Launching a reinvigorated Best Care initiative
Best Care is the foundation of UTMB Health’s goal to provide the right care for the right patient at the right time in the right setting for the best possible outcome.
Everyone who wears a UTMB badge, no matter what your position or where you work, plays an important part in doing just that. Together—as a team, as a family–we’ll continue to strengthen UTMB’s commitment to excellence in caring for the patients, families and communities we serve.
The 10 Tenets of Best Care include:
Active Commitment - Best Care is a verb—not a noun.
Continuous Improvement - Best Care is an active focus on quality, safety, and service.
Excellence Focus - Best Care is the ultimate expression of UTMB’s commitment to excellence.
Small Steps - Best Care is a big concept that relies on myriad small steps to come to fruition.
Lifelong Learning - Best Care is supported by continual learning and enthusiastic commitment.
Honor Service - Best Care is something we are honored to provide.
Distinctive Care - Best Care is what makes UTMB stand out.
Community Trust - Best Care is how we foster trust within the communities we serve.
Evolving Vision - Best Care is a living, breathing, and ever-evolving facet of UTMB.
Shared Responsibility - Best Care is YOUR responsibility—no matter what your position at UTMB.- 100:00:00,840 --> 00:00:09,600Welcome to the pulse UTMB Health podcast, your gateway to the latest insights, ideas and innovations shaping our community and beyond.200:00:10,230 --> 00:00:16,530Stay tuned for engaging discussions, compelling stories, and the information you need to stay informed and connected.300:00:16,830 --> 00:00:24,540Right here on The Pulse. Hello and welcome to The Pulse podcast.400:00:25,230 --> 00:00:31,200I'm Dr. Jochen Reiser, president of UTMB and CEO of the UTMB Health System.500:00:31,710 --> 00:00:36,150I'm honored to introduce you two of our exceptional health care leaders.600:00:36,690 --> 00:00:42,210Dr. Gulshan Sharma, senior vice president and chief medical and clinical innovation officer.700:00:42,540 --> 00:00:47,070And Dr. Jerry Mansfield, vice president and chief nursing executive.800:00:47,790 --> 00:00:55,259Today, we are going to discuss our re-invigorated Best Care initiative and why our focus on quality,900:00:55,260 --> 00:01:01,770safety and accountability is so important to you UTMB, our patients and our community.1000:01:02,970 --> 00:01:06,870Dr. Sharma and Dr. Mansfield. Welcome to The Pulse.1100:01:07,710 --> 00:01:11,060Thank you, Dr. Reiser. Thank you. I'll start with you1200:01:11,070 --> 00:01:18,480Dr. Sharma. Can you please talk about where and when the concept of Best Care at UTMB originated and why?1300:01:19,410 --> 00:01:27,180Well, thank you, Dr. Reiser, for this, uh, podcast. You know, quality, patient service, and safety is dear to me.1400:01:27,180 --> 00:01:31,920And, I think when we go back, it all started in 2016.1500:01:32,820 --> 00:01:36,100We actually had a new chancellor at that time, Admiral McRaven.1600:01:36,120 --> 00:01:40,160He was a four star Navy Seal when he retired from his services.1700:01:40,170 --> 00:01:47,610He actually came to UT System, and he gave an outstanding inauguration speech at UT System.1800:01:48,270 --> 00:01:52,110And, that became into a New York bestseller called, uh, Make Your Bed.1900:01:52,800 --> 00:02:00,720Then, he actually met with the presidents and he said, hey, listen, I want a quantum leap in health care within the UT health related institutions.2000:02:00,720 --> 00:02:05,220And, you know, we have about seven health related institutions, and they all serve a different mission.2100:02:05,910 --> 00:02:11,969And at that time, we were ranked number 76 out of 109 academic medical center.2200:02:11,970 --> 00:02:21,090And it was decided that we going to be using Vizient as our true north in terms of assessing our ranking across the major health related institution.2300:02:22,200 --> 00:02:31,229So, the goal was to make it into top 20. Now, you can imagine moving from 76 to 20 is an insurmounting task.2400:02:31,230 --> 00:02:34,300But, you don't say no to a four star Navy Seal.2500:02:34,320 --> 00:02:39,059You basically say, yes, sir. And, you come back and you gather your troops here.2600:02:39,060 --> 00:02:45,990And... at that time, our president, the CEO, and the Dean got together and they basically rally the troops.2700:02:45,990 --> 00:02:54,250And, that is the time I actually took this position. Uh, the CMO for the health system, because quality and patient service was dear to me.2800:02:54,270 --> 00:02:59,370That's what I was passionate about... I was still serving as the division chief for pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine.2900:02:59,940 --> 00:03:03,000And, when I took over, we work hard.3000:03:03,060 --> 00:03:06,690Uh, I think I can't thank all our team members at UTMB.3100:03:06,690 --> 00:03:10,530Not only did we move from 76 to top 20,3200:03:10,530 --> 00:03:15,510We actually moved number nine, and we were the only UT institution that made it to number nine.3300:03:15,630 --> 00:03:18,480And, we followed up with number four and number nine.3400:03:18,780 --> 00:03:26,490This is an accolade for a visionary leader... that who basically set the tone for all health related institution.3500:03:26,760 --> 00:03:30,870And, I see the same traits in you that you are really pushing us that, hey, listen,3600:03:30,870 --> 00:03:35,430it's not just about Vizient and it's about patients, and mean you to improve patient safety at UTMB.3700:03:36,120 --> 00:03:41,639Well, very inspiring explanation... how you started it and I'm excited3800:03:41,640 --> 00:03:45,450we are well underway and... rightly so. As you say, it ends with the patients.3900:03:45,450 --> 00:03:50,790That's why we're doing it. Dr. Mansfield, we are now in the process of rethinking,4000:03:50,790 --> 00:03:58,830resetting and reviving best care with the idea that best care is no longer just a noun, but it's rather an action word.4100:03:58,890 --> 00:04:01,890Can you elaborate on that? Dr. Mansfield? Absolutely.4200:04:02,370 --> 00:04:06,059Well, first of all, I'm thrilled to be here and joining this team at this time.4300:04:06,060 --> 00:04:10,530UTMB's opportunity is really an opportunity to connect with our,4400:04:11,010 --> 00:04:15,900the patients and families we serve and the communities in which we live, because that's important.4500:04:16,350 --> 00:04:22,710And it really starts with the engagement of the staff in this process. Um, it's not just enough to do your job.4600:04:23,070 --> 00:04:28,830You have to do it from a place of heart. And why it matters to, uh, the people that we are interacting with.4700:04:29,370 --> 00:04:36,740So staff engagement is key. And one of the first things we are doing is we are identifying, uh, leads for each of these, uh,4800:04:36,750 --> 00:04:41,250particular areas we may be struggling with, like CAUTIs and CLABSIs and pressure injuries,4900:04:41,280 --> 00:04:45,030falls... explained it to us. What are those fancy acronyms?5000:04:45,600 --> 00:04:48,719Uh, these are things that we would call a hospital acquired condition.5100:04:48,720 --> 00:04:55,980You don't come to the hospital expecting to get one of these, but if you do, it's a catheter associated urinary tract infection.5200:04:55,980 --> 00:04:59,940So usually the source is a... a fully catheter that helps drain the bladder.5300:05:00,480 --> 00:05:03,480There's the central line associated bloodstream infections.5400:05:03,480 --> 00:05:07,213Uh, a central line is something put in a, in the chest to deliver large volumes of fluids and titrating drips.5500:05:10,359 --> 00:05:15,189They tell a different story. We just need to understand the nuances of these ranking.5600:05:15,519 --> 00:05:19,958But, they are all wonderful and I would love to rank in U.S. News and World Report.5700:05:19,959 --> 00:05:24,609I would love to have an "A" in Leapfrog. I would have a five star in CMS ranking.5800:05:24,999 --> 00:05:28,329These are some of the other national benchmarks out there.5900:05:28,749 --> 00:05:32,259But, one of the thing is... they all tell a different story.6000:05:32,259 --> 00:05:38,919At the end of the day, we need to make sure we have process in place and to help reduce harm to the patient.6100:05:39,939 --> 00:05:45,998I think, uh, you again summarized it so well, it's more than just focusing on a number.6200:05:45,999 --> 00:05:52,719It's more than just focusing on one condition. It's a it's a cultural set up and it's it's striving for excellence.6300:05:52,749 --> 00:05:58,539Yeah. I think it's just a... I think of it as a journey and there is no true destination here.6400:05:58,599 --> 00:06:09,819Think about that... When Institute of Medicine report came to our.. is human in 1999, that was a call to action.... arms in action in terms of reducing harm.6500:06:10,119 --> 00:06:10,535And, we are still struggling. Correct. So what this brings in... that every organization has to do their part.6600:06:12,773 --> 00:06:18,472Best Care seems like a big institutional concept, but in reality it relies on hundreds,6700:06:18,473 --> 00:06:23,753thousands of actions, big and small, every day on a personal level by members of the staff.6800:06:23,753 --> 00:06:31,553The UTMB family Dr. Mansfield? Is it only geared toward frontline workers who have direct contact with patients or really everybody?6900:06:32,123 --> 00:06:39,473It's really everybody's, um, commitment. And by working together as a team, we can really advance it further, faster.7000:06:40,103 --> 00:06:46,732If individuals fee... l and they wake up in the morning and they don't know what they might do to improve the care that we deliver every single day,7100:06:46,733 --> 00:06:51,383no matter what department they're in or what clinic or operating room or inpatient unit.7200:06:51,893 --> 00:06:57,863Uh, it's also the registrar. It's also the person that gets you to your next appointment through Access Services.7300:06:58,283 --> 00:07:02,843It's... it's the pastoral care individual that comes in and helps you identify the spiritual7400:07:02,843 --> 00:07:07,853opportunities that you may have with this new illness or an illness that is ongoing.7500:07:08,153 --> 00:07:12,503So everybody needs to discern what's their part in making this happen.7600:07:12,683 --> 00:07:17,783And, it could be as simple as washing your hands carefully, as silly as that sounds,7700:07:18,173 --> 00:07:22,343if everybody wash their hands the way we've been taught in our clinical settings,7800:07:22,733 --> 00:07:28,193um, we might just have an opportunity to reduce an infection where you may not have thought it was possible.7900:07:28,463 --> 00:07:33,413Hey, Dr. Reiser, if I may add, you know, it's just like playing six degrees of Kevin Bacon.8000:07:33,833 --> 00:07:42,143We can connect every individual in this institution within 3 or 4 steps to direct patient care, for example, supply chain.8100:07:42,173 --> 00:07:45,833They don't do patient care, but they get us the right catheters.8200:07:46,043 --> 00:07:50,993They need to make sure the catheters are delivered to the ICU or where they need to be done,8300:07:51,173 --> 00:07:55,583and the nurses need to have the right equipment to give the patient the same for EVS.8400:07:55,613 --> 00:08:00,503They need to clean our rooms, so that way we can reduce the spread of infection to our patient.8500:08:00,923 --> 00:08:08,243So, everybody who works in the health care setting can be directly and indirectly connected to Best Care.8600:08:08,543 --> 00:08:15,743That's great. And, I can also attest, being here a year now.. that everybody duty is grounded into the expedition of health.8700:08:16,013 --> 00:08:18,053Yeah, it's really wonderful. Dr. Sharma.8800:08:18,503 --> 00:08:25,523We know the Vizient scores you mentioned are important, but beyond that, beyond the numbers, and you touched on it already a little bit.8900:08:25,523 --> 00:08:29,662But what ultimately does Best Care means UTMB, our staff, our patients,9000:08:29,663 --> 00:08:35,273our community, and our field of health care is more than... than these numbers.9100:08:36,203 --> 00:08:39,353Summarize it one more time for us. So, I think it's very simple.9200:08:39,353 --> 00:08:46,253It's the right care for the right patient at the right setting, delivering the best possible outcome.9300:08:46,853 --> 00:08:50,903And, who wouldn't like that? And I think that's what we are aspiring to.9400:08:51,203 --> 00:09:00,053And, our goal is to make sure everybody who comes to UTMB, either in an outpatient setting or an inpatient setting, we aspire to Best Care.9500:09:00,323 --> 00:09:01,043Wonderful.9600:09:01,493 --> 00:09:09,952Well, Dr. Sharma, Dr. Mansfield, thank you both for sharing your insights about our best care initiative on this episode of The Pulse.9700:09:09,953 --> 00:09:13,523And, thank you viewers who have taken the time to join us.9800:09:14,843 --> 00:09:16,163Thank you for tuning in to The Pulse.9900:09:16,673 --> 00:09:21,893We hope you've gained valuable insights, discovered new perspectives, and feel inspired by the stories shared today.10000:09:23,183 --> 00:09:28,013Please join us for future episodes to stay informed and connected right here on The Pulse.
More Information
Gulshan Sharma, MD, MPH, FCCP, is the Senior Vice President and Chief Medical & Clinical Innovation Officer at UTMB Health. He is also a Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine.
In 2014 he became the Associate Chief Medical Officer at UTMB Health, where his focus was on quality, patient safety and transformation to version 2.0 Medicine—from "fee-for-service" to "value-based care." He became Vice President, Chief Medical and Clinical Innovation Officer in 2016, and was promoted to his current Senior VP role in 2021.
Dr. Sharma was recognized nationally as a PrimeMovers winner for playing a key leadership role at UTMB to successfully ascend rankings into the top-10 of the Vizient Quality and Accountability Study, remaining in the top-10 for three consecutive years. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Sharma has provided expert leadership on vaccines, prevention, and treatments, while analyzing data and trends with the virus and emerging variants to best guide UTMB faculty, staff, students, patients, communities, school districts, and employers in the region and state.
Jerry Mansfield, MS, RN, PhD, NEA-BC, serves as Vice President and System Chief Nursing Executive at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB Health), a position he has held since February 2024. In this role, he sets the vision and strategy for clinical care services and provides leadership to ensure standardization of clinical work processes; assigns responsibility to individuals or groups of nursing staff members to act on improving patient outcomes; and collaborates with leadership in designing, providing and evaluating patient care and services to ensure continuous improvement of clinical care and services across all UTMB campuses.
Dr. Mansfield is an experienced executive in staff engagement, quality and safety, harm reduction and patient experience Prior to joining UTMB, he was Chief Nursing Officer for the Ohio region at Mount Carmel Health System in Columbus, Ohio; Executive Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Patient Experience Officer at the Medical University of South Carolina; and Chief Nursing Officer at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center for University Hospital and the Ross Heart Hospital. While at The Ohio State University, he was the first Chief Nursing Officer of University Hospital East and the first CNO of Ambulatory Services.
Dr. Mansfield earned his diploma in nursing from Saint Vincent Hospital School of Nursing; a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Xavier University; and a master’s degree in nursing administration and a doctorate in public health from The Ohio State University. He is a Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellow and a board-certified Nurse Executive Advanced from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, as well as a nationally recognized leader and active member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.