Knowledge on the Go

Patient safety indicators are more than numbers on a report. They expose where harm may be happening and where systems are breaking down. Katelyn Dietz, Director of Patient Safety and Quality at Lake Charles Memorial, shares how her team tackles rising PSI rates by strengthening documentation, aligning cross functional teams, and creating a more proactive review process. Joined by Vizient host Michelle Lewis, they unpack the real challenges behind PSI performance and what it takes to turn insight into action. 

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Host: 

Show Notes: 

[00:53] Focus on PSI at Lake Charles Memorial and why it was necessary 

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Contacting Knowledge on the Go: [email protected] 

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Access to care in an ambulatory setting continues to challenge health systems as patient expectations grow, pushing organizations to rethink how patients connect with care. Our host Michelle Lewis joins Tyler Bauer, Senior Vice President of System Ambulatory Operations at University of Chicago Medicine to explore how their team is transforming access through more connected and intuitive processes. 

Host:

Show Notes: 

[00:45] Areas of improvement in ambulatory access 

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Contacting Knowledge on the Go: [email protected] 

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Patient transfers are a common part of hospital care, but they carry real risk, making strong communication and coordination essential for safe outcomes. Sharon Johnson, Executive Director of Throughput and Capacity at Community Health Network, shares a how her health system is rethinking its approach to transfers and patient flow. Joined by Vizient host Shannon Hale, they explore challenges and creative strategies involved in moving patients safely and efficiently.

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Show Notes: 

[01:20] – Management of ambulance transportation 

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Contacting Knowledge on the Go: [email protected] 

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Mortality affects hospitals all over the country and having structured systems in place helps improve outcomes. Tiffany Harvey, Quality Assurance Reviewer at INTEGRIS Health, joins host Shannon Hale, Senior PI Program Director at Vizient, to discuss why a meaningful mortality review process is so critical to quality improvement work. They reflect on lessons learned from Vizient’s mortality review collaborative and the value of learning alongside peer organizations.

Guest Speaker:

Tiffany Harvey, RN

Quality Assurance Reviewer

INTEGRIS Health

Host:

Shannon Hale, MHA, RN, CPHQ 

Show Notes:  

[00:52] – Participation in Establishing a Structured Mortality Review Team Collaborative  

[01:35] – Goals from joining the collaborative  

[02:29] – Insights that helped inform change to mortality process  

[03:33] – How Integris and Tiffany’s team are improving the outcomes  

[04:59} – After the collaborative where is team and the improvement work going  

[06:04] – Sustainability in mortality review  

[07:18] – Looking to the future what is the dream for mortality review  

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Contacting Knowledge on the Go: [email protected] 

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Sepsis affects millions of people each year and remains one of the most complex and deadly medical emergencies facing healthcare today. Michelle Lewis, Senior Director of PI Programs at Vizient, is joined by Shannon Hale, Senior PI Programs Director and sepsis subject matter expert, to explore why sepsis is so difficult to identify. Together, they discuss awareness gaps that still exist across providers, staff and communities. 

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Show Notes: 

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Healthcare providers are receiving patient portal messages at large volumes, reshaping how care teams deliver and manage care between visits. As patient messaging grows from simple prescription questions to complex clinical concerns, this “invisible” work is placing a significant strain on provider workload. In this episode, Vizient Fellow Mathilde Hanchard talks to Dr. Ko, Director and Chief of Dermatology Service Line and Associate Chief Quality Officer at Stanford Health Care, about how his team uncovers the true scope of patient medical interactions. 

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Host: 

Show Notes:

[00:52] Dr. Ko explains provider workload tied to patient portal messaging 

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Patient messaging has become more common across health systems, but few use it in a way that truly supports better health outcomes. Northwestern Medicine’s Smart Outreach for Better Health is taking patient communication a step further by using automation to identify specific populations and send personalized clinically relevant messages. Our host Myesha Williams and Northwestern’s Program Manager Dharmesh Patel share how this initiative bridges care gaps, boosts follow up rates and helps patients stay engaged in their own care.

Guest speaker:

Dharamesh Patel

Host:

Show notes:

[00:56] – Overview of the Better Health initiative and how patient messaging was deployed

[01:53] – Collaboration between data and quality leaders that launched automated patient outreach

[03:17] – Implementing a systemwide strategy to enhance outreach and care coordination

[04:19] – Timing messages to reach patients when they’re most likely to respond

[06:32] – Role of patient and family advisors in driving success and credibility

[07:40] – How the team increased follow-through rates, engaging 13% of patients

[09:12] – Tackling challenges and leveraging EMR analyst expertise

[09:54] – Addressing time constraints as a key project barrier

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Pharmacy driven medication history programs are essential for accurate transitions of care and patient safety, especially in rural and resource-limited settings. Jenny Slavens, from IU Health Arnett shares how her team built a 24/7 regional program that provides medication history support for their community hospital and several critical access facilities. She discusses the shift from a nurse-led to a pharmacy technician-driven model, the operational challenges of scaling services across multiple sites, and the decision to use phone-based interviews to streamline workflows.

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Host: 

Show notes:

[00:52] – Jenny outlines the structure of the medication history team at IU Health Arnett and how the program operates across facilities

[02:10] – Discussion of coverage for critical access hospitals and how the team manages varying hours across sites

[02:53] – The evolution from a nurse-led process to a pharmacy-driven model for medication history documentation

[04:08] – Why the team shifted from using web-based technology to phone-based medication histories for efficiency and safety

[05:20] – How bidirectional communication between pharmacy staff and physicians is maintained through the electronic medical record system

[07:03] – Establishing the goal of completing 80% of medication histories within four hours of admission to support timely care decisions

[08:55] – How the newly added Tipton facility improved from 10% to 72% completion of medication histories

[10:56] – Strategies for balancing staff workload across inpatient, surgical, and emergency admissions

[14:22] – Demonstrating the value of the medication history process and creatively using FTE staffing to improve coverage and efficiency

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Preference card management plays a critical role in improving accuracy, reducing costs, and driving efficiency across surgical services. Host LaTammy Marks, Senior Performance Improvement Program Director at Vizient, sits down with Carol Zelenkowski, System Operations Manager for Surgical Services at Main Line Health, to discuss their journey toward optimizing over 20,000 preference cards. Carol shares how her team used data to uncover cost variations, build surgeon buy-in, and achieve reduction in card volume. She also reflects on lessons learned and how these improvements are now expanding into other specialties, offering valuable insights for health systems nationwide.

Guest speaker:

Carol Zelenkowski, BSN, RN, CNOR

Host:

Show notes:

[01:01] – Main Line Health’s starting point and challenges with preference cards before joining the Vizient collaborative

[01:50] – Why Main Line Health chose to participate in the Vizient collaborative

[02:51] – How the team decided which preference cards to prioritize for review and optimization

[03:24] – Key insights uncovered in the data, including cost saving and variation trends

[04:33] – Gaining surgeon buy-in by presenting accurate preference card data

[05:35] – The measurable savings achieved and the positive impact on Main Line Health’s surgical services

[06:52] – Expanding preference card optimization to other specialties and the future of this work.

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Unlocking savings through preference card management

Transform your perioperative supply chain

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Quality and clinical outcomes improve when healthcare systems are built on strong and cohesive quality structures. Dr. Matthew McCambridge, Chief Quality Officer at Lehigh Valley Health Network, joins host Amber Hanser to explore findings from a Vizient benchmarking survey that reveals the positive impact of system quality executives on clinical performance. He shares practical strategies for aligning governance and organizational priorities highlighting how leading through influence can strengthen both clinical excellence and financial stability.

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