November 17, 2000

Plans for managing the unusually high admissions expected this winter was one of the major subjects discussed at a leadership meeting last week. With the increasingly high volume the hospital has recorded over the last year, the MGH has experienced overcrowding in patient areas and additional strains on staff.

Jeanette Ives Erickson, RN, MS, senior vice president for Patient Care Services and chief nurse, (right) gave a presentation about the short-term plans to deal with space issues and free up capacity. Plans include reopening Bigelow 12, which was closed several years ago, and making it an ambulatory infusion unit; reopening Bigelow 9 as a step-down unit; converting administrative offices on several units into patient rooms; and adding more beds on Blake 11 and on one of the pediatric units. Long-term plans include continuing to reduce length of hospital stay for patients and possibly utilizing capacity at community hospitals within the Partners system to accommodate MGH patients.

James J. Mongan, MD, president of the MGH, (left) added, "MGH staff and employees should be commended for their continuous hard work and dedication under the extra burden that the unexpected volume has placed on the hospital." He said that as part of the hospital's growth plan, patient care staff will be added to help alleviate some of the added work load resulting from the increased volume.

At the leadership meeting, MGH managers and department heads also heard an update about several other hospitalwide activities.

Maryanne Spicer, chair of the hospitalwide JCAHO steering committee, recapped the results of the JCAHO survey held in September, stating that it was the most successful visit the hospital has had to date. The hospital's final score of 92 is higher than any other score the MGH has received, with only one Type I deficiency, which is fewer than in previous years.

Britain Nicholson, MD, chief medical officer, (right) announced the hospital's new Quality and Safety program, which incorporates several initiatives already established at the hospital and adds a new structure to the way the quality and safety of patient care is maintained. The new program will emphasize patient safety as a hospitalwide priority, strengthen the current structure of quality review, reinforce the non-retaliation incident reporting policy that is in place and facilitate a better tracking mechanism for incident report follow-up. An Office of Quality and Safety also has been established that will be led by Cy Hopkins, MD, and Liz Mort, MD, to serve as a central resource for all quality and safety initiatives and issues.

Peter L. Slavin, MD, chairman and CEO of the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization (MGPO), gave a presentation about the role of the new Clinical Performance Management (CPM) program, which is a joint MGH and MGPO initiative designed to improve patient care and increase the efficiency of delivering that care. Slavin wrapped up the leadership meeting by discussing the successful resolution to the Partners negotiations with Tufts Health Plan. The two entities reached an agreement on a new three-year contract that will allow Tufts members to continue to receive care from all Partners hospitals and physicians.

"MGH staff and employees should be commended for their continuous hard work and dedication under the extra burden that the unexpected volume has placed on the hospital."