Essentials Hospitals Institute

SEE PART III, LINE 1.

GRANTS AND HEALTHCARE: THE ESSENTIAL HOSPITAL INSTITUTE ("INSTITUTE") CONTINUED TO ADDRESS THE SIGNIFICANT ISSUES FACING PUBLIC HOSPITALS, SAFETY NET ORGANIZATIONS, UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, AND RELATED HEALTH POLICY ISSUES OF NATIONAL PRIORITY. THE INSTITUTE'S GRANT-SUPPORTED RESEARCH EXPANDS INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE ON TOPICS RELATED TO POPULATION HEALTH, PATIENT-CENTERED CARE, DELIVERY SYSTEM TRANSFORMATION, QUALITY PERFORMANCE AND IMPROVEMENT, EQUITY, LEADERSHIP, AND HEALTH REFORM IMPLEMENTATION. MUCH OF THE INSTITUTE'S GRANT FUNDED WORK WAS IN THE AREA OF HEALTH EQUITY AND COMBATING STRUCTURAL RACISM. FUNDED BY ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION, THE INSTITUTE FACILITATED "COMBATING STRUCTURAL RACISM INTEREST GROUP" MEETINGS OFFERING PEER NETWORKING AMONG LIKE MINDED LEADERS FROM OUR MEMBERS, REVISED OUR ESSENTIAL COMMUNITIES WEBSITE TO REFLECT TOOLS, RESOURCES, AND PROGRAMS TO COMBAT STRUCTURAL RACISM, AND PARTICIPATED IN AN EQUITY LEARNING LAB TO DEVELOP AND CARRY OUT AN ACTION PLAN TO IMPROVE EQUITY FOCUSING ON OUR ORGANIZATIONAL POLICIES. THE CVS HEALTH FOUNDATION ALSO FUNDED THE INSTITUTE TO CONDUCT A LEARNING COLLABORATIVE AMONG MEMBER HOSPITALS TO REDUCE BLACK OBSTETRIC MORTALITY RATES. THIS TWO-YEAR PROJECT SUPPORTS A LEARNING COLLABORATIVE OF 12 MEMBER HOSPITALS SEEKING TO REDUCE MORTALITY AMONG BLACK OBSTETRIC PATIENTS. THE INSTITUTE ALSO RECEIVED FUNDS FROM THE BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB FOUNDATION TO COMBAT RACIAL DISPARITIES IN DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT, AND PROGNOSIS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE THROUGH PEER-TO-PEER MENTORSHIP BETWEEN SELECTED MEMBER HOSPITALS AND A TECHNICAL EXPERT PANEL MADE OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE EXPERTS FROM ESSENTIAL HOSPITALS. THE KRESGE FOUNDATION FUNDED THE INSTITUTE TO FACILITATE A 6-MONTH LEARNING NETWORK OF MEMBER HOSPITALS TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE RELATING TO MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE. HOSPITALS ARE RECEIVING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND DISSEMINATING FINDINGS. FINALLY, FUNDED BY THE HUMAN MILK BANKING ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA, WHICH WAS FUNDED BY THE W. K. KELLOGG FOUNDATION, THE INSTITUTE INTERVIEWED SELECT MEMBERS TO UNDERSTAND THE USE OF DONOR HUMAN MILK. THE TOPICS COVERED HOW MEMBERS USE DONOR MILK, FACILITATORS AND BARRIERS TO USING DONOR MILK, AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM DONOR MILK PROGRAMS.

RESEARCH:THE INSTITUTE PUBLISHED 35 REPORTS, BRIEFS, AND BLOGS IN 2021:- ESSENTIAL HOSPITALS: COVID-19 STATUS, JANUARY 2021- ESSENTIAL HOSPITALS AND COVID-19: A YEAR INTO THE PANDEMIC, APRIL 2021- ESSENTIAL DATA: OUR HOSPITALS, OUR PATIENTS, MAY 2021- EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION IN CARE: THE 2021 GAGE AWARDS, AUGUST 2021- ESSENTIAL HOSPITALS HAVE PRIDE: IMPROVING LGBTQ CARE, JUNE 2021- WEEKLY NEWSLETTERS ON COVID-19, FROM JANUARY THROUGH THE END OF JULY (30 REPORTS)IN ADDITION, THE INSTITUTE DISSEMINATED FINDINGS FROM RESEARCH AT NATIONAL CONFERENCES, INCLUDING PANEL AND POSTER PRESENTATIONS.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION: TO HELP SAFETY-NET HOSPITALS AND HEALTH SYSTEMS CONTINUE THEIR SUCCESS IN SERVING THEIR COMMUNITIES, THE INSTITUTE OFFERED AN ARRAY OF EDUCATIONAL AND MEMBER SERVICES. THESE INCLUDED WEBINARS, CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS, DISTANCE LEARNING EVENTS, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE VIA CONFERENCE CALLS AND WEBINARS. THESE PROGRAMS PROVIDED FORUMS FOR MEMBERS TO LEARN AND EXCHANGE IDEAS ON HOW SAFETY-NET HOSPITALS AND HEALTH SYSTEMS CAN ADDRESS NEW ISSUES AND CHALLENGES, IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING VITAL PROFESSIONAL CONNECTIONS AND LEADERSHIP EXPERTISE. THE FELLOWS PROGRAM IS A 12-MONTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM DESIGNED FOR RISING SENIOR LEADERS IN SIGNIFICANT CLINICAL OR ADMINISTRATIVE ROLES AT MEMBER HOSPITALS. THE PURPOSE OF THE FELLOWS PROGRAM IS TO EDUCATE PARTICIPANTS ON ISSUES THAT IMPACT ESSENTIAL HOSPITALS AND PROVIDE THE NECESSARY SKILLS TO LEAD STRATEGICALLY AND ADVOCATE FOR POLICIES AND RESOURCES THAT PROMOTE THE HEALTH OF VULNERABLE PATIENTS. EACH CLASS INCLUDES THREE HIGHLY INTERACTIVE SESSIONS (2.5 DAYS EACH), A SELF-ASSESSMENT, PROJECT, SITE VISIT, DISTANCE LEARNING, NETWORKING, AND ATTENDANCE AT AMERICA'S ESSENTIAL HOSPITALS' CONFERENCES AND EVENTS. DUE TO COVID-19, THIS WAS VIRTUAL, AND THE TIMELINE WAS EXTENDED THROUGH 2022. THE ESSENTIAL WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP ACADEMY IS A 10-MONTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM DESIGNED TO BUILD A COMMUNITY OF CONFIDENT AND EMPOWERED WOMEN EXECUTIVES. THE LATTER LEAD ESSENTIAL HOSPITALS IN MEETING THE CHALLENGES OF OUR NATION'S MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. IT INCLUDES THREE HIGHLY INTERACTIVE SESSIONS, A SELF-ASSESSMENT, EXECUTIVE COACHING, MONTHLY CHECK-IN CALLS WITH THEIR MENTOR, A SITE VISIT TO THEIR MENTOR'S ORGANIZATION, AND NETWORKING. ALL THE MENTORS ARE WOMEN CHIEF EXECUTIVES AT ESSENTIAL HOSPITALS. DUE TO COVID-19, THIS WAS VIRTUAL, AND THE TIMELINE WAS EXTENDED THROUGH 2022. THROUGH AN AMERICA'S ESSENTIAL HOSPITALS MEMBER BENEFIT, THE INSTITUTE MANAGED SCHOLARSHIPS FOR MEMBERS TO ATTEND VIRTUAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS. IN 2021, 24 STAFF FROM MEMBER HOSPITALS PARTICIPATED IN SEVEN VIRTUAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS FROM THE INSTITUTE FOR HEALTHCARE IMPROVEMENT:- 15 STAFF ATTENDED ADVANCED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS;- FIVE STAFF ATTENDED THE NATIONAL FORUM; AND- FOUR STAFF ENGAGED IN A QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PRACTICUM.AS PART OF A GRANT FROM RWJF, THE INSTITUTE CONDUCTED EIGHT WEBINARS ON COVID-19 AND/OR EQUITY, AND THE EXPERIENCES AND INNOVATIONS OF AMERICA'S ESSENTIAL HOSPITALS. THE SERIES INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING WEBINARS:- COVID-19 VACCINATIONS: UNIVERSITY HEALTH'S STRATEGY, FEBRUARY 2021- OVERCOMING COVID-19 VACCINE HESITANCY AND BARRIERS, FEBRUARY 2021- TREATING AN EVOLVING EPIDEMIC DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC, JULY 2021- COVID 19 TRANSITIONS CLINIC: REDUCING TRANSITIONS AND HOSPITALIZATIONS, AUGUST 2021- IMPROVING IDENTIFICATION OF MALNUTRITION IN HIGH-RISK PATIENTS, SEPTEMBER 2021- THE EVALUATIVE BIAS OF LANGUAGE IN HEALTHCARE, OCTOBER 2021- HEALTH EQUITY DURING A CRISIS: FLATTENING THE COVID-19 CURVE, NOVEMBER 2021- OPENING A VACCINATION CENTER IN A COVID-19 HOTSPOT: LESSONS FROM COOPER UNIVERSITY HEALTH CARE, NOVEMBER 2021