September 8, 2022

In this issue

• Medicare Shared Savings Program results
• Mandatory Education deadlines
• COVID boosters
• Flu shot deadline
• Incidental findings
• Advancing research



Note: When accessing APP Pro links below, you may need to sign in again if you are not taken directly to the referenced page or information.

Providing High-Quality Care While Lowering Costs

Congratulations! Our three Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs combined generated $79.6 million in savings in 2021, which once again puts us among the top three highest performing integrated health systems in the country. This brings our total savings for the federal government and taxpayers to $494 million since entering the program in 2012. Despite the challenges caused by the pandemic, together we succeeded in closing care gaps and effectively managing patients' chronic conditions through care management, Medicare wellness visits, pharmacists, and other digital and telephonic tools. Learn more.

Mandatory Education Deadlines

CI-1 overview for APP aligned physicians in eUniversity

Completion by Sept. 30, 2022 – low tier target (partial points)

Compliance education in Workday

All Advocate Aurora Health team members (employed and non-employed) are being assigned mandatory education through Workday Extended Enterprise Learning (EEL). The deadline to complete courses is Sept. 30. If you are having problems with completion, learn more here. 

Service Line Update

Across all Advocate Aurora Health service lines, Joint Leadership Councils (JLC) are being established and will be inclusive of clinical representatives from employed, aligned and independent clinician groups. To be led by Medical Group service line leaders, these councils will establish quality measures and targets and work collaboratively to ensure top decile performance. The councils will be critical in improving quality and outcomes systemwide and demonstrate the importance of strong collaboration between all clinician groups to help our patients live well. Updates will be shared in the coming months on the establishment of the JLCs.

Supporting Your Practice

Clinical Integration weekly update: View the latest program update. 

CipherHealth Expansion: The Enterprise Population Health Care Transitions Program has expanded its use of CipherHealth, an interactive Voice Recording/SMS outreach technology, into IL to place automated calls to patients after discharge to home (with self-care) to help reduce readmissions. Learn more.

COVID bivalent boosters approved: Advocate Aurora Health is offering COVID bivalent, updated boosters providing protection against omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 in addition to the original strain.

• We’re planning to open scheduling to our communities via the COVID hotline at 866-443-2584, LiveWell or aah.org/vaccine Sept. 14.
• The FDA removed the emergency use authorization for previous, monovalent boosters. This means the previous Pfizer monovalent booster can’t be used for people 12 years and older, and the previous Moderna monovalent booster can’t be used for those 18 years and older. Because of this, we’re pausing on administering boosters until the updated, bivalent boosters are ready. Read the SBAR.

Pharmacy & Therapeutics August updates: Review the Advocate Aurora Pharmacy and Therapeutics ambulatory and system committees decisions, including new formulary additions such as the vaccine and treatment option for Monkeypox, as well as a cephalosporin oral suspension to address our pediatric population’s needs. View summary.

Collecting REAL and SOGI data from your patients: We’re asking patients additional questions at registration and admission to collect a full view of health information including Race, Ethnicity, Ancestry and Language (REAL) and Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI). Ask for this information if you do not see it in the patient’s record. Resources: Overview | Tip sheet.

Flu shot deadline Nov. 9

APP aligned physicians on staff at Advocate Aurora Health hospitals are required to receive a flu vaccine to promote a safe working environment and help prevent flu transmission among our patients, communities and each other. In line with the Immunization Policy, you must receive a flu shot by Nov. 9 or complete a medical or religious exemption form by Sept. 19.

How to comply:

• We will be using TrackMy, a vaccine verification tool, to help track flu vaccinations. Please see the vaccine verification form. If you receive your flu vaccine at Advocate Aurora Occupational Health or outside of Advocate Aurora, manually upload this document into your TrackMy account.

Please see the instructions on how to access TrackMy and upload the verification form. If you need help or have technical issues, select Help in TrackMy. Scroll through the FAQ to select an option to contact support or send an email to support@trackmysolutions.us. 

Advancing Safety: Incidental Findings Program

As a top safety priority and addressing a need raised by physicians, Advocate Aurora is launching a program, starting Sept. 12, to increase follow up for patients with incidental findings discovered on imaging studies to ensure we can provide the care they need. A team will be monitoring pulmonary nodules at this time and will continue to add additional finding types as the program evolves.

How it works:

• When the patient’s imaging study is completed, the incidental finding is noted in the imaging result.
• The ordering physician will continue to receive an Epic In Basket message with imaging results with follow-up recommendations.
• If follow-up imaging does not occur as recommended, patients will receive a letter informing them about the incidental finding with direction to contact their PCP. The PCP will receive a notification via Epic In Basket message with guidance on recommended follow-up, along with a copy of patient letter.
• If the patient has not scheduled or completed any follow up related to the imaging finding within the recommended timeframe, a final communication will be sent to both the PCP and patient.
• Learn more: Tip sheet.

Epic Updates

Code Status Order Redesign in Epic – Coming Sept. 15

There has been a rising number of events where, against their explicit wishes, resuscitation attempts are made for patients with DNR orders. To prevent these serious safety events, the formatting of Epic DNR and Selective/DNR orders will change for ALL patients with DNR and Selective/DNR orders on Sept. 15.

•  You are encouraged to re-enter DNR or Selective/DNR orders in the new format on your patients
•  Hospitalists and Clinical Informatics will assure all orders are re-entered with the new formatting on the morning of Go Live. These order entries may occur for your patients. Legal, risk and compliance have approved this plan
• Orders that previously read “DNR: Yes” will now read “CPR in Case of Cardiac Arrest: No”
• See SBAR to learn more and contact aah-advancecareplanningshareddecisionmaking@aah.org with questions

Epic Update: Hospital edition for Physicians and APCs: Dobutamine shortage for stress testing, code status storyboard display and order display updates and learn how to build reports in SlicerDicer and more.

Leadership Announcement

Michelle Y. Blakely, PhD has been named president of Advocate South Suburban and Advocate Trinity Hospitals, effective Oct. 1.

Advancing Research

Scientific Grand Rounds: Join Advocate Aurora Research Institute’s Scientific Grand Rounds on Sept. 14 for “At the Frontlines of Care: Using Human-Centered Design as Change Agent.” Attendees may earn 1.0 CME credits. View flyer.

Research grant program accepting applications: Letters of intent for the fall cycle of Advocate Aurora Research Institute’s Live Well Intramural Pilot Grant Program are due Sept. 14. Program awards are granted for a one-year period with funding up to $25,000. Eligible researchers are encouraged to submit proposals demonstrating a potential for significant impact and future extramural funding. Learn more and submit your proposal. 

Visit the Research Institute website to learn how our research is advancing patient care.

Narrative Medicine Program's 8th Annual Conference

Stories from both sides of the stethoscope: Learning to listen, listening to learn

Friday, Sept. 16, 9:15 a.m. – 4 p.m.

This year’s conference will demonstrate the power of narrative for those who give and receive medical care. The day will include inspirational talks by experts in the field, with interactive experiences to improve communication and reduce stress and burn out in healthcare settings.  

Upcoming CME



Sept. 9: Assessment & treatment issues for intimate partner abuse survivors

Sept. 10: Women in Medicine Symposium 2022: Rediscovering our purpose

Sept 14: Project Echo Memory Care Conference

Sept. 16: Narrative Medicine Conference: Stories from both sides of the stethoscope

Sept. 22: The ins and outs of pediatric obesity management

Oct. 14: Financial therapy: Couple/family conversations about money and emotions

Oct. 21: Rene Arcilla Symposium: Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery – The Fontan

Oct. 22: Making Sense: The New Cancer Screening Guidelines

Nov. 5: Electrophysiology for primary care