Strategic Plan

The following goals are in the 2006 - 2010 Strategic Plan

Continuously improve the quality and safety of health care for veterans, particularly in those health issues associated with military service

VA Pittsburgh's proposed implementation strategies:

• Assure patient safety through improved outcomes in the areas outlined in the national patient safety goals
• Pursue higher level achievement and recognition in demonstrated clinical areas of excellence, by participation in the IHI 6 for 100,000 lives campaign and seeking JCAHO Disease Management Certification in cardiovascular care
• Expand programs for glycemic and pulmonary management to all post-op, ICU, and emergent care patients
• Expand the MRSA control program
• Expand the recovery model in behavioral health, including providing vet-to-vet peer counseling for the seriously mentally ill
• Pilot patient driven scheduling in behavioral health
• Establish a behavioral health lab
• Include behavioral health participation in nursing home care interdisciplinary care teams.
• Assure delivery of care consistent with patients' clearly defined goals of therapy at end of life, including development of a related evaluative study and possible consultation before transfer to acute care
• Expand restorative care services in nursing home care
• Activate endoscopy room, assuring anesthesia availability
• Improve intrafacility transfers among VAPHS' divisions
• Efficiently move patients to the appropriate level of acute care
• Explore universal bed concept in med/surg to expand telemetry and ventilator care capacity
• Use information technology to support success performance on quality measures

Provide timely and appropriate access to health care by implementing best practices:

• Spread implementation of advanced clinic access including strategies to reduce no show rates
• Enhance acute inpatient capacity and develop a proposal to expand telemetry beds for market use
• Expand specialty capacity in GI, Dermatology, and Rheumatology
• Establish some specialty follow up care at market facilities
• Develop a formal dual care model in primary care
• Expand non-face-to-face access to primary care
• Create an outpatient care center, incorporating 23 hour, same day surgery, and an outpatient diagnostic model
• Provide timely and coordinated care to OEF/OIF returnees

Continuously improve veteran and family satisfaction with VA care by promoting patient-centered care and excellent customer service:

• Add telemetry capability to MICU and SICU
• Renovate coronary care and step down units
• Enhance environment in radiology, nuclear medicine, neurology, 23 hr unit
• Increase volunteer led activity on inpatient units
• Construct a Fisher House at University Drive in 2009 or 2010
• Enhance nursing home culture and environment through the EDEN Alternative and assurance of a safe, secure and attractive environment

Promote diversity, excellence, and satisfaction in the workforce  and foster a culture which encourages innovation:

• Reduce mandatory overtime and pursue flexible scheduling for nursing staff
• Increase nursing expertise in geriatric and wound care
• Develop strategies to maintain adequate ICU staffing levels
• Fully utilize retention tools including debt reduction and awards/recognition
• Continue pursuit of Magnet status for nursing program

Promote excellence in business practices through administrative, financial, and clinical efficiencies:

• Update the master space plan
• Renovate and expand ECC
• Complete major construction project while assuring continuity of services
• Automate the TEMPO and nursing scheduling packages
• Expand voice recognition implementation
• Enhance paging system to allow forwarding
• Implement use of VistA at the State Veterans Home
• Optimize VERA, MCCR and sharing revenue
• Assure seamless transition of payroll, GIP, warehouse, mailroom and SPD to Business Service Line
• Manage services within allocated resources
• Implement a centralized business office at UD
• Review I.V. team staffing mix
• Develop a nursing assistant role in acute care
• Expand home I.V. therapy
• Assure timely return of inpatients to market facilities
• Pursue lab automation
• Streamline the pharmacy renewal process

Focus research and development on clinical and system improvements designed to enhance the health and well-being of veterans:

• Strengthen relationships between behavioral health, MIRECC, and CHERP
• Promote excellence in the education  of future health care professionals and enhance VHA partnership with affiliates
• Provide resident supervision in accordance with established guidelines
• Promote health  within the VA, local communities, and the Nation consistent with VA’s mission
• Enhance smoking cessation activities & work toward being smoke free
• Move toward a no-lift care environment