdisciplinary care teams.”

Kathleen Meredith, vice president,clinical transformation, CHE

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Chef Manager, Kevin Scott, with “Go Green” mugs at St. James Mercy Hospital, Hornell, N.Y., part of an effort to reduce the usage of Styrofoam cups. With 1,500 foam cups used each week at MercyCare (nursing home) and 72,000 foam cups being thrown away each year at the hospital, the use of mugs make St. James Mercy greener and saves significant dollars.

The spiritual care department at St. Mary Medical Center, Langhorne, Pa., celebrated the Golden Jubilee of Sr. Margaret Jones signifying her 50 years of dedicated service as a Sister of St. Francis of Philadelphia. Sr. Margaret served as a chaplain at St. Mary and now volunteers for the spiritual care department.

Left to right: Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio; Elaine Shimberg, St. Joseph’s Hospitals Foundation chairperson; Sr. Marie Celeste Sullivan, past administrator of St. Joseph’s Hospital; and Isaac Mallah, president and CEO of St. Joseph’s-Baptist Health Care cut the ribbon to mark the official unveiling of a new History Wall during the celebration of St. Joseph’s Hospital’s 75th anniversary. St. Joseph’s Hospital is one of 10 hospitals that comprise BayCare Health System.

Left to right: Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio; Elaine Shimberg, St. Joseph’s Hospitals Foundation chairperson; Sr. Marie Celeste Sullivan, past administrator of St. Joseph’s Hospital; and Isaac Mallah, president and CEO of St. Joseph’s-Baptist Health Care cut the ribbon to mark the official unveiling of a new History Wall during the celebration of St. Joseph’s Hospital’s 75th anniversary. St. Joseph’s Hospital is one of 10 hospitals that comprise BayCare Health System.

The Rev. Carl Naylor (right), mission outreach director for St. Joseph of the Pines (Southern Pines, N.C.), and Father Francis Maloney send 66 motorcycles out on the road with their blessings at the Second Annual Memory Ride who joined more than 150 pedestrians taking part in the annual Memory Walk® for the Alzheimer Association’s Western North Carolina Chapter.

The Rev. Carl Naylor (right), mission outreach director for St. Joseph of the Pines (Southern Pines, N.C.), and Father Francis Maloney send 66 motorcycles out on the road with their blessings at the Second Annual Memory Ride who joined more than 150 pedestrians taking part in the annual Memory Walk® for the Alzheimer Association’s Western North Carolina Chapter.

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C atholic Health East (CHE) is committed to the transformation to person-centered health care.

This commitment is reflected in our Mission and Core Values. It is through our Culture of Inclusion initiative that we demonstrate our Core Value of reverence for each person, where we believe that each person is a manifestation of the sacredness of human life and community, where we demonstrate our connectedness to each other through inclusive and compassionate relationships. The CHE Board of Directors’ Statement on Diversity defines the Board’s vision for developing a culture of inclusion:

Recognizing that the CHE Board of Directors is a competency-based Board, and committed to the ongoing development of a culture of inclusion, we will work toward a fuller representation of all aspects of diversity, especially in terms of gender and racial/ethnic diversity. We do so in order to benefit from a multiplicity of perspectives and experiences.

CHE’s Senior Management Team developed a plan to create a culture of inclusion, which welcomes, embraces and is enriched from individual differences and similarities. The goal is to create a system that integrates the principles of inclusion as essential elements of a mission-centered organization.

Culture of Inclusion (COI) is a system-wide initiative, designed to be driven at the local level in order to meet the needs of the community it serves. Each RHC’s Values in Practice team completed an assessment of its current state of inclusion. The COI assessment items are categorized and focused on the Five Pillars of Excellence: Service, People, Quality/Safety, Finance and Growth. Each RHC was asked to review the assessment items, determine three to five goals that will help raise the bar for inclusion in 2010, and use them to create an action plan to move the organization towards a more inclusive culture.

Charlene Wilson, vice president, human resources and organizational development, St. Francis Hospital, Wilmington, Del., was one early assessment submitter:

“I identified key stakeholders who should be involved in the process. We focused on the background of the culture of inclusion and diversity initiatives as well as looked into the future of our business. We need to be able to develop and embrace this culture of inclusion, and make it a part of our language as an organization and make it about who we are. It was eye-opening to see how our focus on outreach to the community changed during these conversations. We found ourselves connecting this COI initiative with our business objectives and recognizing how this will enhance our professional growth.”

Creating a more inclusive culture is not only who we are as an organization and the “right thing” to do but CHE reaps the tangible benefits of improving patient satisfaction, colleague satisfaction and increasing revenue as a result.

By promoting a culture of inclusion CHE:

• Helps to attract and retain an inclusive workforce of physicians, colleagues, associates and volunteers that are essential for the Ministry to reflect the communities it serves.

• Advances understanding of a culture of inclusion amongst CHE’s physicians, colleagues, associates and volunteers that will aid in their development of a greater social awareness and consciousness.

• Enables CHE to both promote social justice within health care and provide more culturally competent and compassionate health care.

• Allows CHE to improve its ability to effectively and successfully compete for new patients by providing relevant culturally competent care and services to all patient populations.

Eddie Rundle, vice president, human resources at Mercy Hospital, Miami, Fla., identifies how this will impact their organization going forward:

“Mercy Miami is in a unique position. We are statistically extremely diverse, and many of the staff are bilingual. In completing the assessment, the team recognized that they would be able to take the initiative to the next level regarding patients and staff. The focus on sensitivity and awareness, in this already diverse community, will be the focus of their planning.”

For more information about CHE’s Culture of Inclusion initiative, please contact Cecilia Gerard, manager, human resources, at cgerard@che.org.

Committed to Creatinga Culture of Inclusion

“An environment that rewards and motivates all individuals to fully realize their potential while seeking, receiving, providing or contributing to care.”

Culture of Inclusion:

Eddie Rundle,Mercy Hospital Miami, Fla.

Charlene Wilson,St. Francis HospitalWilmington, Del.

}{CHE’s goal is to create a system that integrates the principles of

inclusion as essential elements of a mission-centered organization that demonstrates a reverence for each person

and is recognized in the community, the marketplace, and the organization itself as demonstrating a culture of inclusion.

Two names and faces very familiar to the CHE family—Sr. Kathleen Popko and Mark O’Neil—are moving on to new professional challenges.

In the mid-1990’s, Sr. Kathleen Popko, S.P., in her role as president and chief executive officer of Sisters of Providence Health System, brought her system together with Eastern Mercy Health System and the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany Health System to form Catholic Health East, now one of the largest Catholic health systems in the nation.

From CHE’s founding in 1998 through 2005, she served as executive vice president of CHE’s Northeast Division. In 2006, Sr. Kathleen accepted the new position of executive vice president for strategy and ministry development. Some of her key accomplishments included the implementation of CHE’s strategic plan (Vision 2017), the creation of CHE’s first Governance Charter, the development of CHE’s comprehensive care management model, the integration of Saint Michael’s Medical Center into CHE, and the planning and facilitation of our 2009 Governance-Management Conference, which focused on the steps required for CHE to “build the bridge” to person-centered health care.

Sr. Kathleen recently was called to assume a new role; one that she had previously held from 1985 thru 1993: president of her congregation, the Sisters of Providence. She started in her new position at the end of September.

Catholic Health East has been blessed to have Sr. Kathleen Popko play an integral role in its inception, development and maturation. We are thankful for her leadership, vision, innovation and energy, and for the vital role that she played in shaping the strategic direction of our ministry for many years to come.

Mark O’Neil has served Catholic Health East ably and with distinction for many years. He first joined the CHE family in 2000 as president and CEO of Mercy Health System of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Three years later, he joined the system office to serve as executive vice president of CHE’s Mid-Atlantic Division, and shortly thereafter was promoted to the role of CHE’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. In this position, he was responsible for providing mission and values-based leadership, direction, support and assistance to CHE's operating divisions to optimize their operational effectiveness and strategic position.

In addition to his operational responsibilities, some of Mark’s key accomplishments included the creation and development of information technology shared services, implementation of CHE’s productivity initiative, the introduction of mission synergy initiatives, and the creation of the Advancing Clinical Transformation (ACT) initiative, which in its first year has identified over $100 million in savings while implementing clinical transformation opportunities that will enhance quality and patient safety system-wide. He also led the recruitment of executive teams for supply chain and information technology, supported several organizations in stabilization and turnaround efforts in several ministries, and served as CHE’s Values in Practice champion.

Beginning in December, Mark will become market chief executive officer for Hilton Head Regional Medical Center and Tenet Health System in Hilton Head, S.C. This position affords Mark the opportunity to provide leadership to two hospitals, ambulatory care facilities, and physician practices serving the growing region in the “low country” of coastal South Carolina. Mark also plans to pursue his longtime interests in writing and teaching.

We thank Mark O’Neil for the gifts that he brought to his role as a dedicated member of CHE’s senior management team, and for unselfishly sharing of his time, skill, knowledge and expertise to benefit our entire ministry. We wish him well in his future endeavors.

Two Senior Management Team Members Take On New ChallengesTwo Senior Management Team Members Take On New Challenges

A PUBLICATION FOR THE SPONSORS, BOARDS, REGIONAL LEADERSHIP, SYSTEM OFFICE AND COLLEAGUES OF CATHOLIC HEALTH EAST12

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C A T H O L I C H E A L T H E A S TC A T H O L I C H E A L T H E A S T

LIFE Programs Allow Seniors to Stay at Home

Committed to Creating a Culture of Inclusion

CHE Pilot Projects: Making the Case for Social Media

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Across the System

10 Minutes with … Ted Schlert

eCommerce Initiative Launched at Several RHCs 8 & 9

ACT Initiative Update 310 & 11

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HORIZONS is a publication for the Sponsors, Boards,Regional Leadership, System Office and Colleaguesof Catholic Health East.

Horizons Editorial Staff

Scott H. Share Vice President, System Communications

Maria Iaquinto Communications Manager

Meg J. Boyd Communication Specialist

Design, Production, Printing & Mailing Fulfillment by JC Marketing Communications • jcmcom.com • Southington, Conn.

Catholic Health East is a community of persons committed to being a transforming, healing presence within the communities we serve.

Locations: Located in 11 eastern states from Maine to Florida.

Workforce: Approx. 54,000 employees.

SponsorsCongregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Scranton, Pa.Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, St. Bonaventure, N.Y. Hope Ministries, Newtown Square, Pa.Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pa.Sisters of Mercy of the Americas: Mid-Atlantic Community, Merion Station, Pa. New York, Pennsylvania, Pacific West Community, Buffalo, N.Y. Northeast Community, Cumberland, R.I. South Central Community, Belmont, N.C.Sisters of Providence, Holyoke, Mass.Sisters of St. Joseph, St. Augustine, Fla.

Published by:

Please direct comments and suggestions to info@che.org

3805 West Chester Pike, Suite 100Newtown Square, PA 19073Phone 610.355.2000Fax 610.271.9600www.che.org

H O R I Z O N S

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T10 Minutes with... Ted Schlert

ed Schlert, vice president, insurance/risk services and chief risk officer and secretary, Stella

Maris Insurance Company, Ltd., has been with CHE since 1987 when he joined Eastern Mercy Health System as the system’s first director of insurance and risk management. Before joining CHE, Ted worked at Thomas Jefferson University, an academic health center located in Philadelphia, Pa., and at Albert Einstein Healthcare Foundation, also in Philadelphia. Ted received his M.B.A. from Philadelphia University and a bachelor of science degree from Kutztown University, Kutztown, Pa. CHE’s insurance/risk services department provides system-wide risk finance programs, including workers’ compensation and non-clinical loss prevention programs to CHE member organizations. Can you describe the role of insurance/risk services and how it applies to health care? Generally, the overriding objectives of insurance/risk services here at CHE are to manage our Core Risk Finance Programs and our captive insurer, Stella Maris Insurance Company, Ltd.—our Workers’ Compensation and Colleague Safety Program. These programs assist our RHC and JOA partners in the management of non-salary expenses related to insurance/risk transfer; help protect their fiscal stability through the balance sheet protection offered by risk transfer programs; and assist in the preservation of CHE’s human, financial and physical resources. What are the biggest challenges in health care risk management today? What are some of the specific areas that CHE insurance/risk services is working on now and over the next year? From a finance perspective the challenge is attempting to pinpoint when the nature of the insurance markets might change. For just about every line of coverage that comprises

CHE’s Core Risk Finance Programs, we are still in a competitive marketplace which means for high quality risks such as CHE, pricing tends to be favorable. However, from experience we know that insurance pricing is extremely cyclical in nature and at some point it will be “advantage insurers.” From a colleague safety perspective I believe the biggest challenge is to continue to promote and integrate a cultural change in how colleague safety is viewed throughout CHE. I often think there is so much we can learn from other industries where there seems to be more focus on and promotion of colleague safety. Under the leadership of Mary Leblanc, CHE director, risk finance; Kathleen Harlan, director of workers’ compensation; CHE and RHC/JOA senior management; and our workers’ compensation executives at our local ministries, there has been renewed attention on colleague safety at CHE and our local ministry colleagues are working diligently to move to the “zero is possible” culture. We have made significant strides in the past two years and I fully anticipate this to continue. From the clinical perspective the biggest challenges are to maintain the traction CHE has generated in the clinical transformation

and patient safety arenas. These areas are a significant focus here at CHE. Through Tom Garthwaite, M.D., CMO; Kathleen Meredith, vice president, clinical transformation; and Kathy Young, Esq., vice president, claims services and clinical loss prevention and their respective teams, we have the committed leadership to face these challenges and be successful in achieving the collective goals established.

What should RHC/JOA and System Office colleagues know about insurance/risk services and its role in corporate and hospital operations? The CHE Core Risk Finance Programs are the oldest core programs in CHE ... they actually predated the formation of CHE when between 1986 and 1991 the vast majority of the current programs were established under Eastern Mercy Health System. With the unwavering support of CHE’s senior management team and the RHC/JOA CEOs as well as the risk management and workers’ compensation executives at the local level we have been able to consistently provide comprehensive and cost effective programs to our member organizations. We believe the work that our team performs and the results that are achieved collectively as a system allow additional dollars to be directed to patient care. I might also add that we have an extremely dedicated and committed group of individuals who focus on clinical and non-clinical loss prevention initiatives. Their collective talents and expertise make meaningful contributions to day-to-day RHC/JOA operations.

What role do our colleagues have in minimizing risk? Our colleagues at the local ministries play the most important role in our initiatives. We depend entirely on them to integrate the programs and services that are provided from insurance/risk services into the day-to-day operations of their organizations.

magine keeping your independence in the comfort of your own home as you age. Thanks to PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly), some senior citizens are doing just that and enjoying a higher quality of life. What started in California in the 1970’s continues today to meet the needs of long-term care clients, providers and payers. The comprehensive service package permits seniors to continue living at home while receiving services rather than being institutionalized. Capitated financing allows providers to deliver all services participants need rather than be limited to those reimbursable under the Medicare and Medicaid fee-for-service systems. Typically, available services include physician care by a certified geriatrician, primary medical care, nursing, health education and wellness, dental and vision services, medications, rehabilitative therapies, social services, nutrition services, transportation and more. Other services often available include meal preparation, light housekeeping, home-delivered meals and caregiver respite.

Catholic Health East (CHE) operates three of the 70+ PACE programs now in existence in the United States, with plans to open more in the future. All of these programs are referred to as LIFE (Living Independently for Elders).

St. Francis Medical Center, Trenton, N.J., recently opened the first PACE program in New Jersey. “Each LIFE enrollee receives

customized care that is planned and delivered by a coordinated, interdisciplinary team,” said Jerry Jablonowski, president and CEO of St. Francis. “A participant’s care plan usually integrates some home care services from the team with several visits each week to the LIFE Center. LIFE provides a new level of care for our area’s seniors.”

As the PACE “trail blazer” in the state, St. Francis staff worked closely with state regulators to develop policies, procedures and an administrative infrastructure for the program. According to Christine M. Fares Walley, manager, marketing and enrollment,

LIFE Programs AllowSeniors to Stay at Home

Mercy SEPA Opens New LIFE CenterCarol Quinn (second from left), CEO, Mercy Home and Community Health Services,

prepares to cut the ribbon for the new Mercy LIFE center. Joining Carol Quinn, from left: Maria Gonzalaz, vice president, HACE (Hispanic Association of Contractors and

Enterprises); Edward Hillis, president, Domus, Inc. (general contractor);Guillermo “Bill” Salas, president, HACE; Maria D. Quinones Sanchez, Philadelphia

councilwoman, 7th district; H. Ray Welch, Jr., president and CEO, Mercy Health System of Southeastern Pennsylvania; Sister Kathleen Keenan, R.S.M., senior vice president, mission

and sponsorship, Mercy SEPA; and Joanne Gray, Mercy LIFE.

Ted Schlert, CHE vice president,insurance/risk services and

chief risk officer and secretary,Stella Maris Insurance Company, Ltd.