Dear Students, Faculty, Residents, Staff, Alumni, Board Members and Friends,
Good morning on this first Friday in February, Groundhog Day! It appears that Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow so we should have an early Spring! We’ll see!
It’s been an extremely busy week on campus as we hosted our all-volunteer Board of Trustees for their annual and quarterly meetings, held a Community Meeting to discuss what we’ve learned about the merger with Drexel to date with faculty and staff and shared similar information with our student leaders. In addition to all that, our classes, clinics and labs have remained busy and productive. Here are some additional items I hope you will find of interest:
MYTH BUSTERS: Hear from Salus University faculty across academic programs as they bust common, program-specific healthcare myths. Read about these common healthcare myths here.
BLVS PODCAST: Blindness and Low Vision Studies (BLVS) alumni Katelyn (Kate) Maffei, MEd ‘21, TVI, VRT, and Kinshasa Coghill, MS ‘02, CLVT, CVRT, OMS, and current student Carolyn Pijanowski, '24VRT, '24O&M, share what a day in the life of a BLVS professional looks like, in addition to giving a sneak peak into Salus University’s programs. Check out the podcast here.
DAY IN THE LIFE: Follow second-year Occupational Therapy student Madison DeLong ‘24OT through a day in her life on her level 2 fieldwork rotation. Read more about Madison’s day here.
FINAL THOUGHTS: I recently read an article in the New York Times that discussed how the change in corporate culture at Boeing from one of quality, safety and superior aircraft design to attaining maximum profitability has had a significant impact on what was their stellar reputation for safety. It prompted me to reflect on the American healthcare system, which has been leaning in this direction for many years.
As healthcare institutions across the country placed more emphasis on productivity by counting Relative Value Units (RVUs) and Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRGs), the focus on quality declined as cost and productivity became key drivers. Unquestionably, both cost and productivity are important factors in any business, but just like Boeing, the healthcare industry has a sacred responsibility to those in our care to ensure that quality and safety are the primary measures of success.
As students preparing to enter the American (and in some cases Canadian) healthcare systems, you have an opportunity to help introduce a change in culture. Our Oath to Professionalism states that, “I will uphold and honorably promote by example and action the highest standards, ethics and ideals of my chosen profession.” Providing high quality and safe care clearly falls within that charge.
Healthcare should be value based – meaning our patients and clients should always expect high quality, safe care at a reasonable price. Outcomes should drive ultimate costs. While significant discussion has surrounded this method of remuneration, there is little to show in execution. If quality and safety are first, improved health outcomes should follow. Providing healthcare with a profit-only focus leads to reduced health outcomes, dissatisfied patients, clients and providers.
As you prepare for this weekend, please think about how you will influence our healthcare systems to return to a quality, safety and value-based system. Today’s disjointed, expensive and embarrassingly ineffective system is not sustainable.
Be safe, continue to look out for one another and come back SALUS STRONG next week!
- Mike
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