Why We’re Cool
More than 50 CHOC Children’s doctors were named “Physicians of Excellence” by the Orange County Medical Association (OCMA). Each year, OCMA conducts a thorough survey of local physicians, and rates them on leadership, teaching and mentoring, research, and humanitarian service. This prestigious list of doctors is published exclusively by Orange Coast magazine. Be sure to check out the magazine’s January 2010 issue out on stands now!
January 4th, 2010
CHOC Children’s Hospital is one of 45 hospitals – and one of only eight children’s hospitals across the nation- named to the “Leapfrog 2009 Top Hospitals” list, based on results from The Leapfrog Hospital Survey. CHOC’s survey score was 97.2 points out of 100 possible points, as compared to an average score of 72.4 for children’s hospitals across the country. The survey (found at www.leapfroggroup.org) is the only national, public comparison of hospitals on key issues including mortality rates for certain common procedures, infection rates, safety practices and measures of efficiency.
According to The Leapfrog Group CEO Leah Binder, “This year’s class of Top Hospitals not only hits the mark in areas such as medication error prevention and ICU deaths, but they also use their resources wisely, providing excellent and efficient outcomes for patients. Regardless of what happens to healthcare reform, these hospitals are the future.”
For more details, please check out our press release at http://www.choc.org/pressroom/news.cfm?nid=542
December 3rd, 2009
CHOC Children’s critical care physician Jason Knight, MD, the medical director of CHOC Emergency Services Transport Team, was named one of Orange County’s hottest personalities by OC Metro.
Dr. Knight is responsible for the sickest, most fragile of patients. He constantly works to improve the critical endeavor of bringing newborns, children and teens via ambulance or helicopter from more than 90 hospitals across multiple counties to CHOC, and even helped to develop a new code 3 triage tool, which he presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics 2007 National Conference and Exhibition to affect change beyond Orange County.
Part of a new generation of medical professionals, Dr. Knight helps advance technologies that will transform traditional patient care and increase access to pediatric specialty services that are in scare supply. He is an advocate for robotic telemedicine and has a personal laptop that allows him to provide consults via a remote robot wherever he is. It’s not uncommon, for example, for young patients and parents in the emergency department at Hoag Hospital to see his face on a robot at that facility, which he maneuvers from his own laptop or a laptop in the CHOC ICU. He’s able to quickly evaluate the patient and, when required, get the child access to the pediatric specialty care available only at a children’s hospital like CHOC.
Advancing pediatric medicine and enhancing the delivery of care through traditional and non-traditional vehicles (like a futuristic robot) are just a couple of reasons Dr. Jason Knight is one of OC’s hottest personalities.
November 4th, 2009
To my CHOC family – here’s wishing you a very happy hospital week. This is a perfect time for me to tell you how proud I am of everything CHOC has accomplished this year — the Silver Level CAPE Award, the affiliation with UC Irvine and our plans to build one of the most advanced children’s hospitals in the nation (just to name a few). Thank you for everything you do to advance pediatric healthcare.
May 15th, 2009
I have a confession to make – I love the nurses at CHOC Children’s, and here’s one more reason why: two of our nursing leaders were recently recognized by the Association of California Nurse Leaders. Julie Vaupel-Phillips was honored for best practices in recruitment, retention and outreach and Jan Kidwell was recognized for best practice in innovation. These two nurse leaders are shining examples of the nursing profession and CHOC Children’s is lucky to have them!
February 17th, 2009
Another BIG honor for CHOC Children’s – we were recently recognized with a Silver Level CAPE Award from the California Council for Excellence. CHOC Children’s is the only children’s hospital in the state to ever earn this distinction. What a honor!
The CAPE Award is the highest recognition in the state for performance excellence and honors organizations that demonstrate continuous improvement and superior performance in the areas of leadership, strategic planning, customer and market focus, measurement/knowledge management, human resources, process management and business results.
This recognition is a reflection of CHOC’s clinical excellence and of the hospital’s organizational-wide commitment to the highest standards of patient safety and quality of care. Our patients deserve nothing less, right??
January 26th, 2009
The other day I witnessed my dear friend Dr. Gary Goodman hard at work in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) on our Mission Viejo campus (CHOC Children’s at Mission Hospital), where he is the Medical Director of the PICU. His team takes care of the most critically ill and injured kids – an incredible responsibility. Seeing Dr. Goodman in action, delivering high-quality, family-centered care reminded me of his recent honor of being named a 2008 Hospital Hero by the Hospital Association of Southern California.
In addition to his work inside the hospital, Dr. Goodman lends his expertise, time and voice to education and prevention efforts in Orange County and beyond. He contributed to the development of CHOC’s drowning prevention video “Three Tragic Seconds – Time to Make a Difference” and was a speaker at the 2008 National Drowning Prevention Symposium. In the area of traumatic brain injury, Dr. Goodman is the only pediatric representative on a multidisciplinary team that developed a comprehensive traumatic brain injury protocol, which has dramatically reduced morbidity and mortality from traumatic brain injury in children. On a national level, he is the only pediatric subspecialist participating in the Adam Williams Traumatic Brain Injury Initiative, which trains hospitals all over the country to improve treatment for traumatic brain injuries.
Now you can see why he is a 2008 Hospital Hero. (He’s always been one of mine.)
January 15th, 2009
Here’s another exciting first for CHOC and just one more example of the hospital’s commitment to patient safety and excellence: We recently became the first in the world to prepare patient doses using RIVA (robotic intravenous automation), a self-contained robotic unit for filling IV syringes and bags. This is one cool robot that helps reduce medication errors and allows our very talented pharmacists to spend even more time in clinical practice — also benefiting our young patients! Check out the photo of me with RIVA!
January 7th, 2009
Can a proud bear boast for a moment? CHOC Children’s just earned another national accolade! The pediatric intensive care unit on our Orange campus became the first in the nation to be recognized with the Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence, an award given by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. This honor represents extraordinary commitment to high-quality critical care standards and dedication to the exceptional care of patients and their families. You see why I am so proud?
December 22nd, 2008
I have always admired UC Irvine’s mascot, Peter the Anteater, but now we’re practically family! For anyone who has not heard, CHOC, UC Irvine Healthcare and UC Irvine School of Medicine have formed a strategic affiliation to better serve children and families. The affiliation will create a pediatrics center that integrates high-quality, comprehensive patient care; leading-edge research and excellent teaching programs. With this affiliation, CHOC and UC Irvine are transforming the way pediatric care is delivered in Orange County, enhancing and combining premier services to increase access to the best treatment for our community’s children. How cool is that? Peter and I are very proud!
December 15th, 2008
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