Blogs

October 18, 2011 -- lots o' updates....long Blog....

Oct 19, 2011 by Marc Strode, CEO
Folks,
We got a lot of irons in the fire!  It is busy at VVRMC!  But first, how bout this weather?  Just outstanding.  It ought to be perfect this weekend for what some on our team are calling the "best weekend in Del Rio".  I was wondering why my kids' sporting events were all on hiatus and now I know!  It's Parade time!  I hope you have some time to get out Saturday and have some fun w/ the community as we celebrate Del Rio.  We'll be there, and this will be the first time I've ever participated in a parade--I've spectated at many--but never been up there on the float/ride.  So, I've been practicing my pageantry waving!  Thanks fot Annette, Gloria, Francine and the rest of the gang for taking time out to decorate our float, which will be filled with our team and their kiddos, all dressed up as "young healthcare professionals".  We ought to have some pics on the myvvrmc.org next week....

Second, kudos to Lisa Lozano and Susie Jechow who are Del Rio's (and VVRMC's) newest certified techs for Child Passenger Safety.  They completed their training last week in SA and are ready to go.  This means we have more depth on the team to be able to provide this important service.

Third, I have to make mention of one program it's really a shame that we have to have and that's our Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program (SANE).  We had a couple of meetings last week on the SANE program, and special thanks to Clover for carrying much of the load as one person for quite some time now.  This is a very stressful and emotional job, and we appreciate what you do for our community.  However, an army-of-1 creates challenges for everyone involved.  No one can do this alone.  To that end, we intend to create some depth and additional expertise around our SANE program.  We will be working soon w/ Del Rio PD and other local agencies so that I might be able to take a proposal to our Board by the end of the year to demonstrate what a revamped program might look like and what funding we might need from them.  If you have any interest in becoming trained for this important service, please let Clover or Vicky know.

Fourth, a couple of months ago, we transitioned our transcription service away from its current state and actually outsourced the service.  This was not a popular decision as it did impact some folks on our team.  However, the decision was made to actually enhance the service by creating more resource around the clock.  By tapping into a larger company, we not only had our transcriptionist, but an entire company to back them up as workload required it.  It's important for you to know that those folks on the ground here impacted were offered employment with the new company.  Well, our transition to the new company has not gone well, and I know it has caused lots of frustration for our doctors and staff, particularly on the nursing units and in the procedural areas.  I'm asking for your patience and cooperation as we work through the issues.  We know what they are, and they are all fixable in short order.  But it doesn't do any good to second-guess the decision in public or saying out load "it's time to throw in the towel".  If we do get to that point, we'll act accordingly, but right now we are focused on making everything right, getting back to staus quo, and actually taking advantage of all the benefits afforded to us which is why we made the decision in the first place!!  Stay tuned.

Fifth, thanks so much to Mark Moore and the IT/EMR selection team which has begun this week the heavy lifting of helping us make a selection around our IT system going forward.  This is a tedious exercise that we have to get right to make sure we are making the right investment in our future.  I appreciate the team's hard work and look forward to being in a position in a couple of months from now to make a recommendation to take to the Board.  2012 will be our transitional year so strap on your seatbelts!!

Sixth, we will have some visitors to campus tomorrow and again next week.  We are in the middle of recruiting a Family Practitioner as well as a Spine Surgeon/Hand Surgeon to the team.  These two are not related but have a lot in common.  They are both practicing in California, both have worked in Texas and want to get back (don't blame them) and both are fluent in Spanish.  We'll see if they are a fit, but wanted to give you a heads up we are in recruitment mode and looking for talented doctors who will work well on our team and want to call Del Rio and VVRMC home.

Know it's a  long one, but a lot of good things you need to know about.  If you have any comments or questions about these items, blog back!  We welcome your opinion.

Keep the Spirit,
Marc