Pulse

Volume5/1995_March28March 28, 1995 PULSE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER Cost Reduction: University Hospital Is No Exception A message to University Hospital employees from Christine St. Andre, Executive Director " Three- fourths of hospitals cut operating expenses and more than half reduced staffing in 1994," accord-ing to a survey of 664 hospitals reported recently in Modern Healthcare. " Marketplace changes drive hospital belt- tightening," according to the article, and University Hospital is no exception to what is happen-ing everywhere in the country. As part of the budgeting process for the next fiscal year, University Hospital managers have been asked to focus on the cost per unit of service provided, and to reduce this cost as much as possible, by at least 10 percent. Does this move to reduce costs mean that the hospital is having financial problems? Not at all. Our bottom line is strong; however, the market simply is getting more cost competitive. Does this budget tightening mean a reduction in force, a loss of jobs? The answer is probably yes, although no drastic or across- the- board cuts are planned. Many positions already have been held vacant through attrition in order to minimize the number of filled positions which may need to be eliminated. University Hospital always has had an excellent reputation for high quality patient care, and we obviously do not want to do anything to change that. Because the costs and staffing levels at University Hospital have historically been higher than those of other teaching hospitals, we are confident that all planned cost reductions can be achieved while maintaining our normal high quality of care. While the hospital operation is being streamlined, various business proposals are being studied to help us maintain University Hospital's position in the market. Obviously, it is not good business practice to publicly weigh one's plans, strategy or options, but be assured that both University administration and hospital administration intend for University Hospital to be a major part of tomorrow's health- care delivery systems. We will continue to deliver the best possible health care, but at a lower overall cost. This is a time of uncertainty and rumor, but your supervisors, the service directors and department heads, can answer your questions. If they do not have the answer, they can get it. But, please realize that the answer to some questions, some times, is simply that we just don't know... yet. Our objective is to make University Hospital more competitive in today's changing health- care market; more financially attractive to those who refer patients to us, to insurance companies, and to the patients themselves- all assuring University Hospital's future. Together, we will meet the challenge, and Univer-sity Hospital will continue to be the great teaching hospital of which we all are proud. I appreciate your loyalty and hard work. University Hospital is what it is because of you! Thank you. • Respiratory Therapist Hits Jackpot Karen Hillier, R. R. T., clinical specialist in Respiratory Care, recently donated a $ 35,000 ventilator to Univer-sity Hospital after winning it at the national conven-tion of the American Association for Respiratory Care in Las Vegas. Hillier won the machine for hitting the jackpot on a giant slot machine, which was sponsored by Puritan/ Bennett, a ventilator manufacturing company. The new 7200ae ventilator system will be used to treat adult patients in the Hospital's intensive care units. College of Nursing Faculty Member Speaks to British Oncology Group Maryl L. Winningham, A. P. R. N., Ph. D., F. A. S. C. S. M., assistant professor in the College of Nursing and an internationally recognized authority on fatigue in people with cancer, was the recent guest speaker at a meeting of the British Psychosocial Oncology Group ( BPOG) at the University of Manchester, in England. BPOG is an interdiscipli-nary group of professionals which deals with the human issues of cancer, especially those issues related to the quality of life. Winningham, who was the first to measure the functional/ energetic capacity of patients with cancer and designed and developed programs to promote energy in the human body, gave her presentation, " Fatigue and Cancer," to more than 160 health- care professionals from throughout Europe. The lecture group included oncologists, psychiatrists, hospice workers, nurses and psychologists. In April, Winningham will be a guest speaker at the 10th anniversary ceremony of the Joan Ashley Fiffick Award and Lectureship at Akron General Medi-cal Center in Akron, Ohio. • Maryl L. Winningham Spring Runoff? INFOFAIR Coming April 6 Michael P. D'Alessandro The 1995 INFOFAIR, titled " The Virtual Informa-tion Revolution," is coming to the U of U Health Sci-ences Center, Thursday, April 6, from 9: 30 a. m.~ 4: 30 p. m. Sponsored by the University of Utah Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, the INFOFAIR will include discussions about " Traveling the Internet Using Netscape on the PC," " Becoming an Information Provider on the World Wide Web ( MAC)" and " Net-worked Databases at the University of Utah." INFOFAIR also will feature an Internet sharing session; a number of booths with the latest hardware, software and information; and the annual Clifford C. Snyder, M. D., and Mary, Snyder Lecture, featuring Michael P. D'Alessandro, M. D, assistant professor of Radiology at the Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School and co- director of the Electronic Differential Multimedia Laboratory at the University of Iowa College of Medicine. D'Alessandro's discussion is titled " A Virtual Hospital: A Ubiquitous Organization Serving Health Care Providers and Patients." He will speak about the need for rapid, convenient access to high- quality information to the health- care provider to ensure the best patient care, and how to place that information at their fingertips. The INFOFAIR is free, but there is a cost for the two workshops, " Traveling the Internet" and " Becoming an Information Provider." For more information, call the Reference Department at the Eccles Health Sciences Library, xl- 5534, xl- 5269 or xl- 8771. • Softball Meeting Scheduled Next Week Forget the baseball strike. It's time to start thinking about Softball. A team captains' meeting for the University Hospital Softball League is scheduled for Thursday, April 4, at noon in room 202 of the Medical Educa-tion Building. For more information, contact Robert Jones, x 1- 2254, or Dennis Oyler, x5- 6l22. • Employees from Facilities and Engineering and Environ-mental Services clean up the hallway near the Hospital's outpatient registration after a ivaterline in the ceiling broke. The broken line spilled gallons of ivater onto the first floor and down the freight elevator shaft and onto the A Level. Fortunately, damage ivas minimal and staff had the mess cleaned up in minutes. ^ ^ Printed on Recycled Paper Volunteers Needed for Immigrant Health Fair The New Hope Refugee Friendship Center is looking for volunteers for its annual Refugee and Immigrant Health Fair, scheduled Saturday, April 29, from 10 a. m.- 2 p. m., at the New Hope Refugee Friendship Center, 1102 West 400 North. Volunteers are needed to interpret for fair partici-pants and assist with coordinating activities. If you are interested, call Gena at the center, 363- 4955, or call Catholic Community Services, 977- 9119-