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October 19, 2007
Marquette General one of only 18 hospitals in Michigan to receive
Governor’s first Recognition of Excellence Awards
Marquette General Health System is among an elite group of 18 hospitals in the state of Michigan to receive the inaugural Governor’s Special Recognition of Excellence in addition to the Governor’s Award of Excellence. Special Recognition was awarded for Marquette General’s leadership in the development of clinical telemedicine.
MPRO and the Governor honored MGHS at an award ceremony in September in Kalamazoo, Mich. Pictured left to right: Nick Lyon, Michigan Department of Community Health; Pam Yager, Policy Advisor, Health Care and Financial Services, Office of the Governor; Connie Rhoades, BSN, MPA, Marquette General Director of Quality Management,; and Colleen Cieszkowski, RN, MA, CPHQ, Sr. Vice President, Operations, MPRO. Not pictured is Sally Davis, Director of telehealth at MGH.
Although the Governor and Michigan Peer Review Organization (MPRO) have partnered to honor hospitals since 2003, this marks the first year that Governor Granholm has presented special tributes to top performers in health technology areas.
“It is an honor to receive this special tribute for our telehealth endeavors,” said Sally Davis, program director of telehealth at MGHS. “It belongs to all health care organizations in our region. Telehealth in the U.P. would not be where it is without the combined efforts of all network partners.”
Davis noted that Marquette General had been contacted by the MPRO office several months ago regarding the outstanding clinical telemedicine program in the Upper Peninsula and the national attention it has generated. The Upper Peninsula Telehealth Network (UPTN) has played a leadership role in demonstrating the value of clinical telemedicine in rural areas like the Upper Peninsula, and served as a model program for other rural areas throughout Michigan and the nation.
Sally Davis,
Director of telehealth at MGH
The U.P.T.N. serves 42 sites throughout the Upper Peninsula, including 15 hospitals, nine clinics and two tribal health centers. The network was formed in 1994 with the support of a USDA Rural Electrification grant and an HRSA Office of Rural Health Policy grant. In the ensuing years, several grants totaling more than $3 million have supported the ongoing growth of the U.P.T.N. The network is currently self-sustaining without grant funding.
In 2006, MGH received a three-year grant from the Federal Office for the Advancement of Telehealth to establish the Midwest Alliance for Telehealth and Technology Resources (MATTeR). This organization provides assistance to new and developing telehealth applications with a focus in Michigan, Indiana and Kansas. Partners in MATTeR include Michigan State University, Purdue University and the University of Kansas Medical School.
“The distinguishing characteristic about clinical telemedicine is that it allows patients to have a doctor’s appointment even though the patient may be a hundred miles away from the doctor’s office,” Davis said. “A nurse or physician assistant is with the patient while the appointment takes place, and for many patients, the cost of the visit is covered by Medicare or their insurance provider just as it would be for an in-person office visit.”
Approximately 1,700 clinical patient encounters are conducted each year in the U.P.T.N., along with numerous administrative meetings, weekly Tumor Boards for the Marquette General Cancer Center, and professional education programs.
Marquette General also received the Governor’s Award of Excellence in the Hospital Setting for barcoding. In addition, six MGHS clinics have received MPRO’s 2006 Governor’s Award of Excellence for Improving Patient Safety and Quality of Care in the Hospital Setting, in the areas of diabetes mellitus and preventative care.
Award criteria align with improving care in a number of pre-selected clinical areas designated as national health care priorities by the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services.
MGHS has well-established multidisciplinary teams to spearhead improvement measures using proven, evidence-based practices.
MPRO and the Governor honored MGHS at an award ceremony in September in Kalamazoo, Mich.
MPRO is under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and serves as Michigan’s Quality Improvement Organization. MPRO works to educate Michigan’s 1.6 million Medicare beneficiaries on their rights and protections afforded to them under the Medicare program. Furthermore, MPRO partners with Michigan Medicare providers to advance health care quality.
For information on the U.P. Telehealth Network, visit www.mgh.org/telehealth.
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