Medical records. Hospital owned or patient owned?

I had an “ah-ha” moment while sitting in the New Jersey Hospital Association’s annual meeting.   We were listening to Dr. Eric Topol – Director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute, cardiologist, and author – discuss the technology changes that consumers have access to today.

In some cases the technology he talked about is only available to people with huge resources, but his point in showing the crowd of 500 people these things is – “They are coming.” Not only will these new technologies be available to patients, but the access to the technology will change the dynamics of the patient experience and the relationship they have with the entire healthcare system.

The technology advancements that are on their way are not new to you. I have been saying these things at the employee meetings over the last 3 years. I have shared a number of times that we need to continue to find ways to bring value to the patients.

But, I had one of those aha moments during the presentation. Dr. Topol wrote a book – “Patients Come First,” and in his book he talks about when the patient will be able to eventually preform their own EKG or X-ray, there will be a lot fewer emergency department visits because they will not need the services of a hospital or person for urgent intervention.   

Ok no big deal there.

What really struck me was when he started talking about who owns patient medical records. In each state, the laws define the “ownership” differently.

For example, in New Jersey the law says the hospital owns and maintains the records and the patients only have access to them. Vermont is the only state in the nation where the patient owns their own records.

I can bet that most of you know how to read a medical record, right? Well, when I have read my own medical record, I’m convinced the doctor must have written it in another language – to me it is just gibberish.

So when Dr. Topol began talking about the translation services (my description) that are now available to explain to patients what their scans and medical records say in layman’s terms, I was so grateful for what that could do for our patients and families! Patients will no longer need to rely on the healthcare professional to make sense of the words; technology will do it for them.

I know what you’re thinking – that’s just one more piece of technology that will replace us! But it’s not, it’s an advancement that will help, and I’ll tell you why.

The new technology cannot replace the plan of care and the value of developing the relationship that we as humans provide. This technology can help to speed up a task that would normally take time out of your day, allowing you to use that time to see more patients.

I get ads for shoes all the time while searching on the Web (and always thinking “How do they know I love shoes?!”). When someone is searching specific health issues they are concerned about via Google or Bing monitoring their activity, we could use the same data sharing that Amazon uses in their marketing efforts to “market” to our patients the information that will help them with carry-over care, help them get healthy or remain healthy, and to take their medications. Well, it could help any number of things!

Yes, this could have some ethical issues but if the patient controls their own records, they could participate in any number of different apps that give them the tools they need to manage their lives and care in entirely different ways. We are trying to do this already with our new Parent PAL app, but the inner connectivity to other information could be the game changer.

Ok just breathe. I’m not trying to scare you, but instead to inspire all of us to think about what our patients couldn’t live without. Then, to develop the technology to remedy their issue and help it to become essential to them.

You know I love my FitBit. It truly does make me feel better when I hit my goals and keep track of how my friends are doing on their personal efforts to keep up their cardio. How could we help people manage the stress in their lives?

Would love to hear your thoughts!

Question & Answer with Amy

How many of you opened this blog post and thought I was going to talk about the Q&A document on the Intranet? Nope! Today is something a little more fun. I was asked to fill out a Q&A for a  board that I sit on and thought it would be fun to share my answers with you.

1. Something most people don’t know about me – My holiday cards have to be the first one you receive in the mail.  Yes, even the Friday after Thanksgiving. 
2. Idea of happiness – Having everything crossed off my to-do list at the end of the day.
3. Biggest weakness – I over commit.
4. Enjoy the most – Working!
5. Heroes – My parents.
6. Natural gift would you like poses – I wish I could sing.
7. Pet peeve – Being disrespectful to others, regardless of title.
8. What historical figure do I identify with or admire? Winston Churchill.
9. What is my motto? It’s all good.
10. Favorite way to spend time – With family and friends.
11. Treasured possession – A big fancy ring I bought right after a friend of mine passed away.
12. Greatest extravagance or indulgence – Shoes!
13. Quality most important in a friend – Loyalty.
14. Favorite way to relax – Running.
15. I’d never – Sky dive.
16. Traits I value in a colleague – Someone who will be candid with me.
17. My greatest achievement – Even when people don’t necessarily like me, they still respect me.
18. Something I’d still like to do – Be able to sleep through the night!
19. Three words that describe my leadership style – Direct, passionate, no excuses. (Ok, technically that’s 2 words and a phrase).
20. Who has been the greatest influence on me? – New Jersey Gov. James Florio
21. My ideal day – Go for a long run, and then sit by the pool with umbrella drinks and a good book.
22. Favorite childhood memory – Being in Maine with my parents.
23. Biggest fear – Fire.

So, there you go! Who doesn’t love a good list?  I’d love for some of you to share your own answers in the comments below. 

RWJ/Barnabas – Update

We haven’t talked about the RWJ/Barnabas merger since early in December, and I know many of you have been wondering why we haven’t shared anything else.  In short – we do not have any new news to share.  But as we all know, it’s important to keep the lines of communication open even if there isn’t any breaking news.  But we have had some rumors.  

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again – I’d rather deal with rumors head on than to ignore them and let more speculation stew. If you missed our last post, click here to see some of your questions answered. Thank you to everyone who posted well wishes to both Warren and me in our upcoming new roles. 

Question: When is this going to happen?

The timing is dependent on when the Attorney General of New Jersey approves the merger. We don’t know the exact answer to this one yet, but expect it to happen sometime in the Spring. All three health systems and our board continue to meet and discuss strategic leadership changes and once things are finalized we’ll of course share with everyone. 

As you can see there’s really not much to report yet! These things take time, and the last thing we want to do is share something that isn’t final, or approved, and risk the chance of having to tell you it’s changed!

I’ve told you once, twice, and I’ll tell you every day until I leave – you are in great hands with Warren as your new president & CEO. We have worked together for many years. And I know that he will continue to lead our employees, our patients, and our families to make even greater strides and lead to even more success. 

Ok, I know you have more questions but haven’t shared them yet. So, what else do you want to know?

A new year, a new group of honorees!

So, January flew by faster than I could imagine. But that just got us one step closer to recognizing our next five (5) Employees of the Quarter

Our Q1 honorees for 2016 are:

• Kaylee McGuire — Community Recreation Program Coordinator, Mountainside
• Carol Sherry — Ambulatory Care RN, Mountainside
• Luciana Mendes-McGuire — Family Faculty, New Brunswick
• Marilyn Zuniga — Assoc. Coordinator for Autism, Fanwood
• Shavane Thompson — Team Lead-PAS IV&A, Mountainside

We could tell you how great they are ourselves, but let’s let their nominator share why they nominated them:

Kaylee McGuire

“Kaylee oversees our community recreation programs. These programs include Friday Night Fever, summer day and overnight camps, Adapted Aquatics, and Martial Arts. She has been expanding programs over the past 3 years to increase our patients served to a total of 491 children. She works countless days and hours to ensure safe and fun programs for this population who have few community resources to turn to. She continues to be innovative in her planning and organization of our programs to help their growth, satisfaction, and overall participants served. She is a true team player. Kaylee often assists with inpatient and LTC coverage needs. She also serves as President of NJ/EPA TRA and as the Pediatric Treatment Network leader for ATRA. This year, Kaylee has presented at conferences/webinars a total of 10 times, not including multiple inservices to staff throughout the organization.”

Carol Sherry

“I have no words to describe how much Carol Sherry contributes to the lives of our patients and the people with whom she works. Carol is the glue that holds Mountainside ACC together. If she can be helpful in any way, Carol is always right there. She has been here for so many years and I have never seen her dedication waver, not even for a moment. Going above and beyond is Carols norm, but that should never be taken for granted. I believe Carol deserves this honor, for sure. I'd nominate her for Employee of the Decade if I could.”

Luciana Mendes-McGuire

“Luciana goes above and beyond every day in her work as Family Faculty. She is a role model for our Service Excellence Standards. She goes out of her way to ensure that our families’ needs are met no matter what the circumstance—from bringing them food, to helping them get clothing, transportation and so much more!! She partners with staff in all that she does to help make our families experiences the best that it can be (e.g. supports staff and families in family meetings, coordinates welcome bags for families, oversees the Family Resource room, partners with Brain Injury Alliance for resources etc..). Every Thanksgiving Luciana and her family cook and serve a holiday dinner for our inpatient families and staff as a way to give back to the hospital for the wonderful care that they have received.”

Marilyn Zuniga

“Marilyn exemplifies compassion for all families, especially those from underserved communities. For example, children from Spanish-speaking families who she screened in the community Kohl's clinics actually have a higher rate of follow through with recommendations versus English-speaking families, which is very unusual. This is because she makes sure that these families understand what is going on and how to link to services. Families often contact her long after their screening to keep in touch and ask further questions to make sure their kids are getting needed services. She also exemplifies Excellence in her work as Study Coordinator for one of our autism grants. This grant requires constant attention to detail, networking with community providers and providing support to clinical staff. Some of the community agencies can be quite challenging but Marilyn never gives up as she tries to find ways to meet everyone's needs. Marilyn is endlessly patient in soothing frustrated families and staff. I have seen so much growth in Marilyn as her confidence and advocacy has grown. This is shown by her involvement with the International Meeting for Autism Research where she has been worked with the cultural diversity committee.”

Shavane Thompson

When I think of integrity and excellence I think of Shavane. Shavane is someone that I can trust and this value is shown through her everyday interactions with her co-workers, customers, clinicians, and to all in which she interacts with. Shavane is has that "get it right" personality. She works to perfection, and will not stop until her work is presentable and includes what is expected and beyond. She continues to go above and beyond what is expected to get the job done; even if it requires her to stay late. Shavane has volunteered in different fundraiser events at Children’s and serves as a member of the Family Advisory Counsel. Shavane has sat on the Board of Career Vision Ambassadors and was the President of the Alumni Association at her college. She has run multiple church groups in her spare time. Shavane also sat on the Board of the Rotary Club.”

Congratulations to all five of you for being recognized for your hard work and dedication to our patients, families, and each other. You will each be rewarded with a $50 gift card and an item of your choice from our Give a WOW! gift shop, as well as be considered for our Employee of the Year.

If you have a colleague that you feel should be rewarded for going above and beyond both at Children’s Specialized Hospital and in their community, please submit an Employee of the Quarter nomination in Give a WOW! Questions on how to do this? Please contact Megan Muller at x7135 or memuller@childrens-specialized.org.

Comment below to leave a congratulations message for each of our Employees of the Quarter.