PAMF one of Five Sutter-Affiliated Physician Organizations Named Top Performer Statewide

September 23, 2011

Palo Alto Medical Foundation Honored by Integrated Healthcare Association

Five physician organizations within the Sutter Medical Network were honored this week by the Integrated Healthcare Association (IHA), a prominent industry leadership group that promotes and recognizes quality improvement and affordability in health care statewide.

The five Sutter affiliates receiving quality awards through IHA’s Pay for Performance (P4P) recognition program are:

San Francisco Bay Area

  • Top Performer – Palo Alto Medical Foundation – Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group, serving Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Mateo and Alameda counties
  • Most Improved and Top Performer – Palo Alto Medical Foundation – Mills-Peninsula Division/Mills-Peninsula Medical Group, serving San MateoCounty. Mills-Peninsula Division/Mills-Peninsula Medical Group is one of only three medical groups ranking as both Most Improved and a Top Performer statewide.

Sacramento/Solano Region

  • Most Improved and Top Performer – Solano Regional Medical Group (now part of Sutter Medical Group), serving Solano County’s Fairfield, Rio Vista,Vacaville andVallejo communities, affiliated with the Sutter Medical Foundation. Now called Sutter Medical Group, Solano is one of only three medical groups ranking as both Most Improved and a Top Performer statewide.
  • Top Performer – Sutter Medical Group, serving Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer and Nevada counties, affiliated with the Sutter Medical Foundation
  • Top Performer – Sutter West Medical Group (now part of Sutter Medical Group), serving Yolo and Solano counties, affiliated with the Sutter Medical Foundation

“It is an honor to once again be recognized by IHA as one of the top performing medical groups in California,  said Laurel Trujillo, M.D., PAMF Medical Director of Quality.  “PAMF has been recognized every year since the P4P program’s inception in 2003.  In 2010, we expanded our patient reminder and outreach processes to make sure that every PAMF patient gets the optimal preventive and chronic disease care that is PAMF’s trademark.”

 “As the health care industry undergoes tremendous change, the organizations within the Sutter Medical Network dedicate themselves to meeting the health care needs of each patient – delivering care when, where and how patients want to receive it,” said Jeff Burnich, M.D., senior vice president and executive officer for the Sutter Medical Network. “IHA’s P4P awards reaffirm our commitment to consistently raising the bar on clinical quality, service and affordability.”

HOW IT WORKS

Each year, IHA determines the top physician groups that have demonstrated best overall performance for each pay for performance measure including preventive care and chronic care management, patient satisfaction, and use of information technology to support safer, more effective care. Top performing physician organizations in 2010 were identified by an overall composite score, based on their P4P domain scores, and compared against a comprehensive threshold calculated from the top 25 percent scores statewide for each P4P quality measure. 

Most Improved winners are determined by calculating the relative improvement for each physician group on the overall performance composite score for this year compared to the overall performance composite score for last year. In order to be eligible, a group must have improved performance in both clinical quality, IT-enabled systemness, coordinated diabetes care, and patient experience domains. The physician group in each of the eight P4P regions that has the highest improvement score for overall performance is recognized as the most improved group in that region.

According to IHA, approximately 35,000 physicians in over 200 physician organizations across the state participate inCalifornia’s P4P program.

MEASURING QUALITY

 About the Palo Alto Medical Foundation and Sutter Health

 The Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) for Health Care, Research and Education is a not-for-profit health care organization that is a pioneer in the multispecialty group practice of medicine. Founded in 1930, PAMF is part of the Peninsula Coastal Region of Sutter Health, one of the nation’s leading not-for-profit networks of community-based health care providers. Sutter Health’s Peninsula Coastal Region also includes Mills-Peninsula Health Services. PAMF’s 1,000 affiliated physicians and 4,900 employees serve nearly 730,000 patients at its medical centers and clinics in Alameda, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. For more information, follow PAMF on Twitter, join us on Facebook or visit pamf.org

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PAMF Joins Leading Health Care Groups in Pledge to Empower Patients with Secure Access to their Health Information

September 14, 2011

Paul Tang, M.D., vice president and chief innovation officer, Palo Alto Medical Foundation

The Palo Alto Medical Foundation is recognized as one of the earliest innovators of health information technology in the country.

On Monday, the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) joined leading consumer and health care provider groups in Washington, D.C., in a pledge of commitment to help consumers understand the potential benefits of health information technology (health IT), and to empower consumers by making it easier for them to get secure access to their health information and engage more fully in their health.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) hosted the first-ever Consumer Health IT Summit in Washington, D.C. on September 12, 2011. At the Summit, consumers, providers, and the public and private sectors came together to discuss how best to empower consumers to be partners in their health and care through health IT.

[Read more…]

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Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center Recognized by Joint Commission as Top Performing Hospital in Surgical Care in 2010

September 14, 2011

The Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center, part of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, has been recognized by The Joint Commission as one of the Top Performers on Key Quality Measures. This new recognition program was formally announced on September 14, 2011, when The Joint Commission published its “Improving America’s Hospitals” annual report.

[Read more…]

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Modern Healthcare Rates Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center in its Top 100 Places to Work in Health Care

August 30, 2011

Modern Healthcare has recognized Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center of Santa Cruz – Santa Cruz, Calif.  (SMSC), part of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, as among the nation’s 100 Best Places to Work in Healthcare. SMSC is one of three Sutter Health affiliates to make the Top 100 list, which also listed Sutter Davis Hospital – Davis, Calif., and Sutter Medical Foundation – Sacramento, Calif.
 

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Free Prostate Screenings, Health Lecture – September 17 in Santa Cruz

August 29, 2011

In honor of National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center (SMSC) and the Palo Alto Medical Foundation will host the 10th Annual Prostate Cancer Awareness Day on Saturday, September 17, 2011 in Santa Cruz, California. The event is free and open to the community. The event provides an extremely important prostate cancer screening opportunity for those men in the community who otherwise may not have access to screenings.

According to the National Prostate Cancer Coalition, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer in American men. It is the second greatest cause of cancer related death for men, second only to lung cancer. Over 90 percent of prostate cancer cases are found while the cancer is still either local or regional, and nearly 100 percent of these men are still alive five years after being diagnosed. In cases where the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, 34 percent survive five years.

Event Information:

Free blood work (PSA test) and prostate exams 7 – 11 a.m.

Free one hour lecture 8 – 10 a.m., “Prostate Cancer: What every man should know about screening, treatment and prevention.” Lecture presented by Steven Roberts, M.D., a urologist and surgical oncologist at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation.

Are you at risk for prostate cancer?

You may be at higher risk, if you:

  • Have a family history of cancer
  • Are African American
  • Eat a high-fat diet
  • Are overweight
  • Have a sedentary lifestyle
  • Are over 50 years of age

Who should be tested?

  • All men should have a baseline PSA

How often should I be tested?

  • Men over 50 years old should have an annual exam
  • Men under 50 with risk factors also need to be tested

Learn more about Prostate Cancer:

PAMF Prostate Cancer Website

National Cancer Institute Prostate Cancer Website

Visit Prostate Cancer: A Family Affair, PAMF Prostate Cancer Nurse Navigator and patient advocate Frank dela Rama, RN’s new blog on Sutter Health’s MyLifeStages.org.

Event Date and Location:
Saturday, September 17, 2011
7 a.m. to 11 a.m.
2900 Chanticleer Avenue
Santa Cruz, CA 95065
Google Map

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Weekend Appointments at Palo Alto Urgent Care

August 17, 2011

Busy patients will be pleased to know they can now make weekend appointments to be seen at PAMF’s Palo Alto Center Urgent Care Department. Patients can make same-day appointments for minor illnesses and injuries on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. by calling 650-853-2958. Walk-ins are still welcome.

“Our Urgent Care Department is sometimes busy with both simple and more complex medical problems,” says Richard Deslauriers, M.D., medical director of the Palo Alto Center’s Urgent Care Department. “By offering weekend appointments to adults for simple illnesses and injuries, we can provide our patients even better service by reducing the time a patient may have to wait and enabling them to schedule appointments when it is most convenient for them. Increasing patient satisfaction is one of our primary goals.”

The Palo Alto Center also has a Pediatric Urgent Care Department for children with urgent care needs. Many families with children are more satisfied when they have an appointment to address their medical needs; therefore, PAMF’s Pediatric Urgent Care has an appointment-based model of care.  If you would like for your child to be seen in Pediatric Urgent Care, please call 650-853-6558, and  your child will be scheduled for the next available appointment.

For patient convenience, PAMF Urgent Care Center wait times are available online. Additionally, free  Internet wireless access is available PAMF locations for patients and visitors using their own computers with wireless connectivity.

Visit the PAMF Urgent Care Website to learn more about services, locations, staff and when to use urgent care.

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New PAMF Medical Building Earns Leed Gold

August 15, 2011

The Palo Alto Medical Foundation’s (PAMF) new medical office building at 49 Wells Avenue has been awarded LEED® Gold certification as established by the U.S. Green Building Council. The most recent addition to Palo Alto campus, the 17,000 square foot, two‐story clinic opened to patients in October 2010. It houses the Breast Imaging Center, Encina Practice and Executive Health Program.

Developed in March 2000, LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, “provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions…and promotes sustainable building and development practices through a suite of rating systems that recognize projects that implement strategies for better environmental and health performance.” [Read more…]

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Same-Day Orthopedics Acute Care Clinic Opens

August 2, 2011

Pain on Sunday. Call us on Monday.

Because injuries that cause pain and swelling often occur over the weekend when people are more active, the Palo Alto Medical Foundation’s Orthopedics Department has created a Monday Acute Care Clinic to offer its hard-playing patients special Monday appointments. Patients can now call 650-934-7111 by noon on Mondays to receive a same-day appointment at the Mountain View Center.

The Monday Acute Care Clinic is for patients between the ages of 15 and 55 who are experiencing pain and swelling due to injuries. Conditions treated include soft tissue injuries, ligament tears, and knee and shoulder pain.

“When it comes to sprains, strains and tears, we understand that waiting several days for an appointment can be frustrating,” said Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Doctor Kevin Murray, M.D. “With this new clinic, we have set time aside at the Mountain View Center to evaluate and treat these injuries as quickly as possible. We encourage anyone with a new injury to call us and arrange to see a Sports Medicine specialist as soon as possible for a same-day appointment.”

The Monday Acute Care Clinic is not for emergencies. If an injury requires stitches, is very painful or may involve a broken bone, do not wait until Monday for treatment. Visit one of PAMF’s Urgent Care Centers for injuries that need prompt attention. Please call 911 or go to your closest emergency room for dangerous injuries that require immediate treatment.

Monday Acute Care Clinic Hours

8 a.m. to  5 p.m. , non-holiday Mondays

Monday Acute Care Clinic location

PAMF Mountain View Center
701 E. El Camino Real
Mountain View, CA 94040
Main phone: 650-934-7000 or 408-739-6000
Mountain View Center Google Map

Learn more about Orthopedics at PAMF.

Learn more about Sports Medicine at PAMF Mountain View Center.

Learn more about Sports Medicine at PAMF Palo Alto and Redwood City Centers.

Learn more about the  Monday Acute Care Clinic.

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PAMF Announces Opportunity to Participate in Novel Study

June 29, 2011

Study May Make Research More Convenient and Lower the Cost of Developing New Treatments

Clinical trials are expensive, which drives up the price of drugs and limits the number of new treatments that can be developed. Current trial methods are also inconvenient for participating patients. Researchers at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) believe that conducting trials from home, via a secure system, could lower this cost and make participation in clinical trials easier for patients.

“Because of concerns about patient privacy, nearly all clinical trials require patients to come in and meet with researchers face-to-face for follow-up assessments,” says Hal Luft, Ph.D., director of PAMF’s Research Institute and Caldwell B. Esselstyn, professor emeritus of health economics and health policy at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

“Regular email is not secure enough to replace these in-person appointments, which are costly and often inconvenient for study participants. However, a secure electronic messaging and data collection system—such as the one PAMF uses to communicate with its patients—is safe, private and may work for some research studies,” Dr. Luft says. Investigators at UCSF and Mytrus, a firm that conducts clinical trials, are studying this new approach to undertaking trials.  The PAMF Research Institute is testing whether patients volunteering for this trial are representative of all patients with the problem.

The current study is of a treatment for overactive bladder symptoms. After a first visit, women will communicate with the researchers through a secure password-protected website. The 14-week study is approved by UCSF.

“If the results of the study show that this is an effective way for researchers and study participants to communicate, it could make developing new drugs much less costly in the future and help many patients,” Dr. Luft says.

Interested in Participating in the Study?

The study is seeking women age 21 or older who have symptoms of overactive bladder—feeling the urge to urinate at least eight times a day and sometimes at night, and occasionally leaking urine if unable to get to the bathroom quickly.

If this describes your symptoms, learn more about this innovative study or call 877-448-6987 for more information.

Additional coverage of this innovative, new clinical trial method and study has been featured in the following news outlets. A few of them are listed below:

Wall Street Journal

Reuters

ABC News

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PAMF Scholarships Help Pay for Future Doctors’ Education

June 20, 2011

With our country’s aging population and the continued rise in chronic diseases, ensuring there are enough doctors to take care of our increasingly complex health needs is a daunting challenge. The Palo Alto Medical Foundation is helping to meet this critical need by awarding scholarships to deserving students who are committed to becoming future doctors.

Since 2007, PAMF’s affiliate Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center in Santa Cruz and the Central California Alliance for Health have awarded a two-year, $5,000 scholarship ($10,000 total) to pay the medical fees of a University of California, Santa Cruz health sciences graduate, who is dedicated to returning to his or her local community to take care of uninsured patients.

This year’s scholarship winner, David Pham, has gained hands-on medical experience working as an intern for a local Santa Cruz family medicine doctor and during a medical mission to Honduras. With ambitions of becoming a pediatrician, Pham has volunteered regularly with an East Palo Alto charter school’s healthy eating program and as a Spanish translator at the Watsonville RotaCare community clinic.

As part of our commitment to supporting future generations of doctors, PAMF physicians also awarded scholarships to the following three outstanding local high school students to help pay for their undergraduate studies:

  • Roshni Bhatnagar from Harker School in San Jose, who will attend Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois
  • Raymond Downer from Santa Cruz High School, who is going to University of California, Los Angeles
  • Nina Ho from Carlmont High School in Belmont, who will be attending the University of California, Berkeley

The Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group (PAFMG) Pre-Medical Scholarship, established in 1993 and funded by our physicians, provides $5,000 a year (a total of $20,000 per recipient) to deserving students who attend a four-year college and plan to pursue careers as doctors. Unlike most other scholarships, which are one-time awards, the PAFMG Pre-Medical Scholarship repeats for all four years of college, helping students fulfill their ambition to become a doctor and give back to their communities. 

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