M E M O R I A L H E R M A N N H E A L T H N E T W O R K P R O V I D E R S

The HNP Clinical Integration (CI) Program is off and running! In March, the HNP board established the final panel of more than 1,750 participating physicians. These physicians will benefit from managed care contracts already

in place with payors who recognize the added value of CI to their products.

Signing the Network Participation Agreement was the “official” step used in determining CI participation. The next step is to begin reporting quality performance measures to HNP. To do this, participating physicians must establish an electronic link to HNP’s physician quality data warehouse to ensure their ability to participate in the benefits of the CI contracts.

The quality performance measures to be reported are specialty-specific, having been approved by the specialty subcommittees of the HNP Clinical Programs Committee. They are available in physician lounges at Memorial Hermann hospitals and online via PhysicianLINK.

If you are not yet linked to the HNP physician quality data warehouse, you should contact us to set up a time for our IT staff to connect your office. “The entire process is not disruptive, and usually takes less than 30 minutes,” says Robert Wallis, M.D., the HNP medical director of clinical integration.

Physicians and office staff needing further understanding of the rationale and process for CI quality reporting can view an online presentation accessible on the front page of PhysicianLINK (“Clinical Integration CME Module”). Physicians receive CME credit for viewing the presentation.

ISSUE VII SPRING 2009

Attention HNP’s Clinical Integration Participants:

ACTION NEEDED for IMMEDIATE Office Connection!

4402348

SPECIAL POINT OF INTERESTCI Practices Must Be Linked for Reporting Data by June 30

Memorial Hermann Wins Coveted National Quality Award

New Version of PhysicianLINK.org Available to Preview

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

About MHHNPMemorial Hermann Health Network Providers (MHHNP) is a clinically integrated physician organization comprised of more than 3,400 doctors across southeast Texas. MHHNP is the largest independent physician organization of its kind in Texas. Visit our Web site at www.mhhnp.org

MHHNP Key ContactsChris Lloyd, CEO christopher.lloyd@memorialhermann.orgRichard Blakely, M.D., CMO richard.blakely@memorialhermann.orgDoug Ardoin, M.D., President charles.ardoin@memorialhermann.orgKeith Fernandez, M.D., Board Chair kfern002@aol.comChip Sitton, Contracting charles.sitton@memorialhermann.orgDavid Foley, EMR david.foley@memorialhermann.orgMHHNP Office 713.448.6464

For questions or comments regarding HNP Newslink, please contact Physician Communications Manager Melissa Landrum at melissa.landrum@memorialhermann.org.

CI Practices Must Be Linked for Data Reporting by June 30.Make sure your practice gets linked to HNP for electronic reporting of quality measures! Failure to do so by June 30 could result in being excluded from participation in the new CI contracts. To schedule an IT visit, call 713.448.6464.

Medical Executive Committee (MEC) RetreatBy virtually any measure the HNP-organized MEC Retreat in late January was a resounding success. Organized by Richard Blakely, M.D., and Bill Riley, M.D., the meeting

was well attended by both physicians and administrators. It is representative of the many steps being taken to improve the relationship between Memorial Hermann and the physicians of HNP. The most frequent problem mentioned in breakout sessions was the lack of adequate communication between the doctors and various levels of the healthcare system administration.

To improve this situation, numerous meetings have already occurred between the HNP executive committee, HNP management and the senior management of Memorial Hermann. These meetings are beginning to map out a common vision for our future relationship, and to hardwire the communication pathways between our organizations. We have already agreed on the principles of mutual transparency, mutual respect and professionalism in all of our interactions.

It has become increasingly clear that our mutual success depends upon the alignment of our physician and hospital organizations, and that Clinical Integration (CI) best accomplishes this goal.

As many of you are aware, we are putting the final touches on our second contract, with MHealth. With this contract the real challenges begin. In order to achieve maximum benefit, our physicians will need to meet certain administrative, clinical and cost-efficiency measures. It is time to prove that our organization can do what we claim and that we can do it soon! Please GET GOING!

The deadline for officially participating in CI by signing the Network Participation Agreement is passed. The CI group is generally set. If you are among the more than 1,750 participating physicians, and are not yet reporting your data to HNP, it is now time to schedule your connection to enable

you to do so. We need to begin collecting data as soon as possible: part of our fee schedule depends on our ability to collect and report data from our entire CI group. Please GO GET CONNECTED and START REPORTING.

Clinical Integration means working together to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of care, in return for the ability to negotiate as a group for a “quality-adjusted fee schedule.” It is now time to begin working together more effectively. Practically, this means attending your local CI meetings, HNP CPC subcommittee meetings, and hospital staff meetings. Talk about CI with your colleagues and begin to look for ways we can accomplish our goals. Please GO PARTICIPATE.

MHHNP HNP NEWSLINK | PAGE 3

Keith Fernandez, M.D.Chairman

NEWSFLASHMemorial Hermann Launches New Benefit Organization

In January, Memorial Hermann launched MHealth, a new wholly owned subsidiary. MHealth will manage

all claims processing, pre-authorization, medical management, marketing and other related functions of a third party administrator (TPA) that previously had been housed within HNP. In addition, MHealth will focus on contracting directly with companies in Houston that will result in more patients choosing HNP physicians and Memorial Hermann hospitals. Currently, MHealth administers plans for 19 different employers, encompassing 30,000 covered lives. This includes the Freedom of Choice Plan for Memorial Hermann employees. Effective July 1, 2009, MHealth will administer Memorial Hermann’s Freedom of Choice benefit plan. For participating employees of Memorial Hermann, the existing PPO 85, PPO 80 and Catastrophic plans will continue to be offered. A new MHealth POS plan will replace the current HMO plan offered through Aetna, bringing added value to HNP physicians. All HNP physicians are enrolled in these MHealth direct contracts. Additionally, MHealth will launch a new, competitively priced, fully insured product called MHealth Insured,* underwritten by Unicare Life and Health Insurance Company,** to small and large employers as well as individuals in the greater Houston area. MHealth has contracted with HNP and Memorial Hermann to serve as its network of preferred providers for all MHealth plans. MHealth is led by Melissa Paschal, formerly a system executive in managed care at Memorial Hermann. “MHealth represents a new means for expanding the number of patients served by Memorial Hermann and its providers,” explains Dan Wolterman, system president and CEO. “As MHealth CEO, Melissa Paschal offers a

knowledge and understanding of the healthcare business and how it impacts all the parties involved, including providers, payors, employers and, ultimately, our patients.” “MHealth will be available to HNP physicians, employees and families at substantially reduced rates,” says Richard Blakely, M.D., HNP CMO. “An insurance product for our physicians has long been a goal of HNP, and will soon come to fruition.” MHealth products will be marketed to area employers through broker agents and a multimedia campaign. Look for more information in future issues of Newslink.

* MHealth Insured is underwritten by UniCare Life and Health Insurance Company.

** Insurance coverage is offered by UniCare Life & Health Insurance Company. Unicare® is a registered trademark of WellPoint, Inc. UniCare is not affiliated with MHealth, Inc., Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, or their affiliates.

Board Report

HNP NEWSLINK | PAGE 2 HNP NEWSLINK | PAGE 3

Chris Lloyd Selected as New HNP CEO.

Additional Discount on Professional Liability Insurance for CI Participants Health Network Providers Mutual Insurance Company (HNPMIC), a non-assessable Risk Retention Group, has served the professional liability insurance needs of HNP members since December 2003. Last year, HNPMIC paid its insured members a 7.9 percent dividend. This year, HNPMIC plans on paying a 15 percent dividend, subject to regulatory approval. In addition, Clinical Integration Program participants qualify for an additional 10 percent discount on their annual premiums. If you value personal service, premium stability and aggressive claims management, please call Tessie Cabrera for more information at 713.448.6513.

Effective May 25, Chris Lloyd came aboard as HNP’s new CEO. The former chief of Memorial Hermann’s neuroscience and cancer service lines and previous COO at the TMC Campus, Lloyd is uniquely qualified for his new role.

At Memorial Hermann, Lloyd has developed physician integration strategies, helped define System quality measures, led the development of the region’s first complete citywide Stroke Network, created operational plans for service lines,

and contributed substantially to physician recruitment and practice growth. He has been instrumental in the emergence of the Mischer Neuroscience Institute and the Mischer Neurosurgical Associates as the paramount neurological institution and physician practice in our market. Before joining Memorial Hermann, Lloyd worked to align physicians and clinical departments at St. Joseph Hospital in Phoenix. As part of the Advocate Healthcare System in Chicago, he helped develop its physician alignment strategy as it embarked on the path to Clinical Integration. He shares HNP’s vision of a closely integrated physician organization committed to clinical excellence and to a trusting, functional partnership with the Memorial Hermann System.

New HNP CEO Chris Lloyd.

Medical Executive Committee (MEC) RetreatBy virtually any measure the HNP-organized MEC Retreat in late January was a resounding success. Organized by Richard Blakely, M.D., and Bill Riley, M.D., the meeting

was well attended by both physicians and administrators. It is representative of the many steps being taken to improve the relationship between Memorial Hermann and the physicians of HNP. The most frequent problem mentioned in breakout sessions was the lack of adequate communication between the doctors and various levels of the healthcare system administration.

To improve this situation, numerous meetings have already occurred between the HNP executive committee, HNP management and the senior management of Memorial Hermann. These meetings are beginning to map out a common vision for our future relationship, and to hardwire the communication pathways between our organizations. We have already agreed on the principles of mutual transparency, mutual respect and professionalism in all of our interactions.

It has become increasingly clear that our mutual success depends upon the alignment of our physician and hospital organizations, and that Clinical Integration (CI) best accomplishes this goal.

As many of you are aware, we are putting the final touches on our second contract, with MHealth. With this contract the real challenges begin. In order to achieve maximum benefit, our physicians will need to meet certain administrative, clinical and cost-efficiency measures. It is time to prove that our organization can do what we claim and that we can do it soon! Please GET GOING!

The deadline for officially participating in CI by signing the Network Participation Agreement is passed. The CI group is generally set. If you are among the more than 1,750 participating physicians, and are not yet reporting your data to HNP, it is now time to schedule your connection to enable

you to do so. We need to begin collecting data as soon as possible: part of our fee schedule depends on our ability to collect and report data from our entire CI group. Please GO GET CONNECTED and START REPORTING.

Clinical Integration means working together to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of care, in return for the ability to negotiate as a group for a “quality-adjusted fee schedule.” It is now time to begin working together more effectively. Practically, this means attending your local CI meetings, HNP CPC subcommittee meetings, and hospital staff meetings. Talk about CI with your colleagues and begin to look for ways we can accomplish our goals. Please GO PARTICIPATE.

MHHNP HNP NEWSLINK | PAGE 3

Keith Fernandez, M.D.Chairman

NEWSFLASHMemorial Hermann Launches New Benefit Organization

In January, Memorial Hermann launched MHealth, a new wholly owned subsidiary. MHealth will manage

all claims processing, pre-authorization, medical management, marketing and other related functions of a third party administrator (TPA) that previously had been housed within HNP. In addition, MHealth will focus on contracting directly with companies in Houston that will result in more patients choosing HNP physicians and Memorial Hermann hospitals. Currently, MHealth administers plans for 19 different employers, encompassing 30,000 covered lives. This includes the Freedom of Choice Plan for Memorial Hermann employees. Effective July 1, 2009, MHealth will administer Memorial Hermann’s Freedom of Choice benefit plan. For participating employees of Memorial Hermann, the existing PPO 85, PPO 80 and Catastrophic plans will continue to be offered. A new MHealth POS plan will replace the current HMO plan offered through Aetna, bringing added value to HNP physicians. All HNP physicians are enrolled in these MHealth direct contracts. Additionally, MHealth will launch a new, competitively priced, fully insured product called MHealth Insured,* underwritten by Unicare Life and Health Insurance Company,** to small and large employers as well as individuals in the greater Houston area. MHealth has contracted with HNP and Memorial Hermann to serve as its network of preferred providers for all MHealth plans. MHealth is led by Melissa Paschal, formerly a system executive in managed care at Memorial Hermann. “MHealth represents a new means for expanding the number of patients served by Memorial Hermann and its providers,” explains Dan Wolterman, system president and CEO. “As MHealth CEO, Melissa Paschal offers a

knowledge and understanding of the healthcare business and how it impacts all the parties involved, including providers, payors, employers and, ultimately, our patients.” “MHealth will be available to HNP physicians, employees and families at substantially reduced rates,” says Richard Blakely, M.D., HNP CMO. “An insurance product for our physicians has long been a goal of HNP, and will soon come to fruition.” MHealth products will be marketed to area employers through broker agents and a multimedia campaign. Look for more information in future issues of Newslink.

* MHealth Insured is underwritten by UniCare Life and Health Insurance Company.

** Insurance coverage is offered by UniCare Life & Health Insurance Company. Unicare® is a registered trademark of WellPoint, Inc. UniCare is not affiliated with MHealth, Inc., Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, or their affiliates.

Board Report

HNP NEWSLINK | PAGE 2 HNP NEWSLINK | PAGE 3

Chris Lloyd Selected as New HNP CEO.

Additional Discount on Professional Liability Insurance for CI Participants Health Network Providers Mutual Insurance Company (HNPMIC), a non-assessable Risk Retention Group, has served the professional liability insurance needs of HNP members since December 2003. Last year, HNPMIC paid its insured members a 7.9 percent dividend. This year, HNPMIC plans on paying a 15 percent dividend, subject to regulatory approval. In addition, Clinical Integration Program participants qualify for an additional 10 percent discount on their annual premiums. If you value personal service, premium stability and aggressive claims management, please call Tessie Cabrera for more information at 713.448.6513.

Effective May 25, Chris Lloyd came aboard as HNP’s new CEO. The former chief of Memorial Hermann’s neuroscience and cancer service lines and previous COO at the TMC Campus, Lloyd is uniquely qualified for his new role.

At Memorial Hermann, Lloyd has developed physician integration strategies, helped define System quality measures, led the development of the region’s first complete citywide Stroke Network, created operational plans for service lines,

and contributed substantially to physician recruitment and practice growth. He has been instrumental in the emergence of the Mischer Neuroscience Institute and the Mischer Neurosurgical Associates as the paramount neurological institution and physician practice in our market. Before joining Memorial Hermann, Lloyd worked to align physicians and clinical departments at St. Joseph Hospital in Phoenix. As part of the Advocate Healthcare System in Chicago, he helped develop its physician alignment strategy as it embarked on the path to Clinical Integration. He shares HNP’s vision of a closely integrated physician organization committed to clinical excellence and to a trusting, functional partnership with the Memorial Hermann System.

New HNP CEO Chris Lloyd.

• Do No Harm – AHRQ patient safety indicators

• Clinical Excellence – CMS/Joint Commission Core Measures

• Saving Lives – Hospital Standardized Mortality Ratio

• No Unexpected Complications – Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and catheter-related bloodstream infections (CR-BSI)

Fostering a culture that values safety and quality requires extensive training at all levels of the organization – from the board room to the operating room, and everywhere in between.

“All employees – business and clinical – receive patient safety training,” says M. Michael Shabot, M.D., system chief medical officer. “Exceptional patient care has no room for ‘it’s not my job’ because any one of us can prevent a potential hazard if we believe it’s our job to do so.”

Online dashboards were created for tracking and communicating quality metrics. These dashboards provide the means of tracking performance in areas of quality and safety, hospital by hospital. The Monthly Operating Review incorporates multiple dashboards, drill-down tables and graphs that serve as a self-assessment framework for hospital facilities while

HNP NEWSLINK | PAGE 4 HNP NEWSLINK | PAGE 5

Memorial Hermann was singled out to receive one of the nation’s most coveted quality

and safety awards, the 2009 National Quality Healthcare Award from the National Quality Forum (NQF).“Being honored for what we are doing to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our patients is a tremendous validation of the efforts, commitment and dedication of our employees and medical staff physicians, who are driving these quality improvements amid a culture of transparency and accountability,” says Dan Wolterman, Memorial Hermann president and CEO. “This recognition comes as a result of years of intensive effort to take quality and patient safety to a new level.”

A leading advocate for improving the quality of healthcare in America, NQF chose to honor Memorial Hermann for its many efforts to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its patients. “In a remarkable group of applicants Memorial Hermann stood out as a true leader in its commitment to quality in healthcare” said NQF President and CEO Janet Corrigan.

Quality & Safety is one of Memorial Hermann’s four core strategies. The System measures the quality of its performance in achieving these four major goals:

Memorial Hermann Wins National Quality Healthcare Award

guiding strategic action plans. It also provides the mechanism for discussing performance as well as collaborating on solutions and benchmarking hospital performance against other Memorial Hermann hospitals.

“By effectively prioritizing performance improvement goals and communicating them to consumers and stakeholders, we began resolving performance shortfalls and promoting transparency of activities by sharing demonstrated results on publicly reported performance measures – inside and outside our System,” adds Dr. Shabot.

“Being the recipient of the prestigious 2009 NQF National Quality Healthcare Award is wonderful recognition of the dedication of our employees and medical staff physicians to embrace a new culture based on individual accountability and breakthrough innovation,” adds Wolterman. “That culture is culminating in a relentless focus on quality and patient safety. I’m proud of our achievements and the impact they are having on the lives of our patients.”

The National Quality Healthcare Award is presented in partnership with Modern Healthcare and Studer Group. Memorial Hermann was honored at a gala in Washington, D.C., in May.

Doug Ardoin, M.D.

DESCRIBE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES WITH HNP AND CLINICAL INTEGRATION.

Dr. Ardoin: The HNP board of directors elected me to be their president. I serve in that capacity to represent HNP and assist them with their goals and programs like Clinical Integration. HNP is definitely a leader in the Clinical Integration effort. We’re further along with these efforts than anyone else in the state. Other health systems have engaged us to educate them on what this whole thing is all about.

WHAT IMPRESSIONS DO YOU WANT TO MAKE ON CONSUMERS?

Dr. Ardoin: Memorial Hermann just won a National Quality Forum award. I want it to be known out there in the patient community that there is no better option in Houston than to see a physician who has a relationship with a Memorial Hermann hospital – that is the quality standard, bar none. I want people to know that this is the place to come for healthcare.

Meet New Physician-in-Chief Doug Ardoin, M.D.Newslink recently spoke with Doug Ardoin, M.D., regarding his new role as system physician-in-chief and president of HNP.

It requires working with everyone – with all of the leadership, executive and physician leadership throughout this organization.

HOW DOES YOUR BACKGROUND AS A HOSPITAL CEO AND A PHYSICIAN HELP YOU IN YOUR NEW ROLE?

Dr. Ardoin: It allows me to be very strategic and understand things from a very high level, but I also understand at a very tactical, operational level what has to happen to get things done. I know how to put ideas into motion.

WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR MEMORIAL HERMANN AND ITS AFFILIATED PHYSICIANS?

Dr. Ardoin: What I hope to accomplish is a true partnership between the system and the physicians who use it for the care of their patients in a way that doctors not only are given the opportunity to be involved but take up that opportunity and do so in a very collaborative way. That will allow us to move things forward for the betterment of patient care.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO TAKE A PROACTIVE ROLE IN IMPROVING HEALTHCARE DELIVERY?

Dr. Ardoin: Everything HNP is doing – Clinical Integration, CPC structure – everything is very much rooted in being prepared for tomorrow – meeting the needs, meeting the challenges, focusing on quality, focusing on outcomes and becoming more cohesive and working together to solve problems. By coming together and solving these problems together we will create the future and it won’t be created for us.

WHY WAS THE POSITION OF PHYSICIAN-IN-CHIEF CREATED?

Dr. Ardoin: There is a need for physicians and hospitals to be more closely aligned in achieving their shared goals and outcomes because of the way healthcare is changing. Most large hospital systems across the country have a physician in a leadership role. I have accountability for the new physician strategy for the organization, which includes improving the relationship of the hospital system with all of the physicians who affiliate themselves with Memorial Hermann, regardless of whether they’re in independent practice, a large group practice or employed practices.

HOW DO YOU RECONCILE ALL THOSE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND AGENDAS?

Dr. Ardoin: I think that at the end of the day, it’s the fact that we’re all here to do the same thing: provide the very best healthcare we can for the citizens of Houston. I really believe it doesn’t matter if you’re looking at it from the physician side or the hospital side, as long as you’re focused on the patient and providing that patient the very best healthcare you can.

DESCRIBE YOUR ROLE WITH THE HOSPITAL MEDICAL STAFFS.

Dr. Ardoin: I am considered as a liaison to the medical staffs – between the executive offices and the leadership of the medical staffs. I want to be their connection to the executive office to help resolve any issues or problems that arise.

Qualityand Safety NewsQ

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Q

Q

Q

Q

Q

Q

• Do No Harm – AHRQ patient safety indicators

• Clinical Excellence – CMS/Joint Commission Core Measures

• Saving Lives – Hospital Standardized Mortality Ratio

• No Unexpected Complications – Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and catheter-related bloodstream infections (CR-BSI)

Fostering a culture that values safety and quality requires extensive training at all levels of the organization – from the board room to the operating room, and everywhere in between.

“All employees – business and clinical – receive patient safety training,” says M. Michael Shabot, M.D., system chief medical officer. “Exceptional patient care has no room for ‘it’s not my job’ because any one of us can prevent a potential hazard if we believe it’s our job to do so.”

Online dashboards were created for tracking and communicating quality metrics. These dashboards provide the means of tracking performance in areas of quality and safety, hospital by hospital. The Monthly Operating Review incorporates multiple dashboards, drill-down tables and graphs that serve as a self-assessment framework for hospital facilities while

HNP NEWSLINK | PAGE 4 HNP NEWSLINK | PAGE 5

Memorial Hermann was singled out to receive one of the nation’s most coveted quality

and safety awards, the 2009 National Quality Healthcare Award from the National Quality Forum (NQF).“Being honored for what we are doing to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our patients is a tremendous validation of the efforts, commitment and dedication of our employees and medical staff physicians, who are driving these quality improvements amid a culture of transparency and accountability,” says Dan Wolterman, Memorial Hermann president and CEO. “This recognition comes as a result of years of intensive effort to take quality and patient safety to a new level.”

A leading advocate for improving the quality of healthcare in America, NQF chose to honor Memorial Hermann for its many efforts to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its patients. “In a remarkable group of applicants Memorial Hermann stood out as a true leader in its commitment to quality in healthcare” said NQF President and CEO Janet Corrigan.

Quality & Safety is one of Memorial Hermann’s four core strategies. The System measures the quality of its performance in achieving these four major goals:

Memorial Hermann Wins National Quality Healthcare Award

guiding strategic action plans. It also provides the mechanism for discussing performance as well as collaborating on solutions and benchmarking hospital performance against other Memorial Hermann hospitals.

“By effectively prioritizing performance improvement goals and communicating them to consumers and stakeholders, we began resolving performance shortfalls and promoting transparency of activities by sharing demonstrated results on publicly reported performance measures – inside and outside our System,” adds Dr. Shabot.

“Being the recipient of the prestigious 2009 NQF National Quality Healthcare Award is wonderful recognition of the dedication of our employees and medical staff physicians to embrace a new culture based on individual accountability and breakthrough innovation,” adds Wolterman. “That culture is culminating in a relentless focus on quality and patient safety. I’m proud of our achievements and the impact they are having on the lives of our patients.”

The National Quality Healthcare Award is presented in partnership with Modern Healthcare and Studer Group. Memorial Hermann was honored at a gala in Washington, D.C., in May.

Doug Ardoin, M.D.

DESCRIBE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES WITH HNP AND CLINICAL INTEGRATION.

Dr. Ardoin: The HNP board of directors elected me to be their president. I serve in that capacity to represent HNP and assist them with their goals and programs like Clinical Integration. HNP is definitely a leader in the Clinical Integration effort. We’re further along with these efforts than anyone else in the state. Other health systems have engaged us to educate them on what this whole thing is all about.

WHAT IMPRESSIONS DO YOU WANT TO MAKE ON CONSUMERS?

Dr. Ardoin: Memorial Hermann just won a National Quality Forum award. I want it to be known out there in the patient community that there is no better option in Houston than to see a physician who has a relationship with a Memorial Hermann hospital – that is the quality standard, bar none. I want people to know that this is the place to come for healthcare.

Meet New Physician-in-Chief Doug Ardoin, M.D.Newslink recently spoke with Doug Ardoin, M.D., regarding his new role as system physician-in-chief and president of HNP.

It requires working with everyone – with all of the leadership, executive and physician leadership throughout this organization.

HOW DOES YOUR BACKGROUND AS A HOSPITAL CEO AND A PHYSICIAN HELP YOU IN YOUR NEW ROLE?

Dr. Ardoin: It allows me to be very strategic and understand things from a very high level, but I also understand at a very tactical, operational level what has to happen to get things done. I know how to put ideas into motion.

WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR MEMORIAL HERMANN AND ITS AFFILIATED PHYSICIANS?

Dr. Ardoin: What I hope to accomplish is a true partnership between the system and the physicians who use it for the care of their patients in a way that doctors not only are given the opportunity to be involved but take up that opportunity and do so in a very collaborative way. That will allow us to move things forward for the betterment of patient care.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO TAKE A PROACTIVE ROLE IN IMPROVING HEALTHCARE DELIVERY?

Dr. Ardoin: Everything HNP is doing – Clinical Integration, CPC structure – everything is very much rooted in being prepared for tomorrow – meeting the needs, meeting the challenges, focusing on quality, focusing on outcomes and becoming more cohesive and working together to solve problems. By coming together and solving these problems together we will create the future and it won’t be created for us.

WHY WAS THE POSITION OF PHYSICIAN-IN-CHIEF CREATED?

Dr. Ardoin: There is a need for physicians and hospitals to be more closely aligned in achieving their shared goals and outcomes because of the way healthcare is changing. Most large hospital systems across the country have a physician in a leadership role. I have accountability for the new physician strategy for the organization, which includes improving the relationship of the hospital system with all of the physicians who affiliate themselves with Memorial Hermann, regardless of whether they’re in independent practice, a large group practice or employed practices.

HOW DO YOU RECONCILE ALL THOSE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND AGENDAS?

Dr. Ardoin: I think that at the end of the day, it’s the fact that we’re all here to do the same thing: provide the very best healthcare we can for the citizens of Houston. I really believe it doesn’t matter if you’re looking at it from the physician side or the hospital side, as long as you’re focused on the patient and providing that patient the very best healthcare you can.

DESCRIBE YOUR ROLE WITH THE HOSPITAL MEDICAL STAFFS.

Dr. Ardoin: I am considered as a liaison to the medical staffs – between the executive offices and the leadership of the medical staffs. I want to be their connection to the executive office to help resolve any issues or problems that arise.

Qualityand Safety NewsQ

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HNP NEWSLINK | PAGE 6 HNP NEWSLINK | PAGE 7

between the service line administrative teams, hospital medical staff leadership and the CPC is essential to drive excellence in clinical outcomes and cost effective care,” explains Stokes. “The partnership between HNP and the hospital leadership is of paramount importance if we are to demonstrate to payors and our customers that our goals are mutual and that by working together, we are creating exceptional patient care experiences for those we serve.”

Critical Care Subcommittee

This subcommittee has been heavily involved in the system-wide Critical Care Strategic Plan, and has adopted that Plan in identifying its goals and initiatives for the coming year. “The original plan was approved last July, and produced an assessment of the variances in staffing, coverage and capabilities of all of the ICUs throughout the Memorial Hermann system. The Strategic Planning Committee was also able to create a report showing specific performance metrics for all of the ICUs,” explains M. Michael Shabot, M.D., system CMO and co-chair of the Critical Care subcommittee. “The subcommittee suggested two key areas of focus for the coming fiscal year: intensivist leadership for ICUs and mandatory intensivist consults. The Woodlands MEC approved mandatory intensivist consults effective February 27, 2009.”

“The Critical Care subcommittee is very supportive of the Memorial Hermann Breakthroughs in Patient Safety (BIPS) program. It recommended system-wide adoption of ultrasound-guided central line insertion,” says Dr. Shabot. “A New England Journal of Medicine video recently highlighted ultrasound as a safe method of insertion to reduce the incidence of complications with this procedure. Memorial Hermann is now collecting and federally reporting on iatrogenic pneumothorax and accidental punctures and lacerations associated with central-line insertions. Beginning October 2009, these complications will be adopted as CMS Core Measures and will be reported on www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov.

“The Critical Care Subcommittee also recommended use of the Prevention of Catheter Related Blood Stream Infections (CRBSI) “bundle” as a Critical Care Clinical Integration Quality Performance Measure,” adds Dr. Shabot. “This is also a Core Measure for the hospitals. Mutual adoption of such quality measures demonstrates a shared dedication and commitment to quality patient care by the hospitals and physicians.”

HNP’s Clinical Programs Committee

Memorial Hermann recently deployed FirstNET as the new EMR

for Emergency Centers. Unlike its predecessor, FirstNET is part of

the Advanced Care4 system. Being seamlessly connected with Care4

improves the ability of caregivers throughout the hospital to understand

the events, test results, and treatments that were given in the Emergency

Center after the patient arrives on the floor or the procedure area.

“Prior to FirstNET, we had a stand-alone ER system,” says Robert Murphy,

M.D., system chief medical informatics officer. “Now with FirstNET, patients

admitted through the Emergency Center will have a single hospital record

that follows them through their hospital stay. Any allergies, medications,

labs and vital signs will be visible online at this one place.” The proposal

for the FirstNet project was first brought forward by Chris Salcedo, M.D.,

a surgeon at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital and a member of the

System Medical Informatics Committee.

According to Dr. Murphy, the immediacy of the information that FirstNET

provides represents a major step forward for patient care and safety.

“Since many hospital patients are admitted through the Emergency

Department, it underscores the importance of consolidating their health

information to one place. With FirstNET, the medication administration

record continues from the Emergency Center to the floor, so nursing staff

and physicians can see each dose administered in real time, preventing

double dosing or lapses in medication.”

A key benefit of FirstNET is its computerized e-ordering capabilities.

The Emergency Medicine Specialty Subcommittee along with medical

directors, nursing, pharmacy and other clinical staff developed 65 Power

Plans that contain evidence-based, standardized care plans. “We continue

to refine and improve the work-flow processes for future implementations,”

says Dr. Murphy. “But e-ordering was quickly adopted by the emergency

physicians and I think it was the considerable work from the Emergency

Medicine CPC medical directors that led to their success.”

The FirstNET project has been led by Drs. David Pellini, James McCarthy,

Jade Malican, Jin Kim and Alan Hand. FirstNET has been launched at the

Sugar Land and Katy Campuses. It will be installed and packaged with

Advanced Care4 at Northeast this summer. More installations will follow

bi-monthly until FirstNET is live at all system hospitals.

Emergency Medicine Subcommittee Helps Deploy FirstNET

The Clinical Programs Committee (CPC) of HNP is the structure by which physicians of like specialties from all Memorial Hermann Campuses are connected to

address common issues. Through its 20 specialty-specific subcommittees, the physicians review and approve system-wide clinical guidelines, protocols, policies, and order set templates for e-Ordering in Care4 relevant to their specialties. Moreover, they approve specialty-specific CME programs and quality measures for the HNP Clinical Integration Program.

Subcommittee membership consists of one or more physicians from each Memorial Hermann Campus who are chosen in consultation with the HNP board members and chiefs of staff from each hospital. Several of the subcommittees are chaired by faculty members of The University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

New Executive Steering Committee

To help ensure alignment of the recommendations and actions of the CPC with the hospital medical staffs and the hospital system itself, we have recently created a new CPC Executive Steering Committee (“CPC-ESC”). Members include the HNP board chair, together with two to three HNP board members, two to three hospital chiefs of staff and two to three hospital CEOs. David Bradshaw, system chief of information services, marketing and strategic planning; Chuck Stokes, system chief operating officer; and Drs. Michael Shabot, Richard Blakely, and Doug Ardoin, represent physician leadership for HNP and the hospital system.

The CPC-ESC will be engaged in an ongoing review and oversight of the effectiveness of each of the subcommittees and of the CPC itself. Reviewing the goals and accomplishments of each subcommittee, and making sure that there is communication and coordination between the hospitals and the CPC, are key elements of this oversight. The CPC-ESC will report to both the President’s Council of Memorial Hermann and the HNP board.

“Connecting the work that our physicians do at the system level with what happens at the local hospital and medical staff level is a great step forward. It will promote positive changes to improve the quality and efficiency of patient care, and an improvement in physician satisfaction across the system,” says Richard Blakely, M.D., HNP CMO.

CPC Benefits from Expanded Membership

To help accomplish the goals of better connectivity between the CPC and the individual hospital activities (including the hospital service lines), the membership of the full CPC has been expanded to include hospital CEOs, CMOs, chiefs of staff and chiefs of staff-elect as well as the dean of The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. And each subcommittee will now have a Memorial Hermann executive assigned to it as an administrative liaison to further improve communication between physicians and hospitals.

Keith Fernandez, M.D., chair of the CPC, adds that “for years the subcommittees of the CPC have produced excellent protocols, guidelines and a variety of recommendations to improve the quality of care across the system. Many of these recommendations simply disappeared within our large and complicated healthcare system, and were not followed up or acted upon. By aligning the CPC with the hospital MECs and administration, as well as the senior executives of Memorial Hermann, we hope to give our programs traction at the hospital level.”

Specialty Subcommittee News

According to Doug Ardoin, system physician-in-chief, the Clinical Programs Committee is a way to get the members in HNP who are in the same specialties together in specialty subcommittees to address quality, formulary, supply chain and IT issues. “It’s a way of having a vehicle to really drill down and get some granular work done on these issues,” says Dr. Ardoin.

In the CPC subcommittees, physicians look at a list of nationally accepted quality measures from Medicare PQRI and The Joint Commission. They determine which of those measures should be adopted by their specialty as part of the Clinical Integration Program. “The CPC subcommittees are an important opportunity for physicians interested in getting more involved in HNP’s Clinical Integration Program,” adds Dr. Ardoin.

Chuck Stokes, system COO, appointed a Memorial Hermann executive to be the administrative liaison to each specialty subcommittee. They will work closely with their respective subcommittee and chair in order to ensure organizational alignment between the work of the CPC and service line structures at the individual hospitals. “The alignment

HNP NEWSLINK | PAGE 6 HNP NEWSLINK | PAGE 7

between the service line administrative teams, hospital medical staff leadership and the CPC is essential to drive excellence in clinical outcomes and cost effective care,” explains Stokes. “The partnership between HNP and the hospital leadership is of paramount importance if we are to demonstrate to payors and our customers that our goals are mutual and that by working together, we are creating exceptional patient care experiences for those we serve.”

Critical Care Subcommittee

This subcommittee has been heavily involved in the system-wide Critical Care Strategic Plan, and has adopted that Plan in identifying its goals and initiatives for the coming year. “The original plan was approved last July, and produced an assessment of the variances in staffing, coverage and capabilities of all of the ICUs throughout the Memorial Hermann system. The Strategic Planning Committee was also able to create a report showing specific performance metrics for all of the ICUs,” explains M. Michael Shabot, M.D., system CMO and co-chair of the Critical Care subcommittee. “The subcommittee suggested two key areas of focus for the coming fiscal year: intensivist leadership for ICUs and mandatory intensivist consults. The Woodlands MEC approved mandatory intensivist consults effective February 27, 2009.”

“The Critical Care subcommittee is very supportive of the Memorial Hermann Breakthroughs in Patient Safety (BIPS) program. It recommended system-wide adoption of ultrasound-guided central line insertion,” says Dr. Shabot. “A New England Journal of Medicine video recently highlighted ultrasound as a safe method of insertion to reduce the incidence of complications with this procedure. Memorial Hermann is now collecting and federally reporting on iatrogenic pneumothorax and accidental punctures and lacerations associated with central-line insertions. Beginning October 2009, these complications will be adopted as CMS Core Measures and will be reported on www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov.

“The Critical Care Subcommittee also recommended use of the Prevention of Catheter Related Blood Stream Infections (CRBSI) “bundle” as a Critical Care Clinical Integration Quality Performance Measure,” adds Dr. Shabot. “This is also a Core Measure for the hospitals. Mutual adoption of such quality measures demonstrates a shared dedication and commitment to quality patient care by the hospitals and physicians.”

HNP’s Clinical Programs Committee

Memorial Hermann recently deployed FirstNET as the new EMR

for Emergency Centers. Unlike its predecessor, FirstNET is part of

the Advanced Care4 system. Being seamlessly connected with Care4

improves the ability of caregivers throughout the hospital to understand

the events, test results, and treatments that were given in the Emergency

Center after the patient arrives on the floor or the procedure area.

“Prior to FirstNET, we had a stand-alone ER system,” says Robert Murphy,

M.D., system chief medical informatics officer. “Now with FirstNET, patients

admitted through the Emergency Center will have a single hospital record

that follows them through their hospital stay. Any allergies, medications,

labs and vital signs will be visible online at this one place.” The proposal

for the FirstNet project was first brought forward by Chris Salcedo, M.D.,

a surgeon at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital and a member of the

System Medical Informatics Committee.

According to Dr. Murphy, the immediacy of the information that FirstNET

provides represents a major step forward for patient care and safety.

“Since many hospital patients are admitted through the Emergency

Department, it underscores the importance of consolidating their health

information to one place. With FirstNET, the medication administration

record continues from the Emergency Center to the floor, so nursing staff

and physicians can see each dose administered in real time, preventing

double dosing or lapses in medication.”

A key benefit of FirstNET is its computerized e-ordering capabilities.

The Emergency Medicine Specialty Subcommittee along with medical

directors, nursing, pharmacy and other clinical staff developed 65 Power

Plans that contain evidence-based, standardized care plans. “We continue

to refine and improve the work-flow processes for future implementations,”

says Dr. Murphy. “But e-ordering was quickly adopted by the emergency

physicians and I think it was the considerable work from the Emergency

Medicine CPC medical directors that led to their success.”

The FirstNET project has been led by Drs. David Pellini, James McCarthy,

Jade Malican, Jin Kim and Alan Hand. FirstNET has been launched at the

Sugar Land and Katy Campuses. It will be installed and packaged with

Advanced Care4 at Northeast this summer. More installations will follow

bi-monthly until FirstNET is live at all system hospitals.

Emergency Medicine Subcommittee Helps Deploy FirstNET

The Clinical Programs Committee (CPC) of HNP is the structure by which physicians of like specialties from all Memorial Hermann Campuses are connected to

address common issues. Through its 20 specialty-specific subcommittees, the physicians review and approve system-wide clinical guidelines, protocols, policies, and order set templates for e-Ordering in Care4 relevant to their specialties. Moreover, they approve specialty-specific CME programs and quality measures for the HNP Clinical Integration Program.

Subcommittee membership consists of one or more physicians from each Memorial Hermann Campus who are chosen in consultation with the HNP board members and chiefs of staff from each hospital. Several of the subcommittees are chaired by faculty members of The University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

New Executive Steering Committee

To help ensure alignment of the recommendations and actions of the CPC with the hospital medical staffs and the hospital system itself, we have recently created a new CPC Executive Steering Committee (“CPC-ESC”). Members include the HNP board chair, together with two to three HNP board members, two to three hospital chiefs of staff and two to three hospital CEOs. David Bradshaw, system chief of information services, marketing and strategic planning; Chuck Stokes, system chief operating officer; and Drs. Michael Shabot, Richard Blakely, and Doug Ardoin, represent physician leadership for HNP and the hospital system.

The CPC-ESC will be engaged in an ongoing review and oversight of the effectiveness of each of the subcommittees and of the CPC itself. Reviewing the goals and accomplishments of each subcommittee, and making sure that there is communication and coordination between the hospitals and the CPC, are key elements of this oversight. The CPC-ESC will report to both the President’s Council of Memorial Hermann and the HNP board.

“Connecting the work that our physicians do at the system level with what happens at the local hospital and medical staff level is a great step forward. It will promote positive changes to improve the quality and efficiency of patient care, and an improvement in physician satisfaction across the system,” says Richard Blakely, M.D., HNP CMO.

CPC Benefits from Expanded Membership

To help accomplish the goals of better connectivity between the CPC and the individual hospital activities (including the hospital service lines), the membership of the full CPC has been expanded to include hospital CEOs, CMOs, chiefs of staff and chiefs of staff-elect as well as the dean of The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. And each subcommittee will now have a Memorial Hermann executive assigned to it as an administrative liaison to further improve communication between physicians and hospitals.

Keith Fernandez, M.D., chair of the CPC, adds that “for years the subcommittees of the CPC have produced excellent protocols, guidelines and a variety of recommendations to improve the quality of care across the system. Many of these recommendations simply disappeared within our large and complicated healthcare system, and were not followed up or acted upon. By aligning the CPC with the hospital MECs and administration, as well as the senior executives of Memorial Hermann, we hope to give our programs traction at the hospital level.”

Specialty Subcommittee News

According to Doug Ardoin, system physician-in-chief, the Clinical Programs Committee is a way to get the members in HNP who are in the same specialties together in specialty subcommittees to address quality, formulary, supply chain and IT issues. “It’s a way of having a vehicle to really drill down and get some granular work done on these issues,” says Dr. Ardoin.

In the CPC subcommittees, physicians look at a list of nationally accepted quality measures from Medicare PQRI and The Joint Commission. They determine which of those measures should be adopted by their specialty as part of the Clinical Integration Program. “The CPC subcommittees are an important opportunity for physicians interested in getting more involved in HNP’s Clinical Integration Program,” adds Dr. Ardoin.

Chuck Stokes, system COO, appointed a Memorial Hermann executive to be the administrative liaison to each specialty subcommittee. They will work closely with their respective subcommittee and chair in order to ensure organizational alignment between the work of the CPC and service line structures at the individual hospitals. “The alignment

HNP NEWSLINK | PAGE 8

W illy Pezzia., M.D., P.A. and Associates of Katy adopted eClinicalWorks® electronic

medical records (EMR) last year. Several years ago, Dr. Pezzia had converted his practice to another EMR solution but was unhappy with the lack of support and service. Since installing HNP’s eClinicalWorks 14 months ago, Dr. Pezzia and his office staff have found their experience to be quite different. “HNP’s eClinicalWorks team trained us onsite, at our office, which made it easier to make adjustments in our workflow and to tackle problems right then and there,” says Dr. Pezzia. “The telephone support since the installation has been priceless.

A native of Lima, Peru, Dr. Pezzia completed his medical residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston in 1968 and is board certified in internal medicine. He has been practicing in Katy for the past 10 years.

We often talk to the same HNP staff member who did our original installation. We like the fact we have support right here in Houston and not from an obscure 1.800 support line. We have been extremely happy with our decision.”

Dr. Pezzia adopted an EMR to help improve the practice’s medical records and accuracy of charting. “All communications are documented in the patient chart. No more sticky notes and misplaced charts,” says Dr. Pezzia. “Now we can e-mail or fax records directly from the patient EMR instead of pulling a paper chart and making copies.”

Of the many features that eClinicalWorks offers, the practice finds the messaging, prescription accuracy, e-prescribing, medication formularies, progress note layout, flowsheets and patient photos to be most helpful. “We also appreciate being able to view all labs at one time,” adds Dr. Pezzia.

eClinicalWorks also offers a Patient Portal. This Web-based feature allows patients to fill out their information, medical and surgical history, allergies and additional comments ahead of time. It all goes directly into the EMR, and is populated onto the patient’s chart.

Another benefit of the Patient Portal is the ability for patients to view lab results online. The Patient Portal also gives patients access to the practice 24/7 for updating their information and requesting appointments.”We’re also able to respond to patient messages and questions via the Internet so we avoid playing phone tag,” adds Dr. Pezzia. “And we can notify patients when they have an appointment or a statement to view.”

Additionally, Dr. Pezzia benefits from having convenient access to patient data 24/7. “When I’m at home, I can access my patients’ labs, imaging and medications. I’m able to e-prescribe directly from the EMR and it’s documented in the record,” says Dr. Pezzia. “Everything is at your fingertips. No more searching through the chart.”

eClinicalWorks is a registered trademark of eClinicalWorks, LLC.

To schedule a demonstration of eClinicalWorks, e-mail physicianEMRsolutions@memorialhermann.org or call 713.448.6428.

For help with an existing eClinicalWorks system, contact the Physician Support Center at 713.704.DOCS(3627).

HNP NEWSLINK | PAGE 9

PhysicianLINK

A s the new and improved version of PhysicianLINK becomes available

for adoption this summer, there are more reasons than ever for staying linked to this vital communications and clinical resource.

CARE4 EMR Access to Clinical Information. One-click access to Care4 for the most current clinical information on your patients. Edit and sign dictated reports. View inpatient and outpatient lab, radiology and pathology results in a histogram format. Review procedure notes and discharge summaries. And customize patient lists for easier management.

New Communications Module with eNotify for PCPs. Now you can customize your method of communications so e-mail notifications come directly to you or a designated office staff member, keeping you informed on PhysicianLINK’s breaking news and announcements. eNotify takes customized communications to the next level by enabling you to receive real-time notification of Emergency Center and Inpatient admissions of your patients, when they declare you as their primary care provider at the time of admission.

New User-friendly Design Supports Microsoft Windows® Vista®. PhysicianLINK’s new design and support for larger screen resolution (1024x768) provides easier access to clinical information, coupled with

improved connectivity and enhanced functionality. Its framework supports the latest operating systems and Internet browsers. New, one- to two-minute Show Me How To videos demonstrate how to use the latest applications.

Current Clinical Integration News. Select Clinical Integration for the latest updates on HNP’s Clinical Integration (CI) Program, including new contracts, availability of quality measures data, upcoming CI committee meetings and more.

HNP Clinical Programs Committee (CPC) News. Find out what’s being discussed by the CPC’s specialty-specific subcommittees and their latest recommendations for clinical guidelines, protocols and policies to ensure consistency of best practices system-wide.

Upcoming CME Live Events and Courses. Access information and register for upcoming Continuing Medical Education live events and online courses earning AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

Free Access to Leading Clinical Reference Tools. PhysicianLINK puts timely, practical clinical information at your fingertips, including text, graphics and abstracts covering general medicine and medical subspecialties, a complete drug information database and helpful patient handouts. Besides Micromedex, PhysicianLINK users now have free

access to DynaMed, a widely used clinical reference resource for physicians that provides expanded access to clinically organized summaries for more than 3,000 clinical topics. DynaMed is a robust, evidence-based reference tool, primarily designed for use at the “point of care.” Additionally, DynaMed offers functionality not previously available, including:• Availabilityfromanycomputer,not

just Memorial Hermann computers • AccessibleviamobilePDAdevices• Browsingwithgreaterspecificity• AccessibilitytoMedLineFullText

and Cochrane Collection databases • CMEcreditfortimespentreviewing

DynaMed topics

NEW PHySICIANLINK.ORG. TRy IT NOW!To learn more about the new features and functionality of PhysicianLINK and how to preview the new and improved Web site, contact the Physician Support Center at 713.704.DOCS (3627) or log onto PhysicianLINK.org.

UpdateUpdateeClinicalWorks®

Discover the Advantages of Being LINKed.EMR Practice Profile: Willy Pezzia, M.D., and Associates Katy, TX

Willy Pezzia, M.D., P.A. uses eClinicalWorks to consult on a patient with associate, Amy Frank, P.A.-C.

HNP NEWSLINK | PAGE 8

W illy Pezzia., M.D., P.A. and Associates of Katy adopted eClinicalWorks® electronic

medical records (EMR) last year. Several years ago, Dr. Pezzia had converted his practice to another EMR solution but was unhappy with the lack of support and service. Since installing HNP’s eClinicalWorks 14 months ago, Dr. Pezzia and his office staff have found their experience to be quite different. “HNP’s eClinicalWorks team trained us onsite, at our office, which made it easier to make adjustments in our workflow and to tackle problems right then and there,” says Dr. Pezzia. “The telephone support since the installation has been priceless.

A native of Lima, Peru, Dr. Pezzia completed his medical residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston in 1968 and is board certified in internal medicine. He has been practicing in Katy for the past 10 years.

We often talk to the same HNP staff member who did our original installation. We like the fact we have support right here in Houston and not from an obscure 1.800 support line. We have been extremely happy with our decision.”

Dr. Pezzia adopted an EMR to help improve the practice’s medical records and accuracy of charting. “All communications are documented in the patient chart. No more sticky notes and misplaced charts,” says Dr. Pezzia. “Now we can e-mail or fax records directly from the patient EMR instead of pulling a paper chart and making copies.”

Of the many features that eClinicalWorks offers, the practice finds the messaging, prescription accuracy, e-prescribing, medication formularies, progress note layout, flowsheets and patient photos to be most helpful. “We also appreciate being able to view all labs at one time,” adds Dr. Pezzia.

eClinicalWorks also offers a Patient Portal. This Web-based feature allows patients to fill out their information, medical and surgical history, allergies and additional comments ahead of time. It all goes directly into the EMR, and is populated onto the patient’s chart.

Another benefit of the Patient Portal is the ability for patients to view lab results online. The Patient Portal also gives patients access to the practice 24/7 for updating their information and requesting appointments.”We’re also able to respond to patient messages and questions via the Internet so we avoid playing phone tag,” adds Dr. Pezzia. “And we can notify patients when they have an appointment or a statement to view.”

Additionally, Dr. Pezzia benefits from having convenient access to patient data 24/7. “When I’m at home, I can access my patients’ labs, imaging and medications. I’m able to e-prescribe directly from the EMR and it’s documented in the record,” says Dr. Pezzia. “Everything is at your fingertips. No more searching through the chart.”

eClinicalWorks is a registered trademark of eClinicalWorks, LLC.

To schedule a demonstration of eClinicalWorks, e-mail physicianEMRsolutions@memorialhermann.org or call 713.448.6428.

For help with an existing eClinicalWorks system, contact the Physician Support Center at 713.704.DOCS(3627).

HNP NEWSLINK | PAGE 9

PhysicianLINK

A s the new and improved version of PhysicianLINK becomes available

for adoption this summer, there are more reasons than ever for staying linked to this vital communications and clinical resource.

CARE4 EMR Access to Clinical Information. One-click access to Care4 for the most current clinical information on your patients. Edit and sign dictated reports. View inpatient and outpatient lab, radiology and pathology results in a histogram format. Review procedure notes and discharge summaries. And customize patient lists for easier management.

New Communications Module with eNotify for PCPs. Now you can customize your method of communications so e-mail notifications come directly to you or a designated office staff member, keeping you informed on PhysicianLINK’s breaking news and announcements. eNotify takes customized communications to the next level by enabling you to receive real-time notification of Emergency Center and Inpatient admissions of your patients, when they declare you as their primary care provider at the time of admission.

New User-friendly Design Supports Microsoft Windows® Vista®. PhysicianLINK’s new design and support for larger screen resolution (1024x768) provides easier access to clinical information, coupled with

improved connectivity and enhanced functionality. Its framework supports the latest operating systems and Internet browsers. New, one- to two-minute Show Me How To videos demonstrate how to use the latest applications.

Current Clinical Integration News. Select Clinical Integration for the latest updates on HNP’s Clinical Integration (CI) Program, including new contracts, availability of quality measures data, upcoming CI committee meetings and more.

HNP Clinical Programs Committee (CPC) News. Find out what’s being discussed by the CPC’s specialty-specific subcommittees and their latest recommendations for clinical guidelines, protocols and policies to ensure consistency of best practices system-wide.

Upcoming CME Live Events and Courses. Access information and register for upcoming Continuing Medical Education live events and online courses earning AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

Free Access to Leading Clinical Reference Tools. PhysicianLINK puts timely, practical clinical information at your fingertips, including text, graphics and abstracts covering general medicine and medical subspecialties, a complete drug information database and helpful patient handouts. Besides Micromedex, PhysicianLINK users now have free

access to DynaMed, a widely used clinical reference resource for physicians that provides expanded access to clinically organized summaries for more than 3,000 clinical topics. DynaMed is a robust, evidence-based reference tool, primarily designed for use at the “point of care.” Additionally, DynaMed offers functionality not previously available, including:• Availabilityfromanycomputer,not

just Memorial Hermann computers • AccessibleviamobilePDAdevices• Browsingwithgreaterspecificity• AccessibilitytoMedLineFullText

and Cochrane Collection databases • CMEcreditfortimespentreviewing

DynaMed topics

NEW PHySICIANLINK.ORG. TRy IT NOW!To learn more about the new features and functionality of PhysicianLINK and how to preview the new and improved Web site, contact the Physician Support Center at 713.704.DOCS (3627) or log onto PhysicianLINK.org.

UpdateUpdateeClinicalWorks®

Discover the Advantages of Being LINKed.EMR Practice Profile: Willy Pezzia, M.D., and Associates Katy, TX

Willy Pezzia, M.D., P.A. uses eClinicalWorks to consult on a patient with associate, Amy Frank, P.A.-C.

Continuing Medical Education News

HNP NEWSLINK | PAGE 10 HNP NEWSLINK | PAGE 11

On April 1, the former Katy Rehabilitation Hospital became part of the Memorial Hermann

system under the new name of Memorial Hermann Rehabilitation Hospital-Katy, providing rehabilitation services for individuals who have suffered a loss of functioning or impairment due to conditions such as stroke, brain injury, orthopedic injury, amputation, arthritis and spinal cord injury.

“The addition of Katy Rehabilitation Hospital to our system underscores our commitment to offering area residents increased convenience in receiving quality rehabilitation and related services close to home,” says Paul O’Sullivan, COO, Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital.

Originally opened in 2006 by a group of 50 physicians committed to providing outstanding patient care, the facility has cared for more than 1,500 inpatients and 10,000 outpatients. “This hospital holds a special place in the hearts and minds of many of the physicians in this area,” says Mark Bing, M.D., an internal medicine physician with Medical Colleagues of Texas and one of the founding partners. “We built this facility in keeping with a physician’s model of care and I’m proud to say that level of outstanding patient

Many of the facility’s original physician investors were on hand for the transition to the Memorial Hermann system. (left to right) Drs. Vish Kalapatapu, David Reininger, Ngoc Nguyen, Jose Diaz, Armando Jarquin, Wilford Morris, Paul Bing, Sammy Khoury and John Chung.

care and customer service has proved very successful.”

The facility will continue to offer patients access to the latest in technology and innovation while maintaining a focus on delivering personalized, physician-directed care. The facility’s full-time physiatrist, Danique Van Dongen, M.D., serves as inpatient medical director and ensures that patients receive the best care and return to normal activity as soon as possible. Patients can also receive treatment through the Outpatient Therapy Clinic, which offers both physical and occupational therapy. The facility’s Diagnostic Imaging Center offers the latest imaging technology with the convenience of weekday, evening and weekend hours.

Former Katy Rehab Hospital Joins Memorial Hermann System

Fast Facts About Memorial Hermann Rehabilitation Hospital-Katy• 21700KingslandBoulevard,Katy,TX77450• Inpatientrehabilitationservices• 35-bedinpatientfacilitywith150employees• Multidisciplinaryapproachcombinesthebenefitsofphysical, occupational and speech therapy, social services and nursing• OutpatientTherapyClinicoffersbothphysicalandoccupationaltherapy

• ComprehensiveOutpatientWoundCareCenter• Hyperbaricoxygentherapyprogram• DiagnosticImagingCenteroffersMRI,CT,ultrasound,fluoroscopy and X-ray studies weekdays, evenings and weekends. • NewGEHDe,oneofonlytwosuchMRImachinesintheHoustonarea• OnsiteradiologyreadingsbySouthwestRadiologyGroup,P.A.

The hospital’s comprehensive outpatient Wound Care Center, includes one of the few hyperbaric oxygen therapy programs in the greater Houston area. The Wound Care Center treats patients with non-healing wounds due to venous stasis, diabetes and other conditions. It is led by David Katrana, M.D., D.D.S. “Fifteen percent of diabetic patients will have a chronic non-healing wound during the course of their disease. Our hyperbaric program is also actively treating those patients suffering from late effects of radiation,” says Dr. Katrana.

“We are excited about joining Memorial Hermann and look forward to serving more patients under this new partnership,” states Dr. Van Dongen.

For referrals, call 281.579.5555 or visit memorialhermann.org

Special Incentive for Office Staff Education

HNP members and their staff may take advantage of a special arrangement

with Practice Management Institute (PMI) and enjoy up to a 20 percent discount on PMI courses booked through HNP.

Select from a convenient schedule of diverse programs:• CPTCodingWorkshop June 16 or August 13• ICD-9-CMCodingWorkshop June 18 or August 11• AdvancedCodingWorkshop June 17• AccountsReceivable/Patient

Collections• HowtobetheBestReceptionist July 15• TexasWorkers’Compensation• UnderstandingModifiers July 16 or 17• Incident-to-Billing• AvoidingFraud&Abuse August 12

Key to the success of any medical practice is the training and retaining of knowledgeable employees. Encourage key staff to earn a certification in their field, demonstrating a higher level of competency in their roles.• CertifiedMedicalCoder(CMC)® —

Starting September 16 at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital

• CertifiedMedicalOfficeManager(CMOM)® — Starting June 26 at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital

For more information, contact Donna Alwais, PMI Learning Center Coordinator, at 713.448.6787 or donna.alwais@memorialhermann.org.

Contact your Provider Relations Representative for the PMI discount information.

Physicians can now earn CME credit when they review an original clinical document,

identify the relevant sources from among those consulted and describe the application

of their findings to the practice. The tool to document this research activity is now available

on PhysicianLINK.

Here’s how it works: If a doctor has a clinical question:

• He/shegoestotheInternet

• Searchesprofessionalpeer-reviewedliteraturefortheanswerand

• Documentsthatactivityandreceives0.5creditsofCME.

To document your activity, visit physicianlink.org, select “CME” and follow the prompts to

register for Point-of-Care credit. You’ll be asked to answer five questions related to your search

before submitting your application for credit.

The Memorial Hermann CME Web site on PhysicianLINK.org also connects you to:

• UpcomingliveCMEevents

• OnlineCMEcourses

• CMEsummaryofcredits

• SearchforCMEevents

• Otherresources

• Quickreferencevideosandtrainingguides

Contact UsE-mail: cmesupport@memorialhermann.org

Phone: 713.448.5101 or 713.448.5914

Memorial Hermann Hospital System is accredited by the Texas Medical Association to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Memorial Hermann Hospital System designates this educational activity for a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 credits.™ Participants should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

New Internet CME Point-of-Care Credits Available via PhysicianLINK.org

Continuing Medical Education News

HNP NEWSLINK | PAGE 10 HNP NEWSLINK | PAGE 11

On April 1, the former Katy Rehabilitation Hospital became part of the Memorial Hermann

system under the new name of Memorial Hermann Rehabilitation Hospital-Katy, providing rehabilitation services for individuals who have suffered a loss of functioning or impairment due to conditions such as stroke, brain injury, orthopedic injury, amputation, arthritis and spinal cord injury.

“The addition of Katy Rehabilitation Hospital to our system underscores our commitment to offering area residents increased convenience in receiving quality rehabilitation and related services close to home,” says Paul O’Sullivan, COO, Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital.

Originally opened in 2006 by a group of 50 physicians committed to providing outstanding patient care, the facility has cared for more than 1,500 inpatients and 10,000 outpatients. “This hospital holds a special place in the hearts and minds of many of the physicians in this area,” says Mark Bing, M.D., an internal medicine physician with Medical Colleagues of Texas and one of the founding partners. “We built this facility in keeping with a physician’s model of care and I’m proud to say that level of outstanding patient

Many of the facility’s original physician investors were on hand for the transition to the Memorial Hermann system. (left to right) Drs. Vish Kalapatapu, David Reininger, Ngoc Nguyen, Jose Diaz, Armando Jarquin, Wilford Morris, Paul Bing, Sammy Khoury and John Chung.

care and customer service has proved very successful.”

The facility will continue to offer patients access to the latest in technology and innovation while maintaining a focus on delivering personalized, physician-directed care. The facility’s full-time physiatrist, Danique Van Dongen, M.D., serves as inpatient medical director and ensures that patients receive the best care and return to normal activity as soon as possible. Patients can also receive treatment through the Outpatient Therapy Clinic, which offers both physical and occupational therapy. The facility’s Diagnostic Imaging Center offers the latest imaging technology with the convenience of weekday, evening and weekend hours.

Former Katy Rehab Hospital Joins Memorial Hermann System

Fast Facts About Memorial Hermann Rehabilitation Hospital-Katy• 21700KingslandBoulevard,Katy,TX77450• Inpatientrehabilitationservices• 35-bedinpatientfacilitywith150employees• Multidisciplinaryapproachcombinesthebenefitsofphysical, occupational and speech therapy, social services and nursing• OutpatientTherapyClinicoffersbothphysicalandoccupationaltherapy

• ComprehensiveOutpatientWoundCareCenter• Hyperbaricoxygentherapyprogram• DiagnosticImagingCenteroffersMRI,CT,ultrasound,fluoroscopy and X-ray studies weekdays, evenings and weekends. • NewGEHDe,oneofonlytwosuchMRImachinesintheHoustonarea• OnsiteradiologyreadingsbySouthwestRadiologyGroup,P.A.

The hospital’s comprehensive outpatient Wound Care Center, includes one of the few hyperbaric oxygen therapy programs in the greater Houston area. The Wound Care Center treats patients with non-healing wounds due to venous stasis, diabetes and other conditions. It is led by David Katrana, M.D., D.D.S. “Fifteen percent of diabetic patients will have a chronic non-healing wound during the course of their disease. Our hyperbaric program is also actively treating those patients suffering from late effects of radiation,” says Dr. Katrana.

“We are excited about joining Memorial Hermann and look forward to serving more patients under this new partnership,” states Dr. Van Dongen.

For referrals, call 281.579.5555 or visit memorialhermann.org

Special Incentive for Office Staff Education

HNP members and their staff may take advantage of a special arrangement

with Practice Management Institute (PMI) and enjoy up to a 20 percent discount on PMI courses booked through HNP.

Select from a convenient schedule of diverse programs:• CPTCodingWorkshop June 16 or August 13• ICD-9-CMCodingWorkshop June 18 or August 11• AdvancedCodingWorkshop June 17• AccountsReceivable/Patient

Collections• HowtobetheBestReceptionist July 15• TexasWorkers’Compensation• UnderstandingModifiers July 16 or 17• Incident-to-Billing• AvoidingFraud&Abuse August 12

Key to the success of any medical practice is the training and retaining of knowledgeable employees. Encourage key staff to earn a certification in their field, demonstrating a higher level of competency in their roles.• CertifiedMedicalCoder(CMC)® —

Starting September 16 at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital

• CertifiedMedicalOfficeManager(CMOM)® — Starting June 26 at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital

For more information, contact Donna Alwais, PMI Learning Center Coordinator, at 713.448.6787 or donna.alwais@memorialhermann.org.

Contact your Provider Relations Representative for the PMI discount information.

Physicians can now earn CME credit when they review an original clinical document,

identify the relevant sources from among those consulted and describe the application

of their findings to the practice. The tool to document this research activity is now available

on PhysicianLINK.

Here’s how it works: If a doctor has a clinical question:

• He/shegoestotheInternet

• Searchesprofessionalpeer-reviewedliteraturefortheanswerand

• Documentsthatactivityandreceives0.5creditsofCME.

To document your activity, visit physicianlink.org, select “CME” and follow the prompts to

register for Point-of-Care credit. You’ll be asked to answer five questions related to your search

before submitting your application for credit.

The Memorial Hermann CME Web site on PhysicianLINK.org also connects you to:

• UpcomingliveCMEevents

• OnlineCMEcourses

• CMEsummaryofcredits

• SearchforCMEevents

• Otherresources

• Quickreferencevideosandtrainingguides

Contact UsE-mail: cmesupport@memorialhermann.org

Phone: 713.448.5101 or 713.448.5914

Memorial Hermann Hospital System is accredited by the Texas Medical Association to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Memorial Hermann Hospital System designates this educational activity for a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 credits.™ Participants should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

New Internet CME Point-of-Care Credits Available via PhysicianLINK.org

HNP NEWSLINK | PAGE 12

9301 SW Freeway, Suite 5000Houston, TX 77074

Memorial Hermann Chosen as the Nation’s Quality Leader. Memorial Hermann President and CEO Dan Wolterman accepts the 2009 National Quality Healthcare Award from National Quality Forum’s President and CEO Janet Corrigan in Washington, D.C. Memorial Hermann was singled out as the sole recipient of the prestigious award for its performance in patient safety and quality. See story on page 4.

Photo courtesy of Tony Brown www.imijphoto.com