Upcoming meeting

Please note that the next Regular Board meeting is scheduled for Oct. 20.

The meeting will start at 7:00 pm at the Marin General Hospital Conference Center at 250 Bon Air Road, Greenbrae, CA 94904.

New relationship with MGH

Q: There have been rocky times in the history of MHD and MGH. One of the questions we frequently get asked is “how will the new relationship between the MHD Board and the MGH Board be different?”

A: There are several reasons why the MHD-MGH relationship will be fundamentally different:

The relationship will no longer be that of a landlord and a tenant. The relationship will be that of a parent company and a subsidiary. Under the lease agreement with Sutter, MHD had no say in how MGH was run. With the new relationship, MHD will be able to hold MGH accountable to the community.

MGH will be under community governance. This means that MGH will be held to a higher level of transparency and accountability.

MHD will be in charge of setting the public healthcare policy related to District residents’ needs. To the degree possible, MGH’s operational strategy will be targeted towards meeting the specific healthcare needs of the District. The new agreement sets in place significant benchmarks that MGH much achieve. MHD will also set many of the overriding policies for MGH, such as charitable care.

Corrective Action Process

We see a bright future for MGH. We have faced challenges along the way and with each hurdle overcome, we are growing more confident that the transition will be successful.

However, while we are planning for the best, we are also keeping our eyes open to anticipate potential issues. To that end, MHD has approved the Corrective Action Process, developed with input from the public, MHD Board, MGH employees, KSA and the Transition Advisory Committee.

The Corrective Action Process provides an overall structure for MHD’s governance and oversight of MGH. With the return of MGH to community governance, we made sure that the Process also incorporates a higher level of transparency and accountability to the community. The overview of the Corrective Action Process can be found here: http://www.marinhealthcare.org/html/documents/09-08-2009RMPacket.pdf (starting on page 25).

Why not?

You may have seen some people wearing “why not?” buttons. Or maybe you’ve seen our ads in the Marin IJ. MHD sees great potential in MGH and that’s the crux of our “why not?” campaign. We have big dreams for MGH and we have strategic plans that will keep us on track towards reaching these goals.

Those of us who are proud to call Marin County “home” understand what it means to be part of such a close-knit community. As friends and neighbors, we are happy to invest in local businesses and programs. And when it comes to our community assets, we have high expectations.

Why shouldn’t we have a world class hospital? We have the talent. We have the equipment. We have the services.

Of course, there are obstacles along the way. But with the support of the community, guidance from local leaders and industry experts, we are facing these challenges head on.

And in the spirit of our campaign, why not leave a comment on the blog? Your input is essential as we works towards our goals. And if you want to request a “why not?” button to show your support, give us a call at 464-2090, email us with your mailing address at info@marinhealthcare.org, or stop by the MHD office and pick one up.

Excellent Nursing in Action

Excellence at MGH can be found at every level of patient care and hospital operations and is intrinsic to our success and potential for growth.

This month, during the regular monthly MHD Board meeting, the MHD board adopted a resolution honoring Mary Oliva Mariani, MSN, RN for 50 years of service to the community of Marin.  On this blog, I have written several times about the excellent staff at MGH and Ms. Mariani is a shining example of that excellence and dedication. Mary Oliva Mariani has tirelessly served the healthcare needs of Marin Healthcare District residents since 1959. She has been a mentor, teacher, consultant and colleague to MGH staff. She has also been a leader in employee and patient safety initiatives at MGH.

With nurses like Ms. Mariani, I am confident that magnet nursing status is within reach.

Input from MGH employees

In the past month, I have written several posts about MGH employees and our plans to offer improvements for them (upgraded IT, more HR services, professional development, etc.). I know that MGH employees naturally have a lot of questions and we’ve held several meetings and information sessions for the purpose of answering those questions.

As we continue towards the transfer date, MGH employees should be assured that MHD welcomes their questions. To that end, we have set up multiple avenues through which employees can provide their input and ask their questions:

Off Campus Meetings
We hold “office hours” every Monday from 11:30 to 1:30 in August and September. These meetings are held at the District office at 100B Drakes Landing Road, Suite 250, in Greenbrae. During office hours, we meet informally with MGH employees who wish to share ideas and to become better acquainted. Food will be provided for those wishing to join us.

24/7 MGH Employee Toll Free Hotline: 877-767-5717
Call anytime day or night and leave a message, question or comment for MHD. If you provide info for response we will make every attempt to get back to you personally. If your question may be of interest to many others, we may also print it in and upcoming FAQ or Newsletter. We will not disclose your identity.

Email us a question or comment 24/7: info@marinhealthcare.org

And finally, everyone is invited to leave a comment or question on the blog.
I will address questions directly or in a future post.

A Healthy Hospital

Many of you who have received medical care at MGH already know this – MGH is an excellent hospital. We recently conducted a phone survey among Marin County residents and an overwhelming majority (82%) responded that they had received good or excellent care at MGH. Many residents specifically mentioned the caring and professional manner of the medical staff and pointed to an overall good experience at MGH. 90% also believed that it was important for MGH to continue to offer a full range of medical services.

More than any other hospital in Marin, MGH is the preferred source of medical care among Marin residents. We have an excellent medical team at MGH and we look forward to working with the team more directly.

I am very encouraged by the results of the survey and like most respondents (72%), look forward to a locally owned and operated hospital in Marin County.

An Update on IT

As I wrote previously, the Settlement and Transfer Agreement requires MHD to set up a new IT system for MGH. A few months ago, I reported that we had signed a seven-year agreement with ACS to provide IT services to MGH once the transfer has occurred. I am glad to report that the IT implementation is on track and on schedule.

Sutter and MHD have successfully agreed on training costs and training space. Sutter has also granted ACS access to the IT infrastructure so ACS can continue with their preparations for the transition. We have been working with Sutter to make the transition as efficient as possible. We are challenged with balancing timeliness and maintaining daily operations, however, I am confident that continued cooperation will result in a smooth IT transition.

Aiming for Magnet Nursing Status

We have frequently talked about our goal to develop MGH as a Magnet Nursing hospital. For this month’s Q&A, I would like to explore what that means and how we plan to get there.

Q: What is a Magnet Nursing hospital?
A: Magnet status is granted by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to hospitals who demonstrate nursing excellence. The ANCC is a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association and is recognized as the most prestigious credentialing organization. The Magnet program recognizes “quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice (ANCC).” This program aims to develop and share best practices related to the many different elements of nursing care.

Q: How do you achieve Magnet Nursing status?
A: Part of becoming a Magnet Nursing hospital is to create open lines of communication between the nurses and other members of the hospital team. You start by making it easier for nurses to do their jobs and to do so with excellence. We have to create an atmosphere of mutual respect among nurses, doctors and other healthcare providers. It involves creating an environment where people want to work. From my experience at El Camino Hospital, where we reached Magnet Nursing status, it is essential that the nursing staff be supported and its opinions valued. Achieving Magnet Nursing status is very challenging but I can guarantee that it will be worth the effort.

Improvements for MGH Employees

The staff is the heart and soul of every hospital. As we plan for the transfer of MGH, we are also looking for opportunities to improve services for MGH staff. One such improvement will be the expansion of human resources to include an online resource for employees. Currently, human resources services are provided through a dedicated office in Terra Linda. By extending HR support online, we aim provide a more convenient option for MGH employees, especially for those whose schedules conflict with office hours.

The site would offer a “self-help” option for forms, answering questions, etc. We are also starting a hotline for employees who have questions about the transition. The hotline (877-767-5717) is reserved for employees but if you’re not an employee and you have a question, please feel free to post in the comments section on this blog (anonymous posting is allowed).