Since taking the helm a year ago at Meritus Health, western Maryland’s largest health care provider, President and CEO Maulik Joshi, Dr PH, has quickly moved the institution toward meeting a set of four “bold goals” by 2030.
The four bold goals are: 1) zero patient harm, 2) lose 1 million pounds in the community, 3) become lowest total cost of care provider in Maryland, and 4) be the nationally ranked employer of choice. All are aligned with the quadruple aim, a set of health care quality goals that include improving population health, improving the patient experience, reducing the cost of care, and improving work-force well-being.
Meritus Health President and CEO Maulik Joshi, Dr PH
Dr. Joshi outlined the numerous actions Meritus is taking to reach those goals at the second virtual meeting this year of the Quality Leaders Forum on October 20.
Launched earlier this year by United Hospital, the Quality Leaders Forum brings together a group of health care leaders committed to improving the quality of health care provided in the greater New York area. The network includes over 65 graduates and faculty from the UHF/GNYHA Clinical Quality Fellowship Program and honorees from UHF’s Tribute to Excellence in Health Care. The Forum sponsors a series of meetings with nationally recognized quality leaders—held virtually during the pandemic—and creates opportunities for members to share best practices.
Dr. Joshi described how Meritus is working to achieve those bold goals by instituting several “small ball” initiatives that connect to the larger organizational strategy. Among them: hospital rounds by senior leaders every week, quality improvement training, visual boards for every unit displaying their quality improvement initiatives, and incentives tied to organizational metrics.
“We err towards action,” Dr. Joshi told participants about addressing health inequities. The hospital is working to build relationships with community-based organizations, instituted unconscious bias training for staff, stratifies quality data by race/ethnicity/language, and uses the data for quality improvement projects. Meritus is also trying to have organizational leadership reflect the community it serves by revising hiring policies to encourage diverse candidates.
The members engaged in a lively discussion with Dr. Joshi about setting aspirational goals, engaging patients and communities on their strategic initiatives, and the impact of COVID-19 on quality and safety.
The next Quality Leaders Forum on December 3 will be held virtually and feature Margaret O’Kane, founder and president of the National Committee for Quality Assurance.