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Meet
Members of the IASIS Team
Profiles: Carole Beauchamp
& Lelan Daines
Patient care is IASIS’ core business — it’s
a fact on which Lelan Daines and Carole Beauchamp, IASIS directors
of risk management and clinical operations, stay focused. Their
responsibilities include oversight, training and management of
the delivery of clinical services and risk management at IASIS
hospitals.
“Lelan and I are the clinical people at IASIS
corporate. We’re nurses by background, so we can empathize with
the challenges caregivers face,” says Beauchamp. “I try to help
the hospitals work through the (administrative and regulatory)
issues they face and so they can see to it that patients get the
care and the value they need.”
“The real question (we should be asking) is
what does the patient need and then we should work back from there,”
explains Daines. “When we focus on that issue, we’re able to give
clinicians more and better information because it reduces the
complexity and the numbers of people who are involved in administration
of patient care. In the end, not only are you in compliance, but
you’re providing better care.”
In particular, Daines says, the new computer
systems currently being installed in all IASIS hospitals will
be an asset to nursing.
Experience Counts
Both women have more than 20 years of experience in clinical operations
and in quality, risk and resource management.
“Lelan has expertise in compliance and risk
management and my expertise is in Joint Commission on the Accreditation
of Healthcare Organizations,” says Beauchamp. “Because we have
different strengths, it allows us to work together for the benefit
of all the IASIS hospitals.”
With an emphasis on case management, Beauchamp
focuses on helping hospitals set up processes that allow patients
to move through the entire continuum of care efficiently while
receiving optimum care. Although she isn’t a compliance officer,
she says her job includes working with physicians to ensure they
are in good standing with Medicare rules. “My goal is to improve
processes to make (these processes) friendlier to doctors and
staff,” she says. “For instance, the new computer system will
allow us to centralize scheduling and improve the movement of
patients through the system.” Other areas on which Beauchamp focuses
include medical staff by-law development and resource management.
“Most of the time, when patients are cared
for in a clinically appropriate and ethical manner, problems are
minimal,” says Daines. When care yields a less-than-optimal outcome
or dissatisfied patients, she says it’s usually because of a cascade
of events. “It takes longer to correct problems than it does to
do (it right) the first time,” she observes.
“The healthcare world has become so complex
that people get caught up in worrying about the rules and regulations,”
says Daines, who fills in when she’s needed in the emergency department
at Salt Lake Regional Medical Center. “They get paralyzed by the
rules and the paperwork. I tell people ‘Take a deep breath. If
you don’t understand the rules, just do the right thing.’ Nine
times out of 10 that will keep us within the regulatory guidelines.”
IASIS
401(k) an Important Saving/Retirement Planning Tool
Of the many benefits IASIS Healthcare makes
available, the 401(k) is one of the most valuable.
“Our 401(k) plan is designed to make saving
for retirement easy,” says Russ Follis, IASIS director of Human
Resources. “It allows you to save up to 20 percent of your pay
before taxes after one year of service. IASIS matches what you
put in at a rate of 50 cents for every dollar, up to six percent
of your pay.
“You then can invest and manage the money
in your 401(k) by placing it in one or a combination of several
of our investment funds,” says Follis, explaining that the seven
available funds provide different levels of risk and growth.
“The important fact to know is that you must
be in the plan to save for the future. Even small amounts add
up over time.
“An additional benefit to the 401(k) plan
is that the money you invest will help you in paying less in income
taxes,” says Follis. “That’s because contributions are made before
federal and state income taxes are withheld, so the net result
is that you may pay lower taxes. And with the matching contributions
from IASIS, you save even more.”
You’re in Charge
IASIS has seven different investment options in which you can
invest your 401(k) plan contributions. These options offer different
levels of risk/return potential, from money market accounts to
stock funds. “You can choose to place your 401(k) resources in
one investment fund or divide them among several funds,” says
Follis. “The company’s matching contributions are invested the
same way as your contributions.
“Your 401(k) is designed to help you save
for retirement, but sometimes you need access to your savings
for loans or hardship withdrawals,” says Follis. If you need to
draw on those funds, talk with your Human Resources representative
for more information.
If you leave the company, you may be able
to roll your IASIS 401(k) into one sponsored by your new employer
or place it in an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). Choosing
to “cash in” a 401(k) before retirement can result in penalties
and taxes based on the amount in your account.
401(k) Facts
You are eligible to join IASIS’s 401(k) plan on the first of the
month following your date of hire (PRN employees are eligible
after one year of service). Deductions begin as soon as is possible
after you decide to participate. (See the Overview of Retirement
Savings Benefits brochure available from your Human Resources
department for specifics.)
Matching contributions begin after you have
been with the company one year.
Invest your 401(k) plan savings in one or
more of the seven available options. At the beginning of each
calendar quarter (Jan. 1, April 1, July 1 and Oct.1), contribution
percentages can be altered. Withdrawals from a 401(k) before retirement
are permitted but penalties, interest or taxes may apply, so talk
with your Human Resources representative.
By law, the maximum that can be contributed
in 2000 to a 401(k) is $10,500.
Your beneficiary is entitled to the full value
of your 401(k) — less any outstanding loan balance — if you die
before the account is paid to you.
Reports
From The Installation Front
Systems Upgrade Is a Journey, Not a Destination
Retooling of hospital computer systems is always challenging.
Even so, staff at IASIS hospitals report the process is proceeding
smoothly and that the system has many attractive features.
“Nurses should be pleased about the new computer
capabilities,” says Pat Mattson, R.N., St. Luke’s Medical Center
management information service nursing liaison. “It’s an asset
that will help them do their jobs better.” Mattson has responsibility
for teaching all the hospital’s nursing staff to use the new system.
Beneficial features include the replacement
of handwritten notes about patient care and the automatic printing
each day of worksheets for each patient’s care. “One of the nice
features is we can build in a specific physician's standing orders
for patients so they can be entered in the computer more efficiently,”
says Mattson.
“Through the new system, we’ll have automatic,
immediate access to laboratory and x-ray results, even if the
patient is off the floor. That way, nurses don't have to worry
about finding a patient's chart to get the details of care,” says
Mattson, a 22-year veteran of St. Luke’s.
According to Jeff Martin, laboratory director
at Jordan Valley Medical Center, West Jordan, Utah, the ability to customize
reports is an asset. “Right now, there are only a couple of different
patient report formats we can generate. The new system is more
adaptable, so we can expand our forms to include more patient
information and demographics.” The ability to include additional
details about a patient's medical history and treatment plan provides
physicians and nursing staff with the information they need to
provide care.
Rick Davis, a regional coordinator for the
systems in the Salt Lake area hospitals, says the system provides
a systematic, hospital-wide approach to patient care. “Speaking
as a radiologist, the system provides logical stepping stones
to help patients move through the hospital processes,” says Davis
who was radiology manager at Davis Hospital and Medical Center
for 23 years. “It’s the right mechanism to make sure all the processes
are in place.”
For Shane Williams, director of information
systems at Davis Hospital, Layton, Utah, where the system went
live on April 1, all the hard work has paid off. “It’s a move
forward for us. We no longer have to deal with the problems that
occur in trying to get hardware and software from different vendors
to work together,” says Williams. “It’s more integrated and brings
us more up time because we don’t have interfaces (between different
types of technology) failing. There’s more consistency in the
data.
“As a company, it puts us on a unified platform,
so when I call a sister hospital, we can look at the same report
and will be speaking the same language,” he says. Williams adds
physicians will have a secure clinical browser which allows them
to access patient data from anywhere in the hospital. Eventually,
they will have secure access to the Internet.
He applauds the system’s early record of up
time, recalling an instance under previous ownership when the
hospital's computers were down for a week. The teamwork among
IASIS hospitals that has emerged is an unexpected benefit. “When
there’s a problem at another hospital you pitch in, even if it
doesn’t impact you, because (the staff at that other hospital)
is your resource for help in the future," says Williams.
“You have to remember, an install isn’t a
destination, it’s a journey,” says Williams. “You don’t wake up
one morning and you’re done. During the next six-eight months,
we’ll continue to see improvements and maybe even two years down
the line we’ll still be tinkering. One of the benefits of this
system is that it gives us the ability to make it our own.”
IASIS Healthcare has selected two premier
healthcare technology suppliers to provide the hardware and software
for its new system. McKessonHBOC products include technology-based
systems that target improving performance for healthcare clients.
The company’s information technology business develops, implements
and supports patient care, financial, clinical, homecare, managed
care and strategic management software.
Lawson Software provides client/server business
applications. Lawson specializes in providing services and products
to healthcare companies and retail, professional services, public
sector, and wholesale distribution industries. In a recent industry
report, Lawson ranked first among healthcare financial software
vendors.
In
the News
During recent months, the following IASIS
hospitals reported these activities and developments:
Davis Hospital Layton, Utah
New MRI — Davis Hospital initiated operation of its new
Signa Profile/i system MRI in early September. The technology
features an open magnet design that is more comfortable for patients
who find standard MRI too confining, noisy or intimidating. It
includes a built-in intercom and hand-held call button to provide
patients with a feeling of control during the exam. A special
seat adjacent to the equipment allows a companion to accompany
a patient safely during the exam.
“The addition of a Signa Profile/i system
complements and extends the range of high quality diagnostic services
already available to the residents of our community” says Davis
CEO Bruce Baldwin.
Jordan Valley Medical Center West Jordan, Utah
Expansion, Renovation Complete — A 35,000-square-foot
renovation and a 35,000-square-foot addition opened in May to
house Jordan Valley’s emergency and ancillary services.
The new emergency area has 23 beds and two
trauma rooms plus fast-track facilities to provide care for less
critical patients. Also included in the expansion are facilities
for cardiology, pulmonology, business services, radiology, dietary,
pharmacy, information services, human resources, quality, laboratory,
surgery and administration.
Odessa Regional Medical Center Odessa, Texas
Expansion Underway — A 50,000-square-foot expansion is
underway at Odessa Regional. As a part of the project, a 30,000-square-foot
renovation is enabling the hospital to provide private rooms and
expand the number of beds by the end of summer.
While no new departments are planned, services
in existing departments are expected to be enhanced, including
new labor, delivery and recovery rooms, cesarean section area,
nursery and neonatal intensive care unit and new private rooms
in postpartum. An expanded outpatient surgery pre- and post-procedure
area and new lobby and entrance are being added. The expansion
is to be completed in the first quarter of 2002.
Mesa General Hospital Mesa, Arizona
Award Presented — Wilbur V. Cole. III, D.O., director of
medical education at Mesa General, was the recent recipient of
the Arizona Osteopathic Medical Association Excellence in Osteopathic
Medical Education Award.
Town & Country Hospital Tampa, Florida
Emergency Expansion — A 9,405-square-foot emergency department
expansion is underway at Town & Country. The two-part project
is expected to take six months and nearly double the department’s
size. It includes creation of pediatric patient rooms, an x-ray
facility with ED and streamlined emergency and outpatient registration
and waiting areas. When completed, the expansion will allow the
hospital to double its volume to 40,000 patients annually.
Care, Comfort and Compassion — All
Town & Country employees are receiving three hours of guest services
training as part of a program developed by the hospital’s Guest
Services Team. The program, using the service statement, "Providing
Care, Comfort and Compassion," is called CARES, an acronym for
commitment to excellence, appearance, respect and confidentiality,
efficiency and safety.
Pioneer Valley Hospital West Valley City,
Utah
Increased OB/GYN volume — Pioneer Valley’s new OB/GYN clinic
is expected to increase deliveries at the hospital from a low
of 45 per month to more than 100 per month in the next eight months.
The increase is attributed to the free pregnancy testing campaign
which the hospital has marketed as well as the addition of two
obstetricians to its staff.
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