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Minutes: May 23, 2007

361st MEETING OF THE MEDICAL SCHOOL COUNCIL

3 p.m., Wednesday, May 23, 2007
School of Medicine Administration, Board Room 103

PRESENT: Drs. Dagnelie, Flynn, Geller, Holcroft, Honeycutt, Huang, Maragakis, Mooney, Pidcock, Schramm, Sterni, Tufaro, Wang, Yaster, Zellars, Zhu, Mr. Pirruccello, Mss. Foy and Sandone.

ABSENT: Drs. Aucott, Bergles, Bhatti, Bluemke, Brayton, Caterina, Chan, Choi, Cormack, DeLeon, Denmeade, Efron, Gultekin, Iacobuzio-Donahue, Kravet, Lehmann, Liu, Lorsch, MacDonald, Magaziner, McCarthy, Mears, Peters, Robinson, Roper, Schulick, Siberry, Tompkins, Walker, Whitmore, Woolf, Messrs. Kobayahsi, Prucz, Rais-Bahrami, and Watkins, Ms. Cohen.

GUESTS: Drs. Miller and Pronovost, Ms. Heiser


I. Minutes

The minutes of the April 18, 2007 meeting were approved. 

II. Update on the State of the School of Medicine – Dr. Edward Miller, Dean/CEO

NIH Funding

The April 5, 2007 hold on individual awardee grants has been lifted and money is beginning to flow. Concerted lobbying efforts have been somewhat successful and additional monies may be available to the NIH.

NIH is focusing on funding Program Project Grants that cut across departments and divisions. This approach tends to leave out junior investigators. Funding for junior faculty is a big concern. Philanthropic support has been used to supplement junior faculty. Dr. Miller is encouraging placing junior investigators on Program Project Grants.

Buildings

Renovations to the Hospital Cafeteria will be completed by November 1, 2007.

Construction of the two hospital towers is on schedule with a completion/dedication date in 2010.

Groundbreaking for the new Wilmer Research Building is scheduled for June 6, 2007. This is a $92.5 million structure to be built near Orleans and Broadway that will contain operating rooms and three floors of research space.

The Armstrong Education Building is scheduled to be open in September 2009.

The first phase of a Simulation Center located in the Outpatient building will be operational by February 2008.

Renovations are planned for the PCTB teaching space to accommodate graduate student teaching once the Armstrong Education Building opens. Certain hospital buildings will be renovated for office space over the time period 2012-2013. Green space is planned for parts of the Monument Street corridor. The plan is to retain the Marburg and Wilmer buildings. 

BiotechPark/East Baltimore Redevelopment

The first research building, on the corner of Wolfe and Madison, will open in Fall 2008. The School of Medicine has leased 100,000 sq/ft of the 280,000 sq/ft building for basic science research. A second biotech building is planned that will offer lower tech lab as well as office space.


Housing for the elderly and work force residents is under construction with occupancy expected in Oct/Nov 2007. To date, 450 families have been moved to make way for the redevelopment project. The East Baltimore redevelopment is the largest urban redevelopment project in the United States.

Clinical Issues

Several major third party payor contracts are up for renewal soon. Many insurers tie their reimbursements to Medicare rates which are in a negative trend. Contract negotiations are critical to the clinical practice bottom-line.

Hospital admissions are down 4% this year. Clinical practice income has fallen somewhat over the past three months. New programs with growth potential are being explored. Anne Arundel County Medical Center may offer opportunities to expand clinical trial operations. A Johns Hopkins Community Physician’s outpatient center will open soon on the Eastern Shore.

There have been discussions with GBMC regarding a cardiology affiliation. Prince George’s Hospital Center has been experiencing financial difficulties and the legislature did not step up to fix the problem. For the time being, interim State and County funding has been made available while a long term solution is sought. There have been preliminary discussions regarding a management contract with Johns Hopkins, but no arrangement is imminent.

Priority Partners and other Johns Hopkins Healthcare entities are financially sound and continue to do well.

International Operations

A very significant gift has been received from the head of the United Arab Emirates that will go a long way in funding the new Critical Care Tower.

The clinical operation in Singapore continues to do well. The research operation has been closed due to philosophical differences in the approach to staffing.

The School of Medicine has several management contracts with hospitals throughout the world and continues to look for opportunities in other countries that can provide value that can be used here.

USA Operations

A referral office has been established in Palm Beach, Florida that has generated a significant number of referrals to Johns Hopkins Hospital in the first several months of operation. Exploratory efforts are underway for a similar operation in Naples.

Student Issues

The Caroline Street Free Clinic has been closed for a variety of legal reasons. This action removed a clinical experience for medical students which they viewed as important to their education and for the community members served.

A committee has been appointed to address the issues that resulted in closing the clinic. A goal is to replace the experience in a setting that conforms to both legal and supervisory issues and provides patients the needed services.

Clinical Trials

Dr. Miller noted the issues surrounding payment for patients in clinical trials and reported this is a high priority for remediation.

Vision 2020 Report

Dr. Miller commented on the recommendations of the 2020 report which among other recommendations, calls for a 50% representation of women in University senior management positions by 2020. The Dean addressed the broad issue of diversity and questioned whether diversity should be added to the recommendations.

Dr. Miller responded to a number of questions from council members. Dr. Sterni thanked him for a comprehensive presentation.

III. Patient Safety Initiative – Dr. Peter Pronovost

Dr. Pronovost presented an overview of the Johns Hopkins Medicine Patient Safety Initiative. He outlined the various components of the initiative, indicating the safety goals follow the tripartite mission of Johns Hopkins Medicine. He outlined the various research opportunities available in the School of Medicine and Public Health and funding available.


A main focus of the initiative is reducing health care harm. Learning from mistakes is a key concept in improving safety. Dr. Pronovost stressed the importance of communication among all participants in addressing safety. He has initiated a “mixing bowl” multidisciplinary approach where participants from many different areas analyze safety events and make best practice recommendations.


Safety has been integrated in the curriculum in several venues. The Patient, Physician, and Society course includes safety instruction and provides an opportunity for selectives. Elective experiences are available and the new curriculum will have a horizonal strand devoted to safety. There are also opportunities at the postdoctoral fellowship level for study is systems based practices.


Dr. Pronovost stressed the importance of being public about mistakes and addressed the importance of being able to share stories without wounding individuals involved.

Dr. Pronovost responded to questions. Dr. Sterni thanked him for his presentation.

IV. Update of Faculty Survey – Dr. Honeycutt

Dr. Honeycutt reported the Faculty Survey is in the IRB review process and hopefully will be ready for distribution within the month. Medical School Council members were asked to encouraged their constituents to complete the survey

V. Other Business

There being no further business this meeting was adjourned at 4:40 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Mary E. Foy

Secretary

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