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Volume 12, Number 5A publication for theparticipating congregations,leadership, physiciansand staff of CatholicHealth InitiativesSeptember/October 2007InitiativesMarket-Based LeadersProvide FeedbackAs part of Catholic HealthA National Laboratory for R&DCatholic Health Initiatives has embarked on a coordinatedLEARN to SpreadEducation, LeadingPracticesInitiatives’ organizationalCatholic Health Initiatives isrestructuring, national grouppreparing to launch LEARN,leaders are developing actiona Web-based learning man-plans based on feedbackagement system that willprovided by market-basedenhance knowledge transferorganization leaders. Theand learning across the organi-national groups will also workzation. It will help market-basedwith Catholic Health Initiatives’organizations tap into leadingPresident’s Council to developpractices, both inside andresearch and development effort to identify and evaluategroup performance metricsoutside of Catholic Healthnew initiatives to drive innovation and advance health careand benchmarks for future use.Initiatives, and apply thatdelivery throughout the healing ministry. Alan Armer, PhD,“Throughout all the feedback,knowledge to improve safety,one theme was clear: we needreduce costs and improveto establish performance met-quality. The initial LEARN libraryHealth Initiatives, said that R&D has a unique meaning atrics and benchmarks for allincludes more than 100 coursesCatholic Health Initiatives. “Our geographic breadth, accessnational functions and services,”for training in compliance,to large, diverse patient populations and expert clinical staffsaid Kevin Lofton, presidentregulatory requirements,and chief executive officer.patient safety and more.vice president of research and development for Catholiccan make Catholic Health Initiatives a national laboratoryfor the exploration and testing of new technologies, productsor services,” he said.A spirit of innovation, a legacy of care.648

Strategic Reorganization of IT BeginsCatholic Health Initiatives’ strategic reorganization of its informationtechnology (IT) function includes developing a plan for a system-wide,standardized, streamlined IT organization.flattening the IT organization and will create new regional chief information officer positions to serve our market-based organizations,” saidRowan. “Nearly every market-based organization will have a regionalchief information officer, an IT director, an IT manager or an IT leadon site, as appropriate for the size of the organization.” Site leaders willreport to a regional chief information officer, who will report to theoffice of the chief information officer. The number of regional chiefinformation officers is expected to be eight.Catholic Health Initiatives is undertaking the reorganization afterDeloitte Consulting conducted an objective review of the system’snational and market-based IT services. The review includedinterviews with 300 stakeholders from across Catholic HealthInitiatives. The review identified opportunitiesto increase IT customer and provider satisfac“ In Catholic Health Initiatives’tion, slow expense growth and balance local11th year as a system, it isand national priorities.a sign of strong steward“We will clearly define a more consistent andtransparent decision-making process, establisha single reporting structure and implementcenters of excellence around major applications,”said Michael Rowan, chief operating officer forCatholic Health Initiatives.ship to review key organizational structures to ensurethat the value provided tothe system and the marketbased organizations is theFour work streams are now underway with the involvement of national staff, market-based organization staffand Deloitte Consulting teams. The work streams arecalled People and Organization, Governance Model,IT Investment and Program Management, and Clinicaland Operational Standardization.As the strategic reorganization proceeds, regular updatesare available on the National Groups page of CatholicHealth Initiatives’ intranet, Inside CHI. To see thelatest updates and find all previous communications,click on “One IT.”To help lead the reorganization, Catholic Healthhighest possible.”Initiatives recently hired Michael O’Rourke (see“In Catholic Health Initiatives’ 11th year as a system, it is a sign of strongbelow) to serve as interim chief information officer.stewardship to review key organizational structures to ensure that theRowan emphasized that Catholic Health Initiatives is reorganizingvalue provided to the system and the market-based organizations is thethe system’s IT function, not outsourcing it. “We are a large enoughhighest possible,” said Rowan. “The alignment of all IT services intoorganization to achieve economies of scale internally,” he said.one IT organization will support our mission to nurture the healingministry of the Church by aligning market-based and national priorities,IT employees will become national employees and will be located inandclarifying roles and accountabilities.”national offices and local facilities as appropriate to the services theyprovide and the needs of Catholic Health Initiatives’ markets. “We areO’Rourke Named Interim Chief Information OfficerMichael O’Rourke has been named interim chief information officer for CatholicHealth Initiatives. O’Rourke has 20 years of experience in leading, planning,developing and operating information management organizations in a variety ofsettings. Most recently, he was corporate vice president and chief informationofficer for Triad Hospitals, Inc., Plano, Texas. Previously, he served as corporatevice president of clinical and regulatory IT strategies and divisional informationofficer for Catholic Healthcare West, San Francisco, Calif.Initiatives 2Michael O’Rourke

Catholic Health Initiatives Welcomes New Board MemberEleanor Martin, SCN, Esq., has joined the Catholic HealthInitiatives Board of Stewardship Trustees. Sister Eleanor,who recently served as vice-provincial of the WesternProvince of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, also servedas one of the Members of the Civil Corporation of CatholicHealth Initiatives for nine years. From 1978 through 2002, shepracticed law on behalf of low-income individuals in Kentuckyand Massachusetts. In that capacity, she served as associatedirector for the Legal Aid Society of Louisville and managingattorney for Southeastern Massachusetts Legal AssistanceCorporation. She has also served on the boards of Sts. Mary& Elizabeth Hospital, Louisville, Ky., and Marymount MedicalCenter, London, Ky. Sister Eleanor holds a juris doctor degreefrom Boston College Law School, Newton, Mass., and abachelor’s degree from Spalding University, Louisville, Ky.Eleanor Martin, SCN, Esq.Chief Nursing Officers Align with CatholicHealth Initiatives Group StructureIn keeping with the reorganization of Catholic HealthInitiatives’ facilities into operating groups, the chief nursingofficers (CNOs) within each group will meet regularly todiscuss clinical issues of importance to nursing.Two representatives from each group will also serve two-year,rotating terms on Catholic Health Initiatives’ Nursing Executive Council. This council, along with the Physician ExecutiveCouncil and the Pharmacy Executive Council, will provideadvice and guidance for clinical initiatives across the system.“Each group of CNOs has agreed to meet during monthly conference calls and one face-to-face meeting a year,” said KathySanford, chief nursing officer for Catholic Health Initiatives.“Each group will work together to select the issues they needto address, and support each other by sharing leading practices.”The new CNO groups will also help increase communicationsamong all of Catholic Health Initiatives’ nurses. “With theinput our front-line nurses provide to our CNOs and up to theNursing Executive Council, we can find the best solutions toshared challenges,” said Sanford. “Because each CNO group isrepresented on the Nursing Executive Council, communicationcan also flow from the council to the CNOs at each facility andon to the nurses who deliver bedside care.”Sanford also anticipates that the Nursing Executive Councilwill work closely with the Physician Executive Council and thePharmacy Executive Council. “Each of these advisory councilswill need to address issues specific to their disciplines, butwill also find ways to do more together,” said Sanford. “Thatcollaboration will take us toward the goal of ‘One CHI,’ withone clinical voice.”3 Initiatives

Market-Based Leaders ProvideFeedback for National RestructuringAs part of Catholic Health Initiatives’ organizational restructuring, national groupleaders are developing action plans based on feedback received from market-basedorganization leaders.Each national group leader receivedfeedback from three sources: a focusgroup of market-based organizationchief executives; a National CoreFunction Survey; and a CEO ReviewPanel. National group leaders are nowincorporating the feedback into theirresource planning. They will alsowork with Catholic Health Initiatives’President’s Council to develop groupperformance metrics and benchmarksfor future use. “Throughout all thefeedback, one theme was clear: we needto establish performance metrics andbenchmarks for all national functionsand services,” said Kevin Lofton,president and chief executive officerfor Catholic Health Initiatives.Focus Group FindingsThe CEO Focus Group convened inMay 2007 to identify critical issuesfacing Catholic Health Initiatives. Thegroup identified several critical issues,including medical staff recruitmentsand shortages; proposed federal changesin reimbursement to providers; capitalallocation; balance between local operations and national standardizationinitiatives; and long-term care.Initiatives 4The focus group members also discussedwhat Catholic Health Initiatives’ nationaloperations and national groups can doto ensure their work delivers maximumvalue to the market-based organizations.Ideas centered on issues related tocorporate growth, CHI Connect, understanding of local needs and humanresources policies.“The most significant organizationalissue faced by all of Catholic HealthInitiatives’ leaders is—and may alwaysbe—achieving the right balance betweensupporting the local provider needs ofthe market-based organizations whileadvancing the system’s ministry goals,”said Lofton. “There are no easy answers,but we know that we all share ownership,responsibility and commitment to ourleadership role as stewards of thisministry. Trying to keep the rightbalance will always be with us.”Core Function SurveyMore than 90 percent of market-basedleadership teams responded to a surveythat asked them to rate the significanceand effectiveness of 75 core functionsof Catholic Health Initiatives’ nationalgroups. While results were mixed acrossgroups, no group rated below a three ona five-point scale for both significanceand effectiveness. Market-basedleadership teams also provided specificsuggestions on how national groups canbetter meet the needs of the marketbased organizations.“The level of participation in the surveywas excellent and we appreciate theinterest and time of the market-basedleaders who engaged in this work,”said Lofton.Review Panel toMeet RegularlyCatholic Health Initiatives’ CEO ReviewPanel met for the first time in May toreview proposed national priority initiatives for fiscal years 2008 and 2009. Thepanel will convene twice a year to reviewand help ensure alignment on CatholicHealth Initiatives’ Annual Strategic andFinancial Planning Calendar.The panel identified the followingas critical priorities for CatholicHealth Initiatives:䡲Physician alignment and engagement䡲Performance improvement䡲Operating model: standardizationversus centralization; clear expectations and national accountabilityand transparency䡲CHI Connect