November/December - SSM Health Care

SSM Health CareNovember/December 2003S h a r i n g I d e a s t o A d v a n c e O u r C o m m o n M i s s i o n • w w w . s s m h c . c o m$SSMHC Advances to the Next Phaseof Clinical TransformationSteering committee and project office are establishedBy Christy K. ThompsonIt’s going to change the face of healthcare delivery and information technology.It’s going to affect everyadult, every child and every physician inthe country. And at SSM Health Care(SSMHC), it’s going to make healthcare safer, faster and more accurate thanever before.The Electronic Medical Record(EMR), a concept born in 1996, isexpected to cause nothing less than aclinical transformation.For nearly a decade, support has beengrowing in both the public and privatesectors encouraging health care providersto migrate from paper-based healthrecords to a system that stores healthinformation electronically and employscomputer-assisted decision supportsystems.SSM’s journey to create an EMRbegan nearly 10 years ago, and systemexecutives and members of the SSMInformation Center (IC) have beenworking to create a foundation for theelectronic health record ever since.Technological milestones, includingSSM’s Physician and Nursing Portals,palm pilot deployment and single signonand electronic signature capabilitiesfor physicians all have paved the way forthe design and implementation of theEMR. In June of this year, we entered anew phase of this initiative through creationof the Clinical TransformationExecutive Steering Committee.The executive steering committee isresponsible for designing a systemwideapproach to development of the EMR.The committee is comprised of membersof SSM’s Operations Council, with theaddition of Paul Convery, MD, executivevice president-chief medical officer, SSMHealth Care-St. Louis; and Lynn Lenker,vice president-patient care services atContinued on page 3“By buildingon theprocessesalready inplace we canachievetremendousresults.”–Bill Schoenhard$St. Mary’s Good SamaritanReceives Illinois Quality AwardSt. Mary’s Good Samaritan has beenselected by the Lincoln Foundationfor Performance Excellence toreceive the 2003 Gold Award forAchievement of Excellence — the foundation’shighest honor. St. Mary’s GoodSamaritan is the only organization inany industry to receive the Illinois statequality award for 2003.“This has been an outstanding yearof accomplishments for our organization,”said James Sanger, president/CEO of St. Mary’s Good Samaritan.“This award comes as a direct result ofthe high level of performance and commitmentour employees have for ourpatients.”St. Mary’s Good Samaritan isthe first organization to receive aGold Award from the LincolnFoundation in three years.The Lincoln Gold Award ispresented to organizationswhose performance andachievements distinguishthem as a role model forother Illinois organizations. It was establishedto help Illinois corporations andgroups prepare for changes occurring inthe world marketplace. The award ismodeled closely after the MalcolmBaldrige National Quality Award, and isconsidered to be among the strongeststate-level qualityaward programsin the country.St. Mary’s Good Samaritan hasreceived several awards from the LincolnFoundation in the past, including aSilver Award for Progress TowardsExcellence. The hospital also hasreceived an Exemplary Practice Awardfor its development and use of employeepassports that link theContinued on page 2Celebrating at St. Mary’sare (first row seated,l. to r.) Joe Smith,security; Vicki Schoen,RN, cath lab; RobbieHegwood, central services;(back row standing, l. to r.)Gary Zimmerman, security;Bonnie Maurer, RN, cathlab; and Jim Ford,RT, cath lab.

INSIDE VIEW2003 BaldrigeAwardRecipientsAnnouncedPresident George W.Bush and CommerceSecretary Donald L.Evans announcedseven organizationsas recipients of the2003 MalcolmBaldrige NationalQuality Award, thenation’s highesthonor for quality andperformance excellence.SSM HealthCare was the first andonly health carerecipient in 2002.They are Medrad,Inc., Indianola, PA(manufacturing);Boeing AerospaceSupport, St. Louis,MO (service);Caterpillar FinancialServices Corp.,Nashville, TN (service);Stoner Inc.,Quarryville, PA (smallbusiness); CommunityConsolidated SchoolDistrict 15, Palatine,IL (education);Baptist Hospital,Inc., Pensacola, FL(health care); andSaint Luke’s Hospitalof Kansas City, KansasCity, MO (healthcare).The 2003 BaldrigeAward recipients wereselected from among68 applicants. Therecipients are expectedto be presentedwith the BaldrigeAward at a ceremonyin Washington, DC, inearly 2004.Cover FacesIn the cover mastheadof each issue ofNetwork, we featurefaces of people mentionedin the issue.This issue featuresDave Barnett, PHR;Paul Atkins; andCassie Massie.2003 Has Been a Very Good YearBy Sr. Mary Jean Ryan, FSMPresident/CEOIt was just over a year ago that SSMHealth Care became the first healthcare organization in history toreceive the Malcolm Baldrige NationalQuality Award. At the time, I wasn’t certainwhat the Baldrige would mean forour organization.While I reveled in ouraccomplishment, I wasconcerned that we wouldlose momentum on ourquality journey, that wewould become complacent.I needn’t have worried.Being the exceptional peopleyou are, you have continuedto pursue excellencein your every effort. Becausequality improvement is ourculture, no one in ourorganization has any intentionof sitting back and relaxing.Because of all this, we’ve received evenmore accolades this year. I’ll mention justa few. SSM Health Care-St. Louis wasrecognized as a Best Place to Work by theIllinois Quality Awardorganization’s mission and strategies toindividual work processes and goals. The2003 Gold Award is the culmination ofnearly seven years of process improvementson every level of the organization.“We’ve developed a greater understandingof our organization’s strengths andSr. Mary Jean Ryan, FSMPresident/CEOAARP; St. Mary’s Good Samaritanreceived the Lincoln Gold Award forquality; SSM Health Care was honoredwith the Corporate Diversity Award ofthe Year by the St. Louis American newspaper;and our systemwide diversityachievements were praisedby Modern Healthcare magazine.Finally, toward the endof the year, we were visitedby a crew that is developing aPBS documentary abouthow to “heal” health care.Our Baldrige award, plusthese additional recognitions,tells me that SSM HealthCare has become a nationalrole model in health care.Health care organizations allacross the country now useour data to benchmark. And,in the past year, representatives from ahost of health care organizations and otherindustries have come to the CorporateOffice to learn more about our organization.Now, does this mean we’re perfect?Continued from coveropportunities by going through the applicationprocess,” Sanger commented. “Byfocusing on the criteria for the LincolnAward, we have set a pace for organizationalimprovement that has moved usfaster and further.”More than 30 employees attended the Performance Excellence 9th Annual Recognition Ceremony inNaperville, IL, to see St. Mary’s Good Samaritan honored. James Sanger, president/CEO, accepted theaward. He displays the award here with Leo Childers, Jr. (left), president of Good Samaritan RegionalHealth Center, and Bruce Merrell, president of St. Mary’s Hospital.Photo by Vicki Galli.Of course not. It means we’ve gained areputation for always striving to get better.I know that none of this would havebeen possible without you and the exceptionalwork you do. I am so proud that atSSM Health Care all of us take pride inconstantly improving everything we do.Last month, we learned that two morehealth care organizations have been honoredwith the Baldrige Award: BaptistHospital in Pensacola, FL, and SaintLuke’s Hospital in Kansas City. We wishthem well and hope that in future yearswe will see increasing numbers ofBaldrige recipients in health care.Because, the more organizations thatcommit to excellence, the greater the likelihoodof improving health care in thisnation. Certainly, I can pledge that we atSSM Health Care will continue to doeverything we can to deliver health carebreathtakingly better than it’s ever beendone before.So, I thank you with all my heart for allthat you do to bring our mission to life.And I wish you a blessed holiday season.SSM Health CareNetwork © is publishedbimonthly by SSMHealth Care foremployees, physiciansand friends.Corporate Office:477 N. Lindbergh Blvd.St. Louis, MO 63141Phone: (314) 994-7800Fax: (314) 994-7900Dixie L. PlattCorporate VicePresident –Communications,Planning and MarketingCarol BalesEditorAnnice WestDistribution & EditorialAssistantEmployee AdvisoryCouncilJoan Beglinger, RNSr. Francine Burkert,FSMSusan Edwards, MDDon EgglestonMary Pat ElsenJudy SpringLynn WidmerAudrey WattlerMedia InquiriesPermission is granted toquote any material inNetwork, if source iscited. Reporters seekingadditional informationshould contact DixiePlatt at (314) 994-7912.Contact names andphone numbers are providedin Network tofacilitate networkingand information sharingamong employeesand physicians ofSSM Health Careand its entities.SSM Health Care providesequal employmentopportunities, withoutregard to race, color,religion, sex, age,national origin, veteranstatus, or disability toall qualified applicantsand executives.Network is printed on recycled paper that is recyclable.A web printing press is used, making four-color economical.2SSM HEALTH CAREwww.ssmhc.com

Film Crew Visits SSM for PBS DocumentaryAfour-person crew from CC-M, Inc.,working on a Public BroadcastingSystem (PBS) documentary,“How to Heal a Hospital,” tentativelyscheduled to air nationwide in May, visitedSSM St. Joseph Health Center, SSMSt. Joseph Hospital West, SSM DePaulHealth Center, and the Corporate OfficeNovember 4-6.Robert Mason and Clare Crawford-Mason, who are producing the documentary,attended last year’s Quest for Excellenceconference and were impressed withSSM’s use of continuous quality improvement(CQI). Crawford-Mason believescontinuous quality improvement is whatis needed to “heal” health care. She hasalso read and admired CQI and the Renovationof an American Health Care System,authored by Sr. Mary Jean Ryan, FSM,President/CEO, and Bill Thompson, seniorvice president-strategic development,SSM Health Care.Crawford-Mason, one of the foundingeditors of People magazine, has producedpioneering documentaries for PBS aboutdomestic violence and acid rain. LloydDobyns, from “Weekend” magazine televisionshow, will narrate “How to Heal aHospital.”Mission StatementThrough our exceptional health care services,we reveal the healing presence of God.Core ValuesIn accordance with the philosophy of theFranciscan Sisters of Mary, we value thesacredness and dignity of each person.Therefore, we find these five valuesconsistent with both our heritage andministerial priorities.• Compassion• Respect• Excellence• Stewardship• CommunityDeveloped by SSMHC employees systemwide during 1999.SSM Health CareExceptional Health Care ServicesExceptional Clinical OutcomesExceptional Patient, Employee andPhysician Satisfaction$ Exceptional Financial PerformanceLook for symbols on Network stories to link actionswith our focus areas.SSM Health Care is sponsored by the FranciscanSisters of Mary.Look for SSM Network Online atwww.ssmhc.com and the SSMHC intranet.The DePaul segment focused on congestiveheart failure and SSM’s work toimprove quality by eliminating dangerousabbreviations. St. Joseph was chosen forits 30-30 Excellence in Response program.In addition, Filippo Ferrigni, MD,Critical Care Medicine, was interviewedon-camera for his innovative work inmonitoring patients’ glucose levels whilebeing treated in the ICU.The crew spent November 4 at theCorporate Office interviewing Sr. MaryJean Ryan and Andy Kosseff, MD,Clinical TransformationContinued from coverGood Samaritan Regional Health Center inMt. Vernon, IL. Bill Schoenhard, executivevice president/COO of SSM Health Care,serves as the committee chair, and JonKimerle has been appointed Clinical Transformationproject manager.“Creating the Clinical TransformationExecutive Steering Committee was thenext step in EMR development,” Kimerlecomments. In November, members of theClinical Transformation Executive SteeringCommittee met for the first time todiscuss strategic goals for the clinical informationsystems that ultimately willbecome the EMR. The committee alsowill direct the efforts of the Clinical TransformationProject Office, a newly establishedoffice within the SSM InformationCenter.The development of the EMR has enormouspotential to improve patient safetyand is an essential part of SSM’s mission todeliver exceptional health care services. Theproject will receive a tremendous boostfrom the input of leadership, physicians,nursing staff, and other clinicians across thesystem. “SSM has chosen to combine clinicaland executive input in this project,”SSMHC’s medical director of system clinicalimprovement, to get a general pictureof SSM’s overall improvement efforts.During their day at St. Joseph HealthCenter and St. Joseph Hospital West,Crawford-Mason, said SSM’s CQI modelwas a “revolution in American business.”She added, “what’s extraordinary aboutSSM is that they have recognized theimplications of this ‘quality or else’ idea.”She joked that if she ever needed emergencycare she’d “jump on a plane andcome to St. Joseph.”Kevin F. Kast, president of SSM St. Joseph Health Center in St. Charles, St. Joseph Hospital West in LakeSaint Louis, and St. Joseph Medical Park in St. Peters, is interviewed by television producer ClareCrawford-Mason for a PBS documentary, “How to Heal a Hospital.”Convery says. “There is a real commitmentto the EMR on all levels of our organization.Now that the foundation has beenlaid, the steering team is ready to move forwardto achieve its goal.”Schoenhard, too, emphasizes theimpact that this project will have on thenature of health care delivery. “The creationof the Clinical Transformation Projectis more than the installation of a newinformation technology. It is the beginningof our effort to take advantage ofEMR technologies to redesign the deliveryof our health care services,” he explains.“By building on the processes already inplace we can achieve tremendous resultswith the addition of the electronicrecord.” Schoenhard also is quick to pointout the important role that Kimerle, TomLangston, SSM Information Center president/CIO,and IC administrators are takingin guiding this project.“The Clinical Transformation processis a tremendously important one, not onlyfor SSM, but for health care delivery,”Schoenhard concludes. “We are pleased tobe moving forward toward making thisgoal a reality.”For the FourthYear, St. Francis-Blue Island IsNamed toSolucient’s “Top100” ListSt. Francis Hospital &Health Center, BlueIsland, IL, has beenranked among the 100best cardiovascularhospitals in thenation, according toan annual study byEvanston-basedSolucient.The Solucient 100Top Hospitals: CardiovascularBenchmarksfor Success Study, publishedannually, identifieshigh performingcardiovascular hospitalsand recognizesthose that haveachieved excellence incare, efficiency ofoperations and superiorresults. To qualifyfor the distinction,hospitals must rankwell across seven performanceareas thatindicate high-qualityoutcomes and efficientmanagement of care.“We’re extremelypleased to be namedas a ‘Solucient 100 TopCardiovascularHospital’ for the fourthtime,” said Colleen L.Kannaday, president ofSt. Francis Hospital &Health Center. “Thereport demonstrates aconsistently high levelof performance by ourphysicians andemployees in thedelivery of quality cardiovascularservices.”St. Francis hasfocused on cardiaccare for severaldecades. Currently,approximately 500open-heart surgeriesand more than 3,000cardiac catheterizationsare performedthere annually.CorrectionIn a photo on page 3of the September-October 2003 issue ofSSM Network, NirajPrasad, MD, SSMHC ofOklahoma, was incorrectlyidentified asIftikhar Ahmad, MD.We regret the mistake.November/December 2003 NETWORK • A bimonthly publication for employees, physicians and friends3

TECHNOLOGY$Patients Can Make Appointments,Pre-Register Online“Now, you can requestan appointment inyour bathrobe in themiddle of the night.”–Tom DraneySSM St. Joseph Medical Park pilots new online process for SSMHC-St. LouisCassie Massie, asystems analyst forthe St. CharlesClinic MedicalGroup, is shownchecking out theonline registrationprogram.Patients of the SSM St. Charles ClinicMedical Group, located at SSMSt. Joseph Medical Park in St. Peters,MO, can request physician appointmentsand pre-register for their appointmentsanytime, day or night, online atwww.ssmstjoseph.com/medicalpark.These capabilities began November 3at St. Joseph Medical Park. However, byspring 2004, all SSM facilities in the St.Louis area are scheduled to offer thesame online services.“Now, 24-hours a day, sevendays a week, our patients canset up an account, review theirappointment history, updatetheir registration information,and request a physicianappointment for themselves ora member of their family,” saysRichard Vaughn, MD, of the St.Charles Clinic Medical Group,who practices internal medicineout of St. Joseph Medical Park.“This is just one more way weare working to ensure that St.Joseph Medical Park provides themost advanced medical technology availablein St. Charles County,” says BrentVanConia, vice president of ambulatoryservices for SSM St. Joseph Health Centerand administrator of SSM St. JosephMedical ParkSt. Joseph Medical Park’s online servicesare unique compared to other healthcare services in the region,says SSM Health Care WebDesigner Tom Draney,who created St. JosephMedical Park’s secureweb site. “Other health care web sitesdon’t allow patients to select specific datesand times to request appointments. Thisis a lot more convenient. You no longerhave to wait for the scheduling office to beopen. Now, you canrequest an appointmentin yourbathrobe in themiddle of thenight by goingonline.”--Carrie A. TrentGeorge Bradbury,MD, an orthopedicsurgeon at DePaul.$SSM Physician Portal: Changing the WayPhysicians Access InformationBy Christy K. ThompsonIt sounds like something out of “TheJetsons”: An information system thatprovides physicians with completeaccess to patient information, clinicalresults, transcriptions, insurance data, andinformational web sites whenever andwherever they need it.But, it’s real and rapidly gaining usageamong physicians. “I find myself usingthe Portal more and more often,” saysRichard Vaughn, MD, an interniston staff at SSM St. Joseph HealthCenter in St. Charles, MO. “I’ve putcomputer terminals in each of mytreatment rooms, and if I need tocheck on patients’ tests or evenrefresh my memory ofpatient records quickly,I can just popinto the Portal. Mypatients appreciateit because it’sobvious that Ihave more informationaboutthem, and they know that important factsare not being lost.”The Portal was introduced by the SSMMedical Informatics Committee, a systemwideteam of physicians working withthe SSM Information Center (IC), inDecember 2001. Since then, nearly 2,000physicians and other caregivers havetaken advantage of its benefits.This year, the number of loginshas tripled from approximately9,000 per month in January2003 to over 30,000 permonth in September.“The Portal is accessed securelythrough the internet orthrough SSM’s intranetconnection, and it putsa wealth of clinicaltools literally at physicians’fingertips,” saysDave Rootz, directorof health informationsystems at theIC. The system candisplay patient census, access current clinicalresults, and even tap into hospitalorder sets and CARE PATHWAYS ® . It providesphysicians with patient informationfrom any SSMHC facility with Portalaccess at their home, office or whereverinternet access is available.A resource section of the Portal putsdoctors in touch with pharmacology andhealth and wellness materials. Informationavailable through Micromedex providesextensive directories listing druginteractions, toxicology, and side effects.George Bradbury, MD, an orthopedicsurgeon at SSM DePaul Health Center inBridgeton, MO, adds, “The ability toaccess lab values and other reports remotelyis a big plus for me.” Bradbury frequentlyuses the Portal to access the MDConsult web site. “It reduces the time Ineed to spend in the library.”Since its rollout, Portal use has growntremendously, and there is a goal to doubleits usage by year-end. This increase isdue, in part, to a strategy to continuallyContinued on page 84SSM HEALTH CAREwww.ssmhc.com

$Online Learning Couldn’t Be EasierBy Carol BalesSay it’s midnight, and you need to learn about the dangers of radiation. No problem. The SSM LearningCenter is always open on the intranet. More and more SSM Health Care employees are using computersto take patient care and safety courses, both required and optional. Through December 3 of thisyear, 1,780 SSMHC employees had mastered more than 13,658 of these courses online.Susan Dresser, RN,CNS, critical care,takes a customerservice course duringthe nursingdepartment orientationat St.Anthony Hospital,Oklahoma City.Why are employees so enthusiasticabout online education? Userssay ease of access and time are thekey factors. The courses take approximately15 minutes to complete, and theuser can take a course at any time of theday wherever a computer is available.“The online pain management moduleswere extremely helpful during preparationfor the JCAHO visit,” says KathyDroste, education manager at SSMDePaul Health Center, Bridgeton, MO,“The staff liked the ease, flexibility, andlength of the online courses.”Since June, the SSM Learning Centerhas offered 81 courses on a wide range ofpatient care/safety topics. Thirteen othercourses are currently being reviewed andare expected to be added by April 2004,according to Margie Schulte, manager ofeducation at the SSM Information Center.Topics range from safety to patientrights, infection control to confidentiality,and diversity to medical terminology.Entity experts provided the content for 10of the courses, the others were purchased.Several individual entities, includingSt. Francis Hospital & Health Center inBlue Island, IL; St. Marys Health Centerin Jefferson City, MO; St. Anthony Hospitalin Oklahoma City; and SSM RehabIf You Want to Go ThereThe SSM Learning Center can be accessedthrough an entity’s intranet site or the NursingPortal. From the Portal or an entity’s homepage, click Learning Center. Click ONLINELEARNING. Type your Unique ID and the firstthree characters of your last name. Select theappropriate category and course. Take thecourse and test. When you’ve finished, creditfor the course will be recorded on your onlinetranscript. Time spent: About 15 minutes.in St. Louis, were among the first to usecourses online.The number of systemwide coursesrelated to direct patient care/safetyexpanded dramatically this year as a resultof the work of the systemwide NursingRecruitment Retention Education ImplementationTeam, which was prompted bythe Nursing Recruitment Retention EducationTeam. The implementation team,consisting of clinical educators, organizationaldevelopment specialists, and representativesfrom human resources and theSSM Information Center, conducted anassessment at the system’s hospitals todetermine educational needs.“The hospital surveys showed twomajor areas of concern—mandatory trainingrequirements and staff developmenttraining,” says Lynn Widmer, corporatevice president-human resources development,SSM Health Care. “We thought wecould help every employee in the system ifwe could find a way to make it easier andquicker for people to complete theirrequired courses. We wanted to reducehours for mandatory training to allow forenhanced staff and management development.And, that’s why we went down theroad of online intranet education.”St. Anthony volunteered to be the firstpilot for the clinical courses. In August,Margie Schulte assisted with the rollout ofnursing education at St. Anthony. Duringthat time, more than 150 employeesstopped by the training room. “Onceword got out, people were really excited,”Schulte recalls. “We got so busy we had tohave three people in the room just to handlethe traffic.” During two weeks inAugust, St. Anthony employees took atotal of 700 online courses.Lyla Miller, clinical education coordinatorat St. Anthony, developed the criteriafor a personal development plan for St.Anthony. Each St. Anthony employee cango to the SSM Learning Center and clickon My Personal Plan, where they will seethe courses they are required to take. Oncean employee has completed a course, creditis immediately noted in the plan.“We were pleased to be able to arrangewith the software vendor for every SSMemployee across the system to have accessto the clinical courses,” says BrianChristopher, vice president-operations,SSM Information Center. “And, we interfacedthe software with our existingLearning Management System, whichautomatically records course completionson individual transcripts and tracks traininghours systemwide.”“We expect to see more effective use oftraining hours as online training expands,”Widmer says. “The reason is that onlinetraining is quicker. This will translate intodollars saved. But, the computer offersonly another tool in the educator’s toolbox. It’s not the fix for everyone.” Still, formany, it’s awfully convenient.HaveComputerCourses,Will TravelMargie Schulte hasassisted St. Anthony,St. Mary’s GoodSamaritan inSouthern Illinois andSt. Clare Hospital &Health Services inBaraboo, WI, inrolling out onlinecourses. The rolloutplan calls for Schulteto deploy onlinelearning at everyentity in the systemduring 2004. Formore informationabout online educationtraining, SSMemployees may contactSchulte at314-644-7329.Categories ofOnline PatientCare/SafetyCoursesAge SpecificCompetencyCustomer ServiceDiversityEnvironment of CareHospitalwide Policy,Procedure, ProtocolInfection ControlSkill, Knowledge,ProcedureEKGDiane Terry, director of education services, shows Roger Allen, maintenance operations, and BrianWolfe, senior mechanic, plants operations, how to navigate online during a training session atSt. Mary’s Good Samaritan.November/December 2003 NETWORK • A bimonthly publication for employees, physicians and friends5

THE NEWSMelinda Clark,president of DePaulHealth Center,points out anartifact in the175th anniversarycollage.SSM DePaul Celebrates Place in HistoryWith 175th AnniversaryBy Harvey WildtSSM DePaul Health Center, Bridgeton,MO, connected the spans of threecenturies during its year-long 175thanniversary celebration. The activities culminatedNovember 14 with the unveilingof a commemorative collage designedespecially for DePaul. The DePaul Foundation’ssuccessful anniversary campaignto raise $175,000 for a newly refurbishedpatient registration area was alsoannounced that evening.The 175th anniversary collage, containingmemorabilia, artifacts and newsarticles through the years, is now displayedpermanently in DePaul’s mainSSM DePaul HealthCenter was the firsthospital establishedwest of theMississippi River.lobby. The unique piece was created bynationally renowned artist LawrenceRomorini of One of A Kind Art Studio inMaryland.Over the past year, SSM DePaul stafflearned much about the health center’snoteworthy place in United States healthcare history. In September, St. LouisArchbishop Justin Rigali was the celebrantat an anniversary Mass at the healthcenter, which brought together medicalstaff, employees, auxilians,volunteers, and thecommunity.“Joining DePaul duringthis special anniversaryyear has been aremarkable experience,”said Melinda Clark, SSMDePaul president, whocame to DePaul fromSSM Rehab in February.“It has been wonderful tosee first-hand the dedicationof our staff and community,and to understandthe significant legacywe enjoy.”Clark shares a portionA photo from the 1950s shows several DePaul nurses with a lineup ofnewborns.of that history now. She is the first womanlay president of the hospital. To betterunderstand DePaul’s history, Clark eventoured the hospital’s previous location onKingshighway, which was used from 1930to 1977.SSM DePaul was the first hospitalestablished west of the Mississippi River.DePaul began as a three-room log cabinlocated in what is now downtown St.Louis. Four Sisters of Charity (now calledthe Daughters of Charity) overcame manyobstacles while traveling from Marylandto start a hospital in St. Louis at therequest of Bishop Joseph Rosati.St. Louis Hospital, which DePaul wascalled at the time, grew with the city,expanding and moving as the city’s populationexpanded westward. With the completionof its 1930 building, the hospital’sname was changed in honor of St. Vincentde Paul. DePaul became part of SSMHealth Care in 1995.DePaul has had many “firsts”throughout its history: It was the firstmaternity hospital in the United States(1859) and was among the first hospitalsto offer mental health treatment forpatients (St. Vincent’s–1858). DePaulwas the first hospital to recognize afemale doctor in hospital work (Dr.Nancy Lovell–1861) and was the first toopen a private nursing school in St. Louis(1894). The first quadruplets in St. Louisalso were born at DePaul (1967), attractingnational attention.Today, SSM DePaul continues its missionof providing exceptional health careto the St. Louis community and beyond.With 450 licensed beds, DePaul has beenat its current location in northwest St.Louis County since 1977. The hospitalsits at one of Missouri’s busiest intersections– I-70 and I-270, and also servesnearby Lambert International Airport.The health center has seen unprecedentedgrowth over the last five years, and worksclosely with community organizations toprovide health care outreach in the community.When its trauma services werethreatened this year due to inadequatefunding, DePaul worked with local andstate legislators to secure interim statefunding for trauma centers throughoutthe state.Much has changed in health care overthe last 175 years, but DePaul’s dedicatedmission of healing has continued. With itsdistinctive heritage, DePaul serves as a vitallink to the past –preserving its Catholichealth care traditions, with the promise ofmore historic events still to come.6 SSM HEALTH CARE www.ssmhc.com

$Oklahoma plans to turn around its poor health statusSt. Anthony Hospital Sponsors Turning PointCentral Oklahoma Turning Point, anew community initiative, has beenlaunched by a group of communityleaders to examine the broad health problemsin central Oklahoma, prioritizethem, and create an action plan. St.Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City is asponsor of Turning Point, contributingfinancial support as well as extensive timefrom hospital personnel.The process is designed to allow citizensto decide what health issues are themost critical and develop the strategies toimprove the health status of centralOklahoma.In Oklahoma➤ 27% of mothers of all newborns have notcompleted high school➤ Oklahoma’s suicide rate is 12% greater thanthe national average➤ 36% of Oklahomans are overweight or obese➤ Oklahoma is one of only three places in theworld that experienced a decrease in lifeexpectancy during the 1990’s, behind sub-Saharan South Africa and the former SovietUnionThe effort is a joint collaboration byUnited Way of Central Oklahoma, theCity-County Health Department, areahospitals, the Greater Oklahoma CityChamber of Commerce, faith organizations,schools, businesses, and city andstate elected officials.Pam Troup, executive director of St.Anthony North in Oklahoma City, is thevolunteer co-chair of the initiative. Trouphas completed The Creating HealthierCommunities Fellowship, a year-longleadership program through HealthForum of the American Hospital Association.The Fellowship develops and bringstogether leaders who can advance a newvision for community health.“Oklahoma is among the bottom fivestates in the United Health FoundationState Health Rankings,” says Troup. “Weshould be number one, and citizens ofcentral Oklahoma agree and are ready todo something about it.”“No one would argue that Oklahomais doing a bad job when it comes to healthstatus,” says Troup. “In the past, healthimprovement initiatives in Oklahomahave not seen great success because they’veRon Stahl, who was diagnosed at St. Anthonywith Type II adult-onset diabetes in 2000, usesan elliptical machine at a local YMCA. Becausemore Oklahomans aren’t following his example,citizens have launched a community initiative,Central Oklahoma Turning Point, to address broadhealth concerns and make a plan for changes.focused on a single disease or issue andwere driven by a single organization oragency. True reform will only be possiblethrough an extensive collaboration thatlooks at all the issues and involves publicand private sectors.”–Debbie AnglinFirst Sr. Mary Jean Ryan Scholarship RecipientLooks Forward to a Career in Health CarePaul Atkins has been named the firstrecipient of a scholarship named forSr. Mary Jean Ryan, FSM, President/CEOof SSM Health Care, andoffered by Saint Louis University Schoolof Public Health.A native of Tyler, TX, Atkins earned aBachelor of Science degree in biologyfrom Xavier University in New Orleans.He currently is pursuing a Master’s degreein health administration from the SaintLouis University School of Public Health.“Health care and health administrationare such interesting fields, and I’m lookingforward to exploring a career in this area,”says Atkins. “Winning the Sr. Mary JeanRyan Scholarship has made a huge differencefor me. It literally was the decidingfactor that led me to enroll at Saint LouisUniversity.”The Sr. Mary Jean Ryan Scholarshipwas created earlier this year to assist exceptionalfirst-year students of the SaintLouis University School of Public Health.Candidates were asked to submit an essaydiscussing their accomplishments, serviceto others and vision for their future. Thescholarship is jointly funded by SSMHealth Care, the School of Public Healthand through gifts from individual donors.The award is used to assist with the winner’stuition costs.Atkins has a strong academic backgroundand has participated in numerouscommunity service programs, includingthe Big Brothers Big Sisters program andthe United Negro College Fund Run.He has been named an Ebony magazine“Leader of Tomorrow” andreceived a Martin Luther King,Jr. Leadership Award in 2001.“I was accepted into SaintLouis University only onemonth before this scholarshipwas created,”Atkins marveled. “AndI was chosen only aweek after I completedmy application. It’struly amazing how Godworks, and I’m so gratefulfor this opportunity.”--Christy K. ThompsonSt. JosephHospital Westand CardinalGlennon JoinForces forChildrenSSM St. JosephHospital West in LakeSaint Louis, MO, ispreparing to expandits pediatric servicesthrough a new partnershipagreementwith SSM CardinalGlennon Children’sHospital, St. Louis.Beginning in January2004, St. Joseph willoffer pediatric cardiology,psychology, gastroenterology,neurology,and allergyimmunology services.“We are excitedabout the opportunityto further enhancethe quality of pediatriccare alreadyavailable at our LakeSaint Louis facility,”said Kevin F. Kast,president of SSM St.Joseph Health Center,St. Joseph HospitalWest and SSM St.Joseph Medical Park.The new subspecialtychild healthservices will be availablein a three-story,40,000-square-footmedical office buildingthat currently isunder construction.“These added specialtiestypically are onlyfound in a pediatrichospital,” Kastexplained.November/December 2003 NETWORK • A bimonthly publication for employees, physicians and friends 7

THE NEWS$7th Showcase for Sharing:The Journey ContinuesAs many of us do, the Showcase forSharing –now in its 7th year –getsbetter with age. The theme of thisyear’s Showcase, held on November 11 inSt. Louis, was “Life After Baldrige: TheJourney Continues.”This year’s 25 Showcase sessions featuredimprovements ranging from clinicalto operational to technological, with anoverall focus on patient health and safety.At the end of the program, a slidesummed up the conference. It said:“Thank you for sharing, stealing, and continuingthe SSM journey.”–Suzy FarrenRuss Schroeder, RN, and Lisa Boyle, RN, from SSMDePaul Health Center, Bridgeton, MO, discuss the“Hall Pass,” a one-page form on which the conditionsof patients undergoing testing are constantlyupdated. The newly implemented “Hall Pass” providesinformation at-a-glance about patientsundergoing testing in ancillary departments. Thisimproved communication results in increasedpatient safety, the presenters said.A team from St. Francis Hospital & Health Center,Blue Island, IL (l. to r.), Doreen Norris-Stojak, RN,MS; Dave Barnett, PHR; and Evelyn Rowe, RN, presentedthe St. Francis’ Diversity Awareness Program,which goes “beyond race and gender.” DanBarnett, recruitment manager, says, “Don’t go bythe ‘golden’ rule ‘treat others the way you want tobe treated,’ go by the ‘platinum’ rule ‘treat othersthe way they want to be treated.’”Rick Vaughn, MD,an internist onstaff at St. JosephHealth Center,St. Charles, MO.SSM Physician PortalContinued from page 4bring enhancements to Portal customers.In 2002, a pilot program was introducedthat allowed physicians to electronicallysign transcribed documents from withinthe Portal. By October of this year, 194physicians were electronically signing nearly9,000 documents each month.In February 2003, the remote access featurewas added to allow physicians to enterthe system securely from the internet. Asingle sign-on and password feature alsosimplified Portal use for physicians. Inupcoming months, the system will beadapted to allow users to open multiplewindows and to input progress notes asthey are being written.“The Portal truly is a physician-drivenproject,” Paul Convery, MD, executive vicepresident-chief medical officer, SSMHealth Care-St. Louis, points out. “Mostof the enhancements and improvementsbeing made to the Portal have been suggestedby physicians participating on theMedical Informatics Committee.”“I begin my day by going into the Portalto look up lab results for my patientsand review my patient list,” says Brad Marion,MD, a pulmonary specialist at St.Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City.“Having my patient information in onecentral location helps me spot problemissues as soon as they arise.”Physician connectivity coordinators atvirtually every SSM entity with Portalaccess assist in education, training and supportfor caregivers navigating the Portal.The IC, together with SSMHC-St. LouisMedia Services, also has produced a PhysicianConnectivity Education tool availablein CD format, which allows physicians toreview tutorials on all the areas of the Portalor focus only on one aspect of the system.“Learning to utilize the Portal is a lowhurdleprocess,” Vaughn comments.“Once they try it, I’m sure that most physicianswill really enjoy using it.”Currently, Palm Pilot access to clinicalresults is being introduced at manySSMHC entities, and physicians equippedwith personal digital assistants (PDAs)have immediate access to patient informationin their hands. Once the system is inplace, the PDAs will provide a moremobile “key” to information in the Portal.The Physician Portal and other technologicaltools are part of SSM’s efforts to laythe foundation for larger initiatives thatwill be introduced in the future, includingthe Electronic Medical Record.Filling a NeedContinued from back coverpre-Thanksgiving food drive and a schoolsupply campaign for area students.The school supply drive involvedrounding up backpacks, notebooks, pencils,markers, and crayons and deliveringthem to schools so teachers could discreetlypass them on to students whose familiescan’t afford those materials.In addition to her work with the MissionAwareness Team, Luethy is a long-timemember of the boards of directors for twocommunity groups, Renewal Unlimited,Inc., and the Interfaith Volunteer Network.Renewal Unlimited oversees Head Start,youth job training and family resource centerservices in five counties. The volunteernetwork recruits and coordinates the workof area residents who drive senior citizensto doctors’ appointments, provide respitecare and even pitch in during canning season,Luethy explains.“It’s all about neighbors helping neighbors,”she notes.Even with her work with GoldenCareand community volunteering, Luethy saysher top job is as a mother of three andgrandmother of six. “That’s got to be thepriority,” she says proudly.8 SSM HEALTH CARE www.ssmhc.com

“The learning sessions are awonderful way to boost ourown dedication and enthusiasmabout patient safety.”–Holly Anderton$$Patient Safety Teams Celebrate Successesat Fourth AES Learning SessionBy Christy K. ThompsonMembers of patient safety teams participatingin the Achieving ExceptionalSafety (AES) Clinical Collaborativemet in St. Louis on November12 to celebrate their successes and renewtheir efforts to improve patient safety.Sr. Mary Jean Ryan, FSM, President/CEO,SSM Health Care, providedan enthusiastic kick-off for the learningsession. “There are lots of health care systemstalking about improving safety,” shesaid. “But, we’re actually doing somethingabout it. No other health care system thatI’m aware of has made such remarkableprogress in eliminating dangerous abbreviationsor in stimulating near-missreporting.”The success of these efforts and positiveimpact on quality of care has attractednational attention for SSMHC from theJCAHO and the Malcolm BaldrigeNational Quality Award (MBNQA) examiners,who cited the system’s Clinical Collaborativesas a best practice, making specificmention of patient safety improvementefforts.In the nearly two years since the AESClinical Collaborative project waslaunched, participating entities havereduced their use of key dangerous abbreviationsby 40 percent. In addition, theyhave achieved a 98 percent surgical sitemarking compliance rate. New data showthat the use of blanket orders has beenreduced by an impressive 50 percent—down from 39 percent in the fall of 2002to the current 18 percent. Each participatingSSM entity has created a patient safetycouncil and now produces a safety reportthat is shared with employees.During this latest learning session, threenew patient safety practices were introducedfor the next phase of the AES ClinicalCollaborative. Over the next sixmonths, the entities will work on increasinghand-washing practices among staff;reducing the number of patient falls; andimplementing or maintaining 24-hourpharmacy service. Each of the patient safetyteams will work on these goals in additionto the other safety practices in place.The goal of the AES Collaborative is foreach SSMHC entity team to adopt andimplement 15+ established safety practiceswithin three years.Speakers at the fourth learning sessionincluded Carolyn Clancy, MD, director ofthe Agency for Healthcare Research andQuality. Clancy shared the latest statisticswith participants on the widespread effectsDiversity Mentoree Goes On TourOne participant in SSM Health Care’sDiversity Mentoring Program gatheredsome unique experiences this fall.Mentor Astrida Balcuns, vice presidentoperations,SSM Home Care, St. Louis,arranged to bring her mentoree, BobbieFields, charge nurse at Bone & Joint Hospital,Oklahoma City, to St. Louis.In St. Louis, Fields toured a number ofentities within the SSMHC system,including the SSM Corporate Office, SSMHome Care, and SSM Information Center,where she had a chance to gain insightinto their operations.The SSM mentoring program was formallyestablished in October 2000. Sinceits inception, this program has had 4 classesand 112 pair participants. This is one ofseveral successful diversity initiativesSSMHC has established to increase thenumber of people of color and differentethnicities, as well as persons with disabilities,in professional and managerial ranks.“ This program continues to be a successbecause of the commitment from seniorexecutives, the appointments of mentoreesfrom the entities, and the enthusiasm thatof preventable errors and presented informationabout patient safety issues facinghealth care nationwide.Roger Resar, MD, a senior fellow withInstitute for Health Care Improvement(IHI) and a member of the Mayo HealthSystem, addressed the need for all healthcare systems to consider the reliability ofsafety practices. He also emphasized thevital importance of reconciling patientmedications before, during, and after hospitalizationsto avoid patient usage errors.“The learning sessions are a wonderfulway to boost our own dedication andenthusiasm about patient safety,” says HollyAnderton, patient safety coordinator at St.Mary’s Good Samaritan in southern Illinois.“And they’re an amazing source ofideas and information for us. By bringingmembers of the patient safety teams together,we’re able to hear what’s working for othersand how we can build on that success.”“SSM’s progress on improving safety isoverwhelming,” says Andy Kosseff, MD,FACP, medical director of system clinicalimprovement. As an AES coach, he is particularlyimpressed by the dedication tosafety shown by employees at every level ofthe organization.the mentorees bring into the program,”says Yvonne Tisdel, SSMHC’s corporatevice president – human resources and systemdiversity. “The mentorees are hungryfor knowledge and feel honored to havesuch an opportunity.”Bobbie Fields and Astrida Balcuns pose for a photo during Fields’ tour of St. Louis entities.November/December 2003 NETWORK • A bimonthly publication for employees, physicians and friendsSSMHC’s SeventhClinicalCollaborativeStarts UpSSM Health Care hasbegun its seventhClinical Collaborative:Improving the Care ofPatients withCommunity AcquiredPneumonia (CAP). Theentity teams beganwork in November.The teams arecomposed of physicians,caregivers,administrators, andstaff at participatingSSMHC entities.Joan Boomsma,MD, vice presidentmedicalaffairs, St.Francis Hospital &Health Center in BlueIsland, IL, will serve asdirector. Andy Kosseff,MD, medical director ofclinical systemimprovement, andShelley Niemeier,Quality Resource Centerconsultant, will facilitatethe collaborative.The CAPCollaborative is jointlysponsored by SSMHC’sSystem Managementand the QualityResource Center. Thegoal of the collaborativeis for each participatingentity toimprove six indicatorsrelated to the evaluationand treatment ofCAP patients.In addition to itsties to SSM’s strategicgoals, the CAP indicatorswill form animportant part of allpublic data reportingand will help SSMHCentities to prepare forthis reporting requirementin the future.9

WisconsinQuality CollaborativeSt. Marys Hospital Medical Center and theDean Health System have joined a volunteerconsortium of quality improvementorganizations that are learning and workingtogether to improve the quality ofhealth care in Wisconsin. Members of theWisconsin Quality Collaborative are developinga set of common measures ofhealth care quality outcomes and willpublicly report performances againstthese measures. The first “Performancesand Progress Report” includes 42 differentmeasures of health care quality outcomesin five or six areas that the Instituteof Medicine has identified as mostimportant for quality improvement: safety,effectiveness, patient-centeredness,timeliness, and efficiency.St. Marys Partners With Red CrossMary Schwoegler, director-laboratory, St.Marys, accepts the American Red CrossSaving Lives Award from Lon Butikofer, RN,PhD, Board chair of the Badger-HawkeyeRegion of the American Red Cross. Thehonor recognized St. Marys’ efforts to helpbring its affiliated hospitals under onecontract with the American Red Cross tobetter manage their inventories of donatedblood products.OklahomaHeart Walk Raises Record AmountDean/St. Marys & Affiliates was the major sponsor of south central Wisconsin’s American HeartWalk in November, with nearly 1,000 walkers on its team. The event raised more than$200,000, with the Dean/St. Marys & Affiliates team responsible for nearly $48,000 in walkerpledges—nearly $20,000 more than the hospital’s goal. The money will go toward educationand research to fight heart disease and stroke.Employees Open their HeartsSt. Marys recently completed its EmployeeCaring Campaign, which helps support thecommunity, St. Marys and the sponsoringcongregation of SSM Health Care. The“Works of Heart” effort raised $124,762—exceeding its goal by nearly $10,000.Programs and organizations that will benefitfrom the campaign are the United Way,the St. Marys Employee Fund & the St. MarysPatient and Family Emergency Fund, and theFranciscan Sisters of Mary. Nearly 550employees contributed to the campaign.PEOPLEContinued from page 10OklahomaAppointmentsKaren Smit, clinical quality administrator, St.Anthony Hospital, was named to a three-yearterm as a member of the executive board of theMeinders School of Business at Oklahoma CityUniversity. Farooq Maqbool, MD, has joined themedical staff of St. Anthony Hospital. Maqboolcompleted his residency in internal medicine atthe University of Oklahoma College of Medicine.Sherry Rice Rhodes has been named president ofthe St. Anthony Hospital Foundation.Honors and AuthorsSt. Anthony Hospital radiation oncologist AstridMorrison, MD, was included in the 2003-2004 listof “Best Doctors in America.” The list representsthe top five percent of doctors in over 400 subspecialtiesof medicine. The physicians includedwere chosen through an extensive peer-reviewsurvey.WisconsinHonors and AuthorsSt. Marys Hospital Medical Center, Madison,President Jerry Lefert was honored with theRegent’s Distinguished Service Award from theAmerican College of Healthcare Executives(ACHE). The award was presented at the WisconsinHospital Association Annual Convention.The staff of the public relations and marketingdepartment at St. Marys Hospital MedicalCenter, Madison, received the 2003 WisconsinHealthcare Public Relations and MarketingSociety’s (WHPRMS) “Best in Show” award for itssenior memory loss campaign at the society’sannual meeting.The Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.,Wisconsin Chapter, has recognized St. Marys CareCenter as a 2003 Project of Distinction.CyberKnife Technology Is Onthe Cutting EdgeSt. Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City isproud to be the first hospital in the stateto provide CyberKnife System radiationtreatments for its patients. Using animage guidance system similar to thatfound in high-tech image-guided missiles,the $4-million CyberKnife System can beused to treat the smallest and most complextumors. CyberKnife Radiosurgery is apainless, non-invasive radiation treatmentthat gives new hope to patients, especiallythose diagnosed with tumors that areinoperable and otherwise untreatable.Using a combination of robotics andradiation beam technology, the CyberKnifeis able to access previously unreachabletumors and reduce damage to surroundingcritical structures. Due to its pinpointaccuracy, it can be used for brain andspinal tumors as well as those in otherareas of the body. Since CyberKnifeRadiosurgery involves no scalpels, incisions,or conventional head frames affixedto the skull, patients can drive themselveshome immediately following the surgery.St. Anthony Hospital President SteveHunter is pleased that the facility is thefirst in Oklahoma to offer this image-guidedsurgical system. “The CyberKnife isunlike any technology available in thestate or region, and we’re proud to offerthis state-of-the-art treatment topatients. This is one way we are signifyingour commitment to the downtown communityand to Oklahoma City.”Steve Hunter, president/CEO, SSM Health Care of Oklahoma, addresses the Oklahoma CityCouncil.Downtown Oklahoma City Will Remain Home to St. AnthonyElain Richardson, director of the Frank C. Love Cancer Institute, and Dmitri Ingram, supervisor,radiation oncology, at St. Anthony, take a look at the new CyberKnife System.Oklahoma City Mayor Kirk Humphreys hasannounced that St. Anthony Hospital willremain a part of the city’s downtownarea. Thanks to a partnership between St.Anthony Hospital, the City of OklahomaCity, Oklahoma County and a number ofarea civic groups, efforts are under way todevelop a plan to enhance the layout andfunction of the St. Anthony Hospitalcampus.“Because St. Anthony is a vital part ofdowntown Oklahoma City, it is criticalthat the city, county and state worktogether to develop a reasonable planthat meets their needs while continuingour efforts to improve the downtown areaand build on our current successes,”Mayor Humphreys said. “We have reachedan agreement that sets out exactly howwe will proceed to make sure St. Anthonywill not only survive, but grow and thrivein its current location.”The campus plan will establish boundariesfor the campus, streetscaping, streetclosures, and traffic flow as well asenhance access to the hospital from areahighways. “Our medical community is oneof Oklahoma’s greatest assets. Today wewant to thank St. Anthony Hospital for itsdecades of commitment to the people ofOklahoma,” Mayor Humphreys concluded.November/December 2003 NETWORK • A bimonthly publication for employees, physicians and friends11

HERO AMONG US‘You Feel You’re Filling a Need’Lois Luethy helps seniors navigate the medical insurance mazeWith all its forms and fine print, the healthcare reimbursement system can be hard tonavigate, especially for senior citizens. AtSt. Clare Hospital and Health Services’ Golden-Care, Lois Luethy helps seniors through that maze.“Even the menus on automated telephone systemscan be overwhelming,” says Luethy, who hasbeen the GoldenCare adviser since St. Clarelaunched the program 16 years ago. “Especially ifyou’re hard of hearing, it’s easy to get lost amid allthose choices.”Designed for people age 60 and older, Golden-Care sponsors health screenings and educationalworkshops, bus trips, social events, and assistancein reviewing and organizing health insurancerecords. Luethy plans and coordinates those specialevents and is on hand when GoldenCare membersneed help completing forms and receiving neededmedical and community services.Baraboo, WI, area resident Helen Saloutosrecalls how the medical bills and insurance formskept stacking up for her and her husband Harrybefore she discovered GoldenCare. “Lois is wonderful,”Saloutos says. “She helps us keep track ofour medical bills and coordinates our Medicareand supplemental insurance coverage. She alwaysseems to have the necessary information right ather fingertips.”In fact, Luethy says, keeping pace with thealmost constant changes in health care and insurancereimbursement is one of the biggest challengesof her job. But, she notes, the reward for hervigilance is that “you feel that you’refilling a need.”About 2,500 area residentsparticipate in GoldenCare andreceive regular newsletters withthe program’s calendar of events.In addition to relying on Luethyfor help with health care forms,GoldenCare members get togetherfor bus trips, seminars on livingwills and advance directives, andfree blood pressure screeningsand health fairs.Luethy’s previous position asmanager of St. Clare’s businessoffice was good preparation forher current post. She joined thehospital staff in May 1975, andshe has served on the Mission Awareness Teamfor 20 years. In that capacity, Luethy recently participatedin a team effort to organize a GivingTree to gather holiday gifts for needy families, aContinued on page 8SSM Health CareMAKING A DIFFERENCESt. Louis newsletter insideN ov e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 37First Sr. Mary JeanRyan ScholarshipRecipient87th Showcase forSharing1 COVER STORIESSSMHC Advancesto the NextPhase of ClinicalTransformation4Patients Can MakeAppointments,Pre-RegisterOnline9DiversityMentoreeGoes On TourSt. Mary’s GoodSamaritan ReceivesIllinois QualityAwardSSM Health Care477 N. Lindbergh Blvd.St. Louis, MO 63141www.ssmhc.comNon-Profit Org.U.S. PostagePAIDSt. Louis, MissouriPermit No. 2406