Brendon Shank

SHM’s Hospitalist Program Peak Performance, HP3 for short, will conclude at the end of 2014, but it will leave a legacy that will continue to improve HM groups everywhere for years to come.

The product of a unique collaboration among SHM, hospitalist consulting firm Nelson/Flores, and others, HP3 was designed as a key component of the Preventing Readmissions through Effective Partnerships (PREP) collaborative, sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois in collaboration with the Illinois Hospital Association and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. The overall goal of the PREP collaborative is to help move Illinois from the bottom quartile to the upper quartile ranking on readmission rates by providing tools and approaches to improve transitions of care.

“HP3 was designed to be a little like getting a personal trainer at the gym,” says John Nelson, MD, MHM, who helped create the program. “Each hospitalist group was assigned an experienced hospitalist leader as a mentor, who in some ways acted like a personal trainer, guiding and encouraging efforts to complete projects to improve their practice.

“I think most groups were surprised and pleased that they were able to accomplish more than they realized. Our hope is that they will continue ‘working out’ to improve their practice even after their participation in HP3 concludes.”

Today, many of the lessons learned from HP3—including the idea that a healthy, high-functioning hospitalist practice is an important part of improving care—have been carried into other important SHM projects, like the recent “Key Principles and Characteristics of an Effective Hospital Medicine Group,” an assessment guide developed by SHM and published in the February 2014 Journal of Hospital Medicine.

Among the ideas presented in the “Key Principles and Characteristics” guide is the concept of hospitalist engagement, which is what Dr. Mark Williams thinks hospitals can also take away from HP3.

“Engaging hospitalists is key to improving care for hospitalized patients,” says Dr. Williams, who notes that engaging hospitalists means engaging much of the entire hospital. “Hospitalists are fully integrated into hospital care delivery for general medicine patients and many—if not most—specialty and surgical patients.”

HP3 faculty Leslie Flores, MHA, SFHM, saw a two-fold benefit from HP3: an outside perspective and an introduction to techniques that will continue beyond HP3.

“It caused them to look critically at their hospitalist program and assess its organization and performance against an objective benchmark. For many, it was the first time they had been challenged to think about their hospitalist program in this way,” Flores says.

She noticed that HP3 “also taught the participants how to use basic quality improvement and project management techniques to improve their own group’s performance—these are skills they can use again and again going forward.”

Flores thinks that HP3 also benefited from another core piece of SHM’s DNA: its award-winning Mentored Implementation (MI) model, which pairs hospital sites with national experts in hospital medicine. But, instead of being focused solely on quality improvement, it broadened the MI approach to operational improvement, opening up the possibility of improved quality outcomes.

As with many SHM educational programs, the learning went in both directions and may continue after the end of HP3, according to Flores.

“I think we [the faculty and mentors], in some cases, learned as much from our participants as they learned from us,” she says. “Some of them are doing some really great things that we can add to our fund of practice management ‘best practices’ and share with others!”

SHM’s Hospitalist Program Peak Performance, HP3 for short, will conclude at the end of 2014, but it will leave a legacy that will continue to improve HM groups everywhere for years to come.

The product of a unique collaboration among SHM, hospitalist consulting firm Nelson/Flores, and others, HP3 was designed as a key component of the Preventing Readmissions through Effective Partnerships (PREP) collaborative, sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois in collaboration with the Illinois Hospital Association and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. The overall goal of the PREP collaborative is to help move Illinois from the bottom quartile to the upper quartile ranking on readmission rates by providing tools and approaches to improve transitions of care.

“HP3 was designed to be a little like getting a personal trainer at the gym,” says John Nelson, MD, MHM, who helped create the program. “Each hospitalist group was assigned an experienced hospitalist leader as a mentor, who in some ways acted like a personal trainer, guiding and encouraging efforts to complete projects to improve their practice.

“I think most groups were surprised and pleased that they were able to accomplish more than they realized. Our hope is that they will continue ‘working out’ to improve their practice even after their participation in HP3 concludes.”

Today, many of the lessons learned from HP3—including the idea that a healthy, high-functioning hospitalist practice is an important part of improving care—have been carried into other important SHM projects, like the recent “Key Principles and Characteristics of an Effective Hospital Medicine Group,” an assessment guide developed by SHM and published in the February 2014 Journal of Hospital Medicine.

Among the ideas presented in the “Key Principles and Characteristics” guide is the concept of hospitalist engagement, which is what Dr. Mark Williams thinks hospitals can also take away from HP3.

“Engaging hospitalists is key to improving care for hospitalized patients,” says Dr. Williams, who notes that engaging hospitalists means engaging much of the entire hospital. “Hospitalists are fully integrated into hospital care delivery for general medicine patients and many—if not most—specialty and surgical patients.”

HP3 faculty Leslie Flores, MHA, SFHM, saw a two-fold benefit from HP3: an outside perspective and an introduction to techniques that will continue beyond HP3.

“It caused them to look critically at their hospitalist program and assess its organization and performance against an objective benchmark. For many, it was the first time they had been challenged to think about their hospitalist program in this way,” Flores says.

She noticed that HP3 “also taught the participants how to use basic quality improvement and project management techniques to improve their own group’s performance—these are skills they can use again and again going forward.”

Flores thinks that HP3 also benefited from another core piece of SHM’s DNA: its award-winning Mentored Implementation (MI) model, which pairs hospital sites with national experts in hospital medicine. But, instead of being focused solely on quality improvement, it broadened the MI approach to operational improvement, opening up the possibility of improved quality outcomes.

As with many SHM educational programs, the learning went in both directions and may continue after the end of HP3, according to Flores.

“I think we [the faculty and mentors], in some cases, learned as much from our participants as they learned from us,” she says. “Some of them are doing some really great things that we can add to our fund of practice management ‘best practices’ and share with others!”

SHM’s Hospitalist Program Peak Performance, HP3 for short, will conclude at the end of 2014, but it will leave a legacy that will continue to improve HM groups everywhere for years to come.

The product of a unique collaboration among SHM, hospitalist consulting firm Nelson/Flores, and others, HP3 was designed as a key component of the Preventing Readmissions through Effective Partnerships (PREP) collaborative, sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois in collaboration with the Illinois Hospital Association and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. The overall goal of the PREP collaborative is to help move Illinois from the bottom quartile to the upper quartile ranking on readmission rates by providing tools and approaches to improve transitions of care.

“HP3 was designed to be a little like getting a personal trainer at the gym,” says John Nelson, MD, MHM, who helped create the program. “Each hospitalist group was assigned an experienced hospitalist leader as a mentor, who in some ways acted like a personal trainer, guiding and encouraging efforts to complete projects to improve their practice.

“I think most groups were surprised and pleased that they were able to accomplish more than they realized. Our hope is that they will continue ‘working out’ to improve their practice even after their participation in HP3 concludes.”

Today, many of the lessons learned from HP3—including the idea that a healthy, high-functioning hospitalist practice is an important part of improving care—have been carried into other important SHM projects, like the recent “Key Principles and Characteristics of an Effective Hospital Medicine Group,” an assessment guide developed by SHM and published in the February 2014 Journal of Hospital Medicine.

Among the ideas presented in the “Key Principles and Characteristics” guide is the concept of hospitalist engagement, which is what Dr. Mark Williams thinks hospitals can also take away from HP3.

“Engaging hospitalists is key to improving care for hospitalized patients,” says Dr. Williams, who notes that engaging hospitalists means engaging much of the entire hospital. “Hospitalists are fully integrated into hospital care delivery for general medicine patients and many—if not most—specialty and surgical patients.”

HP3 faculty Leslie Flores, MHA, SFHM, saw a two-fold benefit from HP3: an outside perspective and an introduction to techniques that will continue beyond HP3.

“It caused them to look critically at their hospitalist program and assess its organization and performance against an objective benchmark. For many, it was the first time they had been challenged to think about their hospitalist program in this way,” Flores says.

She noticed that HP3 “also taught the participants how to use basic quality improvement and project management techniques to improve their own group’s performance—these are skills they can use again and again going forward.”

Flores thinks that HP3 also benefited from another core piece of SHM’s DNA: its award-winning Mentored Implementation (MI) model, which pairs hospital sites with national experts in hospital medicine. But, instead of being focused solely on quality improvement, it broadened the MI approach to operational improvement, opening up the possibility of improved quality outcomes.

As with many SHM educational programs, the learning went in both directions and may continue after the end of HP3, according to Flores.

“I think we [the faculty and mentors], in some cases, learned as much from our participants as they learned from us,” she says. “Some of them are doing some really great things that we can add to our fund of practice management ‘best practices’ and share with others!”

Maybe you just returned from HM14 in Las Vegas and are ready to head back. Or maybe you missed out on SHM’s annual meeting but would like to meet up with an important part of the hospitalist team: hospital and health system pharmacists.

Regardless of your motivation, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacist’s (ASHP’s) combination of three meetings in one brings a wealth of information to hospitalists—physicians and pharmacists alike—and now SHM members can register for the Medication Safety Collaborative at the applicable ASHP member rates.

SHM members receive the ASHP member rate at ASHP’s meeting within a meeting for hospital and health system pharmacists, to be held May 31-June 4 in Las Vegas.

Many hospitalists will be especially interested in the Medication Safety Collaborative, which brings the entire hospital team together to share best practices in medication and patient safety.

The Medication Safety Collaborative consists of three meetings:

• ASHP Informatics Institute: An event for informaticists to innovate, interact, and improve the use of information technology in healthcare;
• The Medication Safety Collaborative: For inter-professional teams of health system-based clinicians, coordinators, managers, and administrators who focus on patient safety and quality; and
• Pharmacy Practice Policy: The most relevant issues affecting health system pharmacy practice today at ASHP’s first Pharmacy Practice and Policy Meeting.

Maybe you just returned from HM14 in Las Vegas and are ready to head back. Or maybe you missed out on SHM’s annual meeting but would like to meet up with an important part of the hospitalist team: hospital and health system pharmacists.

Regardless of your motivation, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacist’s (ASHP’s) combination of three meetings in one brings a wealth of information to hospitalists—physicians and pharmacists alike—and now SHM members can register for the Medication Safety Collaborative at the applicable ASHP member rates.

SHM members receive the ASHP member rate at ASHP’s meeting within a meeting for hospital and health system pharmacists, to be held May 31-June 4 in Las Vegas.

Many hospitalists will be especially interested in the Medication Safety Collaborative, which brings the entire hospital team together to share best practices in medication and patient safety.

The Medication Safety Collaborative consists of three meetings:

• ASHP Informatics Institute: An event for informaticists to innovate, interact, and improve the use of information technology in healthcare;
• The Medication Safety Collaborative: For inter-professional teams of health system-based clinicians, coordinators, managers, and administrators who focus on patient safety and quality; and
• Pharmacy Practice Policy: The most relevant issues affecting health system pharmacy practice today at ASHP’s first Pharmacy Practice and Policy Meeting.

Maybe you just returned from HM14 in Las Vegas and are ready to head back. Or maybe you missed out on SHM’s annual meeting but would like to meet up with an important part of the hospitalist team: hospital and health system pharmacists.

Regardless of your motivation, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacist’s (ASHP’s) combination of three meetings in one brings a wealth of information to hospitalists—physicians and pharmacists alike—and now SHM members can register for the Medication Safety Collaborative at the applicable ASHP member rates.

SHM members receive the ASHP member rate at ASHP’s meeting within a meeting for hospital and health system pharmacists, to be held May 31-June 4 in Las Vegas.

Many hospitalists will be especially interested in the Medication Safety Collaborative, which brings the entire hospital team together to share best practices in medication and patient safety.

The Medication Safety Collaborative consists of three meetings:

• ASHP Informatics Institute: An event for informaticists to innovate, interact, and improve the use of information technology in healthcare;
• The Medication Safety Collaborative: For inter-professional teams of health system-based clinicians, coordinators, managers, and administrators who focus on patient safety and quality; and
• Pharmacy Practice Policy: The most relevant issues affecting health system pharmacy practice today at ASHP’s first Pharmacy Practice and Policy Meeting.

SHM estimates that there are more than 44,000 hospitalists in 2014. Here are some other facts and figures about the specialty:

• In 2014, it is estimated that hospitalists have a presence at 72% of U.S. hospitals, with an average group size of 12.3 physicians.
• In the 10-year period between 2003 and 2012, the percentage of hospitals with hospitalists has more than doubled. The overall penetration of hospitals with HM groups grew from 29% to 66%.
• In same 10-year period, the number of hospitalists grew from 11,159 to 38,114.
• Since the development of SHM’s award-winning mentored implementation program, 423 hospitals nationwide have adopted the model to address some of the most pressing hospital-based healthcare issues, such as readmissions, VTE, and glycemic control. SHM’s implementation guides on these issues have been downloaded more than 9,500 times.
• Research published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine in 2013 showed that SHM’s Project BOOST has helped reduce readmissions among hospitals collecting and reporting data.

SHM estimates that there are more than 44,000 hospitalists in 2014. Here are some other facts and figures about the specialty:

• In 2014, it is estimated that hospitalists have a presence at 72% of U.S. hospitals, with an average group size of 12.3 physicians.
• In the 10-year period between 2003 and 2012, the percentage of hospitals with hospitalists has more than doubled. The overall penetration of hospitals with HM groups grew from 29% to 66%.
• In same 10-year period, the number of hospitalists grew from 11,159 to 38,114.
• Since the development of SHM’s award-winning mentored implementation program, 423 hospitals nationwide have adopted the model to address some of the most pressing hospital-based healthcare issues, such as readmissions, VTE, and glycemic control. SHM’s implementation guides on these issues have been downloaded more than 9,500 times.
• Research published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine in 2013 showed that SHM’s Project BOOST has helped reduce readmissions among hospitals collecting and reporting data.

SHM estimates that there are more than 44,000 hospitalists in 2014. Here are some other facts and figures about the specialty:

• In 2014, it is estimated that hospitalists have a presence at 72% of U.S. hospitals, with an average group size of 12.3 physicians.
• In the 10-year period between 2003 and 2012, the percentage of hospitals with hospitalists has more than doubled. The overall penetration of hospitals with HM groups grew from 29% to 66%.
• In same 10-year period, the number of hospitalists grew from 11,159 to 38,114.
• Since the development of SHM’s award-winning mentored implementation program, 423 hospitals nationwide have adopted the model to address some of the most pressing hospital-based healthcare issues, such as readmissions, VTE, and glycemic control. SHM’s implementation guides on these issues have been downloaded more than 9,500 times.
• Research published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine in 2013 showed that SHM’s Project BOOST has helped reduce readmissions among hospitals collecting and reporting data.

Editor’s note: Originally posted to SHM’s blog, The Hospital Leader, on February 25. Visit www.hospitalleader.org for more insight from leaders in the specialty.

Imagine for a second that, instead of being defined by what you are at work, you were defined by what you aren’t. What if hospitalists were called “non-executive caregivers” or “non-janitorial staff?” Confusing, at best—and potentially even demeaning, depending on the context.

That’s what happens to many nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and other valuable members of the hospital care team all the time. Instead of being called by the titles that they’ve worked hard to earn, some in the hospital use terms that define them by what they aren’t, like “non-physician provider,” “allied health provider,” “physician extender,” or “mid-level.” More to the point, nurse practitioners (NP), physician assistants (PA), and pharmacists are a critical part of the hospitalist teams working to deliver exceptional care to hospitalized patients.

This is not a fringe issue. Today, nearly 800 SHM members identify themselves as NPs, PAs, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, registered nurses, registered dietitians, physical therapists, research managers, or program coordinators.

That’s why, effective this month, SHM has begun to phase out the following terms in its future materials:

• “Allied health”;
• “Non-physician provider”;
• “Physician extender”; and
• “Mid-level.”

Instead, we plan to use the names for individual groups, like “physician assistants,” “nurse practitioners,” or “pharmacists.”

For a firsthand perspective on how deeply these kinds of terms are felt by NPs and PAs, please read SHM NP/PA Committee Chair Tracy Cardin’s recent blog post on The Hospital Leader.

Admittedly, there may be times when terms like “allied health” are more expedient, and it will take some time for us to fully adjust some of our internal nomenclature (in things like our databases and meeting registration systems) to the change, but the potential for alienating members of the hospitalist family outweighs the need for convenience.

SHM is committed to properly identifying all of SHM’s members. Identity is important in medicine, to the caregivers and their patients. Just 18 years ago, Bob Wachter, MD, coined the word “hospitalist”; the term now applies to more than 44,000 in healthcare.

Today, we’re taking one step toward helping everyone in healthcare better describe the value and expertise of the members of the hospitalist team.

How do you use your titles to convey your contribution to patient care? Let us know in the comments, or join the conversation on HMX (http://connect.hospitalmedicine.org/home).

Blog post author Brendon Shank is SHM’s associate vice president of communications.

Editor’s note: Originally posted to SHM’s blog, The Hospital Leader, on February 25. Visit www.hospitalleader.org for more insight from leaders in the specialty.

Imagine for a second that, instead of being defined by what you are at work, you were defined by what you aren’t. What if hospitalists were called “non-executive caregivers” or “non-janitorial staff?” Confusing, at best—and potentially even demeaning, depending on the context.

That’s what happens to many nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and other valuable members of the hospital care team all the time. Instead of being called by the titles that they’ve worked hard to earn, some in the hospital use terms that define them by what they aren’t, like “non-physician provider,” “allied health provider,” “physician extender,” or “mid-level.” More to the point, nurse practitioners (NP), physician assistants (PA), and pharmacists are a critical part of the hospitalist teams working to deliver exceptional care to hospitalized patients.

This is not a fringe issue. Today, nearly 800 SHM members identify themselves as NPs, PAs, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, registered nurses, registered dietitians, physical therapists, research managers, or program coordinators.

That’s why, effective this month, SHM has begun to phase out the following terms in its future materials:

• “Allied health”;
• “Non-physician provider”;
• “Physician extender”; and
• “Mid-level.”

Instead, we plan to use the names for individual groups, like “physician assistants,” “nurse practitioners,” or “pharmacists.”

For a firsthand perspective on how deeply these kinds of terms are felt by NPs and PAs, please read SHM NP/PA Committee Chair Tracy Cardin’s recent blog post on The Hospital Leader.

Admittedly, there may be times when terms like “allied health” are more expedient, and it will take some time for us to fully adjust some of our internal nomenclature (in things like our databases and meeting registration systems) to the change, but the potential for alienating members of the hospitalist family outweighs the need for convenience.

SHM is committed to properly identifying all of SHM’s members. Identity is important in medicine, to the caregivers and their patients. Just 18 years ago, Bob Wachter, MD, coined the word “hospitalist”; the term now applies to more than 44,000 in healthcare.

Today, we’re taking one step toward helping everyone in healthcare better describe the value and expertise of the members of the hospitalist team.

How do you use your titles to convey your contribution to patient care? Let us know in the comments, or join the conversation on HMX (http://connect.hospitalmedicine.org/home).

Blog post author Brendon Shank is SHM’s associate vice president of communications.

Editor’s note: Originally posted to SHM’s blog, The Hospital Leader, on February 25. Visit www.hospitalleader.org for more insight from leaders in the specialty.

Imagine for a second that, instead of being defined by what you are at work, you were defined by what you aren’t. What if hospitalists were called “non-executive caregivers” or “non-janitorial staff?” Confusing, at best—and potentially even demeaning, depending on the context.

That’s what happens to many nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and other valuable members of the hospital care team all the time. Instead of being called by the titles that they’ve worked hard to earn, some in the hospital use terms that define them by what they aren’t, like “non-physician provider,” “allied health provider,” “physician extender,” or “mid-level.” More to the point, nurse practitioners (NP), physician assistants (PA), and pharmacists are a critical part of the hospitalist teams working to deliver exceptional care to hospitalized patients.

This is not a fringe issue. Today, nearly 800 SHM members identify themselves as NPs, PAs, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, registered nurses, registered dietitians, physical therapists, research managers, or program coordinators.

That’s why, effective this month, SHM has begun to phase out the following terms in its future materials:

• “Allied health”;
• “Non-physician provider”;
• “Physician extender”; and
• “Mid-level.”

Instead, we plan to use the names for individual groups, like “physician assistants,” “nurse practitioners,” or “pharmacists.”

For a firsthand perspective on how deeply these kinds of terms are felt by NPs and PAs, please read SHM NP/PA Committee Chair Tracy Cardin’s recent blog post on The Hospital Leader.

Admittedly, there may be times when terms like “allied health” are more expedient, and it will take some time for us to fully adjust some of our internal nomenclature (in things like our databases and meeting registration systems) to the change, but the potential for alienating members of the hospitalist family outweighs the need for convenience.

SHM is committed to properly identifying all of SHM’s members. Identity is important in medicine, to the caregivers and their patients. Just 18 years ago, Bob Wachter, MD, coined the word “hospitalist”; the term now applies to more than 44,000 in healthcare.

Today, we’re taking one step toward helping everyone in healthcare better describe the value and expertise of the members of the hospitalist team.

How do you use your titles to convey your contribution to patient care? Let us know in the comments, or join the conversation on HMX (http://connect.hospitalmedicine.org/home).

Blog post author Brendon Shank is SHM’s associate vice president of communications.

Dr. Howell

Together with more than 3,000 hospitalists at its annual meeting, SHM celebrated the recipients of its annual Awards of Excellence and three new Masters in Hospital Medicine (MHM), the highest honor in hospital medicine. They were honored in a special plenary session at HM14 in Las Vegas on March 26, along with SHM’s first chapter award winners.

Dr. Howell

HM14 was the largest event in the history of the hospitalist movement. And the specialty continues to grow; SHM estimates that there are now more than 44,000 hospitalists nationwide.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the achievements of the many hospitalists who are moving the specialty forward and demonstrating how all hospitalists can provide exceptional care for hospitalized patients,” says Eric Howell, MD, SFHM, SHM’s immediate past president, who presented the awards and the certificates for the Masters in Hospital Medicine.

“In a new era of American healthcare, hospitalists have become one of the greatest advocates for improvement within the hospital, and SHM looks forward to providing them with the resources to make those changes for the better.”

2014 Awards of Excellence

Each year, SHM recognizes best practices in a number of fields within the growing specialty of hospital medicine through its Awards of Excellence. In 2014, the society is introducing a seventh award: the SHM Excellence in Humanitarian Service Award.

Dr. Simone

Kenneth Simone, DO, SFHM, founder and president of Hospitalist and Practice Solutions, Veazie, Maine, is the 2014 recipient of SHM’s Award of Excellence for Outstanding Service in Hospital Medicine. This award recognizes exceptional service within the discipline of hospital medicine. Dr. Simone’s innovative approach to hospital medicine has had a broad national impact, working to increase the growth, development, and success of the hospital medicine specialty.

Dr. Metlay

Joshua Metlay, MD, PhD, FACP, chief of the division of general internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Research Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement by a researcher in the field of hospital medicine. Dr. Metlay’s research focuses on areas important to hospitalists and their patients: the epidemiology and improved treatment of respiratory tract infections.

Dr. Mattison

Melissa Mattison, MD, FACP, SFHM, associate chief of the section of hospital medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, Boston, will receive the 2014 Award for Clinical Excellence, an award that recognizes exemplary clinical service in hospital medicine. As a geriatrician and hospitalist, Dr. Mattison focuses her research and clinical innovation efforts on improving care for hospitalized elders. She is at the forefront because she is developing best practices for implementation of clinical innovations to benefit older, hospitalized patients.

Dr. Dressler

Daniel Dressler, MD, MSc, FACP, SFHM, has been selected as the 2014 recipient of SHM’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. Dr. Dressler serves as professor of medicine, hospital medicine associate division director for education, and director of internal medicine teaching services at Emory University Hospital; associate program director for the J. Willis Hurst Internal Medicine Residency Program; and Medical Student Semmelweis Society Advisor at Emory University’s School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. The Award for Excellence in Teaching is earned by hospitalists who have demonstrated outstanding teaching acumen, serving as educators, role models, and mentors to other hospitalists, residents, medical students, or healthcare professionals.

Dr. Swanson

Michelle (Mikkii) Swanson, DNP, MSN, RN, ACM, SFHM, Director of Hospitalist Services at Community Health Systems Professional Services Corporation in Franklin, Tenn., will receive the 2014 Excellence in Hospital Medicine for Non-Physicians Award. This honor is reserved for those committed and talented professionals—including those with the Doctor of Nursing Practice designation—who contribute significantly to the success of the hospital medicine team but are not physicians.

The Improving Adherence to Evidence-Based Recommendations for Common Serious Childhood Infections team at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is the 2014 recipient of SHM’s Award of Excellence in Teamwork in Quality Improvement. The team, led by Samir S. Shah, MD, MSCE, FHM, division of hospital medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, has earned this award for their commitment to enhancing teamwork among physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers in an effort to ultimately improve outcomes for hospitalized patients.

Dr. Reich

Patience Reich, MD, SFHM, has been selected as the first-ever recipient of SHM’s Award for Excellence in Humanitarian Service. This award is intended to highlight the volunteer effort SHM members give to at-risk populations, above and beyond the hospital care provided to patients and their families during daily activities as hospitalists. Dr. Reich’s humanitarian work spans her medical career and consists of providing medical care and service in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, the United States, and Haiti, where she will be returning in April 2014 with four professional colleagues and 25 medical students from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C.

2014 Masters in Hospital Medicine

Each year, SHM awards the Masters in Hospital Medicine—its highest honor—to a select group of hospitalists who have distinguished themselves uniquely through their contributions to hospital medicine and healthcare as a whole. Considered the “Hall of Fame” of the hospital medicine movement, the 2014 Masters join thirteen other MHMs in the specialty, for a total of 16 Masters.

Dr. Conway

Patrick Conway, MD, MSc, MHM, FAAP, chief medical officer for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), has been elected a Master in Hospital Medicine in recognition of his tireless commitment to reshaping the nation’s healthcare system to provide exceptional care to hospitalized patients—and all Americans. He also serves as director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality, director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, and deputy administrator for Innovation and Quality for CMS.

Dr. Pantilat

Steven Z. Pantilat, MD, MHM, has been elected a Master in Hospital Medicine in honor of his foundational leadership in the hospital medicine movement and his pioneering work in improving care for seriously ill and dying patients. He is a professor of clinical medicine in the department of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, the Alan M. Kates and John M. Burnard Endowed Chair in Palliative Care, and the founding director of the UCSF Palliative Care Program.

Dr. Percelay

Jack Martin Percelay, MD, MPH, FAAP, MHM, has been elected a Master in Hospital Medicine in recognition of his national leadership in shaping the pediatric hospital medicine specialty and his ability to advance the concerns of hospitalized children and hospitalists everywhere. Dr. Percelay is a pediatric intensive care hospitalist at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, N.J., and teaches in the department of physician assistant studies at the Pace University College of Health Professions in New York City.

Similar to SHM’s Fellows in Hospital Medicine (FHM) and Senior Fellows in Hospital Medicine (SFHM), the Masters in Hospital Medicine have earned the right to append “MHM” to their names as a designation.

New Board Leadership

As part of its governance process, SHM members elect new directors to its board. This year, SHM is pleased to welcome the following new members of the Board of Directors:

Dr. Greeno

Ron Greeno, MD, MHM, FCCP, founder of Cogent Healthcare and Cogent’s Executive VP for Strategy and Innovation, and

Dr. Scheurer

Danielle Scheurer, MD, MSCR, SFHM, clinical hospitalist and the chief quality officer at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, S.C.

Brendon Shank is SHM’s associate vice president of communications.

Dr. Howell

Together with more than 3,000 hospitalists at its annual meeting, SHM celebrated the recipients of its annual Awards of Excellence and three new Masters in Hospital Medicine (MHM), the highest honor in hospital medicine. They were honored in a special plenary session at HM14 in Las Vegas on March 26, along with SHM’s first chapter award winners.

Dr. Howell

HM14 was the largest event in the history of the hospitalist movement. And the specialty continues to grow; SHM estimates that there are now more than 44,000 hospitalists nationwide.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the achievements of the many hospitalists who are moving the specialty forward and demonstrating how all hospitalists can provide exceptional care for hospitalized patients,” says Eric Howell, MD, SFHM, SHM’s immediate past president, who presented the awards and the certificates for the Masters in Hospital Medicine.

“In a new era of American healthcare, hospitalists have become one of the greatest advocates for improvement within the hospital, and SHM looks forward to providing them with the resources to make those changes for the better.”

2014 Awards of Excellence

Each year, SHM recognizes best practices in a number of fields within the growing specialty of hospital medicine through its Awards of Excellence. In 2014, the society is introducing a seventh award: the SHM Excellence in Humanitarian Service Award.

Dr. Simone

Kenneth Simone, DO, SFHM, founder and president of Hospitalist and Practice Solutions, Veazie, Maine, is the 2014 recipient of SHM’s Award of Excellence for Outstanding Service in Hospital Medicine. This award recognizes exceptional service within the discipline of hospital medicine. Dr. Simone’s innovative approach to hospital medicine has had a broad national impact, working to increase the growth, development, and success of the hospital medicine specialty.

Dr. Metlay

Joshua Metlay, MD, PhD, FACP, chief of the division of general internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Research Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement by a researcher in the field of hospital medicine. Dr. Metlay’s research focuses on areas important to hospitalists and their patients: the epidemiology and improved treatment of respiratory tract infections.

Dr. Mattison

Melissa Mattison, MD, FACP, SFHM, associate chief of the section of hospital medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, Boston, will receive the 2014 Award for Clinical Excellence, an award that recognizes exemplary clinical service in hospital medicine. As a geriatrician and hospitalist, Dr. Mattison focuses her research and clinical innovation efforts on improving care for hospitalized elders. She is at the forefront because she is developing best practices for implementation of clinical innovations to benefit older, hospitalized patients.

Dr. Dressler

Daniel Dressler, MD, MSc, FACP, SFHM, has been selected as the 2014 recipient of SHM’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. Dr. Dressler serves as professor of medicine, hospital medicine associate division director for education, and director of internal medicine teaching services at Emory University Hospital; associate program director for the J. Willis Hurst Internal Medicine Residency Program; and Medical Student Semmelweis Society Advisor at Emory University’s School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. The Award for Excellence in Teaching is earned by hospitalists who have demonstrated outstanding teaching acumen, serving as educators, role models, and mentors to other hospitalists, residents, medical students, or healthcare professionals.

Dr. Swanson

Michelle (Mikkii) Swanson, DNP, MSN, RN, ACM, SFHM, Director of Hospitalist Services at Community Health Systems Professional Services Corporation in Franklin, Tenn., will receive the 2014 Excellence in Hospital Medicine for Non-Physicians Award. This honor is reserved for those committed and talented professionals—including those with the Doctor of Nursing Practice designation—who contribute significantly to the success of the hospital medicine team but are not physicians.

The Improving Adherence to Evidence-Based Recommendations for Common Serious Childhood Infections team at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is the 2014 recipient of SHM’s Award of Excellence in Teamwork in Quality Improvement. The team, led by Samir S. Shah, MD, MSCE, FHM, division of hospital medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, has earned this award for their commitment to enhancing teamwork among physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers in an effort to ultimately improve outcomes for hospitalized patients.

Dr. Reich

Patience Reich, MD, SFHM, has been selected as the first-ever recipient of SHM’s Award for Excellence in Humanitarian Service. This award is intended to highlight the volunteer effort SHM members give to at-risk populations, above and beyond the hospital care provided to patients and their families during daily activities as hospitalists. Dr. Reich’s humanitarian work spans her medical career and consists of providing medical care and service in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, the United States, and Haiti, where she will be returning in April 2014 with four professional colleagues and 25 medical students from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C.

2014 Masters in Hospital Medicine

Each year, SHM awards the Masters in Hospital Medicine—its highest honor—to a select group of hospitalists who have distinguished themselves uniquely through their contributions to hospital medicine and healthcare as a whole. Considered the “Hall of Fame” of the hospital medicine movement, the 2014 Masters join thirteen other MHMs in the specialty, for a total of 16 Masters.

Dr. Conway

Patrick Conway, MD, MSc, MHM, FAAP, chief medical officer for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), has been elected a Master in Hospital Medicine in recognition of his tireless commitment to reshaping the nation’s healthcare system to provide exceptional care to hospitalized patients—and all Americans. He also serves as director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality, director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, and deputy administrator for Innovation and Quality for CMS.

Dr. Pantilat

Steven Z. Pantilat, MD, MHM, has been elected a Master in Hospital Medicine in honor of his foundational leadership in the hospital medicine movement and his pioneering work in improving care for seriously ill and dying patients. He is a professor of clinical medicine in the department of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, the Alan M. Kates and John M. Burnard Endowed Chair in Palliative Care, and the founding director of the UCSF Palliative Care Program.

Dr. Percelay

Jack Martin Percelay, MD, MPH, FAAP, MHM, has been elected a Master in Hospital Medicine in recognition of his national leadership in shaping the pediatric hospital medicine specialty and his ability to advance the concerns of hospitalized children and hospitalists everywhere. Dr. Percelay is a pediatric intensive care hospitalist at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, N.J., and teaches in the department of physician assistant studies at the Pace University College of Health Professions in New York City.

Similar to SHM’s Fellows in Hospital Medicine (FHM) and Senior Fellows in Hospital Medicine (SFHM), the Masters in Hospital Medicine have earned the right to append “MHM” to their names as a designation.

New Board Leadership

As part of its governance process, SHM members elect new directors to its board. This year, SHM is pleased to welcome the following new members of the Board of Directors:

Dr. Greeno

Ron Greeno, MD, MHM, FCCP, founder of Cogent Healthcare and Cogent’s Executive VP for Strategy and Innovation, and

Dr. Scheurer

Danielle Scheurer, MD, MSCR, SFHM, clinical hospitalist and the chief quality officer at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, S.C.

Brendon Shank is SHM’s associate vice president of communications.

Dr. Howell

Together with more than 3,000 hospitalists at its annual meeting, SHM celebrated the recipients of its annual Awards of Excellence and three new Masters in Hospital Medicine (MHM), the highest honor in hospital medicine. They were honored in a special plenary session at HM14 in Las Vegas on March 26, along with SHM’s first chapter award winners.

Dr. Howell

HM14 was the largest event in the history of the hospitalist movement. And the specialty continues to grow; SHM estimates that there are now more than 44,000 hospitalists nationwide.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the achievements of the many hospitalists who are moving the specialty forward and demonstrating how all hospitalists can provide exceptional care for hospitalized patients,” says Eric Howell, MD, SFHM, SHM’s immediate past president, who presented the awards and the certificates for the Masters in Hospital Medicine.

“In a new era of American healthcare, hospitalists have become one of the greatest advocates for improvement within the hospital, and SHM looks forward to providing them with the resources to make those changes for the better.”

2014 Awards of Excellence

Each year, SHM recognizes best practices in a number of fields within the growing specialty of hospital medicine through its Awards of Excellence. In 2014, the society is introducing a seventh award: the SHM Excellence in Humanitarian Service Award.

Dr. Simone

Kenneth Simone, DO, SFHM, founder and president of Hospitalist and Practice Solutions, Veazie, Maine, is the 2014 recipient of SHM’s Award of Excellence for Outstanding Service in Hospital Medicine. This award recognizes exceptional service within the discipline of hospital medicine. Dr. Simone’s innovative approach to hospital medicine has had a broad national impact, working to increase the growth, development, and success of the hospital medicine specialty.

Dr. Metlay

Joshua Metlay, MD, PhD, FACP, chief of the division of general internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Research Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement by a researcher in the field of hospital medicine. Dr. Metlay’s research focuses on areas important to hospitalists and their patients: the epidemiology and improved treatment of respiratory tract infections.

Dr. Mattison

Melissa Mattison, MD, FACP, SFHM, associate chief of the section of hospital medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, Boston, will receive the 2014 Award for Clinical Excellence, an award that recognizes exemplary clinical service in hospital medicine. As a geriatrician and hospitalist, Dr. Mattison focuses her research and clinical innovation efforts on improving care for hospitalized elders. She is at the forefront because she is developing best practices for implementation of clinical innovations to benefit older, hospitalized patients.

Dr. Dressler

Daniel Dressler, MD, MSc, FACP, SFHM, has been selected as the 2014 recipient of SHM’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. Dr. Dressler serves as professor of medicine, hospital medicine associate division director for education, and director of internal medicine teaching services at Emory University Hospital; associate program director for the J. Willis Hurst Internal Medicine Residency Program; and Medical Student Semmelweis Society Advisor at Emory University’s School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. The Award for Excellence in Teaching is earned by hospitalists who have demonstrated outstanding teaching acumen, serving as educators, role models, and mentors to other hospitalists, residents, medical students, or healthcare professionals.

Dr. Swanson

Michelle (Mikkii) Swanson, DNP, MSN, RN, ACM, SFHM, Director of Hospitalist Services at Community Health Systems Professional Services Corporation in Franklin, Tenn., will receive the 2014 Excellence in Hospital Medicine for Non-Physicians Award. This honor is reserved for those committed and talented professionals—including those with the Doctor of Nursing Practice designation—who contribute significantly to the success of the hospital medicine team but are not physicians.

The Improving Adherence to Evidence-Based Recommendations for Common Serious Childhood Infections team at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is the 2014 recipient of SHM’s Award of Excellence in Teamwork in Quality Improvement. The team, led by Samir S. Shah, MD, MSCE, FHM, division of hospital medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, has earned this award for their commitment to enhancing teamwork among physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers in an effort to ultimately improve outcomes for hospitalized patients.

Dr. Reich

Patience Reich, MD, SFHM, has been selected as the first-ever recipient of SHM’s Award for Excellence in Humanitarian Service. This award is intended to highlight the volunteer effort SHM members give to at-risk populations, above and beyond the hospital care provided to patients and their families during daily activities as hospitalists. Dr. Reich’s humanitarian work spans her medical career and consists of providing medical care and service in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, the United States, and Haiti, where she will be returning in April 2014 with four professional colleagues and 25 medical students from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C.

2014 Masters in Hospital Medicine

Each year, SHM awards the Masters in Hospital Medicine—its highest honor—to a select group of hospitalists who have distinguished themselves uniquely through their contributions to hospital medicine and healthcare as a whole. Considered the “Hall of Fame” of the hospital medicine movement, the 2014 Masters join thirteen other MHMs in the specialty, for a total of 16 Masters.

Dr. Conway

Patrick Conway, MD, MSc, MHM, FAAP, chief medical officer for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), has been elected a Master in Hospital Medicine in recognition of his tireless commitment to reshaping the nation’s healthcare system to provide exceptional care to hospitalized patients—and all Americans. He also serves as director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality, director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, and deputy administrator for Innovation and Quality for CMS.

Dr. Pantilat

Steven Z. Pantilat, MD, MHM, has been elected a Master in Hospital Medicine in honor of his foundational leadership in the hospital medicine movement and his pioneering work in improving care for seriously ill and dying patients. He is a professor of clinical medicine in the department of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, the Alan M. Kates and John M. Burnard Endowed Chair in Palliative Care, and the founding director of the UCSF Palliative Care Program.

Dr. Percelay

Jack Martin Percelay, MD, MPH, FAAP, MHM, has been elected a Master in Hospital Medicine in recognition of his national leadership in shaping the pediatric hospital medicine specialty and his ability to advance the concerns of hospitalized children and hospitalists everywhere. Dr. Percelay is a pediatric intensive care hospitalist at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, N.J., and teaches in the department of physician assistant studies at the Pace University College of Health Professions in New York City.

Similar to SHM’s Fellows in Hospital Medicine (FHM) and Senior Fellows in Hospital Medicine (SFHM), the Masters in Hospital Medicine have earned the right to append “MHM” to their names as a designation.

New Board Leadership

As part of its governance process, SHM members elect new directors to its board. This year, SHM is pleased to welcome the following new members of the Board of Directors:

Dr. Greeno

Ron Greeno, MD, MHM, FCCP, founder of Cogent Healthcare and Cogent’s Executive VP for Strategy and Innovation, and

Dr. Scheurer

Danielle Scheurer, MD, MSCR, SFHM, clinical hospitalist and the chief quality officer at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, S.C.

Brendon Shank is SHM’s associate vice president of communications.

Former attendees will tell you that SHM’s Leadership Academy (www.hospitalmedicine.org/leadership) is one of the most intense and professionally rewarding experiences in the specialty, so now is the time to mark your calendar for the four-day session. And be sure to book extra time to soak in the Hawaiian sun while much of the rest of the country begins to cool off.

Former attendees will tell you that SHM’s Leadership Academy (www.hospitalmedicine.org/leadership) is one of the most intense and professionally rewarding experiences in the specialty, so now is the time to mark your calendar for the four-day session. And be sure to book extra time to soak in the Hawaiian sun while much of the rest of the country begins to cool off.

Former attendees will tell you that SHM’s Leadership Academy (www.hospitalmedicine.org/leadership) is one of the most intense and professionally rewarding experiences in the specialty, so now is the time to mark your calendar for the four-day session. And be sure to book extra time to soak in the Hawaiian sun while much of the rest of the country begins to cool off.

If you still haven’t registered for Pediatric Hospital Medicine 2014, now is the time to save. The early bird discount can save you up to $150 on your registration fees.

Why come to PHM 2014?

• Enjoy a learning experience customized for you, including nine different concurrent sessions and workshops across seven unique educational tracks.
• Network with pediatric hospitalists from medical institutions across the country.
• Learn from the renowned faculty, hailing from inside and outside of pediatric hospital medicine.

If you still haven’t registered for Pediatric Hospital Medicine 2014, now is the time to save. The early bird discount can save you up to $150 on your registration fees.

Why come to PHM 2014?

• Enjoy a learning experience customized for you, including nine different concurrent sessions and workshops across seven unique educational tracks.
• Network with pediatric hospitalists from medical institutions across the country.
• Learn from the renowned faculty, hailing from inside and outside of pediatric hospital medicine.

If you still haven’t registered for Pediatric Hospital Medicine 2014, now is the time to save. The early bird discount can save you up to $150 on your registration fees.

Why come to PHM 2014?

• Enjoy a learning experience customized for you, including nine different concurrent sessions and workshops across seven unique educational tracks.
• Network with pediatric hospitalists from medical institutions across the country.
• Learn from the renowned faculty, hailing from inside and outside of pediatric hospital medicine.

Quality improvement education is no longer just an elective for trainees, which is why medical educators need the best possible knowledge and tools for teaching quality and safety. SHM and the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM) have teamed up to present the Quality and Safety Educators Academy, to be held May 1-3 in Tempe, Ariz.

There is still time to register. For more information, visit www.hospitalmedicine.org/qsea.

Quality improvement education is no longer just an elective for trainees, which is why medical educators need the best possible knowledge and tools for teaching quality and safety. SHM and the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM) have teamed up to present the Quality and Safety Educators Academy, to be held May 1-3 in Tempe, Ariz.

There is still time to register. For more information, visit www.hospitalmedicine.org/qsea.

Quality improvement education is no longer just an elective for trainees, which is why medical educators need the best possible knowledge and tools for teaching quality and safety. SHM and the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM) have teamed up to present the Quality and Safety Educators Academy, to be held May 1-3 in Tempe, Ariz.

There is still time to register. For more information, visit www.hospitalmedicine.org/qsea.

If you weren’t able to make it to HM14 last month, you can catch up on some of the hottest topics and sessions in the hospitalist movement through On Demand Video from the meeting. HM14 On Demand (www.hospitalmedicine.org/HM14ondemand) is a great way for conference attendees to check out sessions that they missed live, revisit favorite sessions, and share the HM14 experience with colleagues throughout the year.

• Watch sessions that you missed.
• Share your experiences with colleagues.

Revisit your favorite sessions. Topics in HM14 On Demand include:

• Clinical
• Co-Management of Hospitalized Patients
• Bending the Cost Curve
• Rapid Fire Tracks
• Potpourri
• Practice Management
• Quality Improvement

If you weren’t able to make it to HM14 last month, you can catch up on some of the hottest topics and sessions in the hospitalist movement through On Demand Video from the meeting. HM14 On Demand (www.hospitalmedicine.org/HM14ondemand) is a great way for conference attendees to check out sessions that they missed live, revisit favorite sessions, and share the HM14 experience with colleagues throughout the year.

• Watch sessions that you missed.
• Share your experiences with colleagues.

Revisit your favorite sessions. Topics in HM14 On Demand include:

• Clinical
• Co-Management of Hospitalized Patients
• Bending the Cost Curve
• Rapid Fire Tracks
• Potpourri
• Practice Management
• Quality Improvement

If you weren’t able to make it to HM14 last month, you can catch up on some of the hottest topics and sessions in the hospitalist movement through On Demand Video from the meeting. HM14 On Demand (www.hospitalmedicine.org/HM14ondemand) is a great way for conference attendees to check out sessions that they missed live, revisit favorite sessions, and share the HM14 experience with colleagues throughout the year.

• Watch sessions that you missed.
• Share your experiences with colleagues.

Revisit your favorite sessions. Topics in HM14 On Demand include:

• Clinical
• Co-Management of Hospitalized Patients
• Bending the Cost Curve
• Rapid Fire Tracks
• Potpourri
• Practice Management
• Quality Improvement

Many potential Project BOOST candidate sites apply, but not all are accepted into the program. What makes for a successful application? Ask one of the founding members of Project BOOST and a current mentor, Dr. Jeffrey Greenwald.

• A strong letter of support. Qualified candidates can demonstrate that the hospital’s leadership is already behind their interest to reduce readmission rates through a program like Project BOOST.
• Demonstrate the existing support of the team. Good applications show that it’s not just a good idea to a few people. Good Project BOOST candidates can illustrate that their hospital has an “institutional prioritization for transitions of care.”
• An honest assessment on organizing change. Project BOOST has helped high-performing sites and beginners alike, but a thoughtful assessment of your site’s prior experience in organizing change and process improvement helps program leaders better understand your needs.

Apply Now Project BOOST is accepting applications now through August 30. Visit www.hospitalmedicine.org/projectboost.

Many potential Project BOOST candidate sites apply, but not all are accepted into the program. What makes for a successful application? Ask one of the founding members of Project BOOST and a current mentor, Dr. Jeffrey Greenwald.

• A strong letter of support. Qualified candidates can demonstrate that the hospital’s leadership is already behind their interest to reduce readmission rates through a program like Project BOOST.
• Demonstrate the existing support of the team. Good applications show that it’s not just a good idea to a few people. Good Project BOOST candidates can illustrate that their hospital has an “institutional prioritization for transitions of care.”
• An honest assessment on organizing change. Project BOOST has helped high-performing sites and beginners alike, but a thoughtful assessment of your site’s prior experience in organizing change and process improvement helps program leaders better understand your needs.

Apply Now Project BOOST is accepting applications now through August 30. Visit www.hospitalmedicine.org/projectboost.

Many potential Project BOOST candidate sites apply, but not all are accepted into the program. What makes for a successful application? Ask one of the founding members of Project BOOST and a current mentor, Dr. Jeffrey Greenwald.

• A strong letter of support. Qualified candidates can demonstrate that the hospital’s leadership is already behind their interest to reduce readmission rates through a program like Project BOOST.
• Demonstrate the existing support of the team. Good applications show that it’s not just a good idea to a few people. Good Project BOOST candidates can illustrate that their hospital has an “institutional prioritization for transitions of care.”
• An honest assessment on organizing change. Project BOOST has helped high-performing sites and beginners alike, but a thoughtful assessment of your site’s prior experience in organizing change and process improvement helps program leaders better understand your needs.

Apply Now Project BOOST is accepting applications now through August 30. Visit www.hospitalmedicine.org/projectboost.