Healthcare providers are receiving patient portal messages at large volumes, reshaping how care teams deliver and manage care between visits. As patient messaging grows from simple prescription questions to complex clinical concerns, this “invisible” work is placing a significant strain on provider workload. In this episode, Vizient Fellow Mathilde Hanchard talks to Dr. Ko, Director and Chief of Dermatology Service Line and Associate Chief Quality Officer at Stanford Health Care, about how his team uncovers the true scope of patient medical interactions.

Guest Speaker: Dr. Justin M. Ko, MD, MBA Director and Chief of Medical Dermatology Stanford Health Care (SHC)

Host: Mathilde Hanchard, MS-HSM Fellow, Performance Improvement Programs Vizient

Show Notes:

[00:52] Dr. Ko explains provider workload tied to patient portal messaging [02:12] Rapid growth of patient portal messages since 2020 [03:50] Making portal messaging more visible and measurable [05:27] The complexity of accurately quantifying the communication workload [07:47] Plans to publish and share data [11:19] Evaluating patient portal messages and trends [12:57] The future of patient portal messaging within care delivery

Links | Resources: Contacting Knowledge on the Go: picollaboratives@vizientinc.com

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Patient messaging has become more common across health systems, but few use it in a way that truly supports better health outcomes. Northwestern Medicine’s Smart Outreach for Better Health is taking patient communication a step further by using automation to identify specific populations and send personalized clinically relevant messages. Our host Myesha Williams and Northwestern’s Program Manager Dharmesh Patel share how this initiative bridges care gaps, boosts follow up rates and helps patients stay engaged in their own care.

Guest speaker:

Dharamesh Patel Program Manager, Quality and Patient Safety Northwestern Medicine

Host: Myesha Williams SN, RN Fellow, Performance Improvement Programs Vizient

Show notes:

[00:56] – Overview of the Better Health initiative and how patient messaging was deployed

[01:53] – Collaboration between data and quality leaders that launched automated patient outreach

[03:17] – Implementing a systemwide strategy to enhance outreach and care coordination

[04:19] – Timing messages to reach patients when they’re most likely to respond

[06:32] – Role of patient and family advisors in driving success and credibility

[07:40] – How the team increased follow-through rates, engaging 13% of patients

[09:12] – Tackling challenges and leveraging EMR analyst expertise

[09:54] – Addressing time constraints as a key project barrier

Links | Resources: Contacting Knowledge on the Go: picollaboratives@vizientinc.com

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Preference card management plays a critical role in improving accuracy, reducing costs, and driving efficiency across surgical services. Host LaTammy Marks, Senior Performance Improvement Program Director at Vizient, sits down with Carol Zelenkowski, System Operations Manager for Surgical Services at Main Line Health, to discuss their journey toward optimizing over 20,000 preference cards. Carol shares how her team used data to uncover cost variations, build surgeon buy-in, and achieve reduction in card volume. She also reflects on lessons learned and how these improvements are now expanding into other specialties, offering valuable insights for health systems nationwide.

Guest speaker:

Carol Zelenkowski, BSN, RN, CNOR System Operations Manager MLH Surgical Services, Main Line Corporate Center

Host: LaTammy Marks, MBA, BSN, RN Senior PI Program Director, Performance Improvement Programs Vizient

Show notes:

[01:01] – Main Line Health’s starting point and challenges with preference cards before joining the Vizient collaborative

[01:50] – Why Main Line Health chose to participate in the Vizient collaborative

[02:51] – How the team decided which preference cards to prioritize for review and optimization

[03:24] – Key insights uncovered in the data, including cost saving and variation trends

[04:33] – Gaining surgeon buy-in by presenting accurate preference card data

[05:35] – The measurable savings achieved and the positive impact on Main Line Health’s surgical services

[06:52] – Expanding preference card optimization to other specialties and the future of this work.

Links | Resources: Contacting Knowledge on the Go: picollaboratives@vizientinc.com

Unlocking savings through preference card management

Transform your perioperative supply chain

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Quality and clinical outcomes improve when healthcare systems are built on strong and cohesive quality structures. Dr. Matthew McCambridge, Chief Quality Officer at Lehigh Valley Health Network, joins host Amber Hanser to explore findings from a Vizient benchmarking survey that reveals the positive impact of system quality executives on clinical performance. He shares practical strategies for aligning governance and organizational priorities highlighting how leading through influence can strengthen both clinical excellence and financial stability.

Speaker: Matthew McCambridge, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Quality Patient Safety and Acute Care Continuum Officer LVHN

Host: Amber Hanser, MHA, CPHQ Senior Director, Programs Performance Improvement Programs Vizient

Show Notes: [1:20] – Defining the Chief Quality Officer role and how a hub and spoke model supports large health systems [3:02] – Ways to assess if a system’s structure can sustain strong clinical performance [4:13] – Ensuring integration success and the role of quality subcommittees in governance [5:41] – Departments and functions that report under quality [8:10] – How quality executives collaborate with peers across the industry [11:04] – Leading with data rather than drama to drive improvement

Links | Resources: Contacting Knowledge on the Go: picollaboratives@vizientinc.com

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AI is advancing rapidly in the healthcare space, raising important questions about how it will be used responsibly and effectively. Host Courtney Furrow White is joined by Sarah Pollet and Julia Bongiorno from UCSF to explore the evolving role of AI in clinical environments. Together, they break down the development of UCSF’s IMPACC framework, a platform designed to evaluate and guide enterprise AI implementation. The conversation dives into what it takes to make AI safe, reliable, and trustworthy, not only for patients, but for the frontline staff who rely on these tools.

Guest speakers:

Julia Bongiorno, PMP, MSHC Health AI Program Supervisor (Interim) UCSF Health

Sarah Pollet, MPH Program Director UCSF AI Impact & Monitoring (IMPACC)

Host: Courtney Furrow White MPM, RN Senior Director, Performance Improvement Programs Vizient

Show notes: [1:47] Overview of UCSF’s AI I-M-P-A-C-C framework and how it informs future deployments. [3:02] UCSF’s approach to AI governance emphasizes safety, ethics and active research. [4:03] What it takes to ensure AI tools are reliable and clinically trusted. [6:41] Providers seek AI tools that reduce cognitive burden and improve workflows. [10:43] Educating patients on AI while reflecting on tools that failed to deliver. [13:01] How AI is shaping the nurse experience through practical tool integration. [15:44] Advice for other organizations on implementing AI responsibly and effectively.

Links | Resources: Contacting Knowledge on the Go: picollaboratives@vizientinc.com

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Mortality is often viewed as a key indicator of the quality of care in a healthcare organization, and something that most organizations are working to improve upon.

Through Vizient's work with national organizations all working to improve mortality, key lessons learned have emerged that can help organizations improve mortality within their facilities. Shannon Hale Senior PI Director of Performance Improvement Programs at Vizient joins host Nicole Spatafora, AVP, Performance Improvement, Vizient, to discuss mortality improvement.

Guest: Shannon Hale Senior PI Program Director, Performance Improvement Programs Vizient

Host: Nicole Spatafora AVP, Performance Improvement Vizient

Show Notes:

[00:47 – 02:48] Why it is so important that healthcare facilities look at mortality

[02:49 – 04:24] Getting C-Suite buy in

[04:25 – 07:36] How organizations can get their frontline engaged

[07:37 – 08:58] What happens if you don't have engagement at the C-suite level or frontline level

[08:59 – 10:55] Sustaining change

[10:56 – 12:15] PI Mortality future plans

Links | Resources: Contacting Knowledge on the Go: picollaboratives@vizientinc.com

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Value analysis empowers health systems to make strategic, evidence-based decisions to optimize patient outcomes and reduce costs. Host LaTammy Marks and guest Nicole Schmidt talk about the power of value analysis in healthcare. Nicole shares how her team built a structured process that emphasizes stakeholder engagement, data integration, and continuous improvement at the University of Kansas Health System.

Guest speaker: Nicole Schmidt System Assistant Director The University of Kansas Health System

Host: LaTammy Marks, MBA, BSN, RN Senior PI Program Director, Performance Improvement Programs Vizient

Links | Resources: Contacting Knowledge on the Go: picollaboratives@vizientinc.com

Show notes: [ 00:44 – 01:26] Why value analysis has been top-of-mind for The University of Kansas Health System [01:27 – 02:20] Why it’s important for The University of Kansas Health System to participate in Vizient Value Analysis Benchmarking Survey [02:21 – 03:57] Gaining buy-in from leadership when initially implementing your Value Analysis program? [03:58 – 06:09] How The University of Kansas Health System goes beyond price and manage and analyze data to support value analysis decisions [06:10 – 07:37] Lessons Learned in The University of Kansas Health System Value Analysis Program [07:38 – 10:24] Notable achievements related to The University of Kansas Health System’s Value Analysis Program [10:25 – 11:52] Number one thing Nicole would share with organizations on how they can get started on focusing on value analysis more [11:53 – 13:10] What is next for The University of Kansas Health System Value Analysis Program

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Patient immobility can lead to serious complications such as muscle loss, blood clots, depression and loss of independence. However, without proper training and support, many healthcare workers feel it is unsafe to mobilize patients. Host Laura Hoffman is joined by Nancy McGahn, enterprise safety mobility manager at Intermountain Health, to discuss "Mobility is Medicine." They explore how the Safe Mobility Program integrates fall prevention, safe patient handling, and mobility strategies to improve outcomes.

Guest speaker: Nancy McGann PT, CSPHP, CPPS Enterprise Manager of Safe Mobility Fall Prevention, Safe Patient Handling & Mobility Intermountain Health

Host: Laura Hoffman DNP, MSN, RN, CPHQ Senior Program Director, Performance Improvement Programs Vizient

Links | Resources: Contacting Knowledge on the Go: picollaboratives@vizientinc.com

Show notes: [01:25] – Exploring the risks to both caregivers and patients when mobility isn't executed safely and properly. [02:00] – The fears around mobilizing patients and highlighting the knowledge gaps that often fuel those fears. [03:11] – Not moving patients can increase their risk of falling. [04:42] – Introducing the three-part cycle of a successful mobility program. [06:26] – Building fall prevention care plan matters when working with patient goals [08:29] – Supporting staff beyond physical and occupational therapy to feel confident in moving patients. [09:53] – The unique mobility challenges in the ICU and why early movement is critical to patient recovery. [10:39] – The Bedside Mobility Tool empowers nurses with the right technology and confidence to mobilize patients safely. [11:18] – Reviewing key performance indicators (KPIs) and program data to measure the impact and success of the mobility initiative.

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