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CMO Message: July 2025

Published Date

Lock In

As a proud parent of a Gen Z kiddo, I know that my daughter is cringing as I write this introduction to July 2025! Other Gen Z parents (with kids born between 1997 and 2012) undoubtedly know what this means, but for those less fortunate, to “lock in” means “to focus intently on a task or goal.” (You’re welcome!) While my daughter uses the phrase to refer to a tough homework assignment or sometimes a computer game, it signifies a state of high concentration and commitment for anything that requires mental and emotional investment in an activity. Accreditation and survey readiness, financial stewardship, and length of stay will only become more important for the remainder of 2025, so I hope we can lock in together to finish the year strong. 

Accreditation and Survey Readiness

Since my initial draft … DOH has showed up on site at St. Peter, so now it’s even more important to LOCK IN! I ask for your partnership during survey activity this summer. Many of our findings on survey day are simple and related to basic healthcare standards. The easiest to comply with are: 

  • Wear appropriate attire – all staff should have ID badges worn, visible, above the waist. OR staff/surgeons should ensure you are adhering to standards, covering scalp, hair and beards. Get familiar with our Attire in Restricted and Semi-Restricted Areas Policies for St. Peter or Centralia (link here for St. Peter) 

  • ALWAYS use (at least) two patient identifiers! – this one seems simple, but we frequently have a finding related to this one! We have inadvertently discussed the wrong patient information with the wrong family or placed the wrong patient in a bed. Committing to ALWAYS using at least two patient identifiers (for all caregivers, including nursing, physicians, and APCs) ensures we get this right every time. 

Financial Stewardship

We are charged to be standard bearers and leaders in health care in many ways, one of the most important of which is ensuring the responsible management of our financial resources. If you’ve been keeping up with the news, in addition to the usual health care insurance and reimbursement struggles, we are preparing for changes in federal funding on the horizon. Please continue to reduce spending, especially for non-clinical activities. If you have other ideas or suggestions for potential efficiencies or other savings, please let me know. 

 

Length of Stay (as always)

Who said “The reward for work well done, is the opportunity to do more” (answer below*)? April, May and June resulted in the lowest monthly ALOS we have seen at both ministries in years as well as the lowest GMLOS O:E and O:E to home.

Kudos! I would ask that you continue your efforts (and lock-in, lol) to reduce LOS even further, to our new system goal to reach 5.3 days by the end of the year! We can do it!

These are a few of the ways that we are working on process improvements to assist in these efforts … reach out to me if you have questions or feedback on any of the below: 

  • Echo wait times are down, we are continuing to work on sustaining this improvement through an Echo work group, but we have cut down several hours of delay 

  • MRI recently adjusted their outpatient appointments to accommodate inpatients more readily and reduce turnaround time. 

  • Early progressive mobility – Partner with nursing to ensure that all patients 1) Have mobility orders and 2) discuss mobility on admission and in preparation for discharge. We are using the attached document for additional discussions around which patients are appropriate for Physical Therapy and/or Occupational Therapy (see attached graphic for more details here) 

  • AM Lab delays are continuing to fluctuate due to staffing. We are exploring options to escalate staffing shortages and use alternative lab draw methods by reengaging our lab work group. 

  • And more! 

*Answer: Jonas Salk, MD, an American virologist and medical researcher who developed one of the first successful polio vaccines! The phrase was intended to emphasize the continuous nature of progress and achievement.