Hold the Mayo
I couldn’t resist the pun! But as you may have already guessed, this blog isn’t about mayo the condiment, but rather Mayo the number 2 orthopedic hospital (after HSS — congratulations again to the entire HSS Team for this amazing achievement!).
I had the opportunity to spend a few days last week in Rochester Minnesota at the Mayo Clinic with a family member undergoing some testing. While my attention was focused on that aspect of the visit, as you would expect, I was observing other things during my visit to develop a perspective on the caliber of the organization in comparison to its reputation. I thought my blog this week would be a good way to share my observations.
Like HSS, Mayo deserves its reputation as one of the nation’s leading medical centers. While there are many, many differences, both are extraordinary organizations and have many similarities.
Let’s start with the differences. They are in the mid-west, they are not only IN Rochester, Minnesota — they ARE Rochester! They are a fully integrated delivery system both organizationally and electronically, and they have a ton of space!!
How are we similar? We are each a leader in our field. We are ranked number one is Orthopedics (and by extension-Musculoskeletal Healthcare) and they are ranked number two both in Orthopedics as well as Overall (on the U.S. News Honor Roll defined by the number of top rankings in specialties compared to other health systems). We both have an extraordinary team of people. You can tell we have similar cultures where the people who are part of the organization are committed to its success.
Both organizations are committed to not only effective healthcare delivery but a system that is efficient. Mayo has an electronic health record that provides amazing coordination of care — hard to believe until you experience it — that we will be able to match when Epic is an integral part of how we function. Our Epic tag line — One Patient, One Record, One HSS — has new meaning for me now.
I could go on and on comparing our organizations but let me conclude with a few things:
- I saw another version of the best in healthcare that only reinforced my belief in how proud we should all be of what has been created at HSS. I know I am.
- It is a privilege to be viewed in the company of a great organization like Mayo. I know they feel the same way about HSS.
- We have opportunities for improvement. Our performance culture is pervasive and we use whatever we have accomplished as our baseline from which we strive to get better. We do this by placing an emphasis on research and innovation, through our commitment to teaching others, having data from which things can be measured, learning from ourselves and finally, learning from others.
While I have always felt confident about our strategic and operational plans for improvement and continued success as a shining example of the best healthcare can offer, I return from Minnesota knowing that this confidence is well deserved.
Thank you for everything you do to make HSS successful. In this rapidly changing healthcare environment, our success is ensured by everyone working together as a team on everything that is important!
With great appreciation,
Lou
6 Responses to “Hold the Mayo”
We are committed to HSS and the processes that are in place for continued improvement.
Thank you
Thank you, Mr. Shapiro, for sharing your experience in Minnesota. When I visit a hospital or doctor’s office, I always ask what EMR they use and if they like it. There are a lot of systems out there. Epic is giving HSS a great opportunity to streamline some of our processes and make use of the vast amount of knowledge from Operations and their staff that is being built into the system. We’ll be able to share what we know.
Thank you Lou for sharing your insight and comparisons of HSS to Mayo. I’m continually proud to say that HSS is THE leader for Orthopaedics and Rheumatology. I’m excited to see what’s in store for us in 2016 and with EPIC!
Mayo has been able to achieve its IT integration with a variety of EMR platforms brought together. However, they have recently made the decision to switch to Epic. It will be interesting to watch that transition. Importantly, they will benefit from the Orthopedic Specialty module of Epic that we here at HSS have helped to design. One excellent institution helping another.
Thank you for sharing.
I just wanted to say that I really enjoy reading your blogs, it’s great to see a CEO so involved and dedicated to communicating & reaching out to all HSS staff in this way. When I read your perspectives, it helps me to reflect on my own and it instills in me a sense of pride to work for this organization and continue to keep my nursing practice innovative. Thank you!