December 13, 2002

Mongan bids farewell to MGH at last leadership meeting

In his final hospital leadership meeting as president of the MGH, James J. Mongan, MD, took the attendees on a retrospective journey of the last seven years, highlighting the many accomplishments made during his tenure. "During the last few months, I have been reflecting on the past six or seven years, and there is a spectacular story to tell. And this story doesn't have to do with me -- it has to do with all of the physicians, nurses and administrative and support staff at this hospital," he said at the Dec. 9 gathering. "Looking back, we faced numerous challenges, but we overcame many of them and made substantial progress."

Mongan's presentation focused on the three components of the hospital's mission --patient care, research and education. The patient care chapter of the story was an outstanding one, he noted. Despite predictions that patient volume would decline, inpatient volume grew steadily at an average of 4.2 percent each year. At the same time, hospital leadership and staff worked hard to lower length of stay, which decreased 12 percent, from 6.65 days in FY 1996 to 5.86 in FY 2002. The average daily census grew 13 percent during the last seven years, and outpatient activity increased at an average of 4 percent each year.

Mongan credited the work of the nursing staff and other clinical disciplines for contributing to this success story. While the hospital was challenged by a 30 percent growth in volume and a 20 percent increase in patient acuity, more positions were added to the clinical staff during the last seven years to meet the volume demands. Nursing leadership maintained a focus on programs that would build professional development for nurses -- a key to maintaining high-quality patient care.

Slavin, right, presents a framed print of the Ether Dome painting to Mongan.

Also during the last seven years, significant developments were made in key clinical areas. In cancer care, the MGH Cancer Center developed multidisciplinary disease programs to improve patient care efficiency, and the clinical trials program grew by 258 percent. The MGH also was a founding member of Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare, which was established to create collaborations in adult cancer care, education and research among the MGH, BWH and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

In cardiac care, six new state-of-the-art catheterization suites and three electrophysiology labs were established to care for patients with significant cardiac illness. Under the leadership of David Torchiana, MD, chief of MGH Cardiac Surgery, elective angioplasty and cardiac surgery services will be available at the North Shore Medical Center through a collaborative program with the MGH.

Other significant strides in clinical areas were the establishment of the Northeast Proton Therapy Center; substantial growth and improvements in emergency services; and the transition of MGH Pediatrics to MassGeneral Hospital for Children, which increased market share and admissions for pediatric services.

The MGH research program has expanded dramatically in recent years, with total research revenues growing from $183 million in FY 1996 to $343 million in FY 2002. The MGH also continued to rank first among independent hospitals in funding from the National Institutes of Health for more than 10 years.

Significant progress was made in enhancing the MGH's education mission, highlighted by the combined residency and fellowship programs between the MGH and BWH, which has made the programs even more competitive. Notable headway also was made in enhancing the diversity among training physicians -- especially in last year's match, which increased the admission of minority residents by 74 percent.

Mongan also reviewed the many construction projects that have been completed or are under way to meet the challenge of the hospital's space constraints. These included Building 114 in Charlestown; the MGH/BWH research facility at 65 Lansdowne St. in Cambridge; the Charles River Plaza research building; and most significantly, the Yawkey Center for Outpatient Care.

Mongan concluded the presentation by outlining some of the challenges the MGH faces in the future, such as handling growth and space issues and maintaining financial viability in a difficult economic climate. "While we are entering an era that is as daunting as the era we have just been through, I believe we can accomplish amazing things despite these tough times," said Mongan. "And I want to thank everyone at this institution for your tireless dedication and hard work. It has been a privilege and an honor to be at the helm of this hospital and to work with such talented individuals."

After a standing ovation for Mongan, Peter L. Slavin, MD, chairman and CEO of the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization (MGPO) and incoming president of the MGH, paid tribute to Mongan and presented him with a gift from the MGPO. "Dr. Mongan has done a remarkable job in leading this institution, and we owe a debt of gratitude to him," said Slavin. "It is daunting to follow in his footsteps as president, but he has been an excellent role model and has taught me many valuable lessons."