The National Face of Health Care- BWH Bulletin - For and about the People of Brigham and Women's Hospital
The National Face of Health Care- BWH Bulletin - For and about the People of Brigham and Women's Hospital
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December 27, 2002
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In This Issue:
A Forecast for the Future of Health Care
A Discussion with Gary Gottlieb, MD, MBA, BWH President
Hospitals and Health Care Workers Not Immune to Current Incoming Challenges
New President Provides Long-Term Outlook for Partners
New Leader Sheds Light on MGH’s Upcoming Challenges, Opportunities
The National Face of Health Care
Modern Challenges of Medical Education
American Hospital Association President Dick Davidson, MD, provides Bulletin with a national snapshot of industry dynamics.
Your message on the AHA Web site states that “the future of health care, as in other fields, belongs to those who are wired.” In addition to advanced health information technology, what other qualities or factors will help propel medical centers forward in the upcoming years? What tools will you provide to help them succeed?
Davidson
: Until recently, the health care field has not taken full advantage of information technology but is now dedicated to doing so. Just this year, the AHA helped launch the National Alliance for Health Information Technology, a diverse partnership of health care providers, information technology vendors, and national health and technology associations. This group is committed to improving health care delivery and services through the use of information technology and will help to ensure that medical centers do have the tools they need to advance patient care in their communities.
BWH was the recipient of the AHA's Citation of Merit as part of the AHA's Quest for Quality recognition program. Obviously AHA identifies patient safety as a high priority. From a national perspective, are the challenges associated with patient safety going to becoming increasingly more or less complex as time goes on?
Davidson
: Patient safety has always been and will remain a top priority for America’s hospitals. We will continue to work to educate our staff to ensure the safest environment possible for our patients. Organizations such as Brigham and Women’s Hospital have been leaders in creating a culture of safety, serving as a model for other hospitals. But, be certain the challenges will be more complex … new technologies and new medications will require new learning to use properly and safely. And the aging baby boom generation will mean more older patients.
How much attention should hospitals focus on expanding and maintaining an appropriate workforce?
Davidson
: Just this year, AHA released a report “In Our Hands” that lays out recommendations to recruit new workers to health care and is working with hospitals across the country to implement these important recommendations. Ensuring that we have the workers we need to care for our communities is of great importance. And we’re going to have to be creative. Traditionally, we worked to recruit young people to choose health career education and enter the field. That will no longer work. We’ll need to attract people who want to change careers and give them opportunities for new learning. And on the frontlines of patient, we need to attract more men and minorities.