VTH Board Minutes 12/13/2018

Informational

• Natalie Lamphier has accepted the VTH Assistant Director position.  This will take effect when she returns from maternity leave (Feb.).  The expectation is that 50% of her time will be spent supporting the Stringsoft project.
  
  
• Work is being done to relocate the storeroom to the old ambulatory garage, adjacent to the SAC loading dock and the new pharmacy location.  The storekeepers have also been reassigned to facilities, not pharmacy oversight.  To accommodate these changes, pharmaceuticals will be delivered to and stored by the pharmacy.  The reasons for these changes are numerous and include:
  • Establishing efficiencies in preparation for centralized inventory
  • Preventing inventory loss due to expiration or changing needs
  • Ensuring charge capture and pricing integrity

This change has resulted in the identification of some challenges.  In response, VTH admin is instituting processes within the pharmacy.  The search for a new pharmacist, with the aptitude to lead, is underway.  ACTION ITEM: the LAC services have asked for a meeting with their technicians to identify, define, and address issues/concerns regarding acquiring necessary pharmaceuticals from the pharmacy that were previously acquired and/or ordered by the storeroom.

• There is some confusion/lack of clarity around ‘reduced service’ days.  ACTION ITEMS:  JW will send an email to service chiefs advising them to communicate with students regarding expectations.  In the future, all services of the VTH will be expected to be OPEN during reduced service days (regardless of whether these are gift days or not).  The service chief and members may then determine the scope of the services provided.  Services that wish to ‘close’ must make a case for why and present a plan for patient care/student instruction. 

Updates/ New

(Facilities, Necropsy, Dermatology tech request, Grateful Client/Marketing, External consults)

• There are a number of current and planned projects around the VTH.  It has become challenging to keep an accounting of the projects, the associated costs, and the VTH commitment to those costs.  A basic summary of some of the projects was provided to the board members. ACTION ITEM:   JW will work with facilities and CVM administration to develop this information for VTH Board access.
  
  
• Neurology has depleted most of the services’ allotted necropsy funds and is requesting more money.  The case was made that these funds support teaching and scholarship.  It was determined that the report in IReport was inaccurate, however the Board voted to reallocate $3K to neuro from surplus not used by other services.  ACTION ITEM: JW will get the report updated.  FOLLOW UP: Report is updated and funds transferred from ER to Neuro.
  
  
• The Board requested more information regarding the request for an additional Dermatology Technician.  Dr. Pieper has provided a case statement which was distributed at the meeting.  The intent is that derm will have 2 techs going forward.  ACTION ITEM: VTH Board members are asked to review the case statement and respond to an email vote sent by JW.
  
  
• There are 2 new CVM employees that will be working with us in the VTH.  Vlad Petkovich is working as a major gift officer in the Advancement Office.  He will be helping to develop relationships with grateful clients.  Dijon Davis is the Associate Director of Marketing and Communications.  She will be helping us better represent the VTH to RDVMs, clients, and supporters.
• Cardiology is interested in developing the means to provide reports to external customers.  The idea is that the service would provide this service in the same way that some outside labs do.  A discussion occurred around how funds would be distributed for a model like this.  Currently consult fees for consults performed between in-house services are split 75% to the VTH and 25% to the consulting services house officer fund.  When we had imaging consults coming in, that distribution model was also used.  Cardiology is proposing a more service centric split since VTH resource investment would be little to none. 
  No action is necessary at this time.  Cardio is going to define the services and work with Sara Kennedy to set price.

MWE

(Open Discussion, transparency, oversight, resources)

• Dr. French discussed aspects of Midwest Equine with the faculty during the VCM faculty meeting early this week.  A general discussion followed regarding the relationship of ME with the VTH as it pertains to finances, resource sharing, and personnel.  There seem to be discrepancies between information being shared related to purchase price, on-going expenses, caseload, staffing, and investment of VTH resources.  Drs. Austin and Gutierrez indicated that prior attempts to schedule a status report did not come to fruition due to schedule conflicts. 
  
  ACTION ITEMS: VTH Board members have requested that a full report be provided to the faculty at the January VCM faculty meeting, and asked that the Dean be invited to attend.  JW will make request.

StringSoft 

(Update, Faculty proposal)

• IT has been working with Stringsoft to work through processes, and is now starting to engage clinical personnel regarding patient processes.  Jeff Fox and Anna Lee Fenger spent time with the hospital leadership at Tufts, taking a lesson learned message that faculty (user) involvement in product development was critical.  A proposal has been brought forth to engage 2 faculty in the Stringsoft team at 100% time for a 6-9 month period.  A solution to temporarily replace service obligation would need to be identified.  Promoted clinical or tenured faculty would be eligible.  Discussion ensued around the likelihood of identifying appropriate faculty and a suggestion was made that perhaps this need could be met by a finishing house officer or possibly a technician.  ACTION ITEM:  JW will reach out to faculty once the position is better defined to determine interest.

Research Subcommittee Report

• Dr. Gutierrez indicated that no one has reached out to him since the research townhall we conducted.  Dr. Hague mentioned that Dr. Keating has sent an email regarding her willingness to help with anesthesia pricing for research.  Dr. Selting and Dr. L. Garrett suggested we engage research technicians in the discussion.  Dr. Gutierrez suggested that a meeting be called for the subcommittee to meet with JW to discuss.  The committee agreed to include Rebecca Kamerer. 
  ACTION ITEM:  JW will coordinate a meeting.