HJBR Sep/Oct 2019

dialogue Dr. Vath  Improving patient safety and qual- ity outcomes is one of our top priorities as a health system, and is embedded into our mission. I’ve spent much of my career working in this space and I amproud of the incredible strides and innovations we’ve seen from our team in recent years. A culture of transparency and perpetual improvement are critical to handling systematic quality issues. We have deliber- ately built programs, attracted talent, and established processes to make sure we can continue to make our institutions safer for patients. For more than 13 years we have used technology to actively encourage our team members to report, anonymously if they choose, any safety events or near misses that could put patients at risk. Internally we track a lot more data than is required and reported to state and federal agencies because we are obsessed with moving those metrics in the right direction. We are now at a place on our quality and patient safety journey that we are partnering with LSU’s college of engineering to work on repeatable, stream- lined data-driven processes that will pre- vent medical or operational errors that put patient safety at risk. We look forward to continuing to innovate and establish new best practices that will keep patients safer in healthcare institutions across the nation. Editor What are somemergers and acqui- sitions we can expect in the near future? Dr. Vath  In the last two years, we have seen rapid and accelerated growth. However, our goal is never growth just for growth’s sake. We have estab- lished a purposeful and deliberate process when looking for opportu- nities that takes into account our mission first, followed by culture and long term viability. In just the last six months we have transi- tioned sponsorship of St. Dom- inic’s Health System in Jackson, Mississippi, acquired Women’s & Children’s Hospital in Lafayette, and acquired P&S Surgical Services in Monroe. Our focus right now is on continu- ing to grow our physician group and expand the number of primary care providers part- nering with us in population healthmanage- ment. We are also interested in partnering with fellow innovators willing to disrupt the current process and flow of what we think of as traditional healthcare. We are frequently approached by other organizations inter- ested in collaborating with us, and we take each of those opportunities very seriously. Editor What are some other projects you are excited about? Dr. Vath  I am most excited about the work Health Leaders Network has done. We have engaged physician and non-physician pro- viders in transforming their volume-based practices to successfully learn how toman- age populations, improve quality outcomes, and lower the overall cost of care. Over the last three years, with more than 120,000 lives, we have improved patient experi- ence, quality outcomes, and decreased the total cost of care by close to $95million. We have also developed a robust infrastructure around case management, control of phar- maceutical costs, and technology to identify areas we can reduce costs in other parts of our ministry.That trajectory over such a very short period of time is incredible, and I am excited about what the future holds. Editor What do you see as the future of health and healthcare in Louisiana? Dr. Vath  I see the future of healthcare in Lou- isiana as bright and full of potential. Health- care is a key anchor and sign of a strong and prosperous community.As wemake signifi- cant advances in quality, population health management, and increased access to pri- mary care, I have no doubt that we will begin to see the trajectory of our state change in the coming years. We are blessed within our health system to work with thousands of physicians, nurses, and support teammem- bers who are dedicated tomaking their com- munities the absolute best they can. Each one of them cares deeply, gives endlessly of themselves, and pursues excellence in all that they do. Our communities are bet- ter because of our healthcare workers. My commitment is to them and the communi- ties we serve, to continue our investment in smart growth and providing exceptional care and access to life saving services. n