Annual Report 2003 - 2004
Foundation Highlights
Health Care
2003
For the second year in a row, the Palo Alto and Camino divisions received top scores in the entire state from PacifiCare, a major provider of health plans in California. The "Quality Index"® profile measures medical groups' performance in clinical and service quality, affordability and administrative accuracy. The Palo Alto Division earned an overall score of 99 (out of 100) and tied with one other medical group for best in the state. The Camino Division had a score of 99 out of 100 in nine categories. The Camino Division also received high marks in Health Net's quality care survey, which ranks medical groups on how they treat acute and chronic diseases.
The Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) received a leadership gift of $5 million from the James H. Clark Charitable Foundation to build a three-story, 41,000-square-foot building on its campus in Palo Alto. Services offered will include dermatology, sports medicine, physical therapy, a sports medicine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) center and health education conference rooms. In 2004, PAMF received appro-val from the Palo Alto City Council for the "Clark Building" and an adjacent parking structure.
The Fremont Center opened new Imaging Suites, which include a new Philips MRI machine, a computed tomography (CT) machine and
expanded ultrasound services. A DEXA bone-density scanner was added in 2004.
PAMF purchased the complex that houses the Los Altos Center and began renovation of the building adjacent to the present clinic, adding 13,000 square feet to the campus. Laboratory facilities were expanded and a new conference room
created. The Center will house a total of 32
physicians and 64 exam rooms. Construction
was completed in the summer of 2004.
The Palo Alto and Camino divisions' "Advanced Access" initiative was implemented in primary care and specialty departments beginning in 2003 and continued into 2004. Advanced Access allows patients to be seen the day they wish to be seen, by their own physician whenever possible. The appointment-scheduling model improves patient access and satisfaction, health outcomes and
efficiency of care.
The Camino Division implemented a sophisticated voice-recognition program that allows physicians' dictations to go directly into the patient's electronic health record.
The Camino Division submitted a formal application to the City of Mountain View to build a 250,000-square-foot facility on El Camino Real near Highway 85. Seven of the Camino Division's 13 sites will be consolidated on the new campus. The facility will provide a comprehensive range
of primary and specialty physician services, an outpatient surgery center, an urgent care center, diagnostic radiology and laboratory services, a pharmacy and health education conference rooms. Pending approval of the plans, the new facility is set to open in 2007.
2004
The Palo Alto Division launched "Patients First," an initiative that focuses on improving the patient experience from a customer-service perspective. With input from physicians, nurses and other staff members, a task force developed four Patients First standards - safety, compassionate service, professionalism and efficiency - and an employee training program.
The Palo Alto and Camino divisions are participating in the Women's Heart Advantage program, a Sutter Health-sponsored initiative to raise
awareness of heart disease among women and improve prevention, early detection and treatment of the condition. As part of the program, both divisions' Web sites (www.pamf.org and www.caminomedical.org) now include sections devoted to women and heart disease, and both continue with employee, physician and community education about the No. 1 killer of women in the United States.
The Palo Alto Division's Department of Pathology became the first laboratory in Northern California to install new technology that improves cervical-cancer screening. The Cytyc ThinPrep Imaging System® uses computers to pre-screen Pap tests, a process that assists technologists with targeted review of cells suspicious for abnormalities.
The Palo Alto Division's Department of Urology began using new technology that offers improved treatment for enlarged prostate glands. The GreenLight PVP system uses laser energy to vaporize excess prostate tissue, improving urinary flow and symptoms in a minimally invasive way. The technology shortens recovery time and reduces risks during surgery.
PAMF opened its 87 Encina Avenue building to house Cardiology, Cosmetic Surgery and the Encina Practice, as well as a revolutionary cardiac MRI scanner, one of only a few such machines in the world. The cardiac MRI provides a far more accurate picture of the heart than does a traditional MRI, which will help reduce the number of people who must undergo surgery to diagnose coronary artery disease and other heart conditions. The cardiac MRI can capture the beating heart in real time and three dimensions, with enough detail to show whether arterial plaque accumulations or blockages have occurred.
The Palo Alto Division received a three-year
re-accreditation from the Institute of Medical Quality (IMQ). IMQ is a nonprofit organization recognized by the state of California to ensure that outpatient surgery centers, medical groups and other organizations meet certain quality
standards. The three-year accreditation is the highest rating the IMQ awards.
PAMF submitted a formal application to the City of San Carlos for a medical campus to be located on an 18.5-acre site near Highway 101. The facility would provide services similar to those found at other PAMF campuses, and would include physician offices, a 110-bed hospital and related services. Pending approval of the plans, the new medical facility could be completed by 2010.
Chief Medical Information Officer Dr. Paul Tang continued working with Bush Administration officials on the president's goal to ensure that most Americans have electronic health records (EHRs) in the next 10 years. The Palo Alto Division, which implemented its EHR in 1999, is an early adopter of this health information technology, and remains one of the few physician groups in the Bay Area to have completely deployed such a system.
On Independence Day, the Camino Division expanded its smoke-free policy to encompass all areas surrounding its 13 locations. The aim is to provide a safe and healthy workplace for employees, as well as set a healthy example for patients. Working with the American Lung Association, the division also plans to provide patient-education materials to physicians that will include information on smoking-cessation programs.
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