Christina's Considerations

Green Biohazard Medical Waste

At a recent meeting, I met Brian Williams (800 787-1704) from Trinovamed. His company processes biohazard medical waste, sharps and HIPAA documents with a novel on-site system utilizing Chlorine Dioxide (ClO2). Brian said the process has the following benefits:

• reduces volume of medical waste by 80% 
• after treatment, waste can be disposed of as normal garbage
• waste is rendered non-hazardous & toxic free 
• no offensive odors
• can be used anywhere in the world 
• protects the environment & emits no harmful emissions, pollutants, odors or ash
• dramatically lowers medical waste costs 
• will process HIPPA compliance for records destruction 
• eliminates cradle to grave liability by processing on premises 
• easy to place, designed to economize space 
• lowers workers compensation liabilities 
• can be economically used to reduce volume of regular solid waste 
• cleaner, safer and more economical than any solution currently being used

When I'm back at my own hospital (or other healthcare provider organization) I'll have to call him to compare his method and benefits to what is currently in place to see if cost and risk savings can be realized.

Stimulating the NO Economy Continued

In 2005, I posted on the subject of stimulating the New Orleans economy after hurricane Katrina devastated the area.  Since then I've thought of a few more of my favorite things and found a couple of new ones.  och Plantation Products

Kinloch Plantation Products - Pecan Oil

Camilla - the best red kidney beans  available at Cajun Grocer

Louisiana Hot Sauce - this is the best one for pizza! 

Louisiana Fish Fry - chicken and fish fry, as well as, hushpuppy mix

Wilson's Oysters - order a gallon and have a party 

Party Cup Express - check out the got crawfish napkins

Haydel's or Gambino's for your Mardi Gras King Cakes 

Saints Shop - Saints Football stuff 

Oh, and watch Monday Night Football on November 30 to see the Saints vs the Patriots.  It should be a great game!

Final CA HIE Strategic Plan

How did I spend my summer?  Aside from writing my book, I worked with California's new Deputy Secretary for Health Information Technology and stakeholders around the state to rapidly create our Health Information Technology and  Health Information Exchange Strategic Plan. 

This was a rewarding experience and I'm grateful to see my influence on the final plan, especially related to administraive and governance aspects.  For more on our ongoing efforts to organize and access the ARRA and HITECH funding visit the CA HIE website.

Social Technologies in Healthcare Survey

A new HIMSS Vantage Point Survey (five questions) explores the topic of the use of social technologies in healthcare.  Please take this short survey and share it with your connections before the deadline -- November 27, 2009.

Pandemic Toolkit for Human Resources

I've been trying to find the time to outline some of the HR issues related to a pandemic, but first things first.  In the meantime, one of my connections here in California sent me this resource of policies, protocols, templates, tools and tips for those addressing the human resources issues that will accompany a pandemic event.

To get started, or to assess your preparations and identify other opportunities for improvement, review  Doing Business During an Influenza Pandemic.

La Grâce du Ciel

My parents sent me a YouTube video that is amazing!   It is one of my very favorite songs -- Amazing Grace -- and it is sung in Cajun French. 

My all time favorite version is sung by Mr. Arron Neville.  For a healthy heart and soul, listen to both!

Medpedia

A few months ago I was invited to be part of the  Medpedia Project, a technology platform for the worldwide health community.  The goal is to create a repository of up-to-date unbiased medical information, contributed and maintained by health experts around the world, and freely available to everyone.  

It is for patients, medical professionals and organizations and includes a wiki, social networking and other tools for collaboration, communication and publishing.  I'm impressed by what I've seen so far and recommend you visit them at  www.medpedia.com I look forward to following their progress and watching the growth!

CAeHC webinair on FBI's Cyber Program

Those who are interested in health information exchange (HIE) privacy and security may want to check out the next CAeHC webinar on Tuesday, November 10 at 1:00 PST.  The speaker is Special Agent James Harris, supervisor of the FBIs Sacramento Cyber Program.

I'll be driving back from an interview and hopefully (if the mountains don't get in the way) can listen.

H1N1 Mis-information and Flu Film Festival

Someone from a local college sent me an email that is circulating among the faculty and students with some prevention advice for the flu.  While it might sound like it could work, one of our public health medical directors reported that there is no evidence of effectiveness for the techniques described. 

My advice is to refer to information from the CDC, Flu.gov or your State or local Public Health Department and...

• Wash your hands often
• Stay away from people with the flu or symptoms (coughing, sneezing, etc)
• Stay home and rest if you get sick

Or, view the videos from the California Department of Public Health Flu Film Festival and vote for your favorite by November 12th!

Geaux Saints!

Wow!!!  Another football game that kept me  on the edge of my seat all the way through.  I don't know if my heart can take another Saints game.  Last night -- two heart attacks!  Huhhhh!  Breath!

I am really proud and excited to see the Saints doing so well this year.  They all look great and the team is performing --- not just a couple of individual players.  The jumps, leaps and falls were amazing and beautiful!  It reminded me of the ballet!  No, these aren't the Saints of old!

I've already called my sister to make a reservation at her house if the Saints make it to the Superbowl. Now, that will be a time to be in the city -- visiting the places of my younger life.  I can't wait for a quick trip home, especially since it will be oyster season.

Ok, enough!  I'm getting hungry and homesick all at the same time!

Looking for a great new boss!

Jury duty (all six weeks of it) is over, final edits are being made on my book and the big push to get California's strategic plan(s) completed for accessing the ARRA HITECH funding is over.  I'm still working with the Public Health Department and will serve on California's Health Information Exchange Committee, but these aren't enough to fill my days.

So, I'm looking for a great new boss (or more) and scheduling interviews again!  

I'd love to find a full time hospital or other healthcare administrator job within commuting distance of Santa Barbara, but also realize this could take a few years.  As a result, I'm also looking for projects or interim assignments that will allow me to utilize my strong leadership, governance and operational expertise.  Some ideas include:

• advisor and coach for performance improvement, compliance and health information exchange projects
• providing interim leadership during recruitment and hiring periods
• initiating operational, financial or strategic turn-around
• disaster/emergency and continuity of operations planning and response
• review and recommendations for revenue cycle, supply, security, and customer (patient) flow processes and systems
• workplace and employee health assessments and planning and implementing health status improvement strategies
• objectively evaluating and monitoring organizational and workforce performance
• governing body orientation, education and performance assessments
• writing, reviewing, revising, and consolidating policies, procedures, protocols, guidelines, job descriptions and plans
• community and public heath assessments and planning and implementing health status improvement strategies
• identifying  and facilitating the removal of obstacles to change
• planning and initiating change strategies (only if leaders are committed to constructively managing and resolving the conflict that will arise)
• facilitating planning and implementation of social media strategies
• safety assessments and recommendations for improvement
• establishing metrics and outcome monitoring and reporting processes
• planning to establish "meaningful use" and access ARRA and HITECH funding

This is just a start and I'll add more as the ideas flow, or let me know if you have a specific need.  But, most importantly, if you are a great boss looking for a star worker, call today to schedule your interview!