Trendsetting Interactive, Online Annual Report

Experience it at http://SutterHealth.org/annualreport

Are you an e-patient? Studies show that 80 percent of American Internet users go online for health information. Thanks to Web 2.0, e-patients now have even more ways to share personal health experiences, shop for health care and learn about advanced medical technologies. Go to http://sutterhealth.org/annualreport and you’ll see one of the ways Sutter Health is transforming how it communicates with patients through its interactive online “Report to Our Communities.”

“Having a fully online annual report isn’t yet a trend in health care, but digital information certainly is a trend and it makes sense for organizations to adapt to how people receive information today,” said Pat Fry, Sutter Health president and CEO. “This is more than a digital brochure; it’s an interactive experience that allows visitors to view information about Sutter Health when and how they want it.”

A key feature of Sutter Health’s “Report to Our Communities” is a series of compelling video stories of patients, community partners and employees. It also includes interactive Web pages where visitors can view Sutter Health’s advancements in clinical quality and patient safety, charity care and community partnerships, as well as financial information and vital statistics.

The demand for relevant and newsworthy Web 2.0 content is skyrocketing; YouTube and other video sharing sites are revolutionizing the way people seek and receive information online. According to the Pew Research Center, 57 percent of adult Internet users watch online videos.

“Sutter Health’s online videos allow visitors to see firsthand, through an entertaining format, how our focus on quality, investment in patient safety and dedication to convenient access truly benefit our patients and communities,” added Fry. “Traditional paper annual reports also consume tens of thousands of sheets of paper. Our online approach conserves natural resources and has helped us to preserve nearly a dozen trees.”

Here’s a snapshot of what you can see at http://sutterhealth.org/annualreport:

Life Saving EHR Technology
Julie’s story — “Sutter’s EHR saved my life.”

Julie Alvarez was getting a routine physical before her scheduled back surgery when an alert popped up on her electronic health record (EHR) — she was due for her first mammogram. Although eager to get her back surgery done, she made an appointment for the screening. The mammogram results were stunning — Julie had breast cancer. Watch Julie’s story (http://sutterhealth.org/annualreport).

Convenient Access to Quality Care

Joan’s story — “I can’t think of anything else, except hip-hip hurrah for this place.”

Joan Amen has lived in Stockton her entire life. As she aged, she developed numerous health problems, and now requires frequent monitoring and blood tests. For years, Joan and her daughter, who is her primary caregiver, would drive to multiple health care offices around town to get her tests done. It was an exhausting routine that Joan is now able to leave behind. Her routine has changed for better thanks to Sutter Health and the Sutter Gould Medical Foundation. Watch Joan’s story (http://sutterhealth.org/annualreport).

Caring for the Uninsured
Norma’s story — “I had nowhere to turn.”

Norma Gonzalez was in disabling pain but didn’t have health insurance and couldn’t afford the surgery necessary to correct the cartilage tear in her knee. She was unable to work or care for her young daughter. That’s when she connected with Operation Access and Sutter Health and her life changed forever. Watch Norma’ story (http://sutterhealth.org/annualreport).

Devoted Doctors and Donors Keep Doors Open

Brownsville’s story — “We do what we can, as well as we can, and as lovingly as we can.”

About 35 years ago two doctors left the big city for Brownsville, Calif., a rural community 75 miles outside of Sacramento. From a converted barracks of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the pair began seeing patients. A generation later, the Brownsville team is part of Sutter Health and the entire local community has stepped up to keep this small medical facility up and running. Watch the Brownsville clinic’s story (http://sutterhealth.org/annualreport).

Patient and Employee Satisfaction
Percy’s story — “This is the Sutter Difference.”

Each year, employees throughout Sutter Health complete a confidential worker satisfaction survey. When he looked at his department’s survey results, Percy Williams, director of Radiology, Santa Cruz Medical Foundation knew things could be improved. So he worked with his team to make some big changes – changes that had a huge positive impact on patients. Watch Percy’s story (http://sutterhealth.org/annualreport).

Additionally, Sutter Health’s first-ever comprehensive and interactive annual report, released last year, has received rave reviews and several awards including:

  • Judge’s Choice trophy in the Aster Awards, recognition that is given only to division winners with perfect scores from all judges. One of ten such awards received from 3,000 entries. This achievement earned the report a feature in the award issue of Marketing Healthcare Today.
  • Bronze Award from the 2007 Vision Awards Annual Report Competition presented by the League of American Communications Professionals (LACP).
  • Finalist in the most-improved publication category for Ragan Communications.
  • Merit Award from the International Association of Business Communicators.

Source: Sutter Health


Open eHealth Foundation Defines Development Priorities

  • Author: Health Informer
  • Filed under: Health News
  • Date: Jul 25,2008

Open eHealth Foundation Now an Official Nonprofit Organization – Board of Directors and President Elected – Development Priorities Defined

The Open eHealth Foundation (OeHF), an open source initiative for the efficient exchange of medical information based on existing standards, is officially registered as a nonprofit organization in Delaware. This milestone enables the foundation (which was launched at HIMSS 2008 by Agfa HealthCare, InterComponentWare and Sun Microsystems) to begin operations.

Board of Directors and President Elected

As the OeHF’s first Chairman of the Board, the foundation members elected Lindsy Strait from Sun Microsystems. Additional board members include Thomas Liebscher, InterComponentWare, and Evgueni Loukipoudis, Agfa HealthCare. As Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Loukipoudis will be responsible for the architecture as well as the interoperability of software components developed by the OeHF.

Alexander Ihls was appointed OEHF’s President and also acts as Chief Business Development Officer (CBDO). In this function, he is directing the foundation’s orientation and is responsible for the acquisition of new partners and members. Richard Golden assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the foundation and will be responsible for setting up the infrastructure and the organization of development projects.

Development Priorities Defined

The OeHF will use existing IHE (Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise) profiles as a guideline for its development activities. All the OeHF service components will be designed flexibly, will offer IHE compliant functionality, and will be usable in national initiatives such as the Canada Health Infoway or the Fraunhofer electronic case record in Germany.

The OeHF has prioritized the initial IHE profiles, which will be given priority for being implemented as open source components. Initially, actors from the IHE PIX/PDQ (Patient Identifier Cross Referencing / Patient Demographics Query) profile (and related profiles) will be implemented. The development work for these components has already started. The results will be presented at HIMSS 2009 in Chicago to the general public.

Open Membership

The OeHF is open for additional members interested in participating in the community. Visit www.openehealth.org for additional information.

Source: Open eHealth Foundation


AARP the Magazine Names the Top 10 Healthiest Places to Live in America

  • Author: Health Informer
  • Filed under: Health News
  • Date: Jul 24,2008

Ann Arbor, Michigan Takes Top Honors as the #1 Healthiest City to Live and Retire In

AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world’s largest-circulation magazine with more than 34 million readers, today announced the top ten healthiest cities to live and retire in with Ann Arbor, MI, Honolulu, HI, Madison, WI, Santa Fe, NM, and Fargo, ND taking the top five rankings. Featured in the September/October issue, the magazine also named five additional cities that received high marks for vitality and great living conditions including Boulder, CO, Charlottesville, VA, San Francisco Bay Area, Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN, and Naples-Marco Island, FL.

AARP The Magazine evaluated over 20 measures of vitality to help make its decisions and incorporated not only the physical aspects of a community (clean air and water), but also the health and habits of people who live there, taking into special consideration the health needs of people age 50+. Communities were chosen based on various criteria including opportunities for exercise, number of doctors in the area, availability of healthcare, diagnosis of health problems, healthy eating habits, and more. The magazine also evaluated quality of life measures such as housing affordability, the local economy, educational resources, crime, climate, recreational amenities, and arts and culture to help make their selections.

“The cities we chose are ahead of the healthy living curve with access to healthcare facilities, numerous options for exercise, activities, volunteerism, and a culture that supports vitality,” said Nancy Graham, Acting Editor of AARP The Magazine. “This has become one of AARP The Magazine’s most popular annual features and it’s exciting to be the authority on the top cities for retirement at a time when more Americans than ever are approaching that milestone.”

AARP The Magazine’s Top 10 Healthiest Cities to Live and Retire for 2008:

Ann Arbor's Farmers Market

Ann Arbor's Farmers Market

1. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Fully 86% of residents exercise daily; the city boasts 580 physicians per 100,000 people, compared to the U.S. average of 223; it is home to The University of Michigan Health Center – one of the largest university medical centers in the world and creator of the first human genetics program in the U.S. in 1940.

2. Honolulu, Hawaii: An impressive 95% of residents are covered by health insurance; residents spend more time exercising than almost any other city surveyed; locals have one of the highest rates of life expectancy among surveyed cities.

3. Madison, Wisconsin: Residents have low rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol; here you’ll find big city advantages with a small-town feel; Madison hosts an extensive bus system, numerous bike trails and a wide-range of sporting activities.

4. Santa Fe, New Mexico: The city ranked #2 in the U.S. in air quality by the American Lung Association; the rates of diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol are among the lowest in the country, in part because of a city-funded health campaign aimed at older residents.

5. Fargo, North Dakota: Ranks #9 in the nation for regular flossing and brushing; it has one of the best air-quality-index scores, uses biodiesel fuel to power its transit buses, and it has made a serious commitment to incorporate methane-powered generators, solar panels, and wind generators into the city’s infrastructure.

6. Boulder, Colorado: This home to more than 130 miles and 45,000 acres of open space and pristine wilderness at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains attracts environment and health-conscious residents; it is one of the nation’s healthiest cities with extremely low rates of smoking and obesity (BMI of 24.94).

7. Charlottesville, Virginia: The one-time home of Thomas Jefferson ranks in the top ten cities for family-practice doctors, oncologists and cardiologists; it ranks fourth among U.S. metropolitan areas in the number of physicians per capita.

8. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota: Residents rank among the top ten in the country for share of residents who exercise regularly; Minnesota is ranked the #1 state in the nation for the overall quality of its healthcare by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

9. San Francisco Bay Area, California: Residents are among the least likely to be overweight and smoke; last year, the city of San Francisco launched Healthy San Francisco, an initiative that offers free or subsidized health care to uninsured residents.

10. Naples-Marco Island, Florida: Residents received very high scores for regular exercise, healthy eating and not smoking; the area has one of the lowest cancer mortality rates in the country; Naples-Marco Island has the second most golf holes per capita in the country.

AARP The Magazine’s special report examines which cities excelled in key areas of longevity, vitality, and wellness. Ames, IA was the city with the longest life expectancy, 81.02 years, followed by Naples-Marco Island, FL with 80.97 years. Ames, IA, also topped the list of cities with the highest percentage of people able to afford healthcare, at 97.9% and Johnston, PA, was second on that list at 96.2%. In a key measure of health, average body mass index (BMI), Boulder, CO topped the list as the skinniest city, with a 24.94 BMI, followed by Santa Fe, NM, which had an average BMI of 25.50. Of cities with the greenest commuters, Ithaca, NY, was highest on the list with 16.88% of commuters biking or walking to work.

Full criteria included: Cardiac mortality rates (age-adjusted), prescriptions for control of hypertension, cholesterol (per capita), physician diagnoses of diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity (BMI), smoking cigarettes, alcohol use, access to affordable healthcare, physicians and cardiologists in area (per capita), fast food outlets (per capita), state legislation for smoke-free workplaces and public places, percent having a health plan, percent unable to afford health care, percent of residents who had a recent routine checkup, healthy eating (salads, fruits, vegetable servings per day), regular exercise, commuting by bicycle or walking, stress index (indicators include depression, divorce, suicide, crime, unemployment, etc.), teaching hospitals (per capita), hospital beds available (per capita), and hospitals with emergency rooms. Sources included CDC WONDER Compressed Mortality File (2000-2004), Medical Marketing Services, CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey (2004-2006), AMA membership rolls (2007), Info USA, database of establishments (2007), Americans for Nonsmokers Rights – compilation (2007), U.S. Census, Claritas, Inc., Sperling’s BestPlaces analysis, American Hospital Directory (2008).

Additional information about this year’s selections can be found in the September/October issue of AARP The Magazine or online at www.aarpmagazine.org.

Source: AARP


The following is the Statement of Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids:

Michael Bloomberg and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced a truly historic commitment of $500 million to the global fight against tobacco use, focused on helping governments in developing countries implement proven policies and programs to reduce tobacco use.

Today’s announcement by Michael Bloomberg and Bill Gates highlights both the devastating scope of the global tobacco epidemic and the fact that it is entirely preventable if nations seize this opportunity to implement proven solutions. Mayor Bloomberg and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are true champions of global health, and they have provided unprecedented leadership and commitment in fighting tobacco use, the world’s leading cause of preventable death. Their announcement challenges nations to provide additional resources and take urgent action that can save millions of lives.

Today’s announcement includes and builds on the $125 million initiative that Mayor Bloomberg launched in 2006 and is already producing meaningful progress around the world. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is honored and grateful to be one of the five implementing organizations for the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the World Health Organization and the World Lung Foundation. We look forward to working with our partners, Mayor Bloomberg and the Gates Foundation to accelerate and expand the progress that has been made under this initiative.

Tobacco use killed one hundred million people in the 20th century, and if current trends continue, it will claim one billion lives in the 21st century, according to the WHO. Tobacco use already kills 5.4 million people a year and the epidemic is worsening, especially in the developing world where more than 80 percent of tobacco-caused deaths will occur in the coming decades.

no-smoking

The good news is that we know how to stop this epidemic, and 157 nations have committed themselves to doing so by ratifying the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the world’s first international treaty devoted entirely to public health. This treaty provides a road map for successfully reducing tobacco use if rigorously and fully implemented.

Earlier this year, Mayor Bloomberg and the WHO released a report that identified a package of six cost-effective solutions that are mandated by the provisions of the FCTC that have been proven to reduce tobacco use and should be implemented in every nation. Called the MPOWER package, these solutions require nations to:

  • Monitor tobacco use and assess the impact of tobacco prevention and cessation efforts;
  • Protect everyone from secondhand smoke with laws that require smoke-free workplaces and public places;
  • Offer help to every tobacco user to quit;
  • Warn and effectively educate every person about the dangers of tobacco use with strong, pictorial health warnings and hard-hitting, sustained media campaigns;
  • Enact and enforce comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorships and on the use of misleading terms such as “light” and “low-tar;” and
  • Raise the price of tobacco products by significantly increasing tobacco taxes.

By implementing many of these solutions under Mayor Bloomberg’s leadership, New York City has shown the world that it is possible to quickly and dramatically reduce tobacco use. The Bloomberg Initiative has already contributed to significant progress in implementing these measures around the world, in countries including China, Egypt, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines and Turkey. The additional resources announced today by Mayor Bloomberg and the Gates Foundation will accelerate the implementation of these proven solutions and save even more lives.

About the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids: Based in Washington, D.C., the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is a leader in the fight to reduce tobacco use and its devastating consequences in the United States and around the world. As part of the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, the Campaign works with governments and non-governmental organizations in promoting and implementing public policies to reduce tobacco use. Visit www.tobaccofreecenter.org.

Source: Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids


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