Public Health: ‘The prognosis for accountable care … is excellent!’
Since 1995, the first full week in April has been National Public Health Week, providing the American Public Health Association and other organizations the opportunity to bring attention to health improvement. I recently met with Elke Shaw-Tulloch, administrator for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s Division of Public Health. We discussed the fact that [...]
The Big Question for Health Care: Who is Your Customer, Really?
At our annual St. Luke’s Health System Summit in February, we were honored to have Gary S. Kaplan, M.D., chairman and CEO of Virginia Mason Health System in the Seattle area, provide a keynote address regarding the Virginia Mason Production System (VMPS). Read St. Luke’s Health System Vice President of Performance Excellence Mike Reno’s report [...]
St. Luke’s Infection-Free Future: Project Zero
Project Zero is an example of St. Luke’s Triple Aim in action. Its success is contributing to better care and lower costs. We have many such examples of innovative efforts led by physicians – in this particular case, by Drs. Kevin Shea and Howard King – that we are profiling on the blog. Having [...]
St. Luke’s Perioperative Clinic Focuses on Best Possible Outcomes
The reason that I am so optimistic that St. Luke’s can transform health care is that our physicians and our employees are leading the transformation. I have the chance here to feature the work of our physician leaders, and I will continue to share stories of improvements they are leading. In today’s post, I’m [...]
To the St. Luke’s Family …
In light of recent developments and media interest, I want to share with you from my heart about where we find ourselves here at St. Luke’s and where we are going. I’ve had the opportunity to work with many of you and get to know you over the past three years. Others I have had [...]
Update on the FTC Investigation: a Disappointment, but No Deterrent to Right Solutions
I am writing with an update on the investigation by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office. We learned late yesterday that the FTC and the AG have decided to file a complaint in federal court against St. Luke’s. This action is related to the lawsuit filed by Saint Alphonsus and [...]
‘Willing to try new ideas …’
Editor’s note: My article that follows originally appeared as a column in the Idaho Statesman’s Business Insider last month. The problems with the American health care system include fragmentation (care is delivered in many settings by many providers with little coordination) and misaligned incentives (payment methodologies do not create incentives for the results we say [...]
e-Patient Dave: ‘I want the best people … to thrive’
You are in for a treat. We were pleased to have Dave deBronkart, better known by his pseudonym, e-Patient Dave, as one of our two keynote speakers at this year’s St. Luke’s Health System Summit. Dave has become a leader in participatory medicine since he was diagnosed with terminal renal (kidney) cancer. Dave engaged in [...]
e-Patient Dave and the New Excellence: Consumerism Comes to the Medical Market
What follows is a special article written by e-Patient Dave deBronkart. I’m glad to share Dave’s thinking in this space and to welcome him to our upcoming St. Luke’s Health System Summit as a featured speaker. It’s a time of great challenge for everyone in medicine, and challenges bring chances to excel in new ways. [...]
