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Hospital matches future growth to facilities and residents to training program

Important hospital issues are decided in final days of regular legislative session

New insights into the molecular pathogenesis of sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction

Helping all of us with hospitalized children

Electronic Baby Locator debuts in the Newborn Center

Medical staff updates on new projects and policies that are in the pipeline

Grand Rounds calendar

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Advisors

Ralph D. Feigin, M.D.
Physician-in-Chief
Texas Children's Hospital
Professor and Chairman
Department of Pediatrics
Baylor College of Medicine

Robert W. Warren, M.D.
Medical Director, Rheumatology Service
Medical Director,
Information Services
Assistant Medical Director, Ambulatory Services
Texas Children's Hospital
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Baylor College
of Medicine

Joseph A. Garcia-Prats, M.D.
Neonatologist
Texas Children's Hospital
Professor of Pediatrics and Professor of Medical Ethics Baylor College of Medicine

Editor
Cindy Shanley
Marketing and Public Relations
Texas Children’s Hospital
832-824-2180
 

Diagnostic Virology
Laboratory Newsletter

For  members of the Texas Children's Hospital medical staff

Helping all of us with hospitalized children

By Yong Han, M.D. and Bonnie Geld
 

The department will manage continuum of care issues related to the patient’s episode of care, including appropriate admission types, ongoing chart review to ensure appropriate reimbursement, efficient movement through the hospitalization with timely planning for discharge and improvements in assistance to the physicians in facilitating their patients' ongoing plan of care.

A new department of Care Management and Social Work has been established at Texas Children's Hospital to facilitate more efficient and effective movement of patients through the continuum of inpatient care. The department will manage continuum of care issues related to the patient’s episode of care, including appropriate admission types, ongoing chart review to ensure appropriate reimbursement, efficient movement through the hospitalization with timely planning for discharge and improvements in assistance to the physicians in facilitating their patients' ongoing plan of care.

Last September, 285 physicians and 38 residents participated in a survey that indicated opportunities exist at Texas Children’s to improve scheduling of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and patient discharge. The Care Management and Social Work department will help implement these improvement efforts.
 

Triad model of care pilot begins
A new triad model of care management involving a care coordinator, a resource utilization review nurse, and a social worker has been designed and is currently being piloted on 12 Tower, PCU and 9 Tower. The care coordinator will oversee the activities of the triad team, particularly in assisting physicians with determining patients’ needs and processes that affect their movement through the hospitalization. For example, the team is currently working on standing orders for home care (i.e., home IV therapy, home g-button therapy, etc.). This will support physicians and residents in facilitating home care arrangements in a more efficient and timely manner. To date, there has been positive feedback of the new process on these units both by physicians and unit staff.

As medical liaison for this department, my role is to assist in guiding the implementation and ongoing facilitation and evaluation of Care Management and Social Work. My responsibilities include:

• Providing physician input into decisions about care management activities.

• Assisting in educating the medical staff about the role and value of the Care Management team.

• Consulting with medical staff on patients with complex discharge needs.

In addition, a Physician Advisory Committee is providing advice on the role of the Care Management department.

If you have questions or would like to provide feedback, contact Dr. Han, Myrtle Williams, vice president, or Bonnie Geld, director.
 

Dr. Yong Han is medical liaison for the Care Management and Social Work department and assistant professor, Section of Emergency Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine. Bonnie Geld is director of Care Management and Social Work.

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