December 2017 Newsletter
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       H APPY HOLIDAYS FROM SHS
Register Now: Healthcare Systems Process Improvement Conference 2018

Early-bird savings are now available when you register this month for the 2018 Healthcare Systems Process Improvement Conference (HSPI),  Feb. 21-23 in Atlanta ! Don't miss a moment of the conference program, from engaging  pre-conference workshops  to several interactive  networking events . Keynote presentations from industry leaders will impart  innovative discoveries from the field. Lock in your discount now. 

 
New SHS Book Review - Why Hospitals Should Fly by John Nance

Did you know that the SHS website has a reviews of key healthcare business books for your professional growth and development. In efforts to revamp the list with more reviews, our member Jordan Aronhalt has written a great review of John Nance's book Why Hospitals Should Fly.  See the review here .

If there are specific books you would like to see reviewed or if you are interested in reviewing a book yourself, please contact shsiie.newsletter@gmail.com .   

2017 Malcolm Baldridge Award - Healthcare Sector Winners

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the Baldrige Award is a Presidential-level honor, recognizing exemplary practices among American organizations and businesses including an unceasing drive for radical innovation, thoughtful leadership, and administrative improvement. This year's awardees are proven success stories, providing a rubric for other businesses across the country to follow. The healthcare sector winners acknowledged were Castle Medical Center in Kailua, Hawaii and Southcentral Foundation in Anchorage, Alaska.  To read more about the excellent work by these organizations click  here.  
Study: No advantages to robotic-assisted nephrectomy

Latest study in robotic surgeries evaluated use of robotic-assisted vs laparoscopic radical nephrectomy from 2003 to 2015 across 416 hospitals. Study evaluated trends and complications associated with each procedure. The study concluded that the use of robotic-assistance was not associated with increased risk of any or major complications but was associated with prolonged operating time and higher hospital costs compared with laparoscopic surgery. To read more about approach and full article, click here . 
SHS Young Professionals Member Highlights - Nicholas Ballester

Education:
B.S., Wright State University, 2013
Ph.D., Wright State University, 2017
Six Sigma Green Belt, IISE, 2012
 
Research: Improving inpatient discharge planning
Career: Process and Development Engineer, MPA Healthcare Solutions, Chicago
IISE Member: since 2010 (WSU student chapter VP, then president)
Awards: Gilbreth Memorial Fellowship (IISE, 2015), Best Healthcare Systems Track Paper (ISERC 2017), Outstanding ISE student (WSU, 2013)
Personal Interests: Travel, exploring, violin, sci-fi/fantasy, reading, museums
Process in Place - Disaster Preparedness

Dr. Kevin Mendes highlights the remarkable processes that took place to treat Las Vegas shooting massacre patients. Utilizing his SWAT training, Dr. Mendes quickly identified bottlenecks and countermeasures to eliminate bottlenecks to provide immediate care to patients that needed it the most.  To read more about the work of the Sunrise Hospital team to save patients click here .
Cybersecurity Defense Tips During Holiday season

Historical trends have shown that the holiday season for healthcare and many other industries open doors to many cybersecurity attacks. This increase can be attributed to lower IT staffing coverage from vacations and more employees working remotely. Healthcare IT news highlights tips for users and organizations to minimize cybersecurity risks such as conducting internal phishing training sessions before the holidays arrive to increase employee alertness.  Full advice can be read here . 

   NEW    IISE Connect allows IISE members to easily interact and communicate online, empowering you to have better access to your member benefits. 
Students, explore a career in healthcare with the Society for Health Systems today!

By Adam Schleis - MSOE IISE President


If you are like me you and approximately 98.75 million other people on this planet, you have a Netflix subscription. The cheapest option is $7.99 per month, which equates to 96 dollars per year. However, Netflix does not help students determine what they want to do with their Industrial or Systems Engineering degree.  There is one membership subscription that does benefit students in the healthcare field that desperately needs Industrial and Systems Engineering help. Students who are already members of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineering pay less than a month of Netflix for a wealth of information. Of course, I am talking about how it only costs 5 dollars (for the whole year!) for students to join the Society for Health Systems if they are already members of IISE. It is a struggle for students to truly know what they want to do with their career. For only $5 a year, a student IISE member can gain insight into where their career could take them in such an expanding field. Read more of the benefits from Adam.
Please join our upcoming Webinar 

Understanding FMEA - What's the Worst That Can Happen? (Open to All)
Dec. 12, 2 P.M. | Presented by Society for Health Systems and HSPI Conference Committee

Presenter: Eric Smathers, performance improvement facilitator, Medical University of South Carolina

Discover how to use a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) tool during this interactive lesson to identify high-risk process steps based on the consequences of failure.

For more information and registration

This Webinars is open to the public, share the link with your collegues!
Anything new to report?

Do you have a recent milestone in your career? Have you changed companies or changed jobs? We are excited to hear the good news.  Share your information here!
SHS Newsletter Team
Vanda Ametlli, Editor
Lauren Todd