The MaineHealth Podcast

BACON - Episode 59: A Recipe for Reducing Length of Stay

BACON - Ep. 59: A Recipe for Reducing Length of Stay

In less than a year, Southern Maine Health Care reduced length of stay by thirteen percent and saved the health system nearly four million dollars. MaineHealth Southern Region Associate Chief Medical Officer Michael Albaum, MD, led the effort and shares his “recipe” for success.

BACON is the MaineHealth ACO’s monthly news and information podcast, hosted by Mike Clark, MD and Heather Ward, MD. Find previous episodes here on Podbean, or listen at our website.

AOD April 3, 2024 with Jess Logsdon

Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Guest: Jess Logsdon

In this episode, CEO Andy Mueller, MD and Jess Logsdon, MHS, MHA, PA-C, Director of the APP Center of Excellence, focused on the important role of Advanced Practice Providers in our health system. Andy and Jess touched upon the culture, challenges and contributions of APPs, the work under way to recruit and train the next generation of APPs, and much more. 

WTKE - Episode 41: Building a Just Culture

Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 41
Building a Just Culture
Guests: Alex Penney, RN and Mark Parker, MD

In a world where mistakes are inevitable, how can organizations foster an environment where individuals feel safe to speak up, learn from failures, and strive for continuous improvement? This is the essence of Just Culture.

From health care to aviation, from technology to finance, Just Culture transcends boundaries, shaping the ethos of high-performing teams and nurturing a culture of accountability and trust.

In this episode, we embark on the journey of Just Culture for MaineHealth. Joining Kelly in this conversation are Alex Penney, MaineHealth Senior Director Patient Safety and Risk Management and Dr. Mark Parker, MaineHealth Vice President Quality and Safety.

AOD March 20, 2024 - Maine Behavorial Healthcare Panel

Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Guest: Maine Behavorial Healthcare Panel 

We got an up-close look into Maine Behavioral Healthcare in this week's Andy's Open Door "On the Road" program. Hosted at the Sherry Sabo Center in Biddeford, the program panelists included MBH President Kelly Barton, MBH Chief Medical Officer and MMC Dept. of Psychiatry Chair Linda Durst, MD and MBH Chief Operating Officer Maria Hadjiyane, PhD, LPC, CSAC, who shared the breadth of the MBH services and their impact in our communities.

Andy opened the program on a serious note, emphasizing how vigilant we must be in appropriately identifying each patient. He shared a specific recent incident where a MaineHealth patient was given the wrong medication: “We need to get it right every single time. It’s the most foundational and fundamental thing that we do. Take a moment to make sure the person in front of us is the person we think they are.”

The focus then turned to MBH, its care team and the services they provide across 34 locations, and MBH’s central role in achieving our vision. The panel discussion ranged from the access challenge and MBH’s multi-prong, multi-year approach to address it; certified community behavioral health clinics; the importance of partnerships at the state and federal level; and the journey toward Zero Suicide. Kelly introduced an inspirational video conveying the life-changing impact the MBH team has through the experience of one individual with substance use disorder.

BACON - Episode 58: Our New CMO Kendra Emery, DO

BACON - Episode 58: Our New CMO Kendra Emery, DO

In this month's episode of BACON, Mike and Heather welcome Dr. Kendra Emery, the ACO's Chief Medical Officer. as they delve into her insights and plans for the organization. Discover how Dr. Emery's vision aligns with ACO priorities and get a sneak peek into upcoming projects, including an exciting event in May.

BACON is the MaineHealth ACO’s monthly news and information podcast, hosted by Mike Clark, MD and Heather Ward, MD. Find previous episodes here on Podbean, or listen at our website.

AOD March 6, 2024 with Lizzy Mulcahy

Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, March 6, 2024
Guest: Lizzy Mulcahy, NP

Today's episode was hosted by Chief Medical & Transformation Officer Chris Thomson, MD, with guest Lizzy Mulcahy, NP, Senior Director of Telehealth and primary care nurse practitioner at the Adult Medicine clinic at Maine Medical Center.

Lizzy shared her team’s approach to building a virtual care team, and how telehealth is helping to tackle some significant challenges for our care team and our patients, such as access and in-box management. Chris and Lizzy explored the limits of telemedicine today, the role of innovation, legal/regulatory considerations, how telemedicine and virtual care fit into our residency and training environments, and much more. 

WTKE - Episode 40: Legal 101

Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 40
Legal 101

Health care is not only a heavily regulated industry but due to the nature of our work, can also be an area of known and unknown risks and challenges. Health care law is essential for ensuring the quality and safety of medical care while protecting the rights and interests of all parties involved. As the health care industry continues to evolve, laws play a crucial role in addressing emerging challenges and trends.

In this episode, MaineHealth General Counsel Beth Kelsch joins Kelly to discuss the scope and role of legal services at MaineHealth and the work our Legal team does to help our organization navigate complex regulations, provide guidance on compliance, and advocate for patients' rights.

AOD February 21, 2024 with Dr. Robert Carlson

Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Guest: Robert Carlson, MD

AOD was hosted today by Chief Operating Officer Kelly Elkins with guest NorDx Chief Medical Officer Dr. Robert Carlson. Their conversation shared the many ways NorDx supports our health system and the benefits that Epic Beaker – scheduled to go live June 1 – will deliver to our care team and patients.

You'll hear Bob describe its function, its connection with MaineHealth becoming a fully integrated health system, and the tremendous multidisciplinary teamwork supporting this initiative.

WTKE - Episode 39: Meet Britt Crewse

Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 39
Meet Britt Crewse, Southern Region President

In this episode, Kelly sits down with the new Southern Region President Britt Crewse. Britt joined MaineHealth in January and oversees Maine Medical Center and Southern Maine Health Care. He shares his background and journey to MaineHealth, focus areas in FY24 (including integration and beyond), and his philosophy on leadership and culture. 

AOD February 7, 2024 with Dr. Linda Chaudron

Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, February 7, 2024
Guest: Dr. Linda Chaudron

In this episode of AOD, Andy took a deep dive into some important topics alongside guest Dr. Linda Chaudron, Vice President of Medical Education.

Andy began with an update on the system rebrand, its connection to our vision and the benefits it will bring to our patients and care team. As Maine Medical Center and Southern Maine Health Care come together under one hospital license, Andy noted we will start to see some name changes resulting from the integration. He also shared how greater consistency in naming and other identifiers supports our patient-centered value by reducing confusion and reinforcing we are all part of the same team delivering the same great care. Listen for the meaningful anecdotes he shares from one of our physicians and his own experience.