Thom A. Mayer, MD, FACEP Monday, February 18 8:15 AM - 9:45 AM The Role of the ED Medical Director: Developing Leadership and Communication Skills The ED has substantial impact on the institution s and community s provision of health care. Effectively leading the ED, its staff, and programs requires navigation through a myriad of complex processes that may at first seem daunting. The presenter will highlight the issues of leadership and change in the complex organization. Specific examples of effective leadership and a description of the importance of effective communication skills (written and verbal) for the successful ED physician leader will also be discussed. o Identify the traits and methods used to be a successful leader. o Describe planning, implementation, and evaluation of all emergency department functions. o Identify the steps necessary for creating a vision, communicating the vision, and empowering others to act on that vision. o Describe change management and departmental integration strategies. o Identify the steps necessary to properly manage and control resources. o Define commitment to customer service (patients, family, administration, medical staff, etc.) o Describe the components of effective administrative, intra- and inter-departmental communication, including both verbal and written. Thom A. Mayer, MD, FACEP Monday, February 18 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM Implementing Effective Peer Review and Physician Profiling One of our greatest challenges as ED leaders is to continuously improve performance. It requires the development and communication of objective standards, the measurement of performance against those standards, and working with our colleagues to change and improve. Upon leaving residencies, our only mirror of performance is the peer review process. So, like it or not, medical directors must measure performance. The presenter will describe the peer review/performance improvement process, provide examples of reviews, describe approaches to physicians requiring improvement, and describe reporting methodologies. o Describe the performance improvement process and peer review. o Provide examples of indicators and their use. o List critical data elements, tools and methods of collecting information. o Use case examples to demonstrate implementation of peer review processes. o Describe physician counseling and institutional reporting.
Robert W. Strauss, Jr., MD, FACEP Monday, February 18 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM Patient Complaint Management Oh no not another complaint!! People complain when they are dissatisfied. Add the anxiety, confusion, and potential peril of an emergency and the number and seriousness of complaints increase. Complaint recognition and management are critical components of the successful ED director. When handled properly, a dissatisfied and angry person can achieve satisfaction. Alternatively, the improper management of a complaint can lead to a disgruntled person who seeks retribution. Leaders that recognize the relationship between quality and consumer satisfaction seek opportunities to improve by taking steps to reduce the root cause of dissatisfaction. The presentation will consider three issues: a) Who complains, why they do and methods of prevention; b) Successful program (process and tools) for complaint and compliment management; and c) Several classic ED complaints with underlying issues and methods of resolution. o Identify who complains and the reasons they complain. o Describe techniques to prevent complaints, including the application of the Yes theory, Realistic Triage, Resetting Expectations, Letting them know that you know, etc. o Explain methods to investigate complaints from patients, staff, administration, etc. o Implement a complaint management form and tracking system. o List classic complaints, the underlying issues, and prospective and retrospective solutions. Thom A. Mayer, MD, FACEP Monday, February 18 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM Customer Relations and Patient Satisfaction Do you know who your customers are and what they really want? Hospital leadership is placing increasing emphasis on patient satisfaction survey scores. Emergency department leaders are being held accountable to be able to interpret scores and develop and implement an action plan to improve scores on an ongoing basis. This presentation will offer a discussion on developing a work team, motivating and training staff, survey development, monitoring, and implementing responsive programs to address issues in a timely and effective manner as they arise. o Determine specific emergency department patient expectations; facility, environmental, staff performance, medical care, and patient flow. o Identify key patient issues creating satisfaction and dissatisfaction. o Examine strategies to meet, change, or exceed patient expectations. o Describe development and implementation of a customer relations program. o Evaluate key components of customer satisfaction surveys, telephone surveys, and patient focus groups. o Determine whether to make or buy a survey tool.
o Determine strategies to analyze and interpret data from satisfaction surveys. o Develop strategies to provide timely and pertinent feedback to key staff members. o Utilize case studies, and describe methods to develop an action plan to improve patient satisfaction scores. Kirk B. Jensen, MD, MBA, FACEP Monday, February 18 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM Engineering Patient Flow I: Theory, Metrics, and Application Your ability to operate an efficient emergency department is paramount to your success and tenure. This becomes one of our greatest management challenges. The speaker will describe methodologies to identify barriers and bottlenecks that compromise efficient patient flow. A discussion of queuing theory, crowding, and essential metrics will help you develop strategies to improve workflow, build effective relationships with ancillary providers, and incorporate structural redesign into the already complicated picture. The manner in which informed participatory decisions can improve operational efficiency and throughput also will be discussed. o Describe queuing theory. o Discuss issues of crowding. o List common ED operation metrics. o Describe the application of metrics to the ED. o Identify ED technologies that can help improve patient flow. Gregory L. Henry, MD, FACEP Tuesday, February 19 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Hospital Contracts When contracting with hospitals to provide emergency physician services, it is necessary to have a thorough, well-thought out and detailed contract. Attention to key elements of the cost incurred in providing emergency care, the duties and responsibilities of the parties, term and restrictions are critical to ensuring that both sides enter the agreement with an understanding of the performance expectations. The presenter will review the most common contract problems and methods to avoid them. o Describe the major elements of hospital contracts with emergency physicians and physician groups. o Identify the key financial considerations include defining when subsidy necessary. o Explain the generally expected relationships between the parties. o Recognize hospital and group s/physician s perspectives on the key contract issues of exclusivity, clean sweep provisions, restrictions on practice, termination and due process, indemnification, and hold harmless.
o Identify common areas of contract problems and methods to avoid them. Dighton C. Packard, MD, FACEP Tuesday, February 19 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM The Problem Physician One of the most difficult situations an emergency department director must face is the problem physician. This practitioner can come in many forms (aggravates staff / patients / medical staff, resistant to necessary change, substandard care). Using cases, this course will identify some of the more common types of problem practitioners and describe counseling techniques, the development of corrective actions with measurable outcomes, and end points. The presenter will also describe effective methods of termination. o List indicators, including methods of identification of the problem physician. o Describe most effective methods of confronting practitioners (direct, private, with data, etc.) o Discuss counseling techniques (how to have the conversations, documentation issues, when witnesses are necessary, etc.) o Describe corrective actions with measurable outcomes. o Define end points, i.e. when terminating the relationship is best for both parties. Kirk B. Jensen, MD, MBA, FACEP Tuesday, February 19 10:15 AM - 12:15 PM Length: 2 Hours Engineering Patient Flow II: Directing Change Once the director has analyzed the patient flow issue, the next step is to make improvements. The director must be able to implement specific changes to remove barriers and avoid the clogging points of his/her ED. Several specific case examples will be provided to demonstrate effective best practices that can be used to improve patient turnaround time and patient and staff satisfaction. These will include rapid triage, bedside registration, effective documentation methodologies, nursing protocols, expedited lab and imaging processes, and rapid admission procedures. o Describe improvement processes and concepts of "benchmarking" and "best practices". o Describe implementation programs to reduce delays, improve patient throughput, and enhance patient and provider satisfaction, such as rapid triage and bedside registration; documentation methodologies, handwritten chart, templated systems, scribes, dictat o Discuss methods to create buy-in from administration.
Kirk B. Jensen, MD, MBA, FACEP Tuesday, February 19 1:15 PM - 2:45 PM Length: 1.5 Hour Preventing Errors in Emergency Medicine Mistakes happen! The Institute of Medicine report has focused significant attention on the ubiquitous nature of medical errors and the associated morbidity and mortality. This course will specifically focus on types, theories and causes of errors in emergency medicine as well as situations, practices and systems that are most likely to lead to mistakes. In addition, this course will look at system-based (process) solutions to errors. o Describe the magnitude medical errors in medicine / ED, recounting the IOM report and its implications. o Define safety and error in medicine. o Distinguish error from harm/injury. o Discuss various theories of error (system, process, accident, mistake). o Identify moments and patients at high risk for common medical errors. o Describe system based solutions to error. o Discuss the development and implementation of safety standards/policies in the ED. Gregory L. Henry, MD, FACEP Tuesday, February 19 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Interactions that Create/Prevent Malpractice Emergency physicians develop a style of professional communication that is intended to create rapport, develop confidence, put patients and staff members at ease, and communicate critical information. Unfortunately the intent is not always achieved as some physicians do not take or have the time to effectively communicate. Worse, occasionally words and phrases are used that are misinterpreted and body language is incongruent with the intended message. These may lead to frustration, anger and claims of malpractice. This course will review types of words and phrases that are frequently misunderstood and lead to legal jeopardy. Additionally, the presenter will provide tips on how to deal with group members that are ineffective communicators. o Describe linguistic theory of communication. o Discuss difference between intention and reception. o List common words/phrases that are likely to be misunderstood. o Describe verbal and non-verbal approaches to effective communication. o Instruct members of group on features of effective communication.
Gregory L. Henry, MD, FACEP Tuesday, February 19 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Physician Contracts The success or failure of the contract between a physician and the group/hospital is based on effectively recognizing, discussing, and negotiating the difficult issues in advance. It is critical to clarify the important issues, expectations, and responsibilities when relationships are good, but what happens when they are not and termination is inevitable? What are the expected responsibilities, duties, and compensation? What is breach, is there a no-cause termination clause, what procedures exist for resolving disputes, and what are the restrictions? o Describe the key differences between independent contractor and employee relationships. o Describe the major elements of physician contracts. o Identify the key financial considerations. o Explain contracting entities (physician and group/hospital) perspectives on key contract clauses of: compensation and benefits, duties and responsibilities, restrictive covenants, term and termination. o Identify common areas of contract problems and methods to avoid them. Robert W. Strauss, Jr., MD, FACEP Wednesday, February 20 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM Conducting Effective Meetings Oh no! Not another meeting! The presenter will review when to and when NOT to have a meeting, and how to make the meetings you do have more effective and rewarding. Learn how to guide the overbearing, the sarcastic, the bashful, and the detractor. Discover effective methods to open and close discussions. This meeting will help to improve the rest of your meetings. o Describe when to and not to have a meeting. o Describe effective meeting planning and preparation. o Develop an effective agenda. o List problems that occur during a meeting and methods to resolve them. o Review common traps that chairs fall into, such as wandering discussion, taking a side, berating members. o Describe what to do when the meeting has concluded.
Jay A. Kaplan, MD, FACEP Wednesday, February 20 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM Containing Cost While Providing Prudent Care The effective ED leader must understand cost appropriate care and efficient utilization of critical resources. Financial realities place pressure on all participants in the healthcare environment and frequently necessitate a critical review of utilization. Too many CTs, admitting patients eventually denied by third party payors, unnecessary laboratory tests, staff cutbacks, etc., are all areas of frequent ED review. Critical review, peer comparisons (locally and nationally), and effective communication all play a role in defining appropriate utilization. The presenter will describe methods of encouraging practitioner (utilization) behavior change, when appropriate. o Define resource utilization and cost containment. o Identify the major types of over-utilized resources in the delivery of ED services (imaging studies, staff, inpatient services, laboratory studies, etc.) o Describe several tools available to the ED director and management team to assist with demand forecasting and cost management. o List institutional leaders traditionally most concerned about over-utilization. o Describe the potential risk of under-utilization. o Describe successful methods of demonstrating findings and creating behavior change. Jay A. Kaplan, MD, FACEP Wednesday, February 20 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM Driving Hospital Quality The Emergency Department can be a major driver of hospital quality. Typically 40% of hospital admissions come through the ED and, as such, opportunities to "jump start" quality care for a broad array of inpatients exist. Leaders of EDs should seize the opportunity not only to provide exemplary care of their own patients but also to take a broader role in being a champion for hospital quality. This presentation will focus on the opportunities that emergency department leaders have to impact the quality of care not only provided in their departments but throughout the hospital. o Describe multiple techniques to affect inpatient care not only as the result of initial treatment in the ED but through other hospital initiatives. o Explore many of the hospital-wide CMS/JCAHO medical quality and safety measures and present strategies by which the ED medical leadership can help impact these in the hospital. o Explain the primacy of medical staff leadership in driving medical quality and how the ED medical leadership can play an important role in this process.
Daniel J. Sullivan, MD, JD, FACEP Wednesday, February 20 12:45 PM 4:00 PM Length: 3 Hours Risk Management Time, expectations, communication, errors, etc. all conspire against us to create dissatisfaction and poor outcomes. We and our colleagues all experience situations leading to less than optimal care. Preventative techniques will substantially reduce risk and improve the perceptions of care and caring by those receiving it. There are many known high-risk situations that when identified can be controlled and the impact limited. Among them are operational situations, such as change of shift (sign-out) and return visits, clinical presentations, such as chest pain and pediatric fever, behavioral issues, such as AMAs and communication. The speaker will review the major causes of malpractice and methods that you and others in your practice may use to avoid them. o Describe the components of malpractice. o List high risk: a) behaviors and interpersonal communications b) clinical presentations c) operational situations o Identify methods of determining high-risk behaviors in ones own ED. o Describe methods to decrease risk. Robert W. Strauss, Jr., MD, FACEP (Moderator); Daniel J. Sullivan, MD, JD, FACEP Wednesday, February 20 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Keeping Your Contract: Preventing and Dealing with Problems Emergency department directors are confronted with problems from every direction. Effective directors seek to recognize and resolve problems as they arise. Superb directors establish mechanisms to identify issues before they arise. This experienced panel will describe methods to recognize, resolve, and even prevent the most common and serious issues that threaten your relationship with the institution. Participants will be given time to describe their particular problems so that the panel members may comment. o Describe the most common issues that cause contract loss. o Explain how effective and ineffective directors deal with those issues. o List processes to identify problems before they occur.
Daniel J. Sullivan, MD, JD, FACEP Thursday, February 21 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM Length: 2 Hours Legally Interviewing, Hiring, and Terminating Interviewing, hiring, and terminating is substantially more complex that it would appear to a new director. This presentation is designed to familiarize the medical director with the necessary approach, documentation and communication involved in legally hiring and firing. The presenter will provide case studies to demonstrate appropriate and inappropriate techniques of interviewing, hiring, counseling, and firing personnel. A full understanding of the essential steps in this common process protects the interests of all parties. o Explain relevant federal and state labor laws, i.e., Civil Rights Act, FMLA, etc. o Define at-will, ADA, and other employment issues. o Describe appropriate and inappropriate questions and approaches to the interview process. o Explain methods of counseling (corrective actions) that are likely to pass legal muster. o List the required components to terminate an employee with least risk to you and the organization. Robert W. Strauss, Jr., MD, FACEP Thursday, February 21 10:15 AM - 11:45 AM Effective Conflict Management Callousness, anger, frustration, and tantrums are commonplace in the stressful environment of the emergency department. Many of our customers are in crisis. Everyone emergency caregivers, private practitioners, patients and administrators has needs that must be met. Explore what causes communication breakdown. Participants will discuss the origin of common ED conflicts and successful methods to resolve them. o Describe the common causes of conflict and the origins of stress in the ED environment. o Review ineffective individual responses to stress and conflict. o Define the necessary communication skills to effectively address conflict, such effective listening, eye contact, avoiding emotion, etc. o Describe the Theory of Yes and the concept of focusing on issues, rather than positions.
Robert W. Strauss, Jr., MD, FACEP Thursday, February 21 12:45 PM - 1:45 PM Negotiating Skills It has been said, You don t get what you deserve; you get what you negotiate. The presenter will describe and demonstrate critical negotiating principles and techniques that you can use in your professional and personal life to get you what you want and deserve. Critical concepts of time, deadline, starting position, and concessions will be described with real examples. Participants will recognize how effective negotiators use power techniques such as competition, expertise, and higher authority. o Define the principles of negotiation. o List the components of successful negotiating, including attitude, information and aspirations, time, power, and planning. o Describe negotiating processes, including starting, concession behavior, and overcoming obstacles. o Describe effective responses to common negotiating ploys. Michael A. Granovsky, MD, CPC, FACEP Thursday, February 21 1:45 PM - 3:15 PM Billing and Coding Most emergency departments generate money the old fashioned way they earn it by caring for patients. The key is to convince the payers that the providers are due reimbursement for the clinical services provided. Several basic principles of documentation, E/M coding, CPT definitions, RVUs, billing, charge structure, write-offs, bad-debt, accountability, compliance, etc., will be discussed. Several time tested methods of improving reimbursement will be discussed, as will be methods to monitor your ED s performance in this critical area. Additionally, the presenter will identify and suggest how to prevent billing, coding, and supervision issues subject to fraud and abuse. o Define basic terminology of the billing and coding system. o Describe the specific components of the billing process. o Explain the professional and technical components of E/M coding and billing. o Identify how E/M coding and billing interrelates to the hospital reimbursement. o Differentiate between billing performed by a group, hospital, or billing company with respect to general approach, ongoing monitoring and management. o Identify areas of emergency billing, coding, and resident supervision where fraud/abuse can take place.
Michael A. Granovsky, MD, CPC, FACEP Thursday, February 21 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM Reimbursement Issues The bottom line is the bottom line. Without appropriate financial resources, your ED and group will fail. ED groups and hospitals are dependent on patient care revenues to support the mission of the department. Medicare cuts, managed care practices, and heavily discounted fee schedules may threaten the financial viability of ED practice. The presenter will provide an overview of today s trends in ED reimbursement issues, including APCs, discounted arrangements, denials, etc. o Define the overall system of how emergency physicians and hospitals get paid for providing emergency services. o Discuss the trends in EM reimbursement and the factors influencing these trends. o Demonstrate the differences between what is charged for EM services and what is collected and why. Kevin M. Klauer, DO, EJD, FACEP Friday, February 22 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM New Physician Recruiting and Orientation Does your system consist of a) "You want to interview, OK come see me during my shift tomorrow" b) Now that you have completed the tour, here is a copy of the chart. Good luck!"? The presenter will describe the successful and effective recruitment and orientation processes to ensure success. Successful recruitment requires an elaborate organization of reviews and interviews and a thorough understanding of the candidate s capacity and aspirations. Effective orientation incorporates substantial exposure to the EDs processes, policies, support systems, and operations prior to beginning clinical activities. The participant will be given a case study guidebook to help you develop orientation materials for your own emergency department. o Develop and implement an effective recruitment process. o List necessary recruitment reviews and interviews. o Explore candidate s capacity and aspirations. o List necessary components of practitioner orientation. o Design orientation checklists and materials. o Define and give examples of physician orientation plans.
Kevin M. Klauer, DO, EJD, FACEP Friday, February 22 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Productivity and Compensation: Measurement and Feedback Other than emergency physicians, most doctors are paid for productivity. Using a reward or productivity based compensation system, organizations can align incentives. Emergency physicians change from I had a wonderful night, I slept and got paid to I want greater volume and more satisfied patients. To accomplish this requires a system that is fair, understandable, and allows for objective measurements. The speaker will describe the tools necessary to measure productivity and performance in order to give the emergency physicians appropriate understanding of their work product in relationship to their peers. o Identify methods for measuring physician productivity, i.e. volume, RVUs, etc. o Explain productivity performance measurement and identify examples. o Describe how incentives can be aligned using productivity compensation methodologies. o Develop a basic incentive compensation plan. John D. McCourt, MD, FACEP Friday, February 22 10:15 AM - 11:15 AM Staffing - Scheduling Methodologies I One of the most important aspects of being a director is creating the right mix of physicians and mid-level providers to ensure efficient care, satisfied patients, and proper revenue. Proper scheduling and awareness of practitioner wellness is essential for practitioner satisfaction. The presenter will review several methods for making an ED schedule that maximizes staff satisfaction yet effectively provides necessary ED coverage. When is another attending physician needed? When is a mid-level provider the best option? The most recent staffing trends will be discussed in light of the current increases in patient volume and acuity that many emergency departments are experiencing. Despite little scientific data, the current experiences of the most efficiently run emergency departments will be discussed. o Demonstrate several methods available to an ED medical director to assist with staffing and scheduling issues. o Discuss the staffing models of the most efficient emergency departments. o Explain the best ways to reconfigure staffing models as the volume increases. o List critical points of when another attending is required. o Explain how staffing affects efficiency, patient and provider satisfaction, cost-effective care, and medical-legal safety.
John D. McCourt, MD, FACEP Friday, February 22 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM Staffing - Scheduling Methodologies II One of the most important aspects of being a director is creating the right mix of physicians and mid-level providers to ensure efficient care, satisfied patients, and proper revenue. Proper scheduling and awareness of practitioner wellness is essential for practitioner satisfaction. The presenter will review several methods for making an ED schedule that maximizes staff satisfaction yet effectively provides necessary ED coverage. When is another attending physician needed? When is a mid-level provider the best option? The most recent staffing trends will be discussed in light of the current increases in patient volume and acuity that many emergency departments are experiencing. Despite little scientific data, the current experiences of the most efficiently run emergency departments will be discussed. o Demonstrate several methods available to an ED medical director to assist with staffing and scheduling issues. o Discuss the staffing models of the most efficient emergency departments. o Explain the best ways to reconfigure staffing models as the volume increases. o List critical points of when another attending is required. o Explain how staffing affects efficiency, patient and provider satisfaction, cost-effective care, and medical-legal safety.