Utah Healthcare Executives

The Utah Healthcare Executives is a chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

UHE exists to provide networking, education and career advise for aspiring healthcare leaders. If you are a member of ACHE you are automatically a member of UHE.

ACHE student membership costs just $75 dollars annually. If you sign up after September 1st, the $75 dollars pays for the rest of the year and all of the following year. UHE offers periodic networking and educational events with substantial discounts for student associates.

Contact FHLA for further information on the benefits of UHE membership.

FHLA Leadership

Redstone Health Center

REDSTONE HEALTH CENTER

February 27th students visited with Pati Colvin, Clinic Manager of the Redstone Health Center in Park City, Utah.

The Redstone Health Center is one of relatively few 'patient-centered medical homes' across the United States. As a result, visitors from all over come to learn how this center is dramatically improving comprehensive primary care.

A Patient-Centered Medical Home is an approach to providing comprehensive primary care for children, youth, and adults. It is a health care setting that facilitates partnerships between individual patients, and their personal physicians, and when appropriate, the patient's family. Principles that describe the PCMH are the following: personal physician, physician directed medical practice, whole person orientation, coordinated/integrated care, quality and safety, enhanced access, and payment reform.

*Afterwards students hung out with MHA Program Director Debbie Scammon, her husband, horses, cats, and dogs at her breathtaking Park City getaway home.

Veterans Affairs Hospital SLC

On January 16th, students visited the VA hospital to meet with Acting Director, Rima Nelson. Ms. Nelson is a graduate of the University of Utah MPH/HSA Program.

The VA System

Veteran Affairs is able to spend less per patient than private hospitals by focusing on prevention. Comprehensive testing during a single visit allows the VA to monitor overall patient health. This enables the VA to detect and treat early signs of illness.

Students interested in getting involved in VA initiatives or in doing a volunteer internship should contact James Walston at james.walston2@va.gov.

MountainWest Surgical Center

MountainWest Surgical Center is a multi-specialty ambulatory surgical center serving Bountiful, UT and surrounding communities. High patient satisfaction and quality outpatient care is the goal of each of its physicians and staff.

MountainWest Surgical Center exists to help physicians and medical professionals provide their patients with the best care possible.

Students met with Administrator Brian Berg to learn how independent surgical centers work to transform our troubled health care system.

To learn more about Ambulatory Surgical Center trends visit www.ascassociation.org/advocacy/AmbulatorySurgeryCentersPositiveTrendHealthCare.pdf

Shriners Hospital Visit

Friday October 24th, some University of Utah MBA/MHA students visited the beautiful Shriners Hospitals For Children in Salt Lake City, Utah; a 40-bed pediatric orthopedic hospital and research and teaching center.

Shriners Hospitals for Children is a one-of-a-kind international health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing specialty pediatric care, innovative research and outstanding teaching programs.

Children up to the age of 18 with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate are eligible for admission and receive all care in a family-centered environment at no charge – regardless of financial need.

Shriners' CEO and Retired Air Force Colonel, Craig Patchin met with students to discuss Shriners unique business model. Shriners Hospitals for Children rely on the generosity of many individuals and organizations for the funding needed to continue operating this extraordinary philanthropy.

Above: From left to right, students Anthony Rodebush, Janelle Robinson, and Bart LeFan take a picture with Administrator Craig Patchin.

Read about Shriners' recent "Un-limb-ited River Rafting Amputee Camp" at http://www.shrinershq.org/Hospitals/Salt_Lake_City/feature_story/

FHLA - University of Utah MHA students visit Phase 2 Consulting

On September 12, 2008, Future Healthcare Leaders of America (FHLA) visited Phase 2 Consulting. We had the honor to talk with Mr. Howard Salmon, MHA University of Minnesota and Mr. Todd Halpin, MBA University of Utah. After discussing their backgrounds and fascinating career paths, they provided us with Phase 2 Consulting's State of Healthcare 2008 presentation. The major issues facing healthcare were related in the document. We engaged in a lively discussion of where to focus time, energy, and data crunching to maximize efficiency and work toward profitability in the healthcare setting. They described in detail the demands and rewards of working as a consultant. Both men uphold the values of Phase 2 Consulting: Intellectual Honesty and Integrity, High Client Focus - Customer Service, Ethical and Moral Approach with Clients, Continued Learning, and Creativity.

Our sincere thanks to Mr. Salmon and Mr. Halpin for their time. I personally learned a great deal about consulting.

FHLA Leadership

Healthcare in Crisis - University of Utah School of Medicine Alumni Association

On September 6, 2008 the University of Utah School of Medicine pulled together a brilliant panel discussion titled Healthcare in Crisis: History, Challenges, and Opportunities. The event concluded the Medical Alumni Association's 2008 Continuing Medical Education Alumni weekend. The FHLA students were invited to attend the meeting.

The presenters:

Richard Sperry, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Vice President of Health Sciences; Director, Governor Scott M. Matheson Center for Health Care Studies, University of Utah.
Dr. Sperry served as the moderator.

Greg Poulsen, Senior Vice President, Intermountain Healthcare, Member of State of Utah Health Data Committee
Title of Presentation: Health Reform Issues: History, Comparison, and Where Are We Now?

Jay Jacobson, MD, Professor of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University of Utah; Chief of the Division of Medical Ethics and Humanities, LDS Hospital and University of Utah
Title of Presentation: Just Allocation of Health Care: Needs, Limits, and Obligations

Brent James, MD, MStat, Executive Director Institute of Healthcare Delivery Research and Vice President, Medical Research and Continuing Medical Education, Intermountain Healthcare; Adjunct Professor, Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Utah
Title of Presentation: Building Quality Care Systems: A New Outlook for Humanity

David Squire, Executive Director, Utah Medical Education Council.
Title of Presentation: Medical Workforce Issues in Utah

Linn Baker, Former CEO Public Employees Health Plan, State of Utah; Chair, Board of Trustees, Utah Health Policy Project
Title of Presentation: Market Driven Health Care

Joe Jarvis, MD, MSPH, President, Joseph Q. Jarvis Consulting, Inc.
Title of Presentation: Too Much Market, Not Enough Care

During the break the students enjoyed talking with Mr. Poulsen and Mr. James. Above: Greg Poulsen poses with some of the MHA students; from left to right; Bart LeFan, Jake Budd, Sarah Watts, Greg Poulsen, and Anthony Rodebush. Below: Brent James weighs in on the discussion panel.


Many thanks to Kristin Gorang of the Alumni Association and Dr. Sperry for bringing together so many industry leaders together for six hours of healthcare history, trends, and projections. It's an MHA student's dream come true.