Having My Say

Education : The key to understanding process change

Georgetown University offers both

Georgetown University in affiliation with Kimberly-Clark puts together an excellent education program each year in July called the Georgetown University Healthcare Leadership Institute. The collaboration is in its tenth year. The educational program includes classes that build personal growth, and business savvy. Attendees come from all walks of healthcare, but are primarily heads of departments from supply chain, materials, O.R., safety and infection control, sterilization, etc. All classes are taught at the graduate level or higher. Besides classroom time, the schedule allows and encourages plenty of time for valuable networking. Attendance is limited to about 60-70 students, a size that allows for brainstorming and team efforts. The idea is to take away as much as you can from these inspirational and intriguing topics in the classroom sessions. The diversity of the group, also allows for multiple perspectives as many ideas are shared and discussed from different job points of view. Problems get solved and solutions are brought back home to the healthcare facilities represented.

2006 Georgetown participants

A truly amazing out of classroom experience, is a trip to Capitol Hill each year. The trip started with lunch at the Capitol Hill Club, and a talk on healthcare reform by Congresswoman Nancy Johnson (R-CT). Later, we were escorted across the street, to the Committee hearing room in the House Office building, by Richard Kimberly, President of Kimberly Consulting LLC, and who also serves as company liaison for government affairs. This year’s congressional hearings, chaired by Congresswoman Nancy L. Johnson (R-CT), Chairman, Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Ways and Means, were on Medicare reimbursement of physician-administered drugs. In addition, the hearing examined physician reimbursement for administration of these drugs. Witnesses included representatives from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and representatives from provider and patient groups. As a group, we were able to observe testimony from top leaders in the groups that dictate many of our daily procedure codes and their perspectives on the calculations and issues that affect hospital reimbursements. At the end of the session, I believe the committee had a clearer understanding of how CMS had derived its original volume-weighted reimbursement system and what areas had not been anticipated, such as chemotherapy drugs, that were labor intensive. At the end of the session our group – certainly had a better understanding of all the interactions between the government departments and why it is so important for us in the healthcare industry to make sure we communicate shortcomings in some of these systems as we see them develop. Much of the testimony spoke of physicians in their communities leaving Medicare patients to the community hospitals because doctors felt the reimbursements were too low and the bureaucracy cumbersome in its attempt to establish a cost-effective way to treat our senior citizens from the Medicare Value-Based Purchasing for Physicians’ Services Act of 2005.

I’ve included a few of my colleagues statements about the Forum that exemplify the atmosphere and the experience. Hope to see you all next year. For more information, including this years curriculum and more attendee comments, click on the Georgetown 2006 button above.

"I find all the classes attended are super. Every teacher’s teaching method is outstanding and the contents are substantial and on target. Personally, each one of them has met my educational goals/objectives. I feel revitalised and am very appreciative of the hospitality as well. "

 "I was very impressed with the conference.  It was my first time and initially I was concerned that it would be very clinically focused but it was a perfect mix between clinical and non-clinical issues that we all face in our positions.  I felt as if I were in business school, law school and nursing school all week.  I would highly recommend this conference to my colleagues at Intermountain Healthcare and hope to come back myself at some point.."

"Excellent content. Great interaction with the instructors.  From a patient safety perspective excellent review of all issues related to reducing defects and improving patient outcomes.  The curriculum was well designed and the approach to learning was clearly geared to the audience. 

"My thoughts on the leadership conference are all positive—it was a wonderful opportunity to touch-base with colleagues from around the country and make new friends. The process validates what we do and helps us to formulate new ideas. All of the Professors were knowledgeable, entertaining and the week was a great use of our most valuable commodity (our time)! I will highly recommend this program to other Leaders in my work environment and I do look forward to returning in a few years....."