Key to the success of the Practice Plan's activities is involvement of faculty both in generating ideas and in successfully implementing recommendations. According to Dean Madara, “Successful implementation of Practice Plan initiatives is of primary importance. A faculty-driven Practice Plan, by definition, has faculty involved in both recommending change and in its implementation.”

The various clinical operations task forces are examples of such faculty involvement and expertise. Three task forces, In-Clinic Wait Time, Bed Access Through Earlier Discharge Time, and Referring Physician Relationships, were charged with recommending improvements in these areas of clinical practice. Each task force was lead by a faculty member with assistance from an Executive Committee sponsor. Four to six faculty members served on each task force along with administrative staff. Arthur (Cap) Haney, M.D., Chair of the UCPP Executive Committee adds, “The task force model encourages more focused discussion and problem-solving around specific issues. Utilizing this method will allow us to create wins and further leverage improvement opportunities in the future.” Each task force has reported its recommendations to the Executive Committee.

Critical to successful implementation of the recommendations is faculty involvement and leadership. The UCPP Executive Committee is currently defining potential faculty director roles.

These directors will be responsible for implementing various task force recommendations within their respective departments and will be supported by the Practice Plan and Harvey Golomb, M.D., Dean of Clinical Affairs. The specific roles and responsibilities are being finalized by the UCPP Executive Committee with implementation anticipated in early 2006.

The Practice Plan's Dean's Initiative continues to be a vehicle to fund clinical programs that improve clinical financial performance through volume and payer mix improvements. To date, eight Dean's Initiative awards totaling over $8 million have been conferred in cooperation with the hospital. The GI Oncology program is highlighted in the “UCPP Spotlight on. . .” article below. To date, these programs are achieving planned milestones.

The Practice Plan continues to make staff investments in specific areas of needed expertise to serve as internal resources to assist individual units and departments in improving their clinical operations and business functions. Of particular note are the newly created roles of Practice Management Specialist, Practice Development Specialist and Front-End Billing Consultant. These new staff will help build expertise in implementing and sustaining positive change in our clinical practice. Additionally, Carolyn Wilson has assumed the role of Assistant Dean and Chief Operating Officer for the Practice Plan.

Novel Approaches to Research and Teaching
Before arriving at the University of Chicago, Martin Weigert, Ph.D., Professor of Pathology and Director of the Gwen Knapp Center for Lupus and Immunology Research was a faculty member in Princeton's Department...

The Pritzker Initiative
The Pritzker School of Medicine has begun such a process of curriculum reevaluation, the Pritzker Initiative: A Curriculum for the 21st Century, as a means of creating a system of education that fully reflects the last ten years of biomedical discovery...

BSD Breaks Ground on the Center for Biomedical Discovery
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Center for Biomedical Discovery (CBD) took place on October 17, 2005, marking an exciting point in the timeline for construction of this new facililty...

DEVELOPMENT
Reaching over $467 million this fall, the Spark Discovery, Illuminate Life campaign is instrumental in supporting research and discoveries in all aspects of science and medicine...

SPOTLIGHT ON: GI Oncology
In August 2005, the GI Oncology program received start-up funding through the Practice Plan's Dean's Initiative...

FOREFRONT
The University of Chicago Practice Plan (UCPP) engaged in activities over the past year to further the Clinical Aims and improve clinical practice...

ACCOLADES
Recent Awards and Grants Information for Biological Sciences Division Faculty

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Recent Recruitemnts and Appointments of Biological Sciences Division Faculty

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