Letter from the BWPO Chairman
Dear Colleagues:
As we open the Carl J. and Ruth Shapiro Cardiovascular Center, the Brigham and Women’s Physicians Organization and hospital leadership are leading wide-ranging and far-reaching efforts to build our network.
We are bringing referring physicians to our main campus so they can see first-hand the rooms where their patients stay and meet in person some of the clinicians who will provide their care. The Shapiro Center, even while it was a construction site, shows very well with its spacious patient rooms, larger recovery area and the latest technology throughout. In April, we hosted a CME course on the main campus with tours of the Shapiro Center for nearly 40 referring physicians, a very good turnout especially considering it was a Saturday. We anticipate making this an annual event to highlight our cardiovascular service lines.
Our own physicians are traveling to community care facilities and regional hospitals, too. In the last year, PO physicians have participated in dozens of community grand rounds (See back page) focusing on renal disease, end-stage lung disease and primary care, to name a few. These events have been very well received by our host facilities, including South Shore Hospital, the Leonard Morse Hospital in Natick and St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford.
In addition, we are placing our own physicians in PCHI practices and regional hospitals throughout southeastern Massachusetts. Our hospitalists have advised Hawthorn Medical Associates in the Fall River area. We have an interventionalist working closely with staff at Cape Cod Hospital. We also have PO cardiologists practicing with Charles River Medical Associates and Compass, and we are finalizing an arrangement with the Plymouth Medical Group to provide coverage for their cardiologist.
At the heart of our efforts, we assure our growing referral network within PCHI, our traditional hospital partners and new affiliations that their patients will receive the excellent, quality care they expect from BWH in all our service lines. Just as importantly, we must continue to be responsive to and cooperative with our referring physicians, making it easy for them to send their patients here for care.