As many of you are aware, workplace violence events in the healthcare setting continue to make national headlines in recent months. Unfortunately, no healthcare team is fully immune. We can, however, continue to talk about industry challenges and work to build on our own safety efforts.
The complex medical conditions that hospitalized patients often face frequently require advanced treatment strategies. Recognizing this need, we launched the Inpatient Clinical Trials and Research Program to embed research directly into hospital care.
To protect patient privacy and ensure we are complying with federal and state laws, we are taking steps to protect MyChart accounts for some patients ages 12-22.
Starting on Feb. 15, some MyChart accounts for patients ages 12-22 will be deactivated:
Around this time last year, we prepared to submit our proposed kidney transplant program’s Certificate of Public Need (COPN) application. We filed the application in January 2024 and gathered external support through our public campaign, which began last summer.
Same Great Protocol, New Name
Beginning Jan. 2, our nationally recognized Heart Alert program will be called STEMI Alert program. The name change is necessary to enhance clarity and align our emergency response protocols for best practices in patient care.
What is a STEMI Alert?
Imagine trying to remember and perform a skill you learned a year ago or even decades ago—like playing an instrument or preparing an old recipe. The task might be challenging. Now, consider having only minutes to remember and perform a critical clinical technique when a patient's life is at stake. For EMTs and emergency physicians, it’s often a reality in high-stakes, non-routine situations.
We have updated our General Consent to Treatment and Financial Agreement forms.
The General Consent to Treatment allows our team to provide care. The Financial Agreement allows us to bill the patient's insurance for treatment provided. Patients are asked to sign these forms one time a year in the ambulatory setting and with each inpatient encounter.
The English-language versions will go into effect on Monday, Dec. 2. The Spanish-language version will go into effect in the near future.
Antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest current threats to public health, associated with over 35,000 deaths in the United States every year. Antibiotics are essential, lifesaving medications, but using antibiotics when they are not needed leads to the emergence of multi-drug resist organisms that are difficult or impossible to treat. It is estimated that up to 30 percent of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions in the US are unnecessary, making this an important area for healthcare systems to tackle.
Velocity Care is moving from the Department of Family and Community Medicine to the Department of Emergency Medicine, where it was situated originally. It’s common among healthcare organizations to manage urgent care services through departments of emergency medicine.
Early this year, we submitted a Certificate of Public Need (COPN) application to the Virginia Division of COPN (VDCOPN) to start an adult kidney transplant program at CRMH. Throughout the year, we have gathered significant support for our application and began a public campaign during the summer.
