Donald Tex Bryant

What you need as a leader of your accountable care organization

Policy

April 7, 2011

The Michigan Medical Group Managers Association had a conference recently in Mt. Pleasant, MI. The theme of the conference was “Medical Management: Coaching Your Team to a Winning Season.”

Two speakers—Lloyd Carr, former head football coach of the University of Michigan Wolverines, and Lou Rabaut, partner of law firm Warner Norcross & Judd—both delivered excellent lessons on leadership. Several of the …

Engage employees in healthcare to enhance patient outcomes

Donald Tex Bryant

Physician

March 24, 2011

It is an axiom of business that employee engagement produces many positive results, no matter what the setting—manufacturing or service. This is true for healthcare as well.

Employee engagement produces a better product or service. In healthcare, engaged employees produce enhanced patient outcomes. When employees are engaged there is less turnover, which reduces training costs. Engaged employees are problem solvers.

How …

An ACO primer and get started on forming an Accountable Care Organization

Donald Tex Bryant

Policy

January 5, 2011

In early 2011 Department of Health and Human Services will be issuing guidelines for the formation of Accountable Care Organizations (ACO’s) for CMS (Medicaid and Medicare).

I know of several organizations looking into this type of organization as they anticipate the new guidelines. There seems to be great anticipation of the guidelines in various health care publications that I have recently read. On December 18, 2010 on the Health Affairs website …

Implementing site changes with Plan-Do-Check-Act

Donald Tex Bryant

Physician

December 8, 2010

Many healthcare organizations are contemplating making dramatic changes in the way they do business and treat patients. Some of these are driven by the recently passed Accountable Care Act and the Tarp Bill. They are planning on adopting electronic medical records, becoming Accountable Care Organizations or becoming Patient-Centered Medical homes.

Unfortunately, like many businesses, they will undergo a lot of stress and loss of resources in time and money in making …

Clean your healthcare site to become more efficient

Donald Tex Bryant

Physician

June 1, 2010

Spring cleaning is a tradition in many homes. The occupants open up the home to the spring air, thoroughly clean the home, and sort through the accumulated goods, getting rid of things not used for a long time and which no one wants anymore. It gives one a sense of accomplishment, makes for a more pleasant surrounding and frees up space.

Is this something that you do at your healthcare site …

Embracing the change coming to our health care system

Donald Tex Bryant

Policy

October 15, 2009

As Bob Dylan sang so long ago, The Times They Are A-Changin’. Some like change; some do not.

Consider these change scenarios:

* One of the important scenes of change for health care providers is the national debate on health care coverage currently playing out in Washington D.C. Some are very vocal in their support. The media covers many of the vocal opponents. Certainly some sort of change will come out of …

How eliminating waste and taking fewer steps can improve patient care

Donald Tex Bryant

Patient

September 21, 2009

Recently I was on a canoe trip in Ontario, Canada with a close friend. As he and I were portaging our gear and canoe between two lakes I was thinking that the uphill path was difficult and wondered how many more steps it would take. The sooner it was done the better.

I often find myself counting steps during my daily activities as I know that the fewer physical steps it …