JANUARY - FEBRUARY MD News 2020 Archives

Oneida Health and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center: Unparalleled Radiation Oncology in CNY

Posted on September 28, 2022September 28, 2022 by admin

By Jenna Haines

As a member of the Roswell Park Care Network, the Dorothy G. Griffin Radiation Oncology Center at Oneida Health replicates the clinical care and quality assurance approaches employed at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, the only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated center in Upstate New York.

Oneida Health and Roswell Park continue to expand cancer care in Central New York.

Oneida Health Cancer Care, a member of the Roswell Park Care Network — the most expansive community cancer, supportive and specialized care affiliation spanning New York State, led by Roswell Park — brings high-quality services to patients with cancer in Central New York. The most recent — and one of the most exciting — developments is the opening of the Dorothy G. Griffin Radiation Oncology Center in Oneida, which opened to the public in July 2019.

The Dorothy G. Griffin Radiation Oncology Center includes an on-site CT simulator, which aids in image guidance to deliver increasing doses of radiation to the tumor with maximum normal-tissue sparing.

“For patients with cancer, this strong partnership between Oneida Health and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center means they no longer need to leave Oneida for their radiation or medical oncology services. They no longer need to sacrifice and supplant their personal lives in order to benefit from NCI-level cancer care.”
— Shilpa Vyas, MD, Medical Director of the Dorothy G. Griffin Radiation Oncology Center

Oneida Health

Founded in 1899, Oneida Health offers a variety of primary care and specialty services, as well as access to a 101-bed hospital and 160-bed extended care facility. Most recently, the organization was awarded both the 2019 “Outstanding Patient Experience” award and the 2019 “Patient Safety Excellence” award by Healthgrades. They are among the top 2% of hospitals in the nation to receive both awards, and the only hospital in New York State to have both distinctions in 2019.

Advanced Services, Technology and Expertise

The Dorothy G. Griffin Radiation Oncology Center is a 6,000-square-foot facility overseen by the center’s full-time Medical Director, Shilpa Vyas, MD, a fellowship-trained, board-certified Roswell Park radiation oncologist.

“Oneida Health Cancer Care is essentially a clinical extension of Roswell Park,” Dr. Vyas says. “I am available at the Dorothy G. Griffin Radiation Oncology Center five days a week, and it is my responsibility to ensure we are providing each and every patient with the same, high-quality radiation oncology services they would receive if they travelled to our main campus in Buffalo.”

According to Dr. Vyas, these radiation oncology services include CT simulation for radiation treatment planning scans and multiple kinds of external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) — a technique that uses a TrueBeam linear accelerator to generate and deliver precise photon beams into tumors inside the body.

“We offer all the cutting-edge EBRT treatment techniques here in Oneida, including intensity-modulated radiation therapy and volumetric-modulated arc therapy, which we use in conjunction with image guidance in order to deliver increasing doses of radiation to the tumor with maximum normal-tissue sparing,” Dr. Vyas says. “We also offer stereotactic ablative body radiation therapy, which has emerged as a very effective and safe treatment modality for early-stage lung cancers and patients with oligometastatic disease in the brain, spine, liver, lung and other disease sites. With our respiratory motion management equipment, we are able to accurately target tumors that are prone to move as patients breathe. Motion-tracking strategies, such as gating or deep-inspiration breath hold, ensure that radiation is delivered accurately.”

The Dorothy G. Griffin Radiation Oncology Center, which opened in July of 2019, is located at 601 Seneca Street in Oneida.

The Roswell Park Advantage

In addition to receiving expert-level care from the program’s on-site Roswell Park radiation oncologist, medical dosimetrists and medical physicists, patients at the Dorothy G. Griffin Radiation Oncology Center benefit from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center’s world-renowned resources and protocols, including:

Guideline-driven care: Dr. Vyas and her team follow the same quality standards of Roswell Park in Buffalo, NY, including evidence-based radiation treatment guidelines and adherence to treatment planning protocols that carefully control radiation doses to improve patient outcomes and quality of life.
Peer-reviewed treatment plans: Every patient’s radiation treatment plan is reviewed by a team of radiation oncologists at Roswell Park. In addition, all radiation oncology staff based in Oneida are trained on Roswell Park standards. This translates to exceptional National Cancer Institute-level radiation oncology care for residents of Central New York.
Clinical trials: Oneida Health Cancer Care patients have access to clinical trials at Roswell Park, which offers one of the most robust early phase clinical trials programs in New York. These trials are explicitly centered around the development of new cancer treatments and provide opportunities for patients in every phase of the disease process to access, and potentially benefit from, new treatment modalities before they are available on the market.
Tumor board: Providers at Oneida Health Cancer Care have access to Roswell Park’s Tumor Board — a multidisciplinary team of physicians that meets weekly in Buffalo to review cases that are either unique or challenging and to collectively recommend a course of action.

External Beam Radiation Therapy is a technique that uses a TrueBeam linear accelerator to generate and deliver precise photon beams into tumors inside the body.

“Modern oncology care is an intricate, orchestrated symphony of different oncology specialties. However, we really go to great lengths to ensure that Oneida Health Cancer Care patients have access to highly specialized programs and to coordinate it so that as many of these subspecialties as possible are available within a single setting.”
— Thomas Schwaab, MD, PhD, Chief of Strategy, Business Development and Outreach at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

Collaboration Across Locations

According to Gene Morreale, President and CEO at Oneida Health, the availability of these services and the seamless discourse between physicians in Buffalo and Oneida are the result of the system’s advanced telemedicine capabilities.

“Through the use of telemedicine, our team can communicate directly with Roswell Park specialists in Buffalo, including their tumor board,” Morreale says. “Roswell Park physicians are able to instantly see any relevant patient results and discuss personalized patient treatment plans based on their areas of expertise with our physicians here in Oneida. Access to an expanded network of knowledge helps ensure that we are accurately diagnosing patients and prescribing the most appropriate care based on National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) cancer care guidelines.”

Thomas Schwaab, MD, PhD, Chief of Strategy, Business Development and Outreach at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, agrees.

“Oneida Health Cancer Care patients have immediate access to the highest level of oncology care close to home,” Dr. Schwaab says. “We are happy we can offer patients state-of-the-art equipment and clinical and technical expertise that only an NCI-designated cancer center can provide. Our shared vision is making a big difference.”

Total Cancer Care in Oneida

Prior to the opening of the Dorothy G. Griffin Radiation Oncology Center, Oneida Health launched the Oneida Health Cancer Care Medical Oncology Center in 2018 in affiliation with Roswell Park. The center, which houses 12 infusion suites, a hematology/oncology office and a telemedicine room, is directed by a Roswell Park-affiliated physician and offers evaluations, chemotherapy infusions, palliative medicine, specialized physical therapy, nutrition services and several cancer screening services. Oneida Health Cancer Care and Roswell Park opened the Dorothy G. Griffin Radiation Oncology Center one year later. “From the start, Oneida Health and Roswell Park’s leadership had a singular vision in providing a cohesive, high quality cancer care program which would deliver the presence of an NCI-designated cancer center in Oneida,” says Morreale. “The addition of radiation oncology to our already successful medical oncology program extends the treatment options we can provide for a more comprehensive approach to cancer care locally.”

Oneida Health is currently in the process of completing the third phase of their collaborative vision for cancer care in Central New York, expanding its outpatient imaging, the Alice M. Gorman Imaging Center. Upgrades, for instance, include the addition of a 3 Tesla MRI, a new PET CT machine, a nuclear medicine camera and a second 3D mammography machine. Additionally, Morreale notes, he wants to start focusing on initiatives around cancer prevention and early detection — initiatives that will allow cancer to be identified at its earliest stage and provide patients with the best possible outcomes.

Patients at the Dorothy G. Griffin Radiation Oncology Center benefit from receiving expert-level care from the program’s on-site Roswell Park radiation oncologist, medical dosimetrists and medical physicists. (Pictured: Medical Dosimetrist Vanessa Rundle, MS, CMD, RT(R)(T) and Shipla Vyas, MD, Medical Director of the Dorothy G. Griffin Radiation Oncology Center)

“Our technology is the most current technology on the market. However, I think the biggest benefit to our patients is the expertise of the Roswell Park physicians who have been tasked with developing these treatment plans and administering the various treatments we offer. It is because of them that our patients are able to receive world-class cancer care directed by an NCI-designated cancer center right in Oneida.”
— Gene Morreale, President and CEO at Oneida Health

In addition to the newly opened Radiation Oncology Center, Oneida Health and Roswell Park previously opened a Medical Oncology Center in 2018. The center offers 12 infusion suites and a hematology/oncology office, as well as a telemedicine room. The center is directed by a Roswell Park-affiliated physician who provides evaluations, chemotherapy infusions, palliative medicine, specialized physical therapy, nutrition services and several cancer screening services.

Recently, Oneida Health and the YMCA have teamed up to begin the process of developing survivorship services.

“It is important for us, as a health system, to support patients by providing them with access to holistic services, including exercise, spiritual care, yoga and a variety of other support services aimed at benefitting patients as they fight with what can be a very difficult situation,” Morreale says. “Research shows if you promote wellness and activity during and following a patient’s cancer treatment, they do better.”

Future plans call for further expansion of the survivorship program. Oneida Health plans to offer survivorship services on the first floor of a building across the street from the medical oncology center. While those renovations are underway, services will temporarily be offered out of a YMCA facility conveniently located on the Oneida Health campus.

Morreale highlights these offerings for cancer survivors as just one more example of the level of care and the breadth of services that Oneida Health Cancer Care and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center aim to offer patients in Central New York.

“We are dedicated and focused on providing the highest quality care and the best patient and family experience in the region,” Morreale says. “With Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center as our partner and the high-caliber staff that we have working with us, I believe we are providing a very special service here in Oneida — a service that is only continuing to grow to meet the needs of our patients.”

To learn more about Oneida Health Cancer Care, visit oneidacancer.org.

New York State Budget Updates: Health Care Impacts

Posted on September 28, 2022September 28, 2022 by admin

By Kathryn Ruscitto

This column has always been a great place for legislative updates, and Jerry Hoffman would want me to spend some time on our current legislative environment.

I reached out to several healthcare leaders and asked what’s keeping them up at night for the next budget year. My sense is their annual list of concerns is lengthened due to the large gap created in the budget between state and federal funding for Medicaid care in New York state.

Clinicians often engage with the state budget due to malpractice and insurance reforms. While important, issues that impact the environments in which their patients receive care and in which they practice are equally important.

Kathryn Ruscitto

The American Medical Association, which primarily advocates for clinicians, notes its key areas of advocacy as public health, access to care, patent reform, reduction in administrative burdens and judicial advocacy for physicians and patients. They recommend clinicians use their voices as leaders in their communities. Patients denied access to care, particularly underserved communities in poverty, see higher rates of chronic illness and lower life expectancies.

This coming year changes to reimbursement and funding to Medicaid programs may threaten critical community-based services and bills to mandate staffing levels threaten many healthcare providers.

The national debate swirls around the future structure of access and coverage.

In the meantime, providers must help patients every day. Those patients are often struggling with insurance costs, medication costs and access to specialty care.

We all see the impact of drug abuse and addiction among young people and we need to advocate for increased funding for access to treatment and community care.

Pay attention during the next few months and use your voice and your professional associations to raise concerns about these reductions and changes to funding for critical services. Talk to legislators, email their offices and let your voice be heard.

You can reach out to Kathryn Ruscitto on LinkedIn or via email at krusct@gmail.com.

Informational Resources

Medical Society of the State of New York: mssny.org
HANYS: hanys.org
Iroquois Healthcare Association: iroquois.org
AMA: AMA-assn.org
AHA: aha.org

A Renewed Culture of Collaboration and Innovation Takes Root at Upstate University Hospital

Posted on September 28, 2022September 28, 2022 by admin

By Thomas Crocker

Inspired by the vision and leadership of a CEO who is one of their own, physicians at Upstate University Hospital thrive in a culture in which partnership and engagement are paramount — and they are free to grow and innovate in the service of providing world-class patient care.

Upstate University Hospital CEO Robert Corona, DO, MBA, is not a proponent of leading from behind a desk.

“I try to stay out of the office as much as possible,” he says. “I’d rather go on rounds with physicians and nurses or visit the physical plant to ask what’s important to those who work there, and then provide the tools they need to succeed. Regardless of their role in the organization, people want to know their work makes a difference and that they’re trusted and appreciated.”

Appointed in January 2019, Dr. Corona’s path to the hospital’s CEO position included two decades in clinical and academic realms at Upstate Medical University to a leadership role at the medical diagnostic device manufacturer Welch Allyn. His journey instilled a belief in him that an organization is only as strong as the talented people who power it. Most recently, Dr. Corona was the John B. Henry Professor and Chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical Director of Neuropathology, Chief Innovation Officer, and Vice President of Business Development at Upstate Medical University prior to his appointment as CEO at its hospital.

“People are our strength,” Dr. Corona says. “They work at Upstate because they want to belong to something bigger than themselves. We’re situated in a large region and serve many different populations across a wide swath of the state. Everyone at the hospital feels a sense of appreciation and value for the contributions they make to the institution because the communities we serve rely on us for so many services that only Upstate provides.”

In less than a year, Dr. Corona has united the Upstate community around a vision of transforming the hospital into an innovative teaching institution. That vision rests on four pillars: relentless pursuit of high-quality care, leveraging innovative technologies to make the hospital smarter, commitment to environmentally sustainable practices and sourcing, and promotion of what Dr. Corona calls “the Upstate experience.”

“The Upstate experience is exceptional for patients and families but also our employees,” he says. “Focusing on all three groups creates a positive interchange. Happy employees result in happy patients and families. Happy patients and families help create a more pleasant work environment for providers and nonproviders alike.”

The Upstate experience empowers physicians to do their best work at the bedside, in the laboratory and in the classroom — in short, it is an atmosphere in which physicians can pursue their passion. Here is a look at how several Upstate physicians are doing just that.

“I’m passionate about integrating advanced technologies into our work at Upstate University Hospital, including computing, communications, robotics and artificial intelligence. Human capital is crucial to this effort. When so many people are using their senses to care for others, they improve the intelligence of the hospital.”
— Robert Corona, DO, MBA, CEO of Upstate University Hospital

Upstate University Hospital CEO Robert Corona, DO, MBA, set fresh priorities for the clinical system when he was appointed as CEO in January 2019. The pillars shown in the graphic below are presented as a reminder at each month’s Management Forum and other meetings. With two hospitals, the Golisano Children’s Hospital, and nearly 70 specialty clinics, quality care, patient experience, innovation and sustainability are priorities.

Amy Tucker, MD, MHCM

Before she joined Upstate University Hospital in 2017 as Medical Director of Ambulatory Services, Dr. Tucker practiced cardiology at the University of Virginia for 25 years, serving as the Director for Ambulatory, Consultative and Rehabilitation services in the Cardiovascular Division. As much as she enjoyed clinical care, Dr. Tucker wanted to spend the next phase of her career improving the healthcare system for clinicians and patients. The opportunity to do that attracted her to Upstate University Hospital, where she became Chief Medical Officer early this year.

“I’m excited about pursuing strategic growth, expanding clinical services for patients, and improving the quality and safety of care,” Dr. Tucker says. “I want to help remodel our healthcare system at Upstate to provide better access and clinical services to the patients in Central New York.”

A fundamental component of Dr. Tucker’s strategy to enhance patient care is to improve the well-being of the hospital’s medical staff. With support from Dr. Corona and other hospital leaders, Dr. Tucker works in collaboration with a well-being task force to combat physician burnout. She also works with an EHR usability group in partnership with the IT department. To improve access to care, Dr. Tucker notes that Upstate is expanding specialty services to key areas and, in July, welcomed its first class of family medicine residents. Upstate will connect these trainees with local physician practices in the hope that many will stay to establish their careers in Central New York, thereby helping alleviate a shortage of primary care physicians in the region.

“Our new leadership team is committed to serving the people of Central New York,” Dr. Tucker says. “We are working to create a healing environment, educate the next generation of healers, and pioneer new diagnostics and therapeutics to provide cutting-edge care.”

Innovation and Leadership for Access

Chief Medical Officer Amy Tucker, MD, is working with Chief Ambulatory Officer Nancy Daoust on data pulled from EHRs to evaluate room utilization for access and throughput in the outpatient clinics. “We are looking at ways we can see more patients and use our clinic space more efficiently,” Dr. Tucker says.

Jeremy Joslin, MD, MBA, Associate Chief Medical Officer for Capacity and Clinical Operations, is focused on maximizing capacity — such as the recent project to improve patient logistics by streamlining cross-campus transportation. His work supports the goal to provide the most immediate access to care at one of the busiest transfer centers in the state.

Matthew Glidden, MD, (left) Associate Chief Medical Officer, works to expand care at Upstate’s community campus. The Upstate Birth Center completed a $9.2 expansion and renovation; upcoming projects upcoming include dialysis and an expansion of the ICU at the Broad Road location.

Greg Conners, MD, MPH, MBA, Chair of Pediatrics and Executive Director of the Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital, notes that the recent 10th year celebration was crowned with a special announcement. A new $3 million gift from benefactor Thomas B. Golisano will establish the Golisano Center for Special Needs. The center will allow Upstate to serve 7,600 children per year, a 167% increase compared to 2018. Conners also states that improving access to mental health care for teens is a pressing concern for the region, and one that will be helped by new adolescent psychiatric beds coming online. The inpatient unit will directly connect with outpatient services. Upstate departments are working with Hutchings and the Office of Mental Health to provide a continuum of care for these patients ages 12–17.

Lawrence Chin, MD, FAANS, FACS

Dr. Chin is the Interim Dean of the College of Medicine and Robert B. and Molly G. King Professor of Neurosurgery at Upstate Medical University. In the eight years since he arrived as Chair of Neurosurgery at Upstate University Hospital, Dr. Chin has been an integral part of a surge of growth and innovation that established the Upstate Brain and Spine Center and has produced a variety of programs and services found nowhere else in Central New York. These include a pediatric neurosurgery program, epilepsy surgery program, the Gamma Knife center, an intraoperative MRI suite for brain surgery, among others. The department’s surgeons also support the Upstate Comprehensive Stroke Center and its Level I trauma center.

In October, Dr. Chin witnessed the opening of a facility that is especially significant to him: Upstate’s new multispecialty outpatient building at the Township 5 mixed-use development in Camillus. A collaboration between the hospital and Upstate University Medical Associates at Syracuse (UUMAS) — Upstate’s faculty practice plan — the Township 5 building includes family medicine, cardiology,orthopedic surgery, pulmonology, rheumatology,neurosurgery, neurology, pain medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation, urology, otolaryngology, vascular surgery, and psychiatry and behavioral health clinics, as well as a laboratory, radiology services and a physical therapy suite.

Dr. Chin credits Dr. Corona for spearheading the Township 5 project during his time as head of UUMAS, a role that rotates among department chairs. Dr. Chin continued the effort when he assumed leadership of the faculty practice plan.

“We’ve never had a collaboration on this scale between the physician practices and the hospital, but it was easy because everyone bought in to the importance of this project,” Dr. Chin says. “Working together to accomplish this goal in less than two years — from planning to opening — shows a great degree of integration between the physicians and hospital leadership.”

The support of leadership played an integral role in the establishment of a new neurosurgery outpatient clinic at Upstate Community Hospital (recently known as the Community Campus.) The clinic is scheduled to open January 2020.

“Upstate is about people,” Dr. Chin says. “It’s about treating our patients and staff with respect, and using the best technology available to deliver treatment.”

Innovation and Leadership for Education

Neurosurgeon Lawrence Chin, MD, recently transitioned from two roles — Department Chair and Head of the Medical Faculty Practice — to take on the Interim Dean role for Upstate’s College of Medicine. As a dean engaging in clinical practice, early exposure to patient interactions, increasing diversity and career mentoring are among his aims for students.

Danielle Katz, MD, is the Associate Dean of Graduate Medical Education. Each year, her office oversees more than 600 medical residents and fellows in 49 accredited GME programs. The newest residency program in Family Medicine, a collaboration with the Syracuse VA Medical Center, drew more than 400 applicants for six spots.

Geriatrics Chair Sharon Brangman, MD, launched the ACE (Acute Care of the Elderly) team approach for older adults in the hospital, where she also conducts ACE rounds and related education. She leads the state-designated Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease (CEAD) that provides comprehensive services for the diagnosis and management of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

G. Randall Green, MD, JD, MBA

The Director of the Upstate Heart Institute, Dr. Green joined Upstate University Hospital in 2017 and was determined to do nothing less than change how patients receive heart care in Central New York.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to create a regional academic center of excellence in heart care,” Dr. Green says. “Upstate has the resources, and now, under the direction of Upstate Medical University Interim President Mantosh Dewan, MD, and Drs. Corona and Chin, we have the highest level of leadership aligned to create what I came here to achieve, which is to transform Upstate into an academic heart care program that has the highest quality and most patient-focused care in the area.”

Dr. Green and his colleagues are well on their way to realizing his vision. Previously, Upstate performed approximately 50 cardiac surgeries per year, and it is now on track to perform 400 annually — a 700% increase. The Division of Cardiology has doubled in size, thanks to an influx of new providers, and is looking to add new techniques and treatments for heart failure and structural heart disease. In the research realm, Upstate is studying a prosthetic bypass conduit as part of a $3 million grant with Cornell University, and leaders are investigating the possibility of creating a clinical database for aortic disease.

“It is time for Upstate to achieve something big in heart care, which is a high strategic priority,” Dr. Green says. “All credit for the growth we’re experiencing goes to the management team we have in place now. Our leaders are aligned in how they think about heart care, and we have the right personalities on the team to build an academic center of excellence in heart care.”

Innovation and Leadership for Care

Upstate Heart Institute Director G. Randall Green, MD, MBA, JD, continues his work as a leading cardiac surgeon while building on existing strengths toward the vision of an institute that reflects the full scope of the interrelated mission — patient care, medical education, research and community service.

Cardiologist Mark Charlamb, MD, recently brought an eight-physcian practice to Upstate, essentially doubling the number of cardiology faculty and increasing the number of outpatient sites to six. Patients will have streamlined care with greater access to other experts and treatments, as needed. The expansion also secures the safety net services for vulnerable patients.

Surgeon Ranjna Sharma, MD, Medical Director of the Breast Cancer Program, was recruited from Beth Israel Deaconess and Harvard to grow and develop an academic breast cancer program. Her arrival expanded the team to four dedicated breast surgeons, with reach to underserved areas. Her aims include to increase investigator-initiated research and promote community outreach.

Mark Charlamb, MD, FACC

A cardiologist and alumnus of and former chief resident at Upstate, Dr. Charlamb joined the university’s faculty on Sept. 1 with his colleagues — seven physicians and five nurse practitioners — from the Cardiovascular Group of Syracuse. That move doubled the number of cardiologists at the Upstate Heart Institute and increased the number of Upstate’s outpatient cardiology clinics to six. For Dr. Charlamb, joining the faculty was a homecoming after 21 years in practice.

“My colleagues and I are now part of Syracuse’s only academic medical center, which allows us to work with residents and fellows in a teaching program,” Dr. Charlamb says. “We’re excited to grow our practice by working in an academic setting and collaborating with a variety of specialists across the institution.”

Dr. Charlamb points to the leadership renewal that has taken place at Upstate as playing an instrumental role in his group’s decision to join the university faculty.

“Dr. Corona is a people person. He is easy to work with and brings a physician’s perspective to the CEO role,” Dr. Charlamb says. “He made our transition seamless and welcomed us with open arms. The technology at Upstate is of the highest caliber. The connectivity is great — EHRs are available across all campuses and practices, so we can read and review patients’ studies from anywhere. Technology is constantly growing and changing, and it’s important to keep up with it to stay efficient and produce the best outcomes for patients.”

Innovation and Leadership for Future

Urology Chair Gennady Bratslavsky, MD, (center) leads a large robotic surgery team for prostate, kidney and bladder cancers, as well as other complex urological surgeries. In addition, he has overseen many clinical trials to evaluate new therapies for urologic cancers and introduced novel technologies such as Uronav fusion platform for prostate cancer and blue light cystoscopy for bladder cancer.

Michel Nasr, MD, Interim Chair of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine oversees the region’s most specialized pathology department with 36 faculty members. The department aims to provide world-class services to patients and clinicians using cutting- edge technologies. Up next: The department is looking to further develop both digital pathology services and next generation sequencing technology to offer the most advanced laboratory diagnostics throughout Central and Northern New York.

Sri Narsipur, MD, Interim Chair of Medicine, guides the largest clinical, research, and education department at Upstate. The 11 divisions that comprise medicine have made advances that help with both common and rare conditions, as well as reach underserved communities across 17 counties in Central New York. New services in development include a center for lupus research and tele-consulting for regional physicians and providers.

To learn more, visit upstate.edu/hospital.

Your Culture of Leadership

Posted on September 28, 2022September 28, 2022 by admin

By: Jeff Rogers

Leading an organization of any size can be a difficult endeavor. By nature, leadership is subject to interpretation and variation, but only if we allow it. I have written a lot on leadership styles and bedrock principles. I have learned along the way and often speak to the idea that business systems do the heavy lifting and leaders lead people. I believe that to be true. I am also big on systems and accountability. Below is my idea of what can happen when you lead with systems. It’s funny how people behave when they can understand and get behind your vision. Help them connect the dots. Here is my idea on how to accomplish that sometimes-complicated effort.

Vision, Mission, Values

Who you are and where you are going
How you are going to get there
Our rules
Used as a tool (so much of it becomes embedded in the company DNA)

Five-Year Goal

Think big
Specific picture
Belief

Jeff Rogers

Three-Year Goal

Aligned with five-year goal and guidepost
Specific
Belief

Annual Solid Intention (One-Year Goal)

Valuable, attainable, measurable, committed to memory, burning desire
Guidepost goals
The game and goal (keep score, post the score, share the win)
Teach the team how to win
Used to prioritize issues list

90-Day Rocks

Path toward solid intention
Priorities listing
Reviewed and modified at executive team meetings

Weekly Action Plans

From the executive team meeting notes
Results are a must and exceptions require early notice and reasons
Communicated to team via executive team member representative

Accountability Chart for Sales, Operations, Administration, Integrator, Visionary

Includes specific areas of responsibility
Used for accountability and action steps assignment
Flat as practical
Used for communication (between executives and the team)
Appeals to integrator (who uses discretion)

Executive Team and Executive Team Meetings

Department “Leaders” (own the process and results)
Weekly meetings, monthly meetings, quarterly 90-day plan reviews
Prioritize issues list
Action steps assigned to individuals and they are accountable for completion
Written notes and executive team binders
Leadership training

CEO Briefings: Monthly Letter to the Team and Stakeholders

Report on executive team initiatives
Introduce new team members
Reinforce the vision, mission, values and highlight specific achievements
Updates on the game and goal
SOP training

Issues List

Comprehensive listing of every issue standing between where you are and where you want to be
Prioritized
Reviewed and strategized at monthly executive team meetings

Right People in Right Positions

Must be aligned with vision, mission, values
They have to “Get it”
They have to “Want it”
They have to have the capacity
No square pegs in round holes

The Great Bullpen: Monthly Team Meeting

After hours with food provided
Compare behavior to vision, mission and values; when not congruent, agree to change the statements or the behavior
Current condition
Leadership briefing
Leadership training, SOP training and team-building exercise
Game and goal update
Awards

Systems

Documented
Trained
Accountable
SOP development

Marketing and Sales

Define your target market
Competitive differentiators
Patient process and patient acquisition

Sharing Success

Share in team success stories and thank-you statements among team members

This is a very comprehensive outline you can use for success in your practice.

For more information on guidance and assistance implementing a more robust culture of leadership experience in your practice, you may contact Jeff Rogers at 315-430-0657, email JeffRogersCoach@gmail.com or visit JeffRogersCoach.com.