Jeffrey R. Balser, M.D., Ph.D.
Reports upbeat at VMG and Medical Staff annual meetings
Annual meetings of the VUMC Medical Staff and the Vanderbilt Medical Group were held back-to-back on Tuesday afternoon.
Here are some high points.
• Patients are choosing VUMC: clinic visits are forecast to increase 13.6 percent this fiscal year and another 16 percent next year, rising above 920,000; admissions are forecast to increase 4.7 percent this year and 7.6 percent next year, reaching above 42,000.
• VUMC is growing to meet the demand. The Medical Center expects to add at least 133 clinical faculty over the next three years, an increase of 13.3 percent. Hospital renovation continues apace: between March 2004 and next spring, the adult hospital will have added 93 patient care beds and eight operating rooms, and the adult Emergency Department will have doubled in size.
• Health care services contracting is increasingly concerned with the demonstration and measurement of clinical quality. VMG will work with departments to identify centers of clinical excellence and to promote use of evidence-based patient care protocols.
• The VUMC clinical enterprise will soon mount a culture change effort to improve quality, service, and satisfaction. Top health care consultants The Studer Group will assist the effort.
• Diversion of patients away from VUH due to lack of beds has been reduced 40 percent since December. Doctors are writing discharge orders earlier in the day, and making more use of “anticipate discharge” orders.
• VMG is significantly outperforming other academic groups in terms of major business indicators such as net collection rate, days in accounts receivable and claims denials.