Becker's Hospital Review

71 FINANCE CMO / CARE DELIVERY Care New England, Lifespan Feud Over Decades-Long Policy Allowing Physicians to Call on Competitor for Help By Alyssa Rege T ensions are rising between Provi- dence, R.I.-based Care New England Health System and Lifespan, also in Providence, over a decades-long policy al- lowing physicians from one hospital to call on physicians from its competitor for assis- tance during emergency situations, according to WPRI-News. e policy applies to "adult code" inci- dents when an adult shows sudden cardiac or stroke-like symptoms. Under the policy, physicians at Care New England-owned Women & Infants Hospital in Providence can call on physicians at Lifespan-owned Rhode Island Hospital, also in Providence, for help and vice versa. Care New England officials said the policy has been in place for more than 30 years, and was used roughly 12 to 14 times in 2016. Lifespan and Rhode Island Hospital officials expressed concerns about the policy earlier this year, stating it presented "patient safety and physician liability" issues, according to the report. Lifespan officials moved to stop the policy June 26. However, the state health department ordered that the policy stay in place until the two health systems could con- figure a solution the state could support. In a statement to WPRI-News, representatives from Care New England suggested Lifespan leaders demanded "an unreasonable amount of money" to continue the policy. Lifespan officials dismissed the suggestion in a separate statement to the news organization, stating officials began discussing the policy's cessation in February be- cause it allegedly placed financial strain on the health system, according to the report. Rhode Island Hospital President Margaret Van Bree said the hospital asked Women & Infants Hospital to consider craing "a formal agreement to provide contracted services that will help define both institutions' responsi- bilities, improve communication and ensure optimal coordination between care teams at both hospitals," according to the report. However, Care New England representatives said discussions have stalled. n Nursing's 'Dirty Little Secret'? Workplace Violence, Says 73-Year-Old Nurse By Mackenzie Bean S heila Wilson, RN, is a 73-year-old nurse dedicated to addressing what she calls "the dirty little secret of nursing" — workplace vio- lence, reports Boston Globe. Violence against healthcare workers accounts for almost as many workplace injuries as all other industries combined, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Healthcare work- ers suffered 15,000 to 20,000 serious injuries annually from 2011 to 2013, according to OSHA data. The agency suspects workplace violence is grossly underreported and occurs far more often than official statistics indicate. "Being punched, bitten, spit upon, groped, jumped on from behind, knocked unconscious and attacked with weapons are common occur- rences for healthcare professionals," Ms. Wilson told Boston Globe. Her first workplace injury occurred while she was working as a nurs- ing assistant at Dorchester, Mass.-based Carney Hospital, and a patient punched her in the face — simply "[b]ecause he could," Ms. Wilson said. Ms. Wilson cofounded Stop Healthcare Violence, a nonprofit group focused on creating a safe workplace environment for healthcare workers, in 2009. The group has been lobbying the Massachusetts Legislature to boost penalties for assaults on healthcare workers from misdemeanors to felonies, according to the report. The group also advocates for legislation to make healthcare facilities safer by adding more security workers, better lighting and panic buttons, among other measures. Ms. Wilson joined other lobbyists — including the Massachusetts Nurses Association — to testify at a State House hearing on health- care violence July 11. n 73% of Neurology Residents Report Symptoms of Burnout By Leo Vartorella A study found 73 percent of neurology residents report feeling at least one symptom of physician burnout, includ- ing emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and a sense of ineffectiveness, according to Neurology Today. Neurologists report some of the highest burn- out and lowest satisfaction rates of any prac- ticing physicians, and the study's authors sug- gested changing the curriculum for first year neurology residents to emphasize life skills and coping strategies and lessen the burden of clerical work. However, not everyone thinks the problem can be addressed through edu- cation. "The patient demand that's out there, the way hospitals are set up, and the intensity and complexity of the patients that come in — it's all draining," said Jennifer A. Vermillion, MD, who reviewed the findings for Neurology To- day. "Even when programs are trying to make changes to offer better training and better lives, there's a lot that isn't being done like in- creasing funding or hiring more staff to help pick up some of that load." n

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