Is the pandemic over? Are we in
a triendemic (flu, RSV, COVID-19)? These are questions that we wrestle with daily. Often during uncertain times, we want answers—right answers. Unfortunately, what we learned in the past three years is how to navigate uncertain terrain and remain
agile and change course to meet the need. Right answers are only after the fact.
One prediction that holds true is that this pandemic will end eventually. I can’t wait to read the last chapter on it and how we (humanity as a whole) responded. But, we may have to wait for a while. The lessons learned are for future generations, as we may not see another pandemic in our lifetime. (The last one was in 1918, three generations ago).
Pandemic aside, our work caring for patients never stopped. We continue to work on providing Best Care to our patients every day, every time. Despite staffing and supply issues, national cataclysms and personal challenges, you all stayed steadfast to your commitment to serve.
Nationally, there are six agencies that rank hospitals/health systems: Vizient, U.S. News & World Report, Leapfrog, CMS hospital rankings, IBM Watson and the Lown Institute. These rankings all tell a different story, and each health system decides which one to focus on. The composition of the ranking is mostly based on process, structure and outcomes. Fortunately for us, the University of Texas System decided in 2016 that all UT health entities will pay attention to Vizient rankings. One advantage to that is Vizient scores are based on data rather than name recognition or advertising budget.
Some external comparison is helpful for health systems to identify opportunities for improvement. Although there is some interest by the public to look at these rankings, most patients still seek care based on convenience, prior experience, overall experience and word of mouth.
Most of you are already well versed with our journey of Best Care since 2016. You all stepped up to the challenge by the UT System chancellor and UTMB leadership to move our Vizient rankings from 76 into the top 20. We went to 9 in 2017; 4 in 2018; and 9 in 2019 among more than 100 academic medical centers—a feat never achieved by a safety net hospital. UTMB Health also was ranked among the Top 100 Hospitals by IBM Watson in 2020.
Then the pandemic hit. Patient safety suffered nationally, and we saw a spike in hospital-acquired infections and pressure ulcers. As we were coming out of the last wave of COVID-19, we launched our Journey to Zero campaign in March 2022 to refocus on what we do better—provide Best Care to our patients. I am proud to say that your hard work and commitment to patients’ safety are paying dividends. We are seeing improvements across all domains.
I am privileged and honored to serve as your chief medical officer and work alongside dedicated, committed individuals such as each of you as we strive to provide Best Care to every patient, every time.
Thank you for all you do.
Dr. Gulshan Sharma
Chief Medical & Clinical Innovation Officer