Around UMHS

Dr. Kelch’s appointment as the University of Michigan’s executive vice president for medical affairs and the Health System’s chief executive officer has been extended an additional year. He will continue to lead our institution through Sept. 14, 2009. Under Kelch’s leadership, the Health System has experienced unprecedented expansion, maintained a strong financial foundation, continued to achieve national recognition for patient care and medical education, launched the Michigan Difference campaign and much more. Official announcement.

Effective July 1, Michigan Visiting Nurses Corporation became part of the U-M Hospitals and Health Centers’ Home Care Services division. HCS is a team of specialized units that care for patients in their homes or during transition from hospital to home. During the next few months, Visiting Nurse and Visiting Care will integrate into HCS, which already includes HomeMed, MedEQUIP and Wheelchair Seating. This presents an opportunity to streamline administrative processes, integrate business functions, increase collaboration, improve the quality and efficiency of patient services, and provide a more coordinated approach to service, which may improve staff satisfaction.

This August, crews will begin a two-phased effort to replace University Hospital’s 20-year-old roof. Work is planned to begin mid-August with the low roof areas on the north side of UH . Roofers will remove and replace sections of the roof each day to ensure areas are not left exposed. Safety precautions will be taken to redirect airflow, minimize noise and reduce odors. The second phase will begin in April 2008 on the higher roof areas and the south side of UH. The project should be completed in fall 2008. Check the UMHS internal home page for updates as the project moves forward.

Check out what’s new from the UMHS Compliance Office: The old Compliance Helpline has been replaced by a new U-M Compliance Hotline, a partnership between the Health System and the University to have a universal mechanism for reporting financial, regulatory and patient safety concerns. By using a professionally-staffed, multilingual compliance call center, reporting concerns can now be completed and routed 24/7 to UMHS for appropriate handling. Callers can remain anonymous if they choose. Access the hotline by calling 866-990-0111 or via this Web site.