A walk down memory lane

I have slowly started the task of organizing my files to prepare for my departure. You don’t realize how much stuff you accumulate over 12 years! I have a lot of “special” things I have held onto throughout my years as CEO at Children’s Specialized Hospital.

Cleaning my office has been relatively easy since I am only doing a little at a time, but it has evoked a wave of memories and emotions.

So, what have I found?

I found pictures from my first Halloween at Children’s Specialized back in 2003 when Elaine Mustacchio (Nursing 3^rd floor, NB) loaned me an apron to wear when I dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Of course I had no trouble finding the red shoes piece – I have a plethora of them! But my favorite part of the memory was I got to see the real national holiday of Children’s Specialized Hospital at Halloween.

You probably wouldn’t be surprised to learn that I am fidgeter; I literally can’t sit still for too long. So in especially long meetings I bring toys with me. So in my cleaning, I found my “stash” of toys. I have soldiers, little men with smiley heads; I have hearts and squares that are pieced together, and lots of stretchy Gumby dolls.

Now to be honest, many of the soldiers have stretched out arms and some are headless because I pulled on them so much. But it was fun to find them and be reminded of how much fun we had playing with them.

One of the most special things I found in office was the pile of cards and notes that I have received from many of you over the years. It was such fun to reread them and to have my heart filled again with the warmth of being part of this special family.

So as we approach what will be my final 30, 60, or 90 days at Children’s Specialized Hospital (depending on the State approval), I will continue leisurely packing and cleaning my office, but please know how I cherish the memories I’ve had here and my time as a part of this special family.

So here is my ask for you guys.

If you have a funny or poignant memory with me from the last 12 years, please share it on the blog or email it to me. 

It would be a wonderful addition to all that have already been shared. 

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?

RWJ/Barnabas – The Rumor Mill

So, since my email last week with the update to the Robert Wood Johnson and Barnabas merger I’ve gotten A LOT of questions. I answered some of them during my State of the State meeting last week, but in case some of you didn’t attend I wanted to make sure I clear up any questions here on the blog.

You all know it is my preference to deal with the issues directly, so I will continue to share the rumors I have heard and ask that if there are others – please post them in the comments below and/or email them to me. If I have the answers and can address them, I’ll do so here on the blog.

So, let’s get started.

Rumor: Amy was fired from Children’s Specialized Hospital and they moved her out.

I was not fired. Although being President of Children’s Specialized Hospital is the best job in the world because of both the work we do and each of you, this is a promotion for me. My mother even joked that I’ll really have no life now because I’ll be so busy.

Rumor: Joe Dobosh is retiring.

I am not even sure where this came from but No is the answer. Joe Dobosh is not retiring. Eventually he probably will, but not at this time.

Question: Where will your office be?

I will have an office in Plum Street in New Brunswick, but most of my time will be spent on the road working with the hospitals in the Southern region of RWJ Barnabas.

Question: Will Warren take your office in New Brunswick?

Yes, when the time comes to make the transition I will move my things out of my office at our New Brunswick Somerset Street office and Warren will move in. I’ve already given him some tips on how to rearrange the furniture!

Question: Will you still do your blog and the weekly wrap up?

This is a tricky one. No, I will not be in charge of the blog and the weekly wrap up anymore. Will Warren take over? That hasn’t been decided yet. Of course you’ll still be kept updated on what’s going on around the hospital, so much of what you’d normally share in the wrap up you should send to Megan Muller so we can share it in the Daily Huddles.

Question: Will Warren give us jean days?

I have no idea! This is something you’ll have to ask him about.

Question: Will you ever come back to see us?

You’ll still see me from time to time. I will attend events in my new role at all the hospitals and I will still be in New Brunswick (remember, I’ll have an office at Plum Street!). You may not see me as often, but I’ll still be around for sure.

Question: When is this going to happen?

The timing is dependent on when the Attorney General of New Jersey approves the merger. It could be a month or it could be a year. We don’t know the answer to this one yet, but I will share when I can. We are trying to be as proactive as we can so there are no surprises when this happens. That is why all three hospitals and our board have begun to discuss the movement of positions.

Question: Once Warren moves up, who will move into his role?

This is a great question, and from what I’ve heard some of you have already started to get some ideas on restructure! Warren will work closely with the Senior Leadership Team to determine this new structure. Most likely that wouldn’t occur until after I move into my new role.

Question: Are you still CEO now?

Yes! Until the day that this transition takes place, I will continue to be the CEO of Children’s Specialized Hospital and continue on with my responsibilities in this position. Consider it business as usual until you hear otherwise.

Question: Will Children's Specialized Hospital be remaining an affiliate of the merged hospital, or will we become the children's hospital within the new organizational structure?

We will remain as an affiliate of the hospital.

Question: There's the RWJ University Hospital Foundation, Saint Barnabas Medical Center Foundation, and Children's Specialized Hospital Foundation. Will these stay intact or be combined?

The Children's Specialized Hospital Foundation is free standing, and not part of this merger.

Question from the comments: Can we see a picture of Warren, have never actually met him!!!
Warren's photo is listed in his contact in the phone directory. A simple search would have brought him up for you! It's also listed under his Give a WOW! profile. But, to save you the hassle, here is one from us today.

I am aware that this announcement of my departure and Warren's promotion may have come as a surprise to some of you. But I want to assure you all that you’re in good hands here. Warren and I have worked closely for many years at Children’s Specialized. I have no doubt that he’ll continue to lead you all to reach new heights and accomplish even more than I have.

I know that as time goes on, there may be other rumors or questions that come about. I will continue to update you all when I have more information that I can share, but I would appreciate if there are other things out there that you are curious about, please let me know so I can put them to bed.

So, what else do you want to know?

Talks of Hospital Mergers Begin

Yesterday, five North Jersey hospitals announced plans to sell, explore a merger, and seek a new buyer to help solidify their existence in this turbulent health care market. Children’s Specialized nor our partner RWJ were among them. Take a breath.

We knew this was coming.

Is Children’s Specialized talking with other health systems or hospitals about mergers or acquisitions? As a member of the Robert Wood Johnson Health System, we stand strong under their powerful umbrella of services. The system is in constant state of conversations with many because of their strong market position. We provide such specialized care that our services will always be unique and the talk of us “merging” with another pediatric rehabilitation hospital is non-existent. We have a 120 year history of providing services for children with special needs and we will see it through for another 100 years.

What does this mean for you? Change is happening all around us and the best way we can remain in the forefront of this evolution is to remain vigilant at responding to doctors and hospitals who want us to care for their kids, improve our processes, cut expenses and continue to improve the quality of our care. Even if our services are so unique, we still are a “health care service provider” and we are faced with the same challenges as all hospitals. Our reimbursement rates are decreasing, our federal and state funding is diminishing and the funding we do receive will be based on the quality of the service we provide and patient satisfaction.

Below is an article that was in today’s Star-Ledger detailing the news about the mergers.

I will continue to share this information with you and give you an opportunity to ask questions. Please don’t hesitate to contact me or your supervisor.

We will discuss this further as we pick up another round of our employee meetings. Keep an eye on the intranet for a schedule. Meetings to begin in late February.

- Amy

Star-Ledger/NJ.com - Thursday, February 02, 2012, 7:35 AM

Big hospital merger plans part of dizzying day for N.J. medical industry
By Susan K. Livio and Seth Augenstein/The Star-Ledger

It was a dizzying day for the hospital industry Wednesday, as executives from five North Jersey hospitals announced plans to sell, explore a merger, and seek a new buyer to shore up their stake in the state’s competitively "harsh" health care market.

Industry experts said even more sales and consolidations were looming as hospitals brace for the financial consequences of the federal health care reform law — insuring more people while cutting costs — which will take effect in two years.
Kerry McKean Kelly, a spokeswoman for the New Jersey Hospitals Association, said health care reform was driving a lot of the discussions about consolidation and partnerships. "There might be a single payment for an ‘episode of care’ that would be divided between home health aides, physicians, nursing homes, hospitals," she said.

In addition, she said New Jersey’s "harsh marketplace," with high costs and limited reimbursements, was also forcing hospitals to rethink their business model.
The state Department of Health and Senior Services must approve any hospital sale or merger.

According to Wednesday's announcements:
• Hackensack University Medical Center and its investment partner, LHP Hospital Group, announced the purchase of Mountainside Hospital in Glen Ridge for $190 million — $160 million more than owners Merit Health Systems paid in 2007. Hackensack and LHP are already awaiting state approval to reopen Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood.

• Ascension Health Care Network of St. Louis, Mo, the nation’s largest Catholic hospital system, confirmed that it is talking to St. Mary’s Medical Center in Passaic and St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson, for the "potential creation of a new Catholic health care system in New Jersey," a spokesman for Ascension, Joe Orlando, said.

• Prime Healthcare of California dropped its bid to buy Christ Hospital in Jersey City. "Christ Hospital must now work through very difficult financial challenges, and it remains to be seen if there is another viable way forward," said Peter Kelly, the hospital’s president and chief executive.

• St. Luke’s Hospital and Health Network announced it would add Warren Hospital in Phillipsburg to its roster of facilities in of Lehigh Valley, Pa., with plans of reviving maternity services and investing up to $6 million in its intensive care unit.

Industry insiders also expect an announcement soon regarding Barnabas Health, the state’s biggest hospital chain, which has held lengthy talks with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey over University Hospital.

The two said in a statement that they were pursuing an affiliation, but that any change would "preserve the clinical, academic and research alignment between The University Hospital and the UMDNJ New Jersey Medical School." Industry observers have said this simply means Barnabas Health would run University Hospital.

The new owners of Mountainside told employees there would be no layoffs, and that services would be expanded if the state Department of Health and Senior Services approved the sale.

"There will be no impact to staff at all — everyone will be hired for the same positions and same salary,’’ a spokeswoman for the hospital group, Pat Ball, said. "There are no plans to discontinue services."

The collapse of talks involving the purchase of Christ Hospital by Prime Healthcare — which is under investigation in California — was welcome news for the nurses’ union, which publicly fought the sale

"This welcome withdrawal of Prime Healthcare from its intended purchase of our community hospital represents a new opportunity to protect access to quality health care for our patients and residents," said Ann Twomey, president of the Health Professionals and Allied Employees.

Ascension’s arrival would preserve the dwindling presence of Catholic hospitals in the state, said Donald Malafronte of the Urban Health Institute. "St. Mary’s has been marketed around for awhile," he said, while St. Joseph’s is carrying a lot of debt.