NEMG Leadership Message

Dear NEMG Family:

I hope you are all doing well and took some time to enjoy the summer safely. 

We are now three and a half years into the COVID-19 pandemic, and I am continuously impressed by both the perseverance and dedication to great care provided by our clinicians and staff. We have tirelessly taken care of our patients and their families, often with the recognition of increased risk to ourselves. Throughout each wave, we continue to carry on the business of health care, keep people safe and endure. Thank you all! 

There is a tremendous amount of work underway to make the Aligned Clinician Enterprise successful, and NEMG is very active in those efforts. Part of our evolution to the Aligned Clinician Enterprise includes the Access 365 initiative, recently discussed by Dr. McGovern at the June 8 NEMG All Clinicians Forum. In today’s message, I would like to acknowledge the participation of our NEMG colleagues within its below developing workstreams:

• Referral Management Workstream
• Capacity Management Workstream
• Clinical Connections Workstream
• Scheduling Workstream

Robert Dickman, executive director, operations, along with Kevin Billingsley, MD, chief medical officer, Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center, have been selected to lead the Referral Management Workstream – a system-wide look at how referrals are made and scheduled across the entire Aligned Clinician Enterprise, for every service and specialty.  

In addition to his tasks within the Referral Management Workstream, Dickman joins Lindsey Bohan, program manager, in both the Capacity Management and Scheduling Workstreams. The Capacity Management Workstream makes sure that we are using the resources we have as efficiently as possible, and in turn, determines our opportunities to grow services strategically in a thoughtful, data-driven way. The Scheduling Workstream, which will initially focus on Primary Care, Radiology and Orthopedics, works to ensure that our patients have a common experience across all of our pathways, resulting in the most appropriate appointment for them based on geography, needs etc.

Both Judy Petersen-Pickett, manager, quality and safety, and Michael Connolly, MD, are representing NEMG in the Clinical Connections Workstream. The goal of this effort is to make sure that there is a standard work designed to support our patients. Two primary areas of focus within this workstream are clinical triage and prescription renewal. 

In addition to the workstreams discussed, I would like to recognize Karen Brown, MD. Dr. Brown is representing NEMG as a clinical leader in the Access 365 initiative.

The ongoing care and commitment you offer our patients, as well as each other, is truly appreciated. That care needs to extend to your physical and emotional well-being too. I encourage all of you to take part in our voluntary, confidential well-being check-ins which are available to all clinicians and staff. Schedule your appointment.

Other resources designed to help us navigate this challenging time include:

• The Employee and Family Resources program, which offers confidential counseling.
• A variety of helpful options available at www.achievesolutions.net/ynhhs.

I wish you all a safe and happy fall. 

My gratitude to you all for your diligent work and dedication to excellence in patient care. I am proud to work with such an outstanding team.
 
Sincerely,

Richard Goldstein, MD, PhD, MHCM
Senior Vice President
Yale New Haven Health