Medicine 2011 Annual Report

Chair’s Message

Christiana Care Medicine strives to be a national leader in delivering value-based clinical care across the continuum. This is our vision and our passion. From the perspective of the patient, “value” takes many forms. Under all circumstances, however, value-based care should include the six principles articulated by the Institute of Medicine in its important report, Crossing the Quality Chasm, which calls for care that is “safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable.”

Highlights of our accomplishments, reported here for FY2011, illustrate the many and varied ways we are working to achieve our vision, supported by Education, Research and Performance Improvement. All of our projects are driven by this vision, which is aligned with the Christiana Care Five-Year Plan and the Annual Operating Plan.

In FY2011, two Medicine retreats laid the groundwork for moving forward: a faculty retreat focused on the essentials of value-based care and a research retreat, on how research can support the provision of value-based care. The results were presented to Medicine and Administrative Staff at our annual meetings and as a kickoff to our FY2012 Residency Program.

Moving forward, we have the tools and the teams to accomplish our vision. With them we are building a Department of Medicine culture of continuous improvement that minimizes waste, eliminates harm, and provides well-coordinated, evidence-based, patient-centered care across the continuum. Our efforts continue to earn recognition nationally and at home.

For the fourth straight year, in FY2011 US News and World Report ranked Christiana Care as one of the nation’s best hospitals, high performing in 11 adult specialties. We are also ranked among the top hospitals in the region for high performance in 12 specialities, including cancer, diabetes and endocrinology, geriatrics, gastroenterology cardiology, kidney disorders, neurology, and pulmonology, according to US News Best Hospitals Metro Area Rankings. In addition, Christiana Hospital was recognized nationally as a top 100 hospital for community value, according to Cleverly+Associates, a leading health care data and consulting services firm.

Medicine initiatives are gaining well-deserved recognition for quality and patient safety. We were recognized by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association for implementing a higher standard of care for both stroke and heart failure patients, earning the Get with the Guidelines – Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award and the Heart Failure Gold Quality Achievement Award.

Medicine education remains strong for both combined and categorical graduate education programs and is supported by nationally known educators who serve as faculty and mentors. Fellowship programs in Cardiology and Nephrology are flourishing, and we continue to train medical students from Jefferson Medical College and other schools around the country.

Congratulations to all of our Teaching Award winners. Matthew Burday, D.O., FACP, is the 2011 recipient of the Herbert S. Waxman Award for Outstanding Medical Student Educator from the American College of Physicians, the largest medical-specialty organization in the United States. Dr. Burday has trained medical students at Christiana Care for more than 20 years, and his award is the highest honor the ACP presents to a medical student educator.

Congratulations also to Ehsanur Rahman, M.D., FACC, Teacher of the Year; Matt Dunn, M.D., Teacher of the Year for Pediatrics; Nuclear Medicine’s Hung Q. Dam, M.D., Teacher of the Year for Radiology; Lionel Malebranche, M.D., Most Outstanding Resident Teacher of the Year; and to Jim Perkins, M.D., recipient of the Mark W. Maxwell Award, selected by Medicine residents for his devotion to patients, compassion, humility, and extraordinary enthusiasm.

Research and scholarly activities are fully aligned with Departmental clinical, educational and performance improvement efforts that drive advances in healthcare delivery and how we train tomorrow’s providers. Once again we acknowledge and thank the many physicians in the Department who have contributed countless hours of service to Christiana Care in support of our mission.

Virginia U. Collier, M.D., FACP
Hugh R. Sharp Jr. Chair of Medicine
Professor of Medicine, Jefferson Medical College