Letter to the Honorable Governor Edmond G. Brown, Jr.

Honorable Governor Edmond G. Brown Jr.                               December 29, 2013
The Great State of California
c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814

　

Dear Governor Brown,

Thank you and your entire staff for your commitment to create a safe and efficient healthcare system. The California Department of Public Health(CDPH) has become the "go to" portal, world-wide, for best practices for the prevention of Healthcare Associated Infections(HAI), a preventable and costly set of diseases in measurable fiscal cost, patient suffering and the loss of life of thousands in California annually.

From what I have learned over the past couple of years through my advocacy for the prevention of HAI in our Veteran’s Hospitals is that HAI will not be defeated by science, management decision or fear of punitive actions. Despite popular belief, healthcare varies little from other industries exiting a period of easy money and questionable quality.

Systems that have achieved measurable success preventing HAI such as Anthem Blue Cross’s "Patient Safety First" program have one thing in common, beaming passion for the task at hand from the custodian up to the C.E.O. with access to proven, standardized processes.

The passion expressed by the CDPH concerning the prevention of HAI is impressive, on a small scale healthcare staff have proven to be capable, the American Association of Critical Care Nurses has set the standard for advocating for workplace safety to its members and encouraging members to assume a leadership role in process execution. The yet untapped asset of the educated patient, more positive movement in my opinion.

Early on Ms. Kehaly, C.E.O. Anthem Blue Cross, expressed that the cure for HAI lies in the "will" of Healthcare, the attitude at the CDPH gives me confidence, as a group, Healthcare shall prevail.

Once again, thank you and your entire staff for your interest and commitment to patient safety for all of us here in California, your efforts will and are having an impact on our Veteran’s Hospitals via the freedom of information act, again, "thank you"! "Let’s Get Healthy California", "thank you"!

Respectfully,
Michael H. Slavinski                                               http://h-a-i-5.blogspot.com



　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

Page 2 December 29, 2013

cc:
 Honorable California Senator Ed Hernandez
Chair, Committee on Health Care

Honorable California Senator Mark Wyland

Honorable California Senator William W. Monning

Honorable California Assembly member Rocky J. Chavez

Honorable California Assembly member Katcho Achadjian

Diana S. Dooly
Secretary
California Department of Public Health

Ms. Kathleen Billingsley
Chief Deputy Director
California Department of Public Health

Ms. Vicki Good
President,
American Association of Critical Care Nurses

SEIU-UHW
Executive Board

Mr. Chuck Idelson
Communication Director
California Nurses Association

Mr. Eddie W. Hartenstrin
Publisher and Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles Times
Publisher and Chief Executive Officer,Tribune Company

Ms. Pam Kehaly
Chief Executive Officer,
Anthem Blue Cross

Staff, Anthem Blue Cross



"If we can improve the quality of care, that will translate into lower cost," Anthem President Pam Kehaly said. "These are real dollars." 

The picture, home sweet home courtesy U.S. Peace Corps in Northern Ghana 

 

Doom, gloom, and Happy Holidays!

 

We compare healthcare to the aviation industry safety, we can see the progress in cancer survival, the third on N.P.R.'s top ten I highlight on my blog, our kid's in the U.S. Peace Corps, M.I.P. through Bard college, mission is focused on resource management working on the shea industry in Ghana, Africa, all women. She is with us for the holidays, I just e-mailed her this! 
 Perhaps some day the gains in preventing Healthcare Associated Infections will make the list! 

 

http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/npr/256615983/tired-of-doom-and-gloom-here-s-the-best-good-news-of-2013

 

Happy holidays!

Healthcare Associated Infections, Leadership as a "Best Practice"!

 

December 15, 2013, 

Jorge Palacios

California Department of Public Health (CDPH-CHCQ-HAI)

Re: Leadership “Best Practices for the Prevention of Healthcare Associated Infections”

Dear Mr. Palacious,

Once again, thank you and the entire staff at the California Department of Public Health for all that you do for the people of California.

 There was a very interesting argument on “Leadership” in healthcare on Linked-in, the comments led me to this work from England, they closely track the fourteen traits of leadership all U.S. Marines memorize in boot-camp. Upon having cultural issues in our humble machine shop we review them in a classroom setting, it has made a difference over the years, schools do not teach this vital survival tool.

 Again, back to a “Best Practice for the Prevention of HAI”, from what I have learned in my advocacy is that all the technology is useless without a highly motivated culture, muck like the Marines, the National Association of Critical Care Nurses(AACCN) seem to be on the same page.

 The U.S. Marines did not invent the fourteen traits of leadership nor did they invent the highly chaotic work place so copyright should not be a problem.

“The staff are not to blame”, Deming is on the same page, I learned it the hard way but I now accept is a truism.

 My interest is not directed at healthcare management, it should be used a “grid” for the healthcare practitioner to assume ownership of their process and decision’s that build confidence in proven processes and an environment of trust.  Healthcare management will follow the success bestowed in their staff via a shared interest in patient safety.

Once again, thank you, I really appreciate your and your staff’s patience with my advocacy for the Prevention of HAI in our Veteran’s Hospitals, I really appreciate it!

Best regards,

Michael H. Slavinski                                  http://h-a-i-5.blogspot.com

 

 

Https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/berwick-review-into-patient-safety

 

●●Patient safety problems exist throughout the NHS as with every other health care system in the world.

●●NHS staff are not to blame – in the vast majority of cases it is the systems, procedures, conditions, environment and constraints they face that lead to patient safety problems.

●●Incorrect priorities do damage: other goals are important, but the central focus must always be on patients.

●●In some instances, including Mid Staffordshire, clear warning signals abounded and were not heeded, especially the voices of patients and careers.

●●When responsibility is diffused, it is not clearly owned: with too many in charge, no-one is.

●●Improvement requires a system of support: the NHS needs a considered, resourced and driven agenda of capability-building in order to deliver continuous improvement.

●●Fear is toxic to both safety and improvement.

To address these issues the system must:

●●Recognize with clarity and courage the need for wide systemic change.

●●Abandon blame as a tool and trust the goodwill and good intentions of the staff.

●●Reassert the primacy of working with patients and carers to achieve health care goals.

●●Use quantitative targets with caution. Such goals do have an important role en route to progress, but should never displace the primary goal of better care.

●●Recognize that transparency is essential and expect and insist on it.

●●Ensure that responsibility for functions related to safety and improvement are vested clearly and simply.

●●Give the people of the NHS career-long help to learn, master and apply modern methods for quality control, quality improvement and quality planning.

●●Make sure pride and joy in work, not fear, infuse the NHS.

 

 

 

 

 

The picture, "Neem" cream production in Northern Ghana, Neem cream, made from an indigenous plant, is used as a mosquito repellant which carry malaria.   Picture via US Peace Corps volunteer.

 

Another parade, aviation safety and Hospital Associated Infections!

Jorge Palacios                                                                                   December 8, 2013

California Department of Public Health (CDPH-CHCQ-HAI)

Re: Prevention of Healthcare Associated Infections(HAI)

 

Dear Mr. Palacios,

 

Once again please allow me to thank you and your staff at  the California Department of Public Health for all that you do concerning patient safety, I really appreciated it.

 Below is a comment I made today on Linked-in site put up by the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ). Linked-in  provides a closed discussion group that I routinely introduce my thoughts for my advocacy for the prevention of HAI in our Veteran’s Hospitals.

 There seems to be no proven path for my advocacy and I appreciate the opportunity provided by the California Department of Public Health and all of those in healthcare that I challenge on a daily basis to find one.

Once again, thank you and all of the staff at the California Department of Public Health for all that you do for those in need in the Great State of California!

Best regards,

Michael H. Slavinski             

 

“Lessons from Aviation safety that apply despite differences in Healthcare”

 

OK, a call to action, from a successful organization I belonged to, it was in the aviation field but we were pretty much cannibals, it was the only way those planes would fly, “budgetary problems”!

 “Knowledge is king”, that was part of boot camp, here is the article that launched my advocacy for the prevention of  Healthcare Associated Infections(HAI) in our Veteran’s hospitals. The positive nature of the article caught my attention, the cost saving , low tech process improvements and inspirational comments from the stake holders inspired me to send a copy to the POTUS(Commander in Chief).

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/aug/23/business/la-fi-hospital-infections-20110823

 

Here is something I am looking into now from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses(AACCN)

http://www.aacn.org/wd/publishing/content/pressroom/pressreleases/2013/nov-ajcc-hwe-hais.content?menu=AboutUs

Hard fought battle, not even close, Pam Kehaly, President Anthem Blue Cross, and her staff, the “hai-five”, had my wife and I down for lunch and the Commander in Chief sent me some cool swag.

 My advice, stay positive and a comment I stole from  Ms. Kehaly’s statement to the six or seven thousand nurses that work for her at Anthem Blue Cross  here in California, “have fun”!

Ps profound knowledge gained from my advocacy,

The V.A. only answers to the commander in Chief.

The only way for my advocacy to help the Vets is to prevent HAI worldwide, no problem! We ask of the VA to do far too much with far too little in my opinion.

Where does do all of these cost and life saving strategies go to be monitored and continuously improved (please support the “Database of Best Practices for the Prevention of HAI” currently housed at the California Department of Public Health. Jorge.Palacios@cdph.ca.gov

Never write when your team is losing and per Deming, “no one comes to work wanting to do a bad job”!

 

Vista, CA 2013 Christmas parade--

  The happy crowd including the wife, windy, 50deg, pouring rain, in front of Battery World!

 

These kids are freezing!

Guess who!

 

Veterans

 

Happy holidays!

Can public agencies help educate the patient in an efficient manner?

Diana S. Dooly,                   Draft  11/3/13

Secretary

California Department of Public Health

 

Re: Opportunity to enhance efforts of the California Department of Public Health’s Healthcare Associated Infections(HAI) program.

 

Dear Secretary Dooly,

 Please allow me to thank you for all that you and your office do for the wellbeing of all California citizens, I really appreciate it.

At this time my humble advocacy for the prevention of Healthcare Associated Infections(HAI) in our Veterans Hospitals has identified an opportunity to enhance the excellent work currently underway at the California Department of Public Health’s(CDPH) HAI program.

 Due to the CDPH’s being a public agency and its relationships to private, philanthropic and public health organizations it is rapidly becoming premier resource portal for the prevention of HAI in the world. Having access to real-time monitoring would also place the CDPH in a potential position of leadership of large scale process improvement hopefully leading to standardized and efficient processes.

 All forms of HAI, according to the U.S. Department of Public Health and Human Services, are preventable and should be treated as any other preventable disease with the largest contributor, as with the rest of healthcare, being a well-educated patient.

 Technically, the CDPH’s HAI program is second to none, user friendly and inspirational to the non-healthcare consumer like myself, it is not.  Please review the great done by the Washington State Hospital Association(WSHA) concerning HAI,  should I advocated for the State of California to develop a completely redundant portal? My understanding is that U.S. Department of health and Human Services funds were in part responsible for the development of the site,

 Thousands of citizens in California will needlessly lose their lives or be seriously injured by HAI this year, preventing HAI has been accomplished in many facilities in California, at this time I am advocating for the CDPH to include a link to the good work of the WSHA on their current HAI website as a practical starting point for patient interest.

 Once again, than you and your staff for what you do and especially for your efforts concerning “Lets get Healthy California”.

Best regards,                                                              http://h-a-i-5.blogspot.com

Michael H. Slavinski

 

Honorable Governor Edmond G. Brown Jr.

The Great State of California

Honorable California Senator Ed Hernandez

Chair, Committee on Health Care

Honorable  California Senator Mark Wyland

Honorable California Senator William W. Monning

Honorable California Assembly member Rocky  J. Chavez

Honorable California Assembly member Katcho Achadjian

Ms. Pam Kehaly

President, Anthem Blue Cross

 

Staff, Anthem Blue Cross

 

"If we can improve the quality of care, that will translate into lower cost," Anthem President Pam Kehaly said. "These are real dollars."

Those of you who have been following these pictures, well, just cool stuff! "Knowledge is king", that came straight out of boot camp, books were actually called "knowledge" and trust me, you did not want to show up without your "knowledge"!

 

5's for patient safety!

Mr. Palacios, thought you might be interested in this as more public support for your efforts!

Dear Ms. Fraser,

Thank you Ms. Fraser for highlighting a critical issue, the fact that it was posted in the U.T. is most heartening. My wife and I just moved back here to Vista, northern San Diego County, good to know there is something in that paper other than the “Filner Headlock”.

http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/5-steps-create-culture-patient-safety/2013-10-17?goback=%2Egmp_1854742%2Egde_1854742_member_5797068599990444034#%21

 You have to choose between the L.A. Times and the U.T., which absorbed the North County Times so we get the L.A. Times delivered daily and the U.T. on the weekends for $20 a year. Here is what inspired my advocacy, “hai-five” dedicated to the Prevention of Healthcare Associated Infections(HAI) in our Veteran’s Hospitals:

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/aug/23/business/la-fi-hospital-infections-20110823

And now the U.T. kicks out this article, cool stuff, I guess I forgot to mention my wife was a bean counter for Coply News services, they owned the U.T. back in the day.

 According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services all forms of HAI are preventable, the answers are buried deep in a silo near you, a hospital is California has not had a Centerline Associated Bloodstream  Infection  (CLABSI) in nearly eight years, thousands in California will lose their life this year needlessly due to CLABSI.

 Currently my advocacy is highlighting the efforts of the California Department of Public Health(CDPH) to develop a “Database of Best Practices for the Prevention of HAI” to be available and improved by all healthcare professionals worldwide, feel free to contact the CDPH via Mr. Palacios, feel free to use my password, “freedomofinformationact”:

Jorge.Palacios@cdph.ca.gov

http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/hai/Pages/default.aspx

Once again, thank you Ms. Fraser for making my day, the “5 steps to create a culture of patient safety” is pretty much the answer from what I have found out over the past couple of years, all this for a few old Jarheads. Not too sure what they think of my efforts up at the CDPH, leaves me to assume they have a good sense of humor!

“hai-five”                                http://h-a-i-5.blogspot.com

Michael H. Slavinski                     

 

Cc:  Jorge Palacios, C.D.P.H. Healthcare Associated Infections

"If we can improve the quality of care, that will translate into lower cost," Anthem President Pam Kehaly said. "These are real dollars”

 

p.s. The picture, "good by wine country"

Targets Up(draft)

Dear Ms. Hansten,

Once again, thank you so much for directing my advocacy for the prevention of Healthcare Associated infection(HAI) to the good work of the Washington State Hospital Association(WSHA) concerning patient safety.

http://www.wsha.org/partnershipforpatients.cfm

 While still digesting what the program is and yes, so far I am really impressed by many aspects of the presentation, I would like to exploit the opportunity to ask the California Department of Public Health(CDPH) to at least offer a link to the good work of the WSHA concerning patient safety. In this case my advocacy would start in Governor Browns office with an emphasis on improved patient safety and healthcare efficiencies, emphasized in his “Let’s Get Healthy California” taskforce:

http://gov.ca.gov/news.php?id=17526

 Your offer of contact information for experts in the program perhaps  would be a big help for little do I know about healthcare and as far as the CDPH goes, on its own it is a substantial entity but where it is housed and the public, private and philanthropic organizations surrounding it, well, Darth Vader on his best day could not build something that massive, it is going to take me a few years to even understand how it functions. All this to help out a few old jarheads.

 Once again, thank you for your valuable time and all that you do concerning patient safety, I really appreciate it! Healthcare has to change, all of these great programs, most redundant, in my opinion, are nowhere near their potential, standardize the “known” and commit more resources to pushing past the known, at least that is my opinion.

Best regards,

Michael H. Slavinski