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Minutes: March 24, 2010

388th MEETING OF THE MEDICAL SCHOOL COUNCIL

3 p.m., Wednesday, March 24, 2010
School of Medicine Administration, Board Room 103

PRESENT: Drs. Abuav, Ahn, Armstrong, Barker, Brayton, Carroll, Chou, Cooke, Cromwell, Goldstein, Gottesman, Ishii, Matunis, Meffert, Nyhan, Regan, Schramm, Shapiro, Williams, Mr. Mandell, Mss. Fairman, Nguyen, and Foy

ABSENT: Drs. Bastian, Chuck, Comfort, Fine, Green, Herman, Leahy, McCarthy, Molinaro, Pavlovich, Reading, Resar, Stivers, Tis, Tufaro, Wolfgang, Wong, Messrs. Bicket and Ruzevick, Ms. Matthys

GUESTS: Drs. Dover, Gibbs, Pronovost, and Wright.


I. Minutes

The minutes of the February 17, 2010 meeting were approved. 

II. Chair’s Report- Dr. Armstrong

Dr. Armstrong suggested MSC members invite Benefits Office staff to departmental meetings to discuss proposed changes in the faculty and staff benefits plans.

III. Overview of JHH Safety Programs- Dr. Peter Pronovost

Dr. Pronovost presented an overview of patient safety efforts implemented over the last several years and outlined future plans to develop a “basic science of safety research” that would use the hospital as a laboratory. Current accomplishments include the Center for Innovation in Quality Patient Care which was created to facilitate patient centered revamping of health care delivery systems at Johns Hopkins Medicine. The center helps interdisciplinary teams develop more efficient and less error prone processes. The JHU Quality and Safety Research Group is an interdisciplinary team with members from medicine, nursing, public health, psychology, and other disciplines that uses the Johns Hopkins Hospital as a learning lab to test and refine evaluation tools. The team has developed scientifically valid tools such as checklists for preventing bloodstream infections that have been implemented at hospitals nationwide. Many of the approaches used in the safety initiative have been borrowed from other high-risk industries such as aviation and manufacturing. Communication and teamwork and training has been modeled after the aviation industry and streamlining processes have been modeled after the manufacturing industry to eliminate waste.

A major focus is now on the research and education side. In the past, Johns Hopkins has not rewarded quality improvement and innovation as scholarly work for promotion. Dr. Pronovost is developing guidelines working on quantifying scholarly work without publication that he will share with the promotions committees. On the educational side, there is now required safety instruction in the second year medical curriculum and in most core clerkships. A safety elective is being developed for house staff. At the doctoral level, the Bloomberg School of Public Health offers a Dr. P.H. degree with a focus on technical skills in Epidemiology and leadership skills in changing organizational behavior.

Better data systems are required for outcomes research and to bring outcomes measurement to the outpatient setting. Joint Commission requires performance evaluation documentation; more robust data systems will be required to meet this standard.

Dr. Pronovost encouraged faculty to contact him if they have an interest in either the research or operational side of safety and quality improvement.

Dr. Armstrong thanked Dr. Pronovost for his presentation.

IV. Presentation on the Office of Diversity and Cultural Competence- Dr. Brian Gibbs, Associate Dean for Diversity and Cultural Competence

As background, Dr. Gibbs referenced a Dean’s Retreat focused on diversity and institutional change. As a result the School of Medicine mission statement was modified to include diversity and inclusion. A national search for a director of an Office of Diversity and Cultural Competence was undertaken and fourteen months ago, Dr. Gibbs was hired to lead the effort. Dr. Gibbs reviewed some faculty diversity initiatives undertaken since his appointment. These included a fellowship directors retreat in Pediatrics, co-sponsoring the Department of Medicine annual diversity lectureships and dinner, an initiative with the Department of Psychiatry to address service and research needs in mental health, substance abuse, and developmental disabilities, a diversity attitudes survey in several departments, an ethnic skin care program in Dermatology, a convening of T32 training grant directors to address diversity issues, a faculty ambassador program in Otolaryngology, an annual underrepresented minority student reception and a new underrepresented minority faculty luncheon.

On the staff side a JHHS diversity officers working group was established to identify best practices, cross-campus dialogues on diversity, and health disparities, a lecture and film series began, a school-wide diversity action network was established as well as ongoing training in diversity and inclusion programs were established.

Within the broader community, the office will be actively engaged in a variety of activities including the Diversity Brain Trust, the Community Brain Trust on Health, and the Maryland Comprehensive Cancer Plan.

In response to questions, Dr. Gibbs supported the recently implemented faculty exit interview process as a source of valuable feedback. He also responded to a question on the 2020 report which recommends 20% of leadership positions be filled by underrepresented minorities by 2020.

Dr. Armstrong thanked Dr. Gibbs for his presentation.

V. Miller-Coulson Academy- Dr. Scott Wright

The Miller-Coulson Academy established through a philanthropic gift to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center is an initiative of the Center for Innovative Medicine. The academy’s mission is to recognize masterful physicians who are committed to clinical excellence for the benefit of patients and the communities they serve. The reward system in academic medicine has favored research rather than teaching and clinical excellence. As a result, some physicians have limited their clinical activities to devote more time to efforts that are rewarded by promotion. The Miller-Coulson Academy hopes to reverse this trend by recognizing master clinicians who will remain on the faculty as role models to train the next generation of physicians.

Dr. Wright reviewed the selection process for membership in the academy which included identification of outstanding physicians through a survey of residents and peers. A clinical portfolio tool has been designed to measure the physician’s academic clinical performance and contributions. An external and internal review board reviews findings based on a definition of clinical excellence.

In response to questions, Dr. Wright noted the program is based at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medicine Center now but in the future may take hold at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He also noted nominees must spend 1/3 or more time in patient care.

Dr. Armstrong thanked Dr. Wright for his presentation.

VI. Code of Conduct- Dr. George Dover

Dr. Dover presented a proposed Faculty Code of Conduct at last month’s meeting. Today’s presentation was a follow-up and addressed minor changes made to the document since the February meeting. He noted the principles of the code and those things faculty should refrain from doing has not changed.

There was extensive discussion on the $500 limit on gifts faculty may receive if related to their activities as a faculty member. Gifts above $500 must be directed to departmental accounts. The $500 rule is at the discretion of the Department Director and must be uniformly applied to all full time faculty. The issue of whether the Dean’s tax applies to the $500 rule needs clarification.

Dr. Dover asked council members to contact him if there are additional concerns that may be raised by their constituents.

Dr. Armstrong thanked Dr. Dover for his presentation.

VII. Other Business

There being no further business this meeting was adjourned at 5:05 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Mary E. Foy

Secretary

Future Medical School Council meetings:

All meetings will be held in the School of Medicine Board Room (SOM 103), 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.

  • Apr. 21, 2010
  • May 26, 2010
  • June 23, 2010
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