As the organization winds down a yearlong commemoration of its 20-year anniversary, my team thought it would be interesting to offer a little history on The Source magazine.
This edition marks the publication of our 38th issue since the magazine was re-envisioned as a member-focused publication in Q3 of 2010. Throughout the 2,700+ pages published since that time, we have aimed to highlight member success stories, Physician Advisor insights, and best practices from both industry and internal subject matter experts.
In the beginning…
The Source began in 2006 as a publication of a faith-based GPO, Consorta. When Consorta became part of HealthTrust in 2007, the magazine became a collaborative effort between the two organizations. In September of 2007, the name on the cover was changed to HealthTrust with a tagline that read: Supply Chain Strategies for Success.
In 2015, HealthTrust hired my predecessor as its first Chief Medical Officer who, in addition to his role as CMO, became Executive Publisher and Editor-at-large of the magazine. When I came on board in 2018, I also assumed those responsibilities and asked the team to embark on an RFP process to review content providers to carry out our vision moving forward. After a nationwide search with eight initial publishers, four were invited to Nashville to formally present.
We are excited to have selected a new content partner—GLC—a Skokie, Illinois-based communications and marketing agency. GLC will manage an organization-wide thought leadership strategy that includes our print magazine and digital assets as well as ad sales for The Source.
While the magazine’s name remains the same, our new tagline better reflects the evolution of the industry and the HealthTrust business: Enhancing Provider Performance & Clinical Integration. This edition is our first with both an updated look and a new approach to content.
Share your insights
Members are encouraged to take five minutes and share your feedback by responding to the Q4 reader survey you will receive via email in December. And, as always, I invite you to share your stories with us at thesource@healthtrustpg.com.
Innovation2
I was honored to recognize both Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Centura Health with Innovation Grants during the HealthTrust University Conference in August.
The applications submitted by these teams detailed impressive programs for advancing healthcare performance. To further enhance their initiatives, each team will receive $50,000—half as cash and the remainder in service line consulting support from HealthTrust.
Patient safety focus
BMC piloted a vascular surgery High-performance Operating Room Team (HPT) to reduce the likelihood of surgical errors and postoperative complications. Based on data indicating that vascular surgery patients experienced higher rates of surgical site infections (compared to other surgical specialties), BMC decided to start there. With the help of the HealthTrust Innovation Grant, three additional HPTs will be formed over the next year, with the first incorporating vascular with cardiac, thoracic and transplant surgeries. Read more about the benefits BMC has already seen from the vascular surgery pilot on page 32.
Virtual efficiency
Centura Health launched a digital care center so patients visiting its specialty clinics could video conference with a pharmacist. With its Innovation Grant, Centura plans to create a pharmacy referral process to the digital care center within the EHR, enabling physicians to refer patients they feel might benefit from virtual pharmacy visits while also reducing office staff workload. Some of the areas where HealthTrust consultants will offer expertise include technology, lean processes and data mining. Learn more about the continuous increase in volume Centura has experienced since implementing the digital care center, beginning on page 38.
What would you do with $50K?
The Innovation Grant site for 2020 will open for applications in the spring. Now is the time to start formulating your plans for a submission. What innovative care delivery or performance initiatives are you working on that could use a little help to move to the next level? Reach out to my team anytime with questions at innovation@healthtrustpg.com.
John Young, M.D., MBA, CPE, FACHE
Chief Medical Officer, HealthTrust
Executive Publisher & Editor-at-large, The Source magazine
