Heather Burks listens to an educational podcast from Vanderbilt's Neurology clerkship while working out last week in the student recreation center on campus. Students can download the digital media files to iPods, MP3 players, or burn them to a CD, and continue to study while engaged in other activities. (photo by Susan Urmy)
VMG recognized for performance improvement
Vanderbilt Medical Group is one of three winners of the 2007 Medical Group Preeminence Award from the American Medical Group Association (AMGA).
The AMGA comprises 300 member groups representing 85,000 physicians.
VMG was chosen “because of achievements reached within their system-wide elevate performance improvement program and the exemplary leadership oversight that has led to better outcomes of patient care and more safe and efficient processes within the group,” AMGA officials wrote.
“Of particular note are achievements in the area of quality. Clinic and hospital administration identified three top quality goals for 2006, which included an observed-to-expected mortality rate of 0.85 or better, performance above the 50th percentile in all publicly reported clinical quality measures, and the establishment of a baseline for medication errors.”
Awards were presented recently at the AMGA annual conference in Scottsdale, Ariz. The other 2007 winners were Geisinger Health System in Danville, Penn., and Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle.
Vanderbilt officials on hand at the awards ceremony included C. Wright Pinson, M.D., M.B.A., associate vice chancellor for Clinical Affairs and chief medical officer; Nancy Lorenzi, Ph.D., assistant vice chancellor for Health Affairs, and Jack Starmer, M.D., assistant professor, Biomedical Informatics.
“It was a privilege for our group to accept the award on behalf of the many at Vanderbilt who serve patients and do their utmost to advance health care at our institution,” Pinson said. “I see our organization coming together as never before to achieve new levels of performance, with staff and faculty fixed on attaining the best clinical outcomes.
“So this recognition from the AMGA is especially welcome at this time, and it's shared by everyone who comes in contact with our patients.”
Other members of the VMG leadership team cited in the award are John Bingham, director, Center for Clinical Improvement; Ron Fortenberry, R.N., director, Case Management; Donna Kilpatrick, director, Finance; David Posch, CEO of the Vanderbilt Clinic and executive director of VMG; and William Stead, M.D., associate vice chancellor for Health Affairs and chief information officer.