Historic Gathering

The Hospitalist. 2010 May;2010(05):

May 1, 2010 | The Hospitalist

SHM also inducted 190 new FHM designees. As the second class of Fellows, they join more than 500 other hospitalists who have practiced HM for five years and been a member of SHM for at least three years.

For more information about the SHM Fellowship program, visit www.hospitalmedicine.org/fellows.

Featured Speakers Bring Focus to HM, Healthcare Policy

It’s no coincidence that SHM brought hospitalists to the nation’s capital for the annual meeting. The ongoing public debate over delivering patient care safely, effectively, and efficiently remains at the fore in the nation’s capital.

That was the point driven home by Dr. Wachter in his featured presentation on the final day of the conference. While the recently passed healthcare reform legislation addressed such issues as access to health insurance and costs, the legislation “kicked the can down the road,” he said.

For perspective from a hospital administrator who already has put into practice many of the reform recommendations, HM10 turned to Paul Levy, CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Too much attention on political debate could be a distraction, Levy warned. Instead of getting too caught up in national political drama, Levy cautioned, hospitalists would do well to focus on their own practices and identify ways to reduce preventable errors in the hospital.

Levy’s speech was preceded by a panel discussion led by Public Policy Committee Chair Eric Siegal, MD, SFHM, one of the newest members of the SHM board. Leslie Norwalk, a former Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator, participated in the panel and was interviewed later that day by CNN Money about young, healthy individuals and the role they play in reducing health insurance costs.

Hospitalists Bone Up on Career and Clinical Skills

More than 900 hospitalists used the pre-courses at HM10 as an opportunity for continued professional education.

Presented on the day before the formal kickoff of HM10, each pre-course presented an in-depth look at some of the most pressing issues in HM. This year introduced two new pre-courses that characterized the wide range of topics: “Early Career Hospitalist: Skills for Success” and “Essential Neurology for the Hospitalist.”

All told, HM10 was a resounding success that reflected the continued energy and enthusiasm of HM and its impact on healthcare. To SHM Vice President and General Manager Todd Von Deak, that momentum means looking to the future.

“We received great feedback from our attendees this year, and we’re looking forward to using that information to make an even stronger—and record-breaking—annual meeting in Dallas next year,” he said. “See you in 2011!” TH

Brendon Shank is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia.

SHM, AMA, Others Create Principles for Practice Management

What’s the difference between a good hospitalist practice and a great one? That’s the fundamental question SHM and other leaders in hospital care addressed with the new “Principles for Developing a Sustainable and Successful Hospitalist Program,” created by the American Medical Association’s Organized Medical Staff Section (AMA-OMSS).

Together with The Joint Commission and the American Hospital Association, SHM and AMA-OMSS recognized the growing need to help HM groups operate effectively and communicate with others within the hospital.

Covering everything from big-picture coordination to day-to-day finances, the 15 principles are grouped into four major sections: vision, organization, communications, and management.

Under “Vision,” for example, the first principle recommends that hospitalists “involve and address the needs of all key stakeholders in designing and implementing a hospitalist program. These stakeholders include patients, the medical staff, other clinical professionals, hospital administration, and the hospitalists.” It then outlines the role each stakeholder plays in a successful HM practice.

The principles can apply to a broad range of hospitalist settings, says Joe Miller, senior vice president and chief solutions officer at SHM. “These principles reflect the best practices in hospital medicine today and can serve as a fundamental reference for hospitalists and hospital administrators,” Miller says. “This is another example of SHM collaborating with the leaders in healthcare to improve patient care in the hospital.”

“Principles for Developing a Sustainable and Successful Hospitalist Program” is available at the practice management section of SHM’s website, www.hospitalmedicine.org.