Knowledge on the Go

Healthcare organizations across the nation strive to become highly reliable organizations.  Vizient defines an high reliability organization as an organization that has experienced significant success in avoiding harm within an environment of high complexity and risk.  This podcast discusses strategies and emerging practices identified in Vizient’s high reliability culture of safety collaborative....

Imagine the stress of returning to school, following a psychiatric hospitalization for the pediatric patient, their family and caregivers. Dr. Sarah Edwards, director for the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Courtney Vaughn, school transition Specialist at the University of Maryland join join host Laura Hoffman, Sr. Performance Improvement Program Director, to explain how their scho...

Artificial Intelligence has been helping improve healthcare for years, but just recently, there has been a seismic shift in capability, buy-in and attention. Healthcare systems across the country are looking into safely and effectively using AI to improve observed mortality. On this episode, we examine how Intermountain Health is effectively using AI for their patients.   Guest speaker: Sathya Vij...

Hospital-acquired infections affect every health organization. These infections may be caused by a variety of pathogens including bacterial, viruses, fungi and parasites. They can lead to increased morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs. Joining us to discuss their efforts to reduce hospital-acquired infections at SSM Health are Dr. Shephali Wulff, System Vice President of Quality and Safety an...

Sepsis has long been a challenge for healthcare organizations. It is a leading cause of morbidity, readmissions and mortality. As a reaction to an infection, sepsis can spread quickly, progress to septic shock and eventually shut down organ systems. Catching it early is a priority and the basis for much of a hospital’s approach to the disease. This episode features a healthcare expert who shares h...

Navigating patient-initiated portal communication to create better experiences for patients is a national priority for healthcare systems.  The goal of the patient-initiated portal communication project collaboration between Vizient and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) is to understand the different ways that health systems are responding to patient-initiated portal communicatio...

We know that social determinants of health such as housing instability, food insecurity, transportation barriers and limited access to education significantly influence individuals’ health outcomes. By screening for these factors, healthcare providers can provide, or healthcare providers can gain a more comprehensive understanding of patients' lives beyond their medical conditions. This holistic a...

Reducing preventable hospital readmissions is a national priority for payers, providers, and policy makers seeking to improve health care and lower costs. More important than costs, are the goals of providing quality care to patients who present with healthcare needs, helping them heal, and returning them safely to their home and loved ones.   Tod Baker, Principal, Dawn Sagliani, Consulting Direct...

Remote patient monitoring, commonly referred to as RPM, is a type of telehealth in which healthcare providers monitor patients outside the traditional care setting using digital medical devices. The data collected from these devices are then electronically transferred to providers for care management. Automated feedback and workflows can be built into data collection, and out-of-range values or co...

Restraints can have a negative emotional impact on pediatric patients. Being physically restrained can be traumatic and lead to feelings of helplessness, anxiety and loss of control. Having to put pediatric patients in restraints takes a toll on staff as well. Tanya Isaacs, Behavioral Health Clinical Instructor and Cheryl Miller, Behavioral Health Registered Nurse from The Queen’s Medical Center i...

Antimicrobial resistance continues to be a public health threat across the globe.  Recent updates to the Joint omission standards provide an opportunity to evaluate our current programs for improvements.  Today’s program looks at what two health organizations are doing to optimize antimicrobial utilization, mitigate antimicrobial resistance and improve patient outcomes.  Joining Vizient’s Jim Lich...

Mortality is often viewed as a key indicator of the quality of care in a healthcare organization, and something that most organizations are working to improve upon. Through Vizient's work with national organizations all working to improve mortality, key lessons learned have emerged that can help organizations improve mortality within their facilities. Shannon Hale Performance Improvement Program d...

Transitions from hospital to post-acute care is both time consuming and complex. When discharge tasks are not coordinated and stacked on the patient’s last day, any disruption can cause a cascade of negative events. In fact, 30% of all hospital admissions have a 24-hour discharge delay due to non-clinical reasons.   Bennett Masden, Director of Quality at Great River Health in West Burlington, Iowa...

Similar to residency programs physicians and other healthcare disciplines undergo, these programs give recently graduated nurses the support and learning opportunities to smooth the transition from novice to competent clinicians, while providing valuable peer and mentor support; keys that also address turnover.   Janine Lindgreen, nurse residency coordinator, and Dawn Profit, staff development spe...

Care is moving outside the hospital at a faster and faster pace. Due to  payer mandates, shifts in sites of care to locations outside the hospital will bring an additional 18 percent expansion of patient visits to physician offices and outpatient facilities by 2032. Strategies for home infusion will play a big role in this shift as well. Currently, over 550 medications are available for home infus...

Recent studies have demonstrated that sepsis patients have a much higher readmission risk than other common conditions such as heart failure, heart attacks, and pneumonia. The National Institutes of Health states that sepsis is a substantial healthcare burden, accounting for 6.2% of total hospital costs in the United States.   Shannon Chase Weck, Performance Improvement Specialist and Sepsis Coord...

Change management is a term bandied about a lot in industry as a whole and in the health care industry in particular. Yet, organizations struggle in carrying it out and few seem to see lasting results from their efforts. In this episode, two industry leaders in change management share principles to make your change management initiatives succeed. Guest speaker: Dwayne Banks, CCP Senior Change Mana...

Many issues facing our healthcare systems, such as rising costs, staffing shortages, supply chain disruptions, why should sustainability be top of mind for healthcare organizations and what they how can they improve their sustainability journey. Rebecca Hou, Environmental Sustainability product advisor for Vizient joins Host LaTammy Marks to discuss this important issue.   Guests: Rebecca Hou Envi...

We have a Workplace Violence Survey underway now. The survey consists of 9 questions related to 4 outcome metrics. The deadline to submit data is August 18, 2023. If interested, please contact picollaborativesteam@vizientinc.com   Closing out Workplace Violence Awareness Month, Lindsay Mayer and Heidi Boehm deep dive into protocols and procedures for dealing with the aftermath of a violent event....

We have a Workplace Violence Survey underway now. The survey consists of 9 questions related to 4 outcome metrics. The deadline to submit data is August 18, 2023. If interested, please contact picollaborativesteam@vizientinc.com   Continuing the discussion for Workplace Violence Awareness Month, Lindsay Mayer, Rick Litzinger, and Dan Hunnisett explore the importance of building a solid foundation...

We have a Workplace Violence Survey underway now. The survey consists of 9 questions related to 4 outcome metrics. The deadline to submit data is August 18, 2023. If interested, please contact picollaborativesteam@vizientinc.com   In recognition of Workplace Violence Awareness Month, Lindsay Mayer, Mark Reed, and Diana Scott discuss the latest workplace violence statistics and the trends organizat...

More and more, healthcare organizations are focusing on Advance Care Planning as a best practice for treating patients with multiple chronic conditions. This approach can be particularly beneficial in working with patients who have exhausted treatment options and approach end of life. On this episode, two clinical leaders from The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania discuss their approach t...

Most hospital patients spend over 80 percent of their stay in the bed. Immobility contributes to higher lengths of stay, increases in falls, pressure injuries and new nursing home placements. All of this reduces overall quality of care and patient satisfaction. On this episode, we examine a health care organization that has embarked on a journey to reverse this trend by getting patients up and mov...

Telehealth found wide adoption and acceptance during the pandemic, accompanied with loosened government restrictions on its use. On this episode, two experts examine the current state of telehealth, bolstered by findings from the project Effective Strategies for Sustaining and Optimizing Telehealth in Primary Care conducted by Vizient and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Guest...

Since its development over 50 years ago, the stethoscope hasn’t changed much – until now. Enter artificial intelligence (AI). On this episode, we discuss how AI, working with robust datasets, promises to enhance the newest generation of stethoscopes, maybe in the very near future.   Guest speaker: Joe Cummings, PhD Technology Program Director Vizient   Moderator: Marilyn Sherrill, RN, MBA PI Progr...