Annual Report 2023-2024

Physician work groups Another initiative of the Shriners Children’s Medical Group is the expansion of physician- led work groups that examine areas such as practice management, clinic operations, safety and research. The quality work group has been operating for almost two years now. Physicians of varying sub specialties from across the system are leading the charge to deploy standards that meet the highest quality of care. From safety standards to accreditation criteria to best clinical practices, the quality group has been very effective in sharing what’s working well and what could be improved across all the facilities. “A physician-led practice group is crucial for developing a quality culture, as physicians possess deep knowledge of patient care. The work group provides a conduit for physician-to-physician engagement, helps facilitate growth and nurtures a higher standard of quality care,” said Dr. Iwinski. Looking to the future Leaders across the system are seeing the critical role having a professional home for physicians and APPs will play in the system’s growth moving forward, shared VanderWerff. On the local level, chiefs of staff have noted how the medical group will support their market’s ability to grow. “There is so much to be gained for our patients in the interdependent approach to care through the medical group,” said Jennifer Weiss, M.D., chief of staff, Shriners Children’s Hawai'i. “Our physicians have a longstanding excellent relationship with one another, but the more formal organizational structure will allow quality, access and patient experience to remain at the center of all that we do.”

the local sites allow medical group leaders to see how effectively APPs are being utilized. “Our goals are to optimize the roles of nurse practitioners and physician assistants, make the profession visible and find opportunities for growth so the workforce can function at the highest efficiency,” said Erin Howell, PAC, chief of the advanced practice providers. Giving APPs a voice and making sure they are part of the clinical infrastructure at each location will help support a vibrant, well-functioning practice. Easy access to care The gold standard for patient access is for our hospitals and clinics to “answer the door” every time a patient, family member or referring physician is in contact. Appointments are confirmed with a single call and issues are resolved promptly. Access should be frictionless, expeditious, exceptional and easy. And work to achieve this standard is already in motion. “We know there are opportunities across the system for improvement in how we provide access to care,” said VanderWerff. “We have already engaged with our sites to define and polish workflows and develop operational plans for streamlined access to care.” Longer range goals include upgrades to the patient access infrastructure to a single system that will optimize that “user experience” for families, and create an exceptional “front door.” The team is also looking at clinic volumes and efficiencies to meet demand. When a patient who needs care within our scope of services calls for an appointment, we want to have the capacity to schedule them right away. And the medical group is leveraging the talents of market and local leaders to deploy these enhancements and to measure performance. They are partnering with administrators, nurse leaders, finance directors, and ultimately all staff who touch patient care. “At the end of all this work is the patient. We must never lose sight of that,” he added.

36