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Click here for 2004 Moments that Mattered photo gallery
As BWH’s 2004 calendar unfolded, the year was barely days old when the hospital set a fast pace out of the gate with a first-in-the-nation quintuple lung transplant in early January. The accomplishment was the perfect stage to open a year that also marked another milestone in BWH’s history—the 50th anniversary of the first successful human organ transplant. Lead surgeon Dr. Joseph Murray earned a Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking efforts and BWH a coveted notation in medical history books. Later during the year, BWH also marked the 20th anniversary of New England’s first heart transplant. Today’s clinical and research staff continue to carry on the spirit of innovation and discovery inspired by these pioneers.
Strategy to Build On One of the major accomplishments of 2004 was the announcement of a comprehensive five-year Strategic Plan by BWH President Gary Gottlieb. The clinical plan builds on five centers of excellence—cancer, cardiovascular services, neurosciences, orthopedics and arthritis, and women’s health—in an effort to keep BWH competitive in the health care marketplace of the future. Clinical synergy was also bolstered when Dana-Farber and BWH jointly announced the leadership structure for Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center, along with goals and objectives for this entity.
BWH, as a founding member of Partners HealthCare, shared in the system’s decade celebration. BWH continued to have reason to celebrate, as its Capital Campaign significantly surpassed its fundraising goals ahead of schedule and concluded efforts early. And, for the 12th consecutive year, BWH was recognized on the U.S. News & World Report’s annual Honor Roll of “America’s Best Hospitals,” ranking 12th overall. Once again, BWH and MGH were the only Massachusetts and New England hospitals to make the honor roll.
Carrying On the Spirit of Innovation The opening of the state-of-the-art STRATUS center ushered in a new era in BWH’s distinguished history in medical education. The Simulation, Training, Resuscitation and Technology Utilization System center in the Department of Emergency Medicine is outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment, computer software and technology designed to provide real-to-life simulation for a variety of medical emergencies.
BWH researchers marked the 20th anniversary of the TIMI trials—a hallmark of the organization’s research enterprise. Over the past two decades, the trials have produced some of the most important findings related to the treatment of heart attack patients. Meanwhile, BWH and Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center were announced as the recipients of a prestigious $11 million National Cancer Institute grant to lower ovarian cancer deaths. In addition, two of the four National Centers for Biomedical Computing funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will be based here and run by BWH researchers. Such funding helps BWH remain as a leading recipient of research funding from the NIH.
Teamwork Produces Success In February, BWH concluded almost two years of preparation by staff throughout every level of the organization for the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) Survey. Thanks to a unified effort, BWH received accreditation following a survey that enlisted a challenging, new review format.
To gauge staff satisfaction, the hospital conducted its third Staff Survey in May, and is currently following up with the results on a departmental level. In tandem with soliciting staff feedback, BWH announced its highest patient satisfaction scores to date that month. Patient satisfaction scores continue to provide the hospital with helpful feedback to better serve its patients.
Building upon feedback from both staff and patients, the second phase of the Service Excellence initiatives began in the spring—focusing on Team Communication and Patient Flow, along with Referring Physician Satisfaction. Another effort to improve patient-centered care—Transforming Care at the Bedside—also began this summer, in collaboration with the Institute for Healthcare Improve-ment. In addition, great strides have been made in accommodating dietary needs of our patients with a comprehensive inpatient room service program, now in its second phase of implementation.
Growth Across Campus BW/F’s distributed campus saw a growth spurt in 2004, carrying out the goal of providing the right care in the right place at the right time. A new Endoscopy services suite, fully stocked with the latest in modern amenities, was unveiled at 850 Boylston. In addition, hospital leadership shared the preliminary news of plans to create a new building to house a cardiovascular center at 70 Francis Street.
While at the main campus, the BWH Tower underwent much change in 2004. A new Acute Palliative Care Unit opened on 5A; Tower 10A was redesignated as a specialized Cardiovascular Interventional Unit; construction began on Tower 14 to create a new patient-family center for the floor, and 12A introduced its new Advanced Cardiac Therapy Unit.
To facilitate the ongoing activity on various Tower floors, in September, more behind-the-scenes progress occurred with the ongoing BICS modernization project, due to be completed in February 2005. Also, the first wave of the much anticipated eMAR implementation began in the Connors Center in November, closing the loop in the full circle of the hospital’s electronic medication administration system (EMAS), providing yet another measure in patient safety advancement.
As BWH looks to fill its 2005 calendar with a larger list of accomplishments, executive leadership tips its hat to the 11,000-member strong workforce that is responsible for its grand success in 2004.