Page 22 - 2017 Nursing Annual Report | Summa Health

Figure 1:

Where it all began While the Ascension St. John Hospital visit provided
Summa with a solid program model, it also identified
The Summa Health Breast MDC began as a Lean Six Sigma an opportunity to expand and enhance it. For example,
Green Belt Project led by Dr. Melanie Lynch, Medical the majority of MDCs offer medical oncology, surgical
Director, Summa Breast Program, and Dr. Gilbert Padula, oncology and radiation oncology consults, and then
Medical Director, Summa Health Cancer Institute. Green direct patients elsewhere in the hospital for financial
belt team members included Sharon Inzetta and Laura counseling. Summa, in an effort to create a better overall
Musarra, BS, MBA, Senior Business Performance Analyst. patient experience, designed our new breast MDC model
to include supportive service consultations within the
The goal of the Green Belt Project was to develop and same coordinated two-hour patient appointment. Summa
pilot a breast MDC that would utilize an integrative care also developed custom patient education materials, an
model for breast care delivery. Planning began in early intake assessment and scheduling templates tailored to
2017 with biweekly meetings and an evening journal our system’s specific needs and procedures.
club to review relevant medical literature on structure,
outcomes, evaluation and cost-effectiveness. The Summa
team, which included representatives from various
medical specialties, supportive services, administration
and finance, also visited Detroit’s Ascension St. John
Hospital, home of one of the first and longest established
MDC programs in the U.S.

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