Learning and implementing best practices in operations can prevent mistakes, maintain a consistent flow of business to better meet patient demands and keep our clinical practice effective and productive. Below are a few updates of interest to our employees.

Labor Day closure

All UT Health San Antonio practices will be closed in recognition of Labor Day on Monday, Sep. 2. Phone operators at 210-450-9000 will be available during the holiday closure.

Plan to attend the Employee of the Year and Practice of the Year Award Ceremony 

Mark your calendar for noon Wednesday, Sep. 25. Join us on the first floor of the Medical Arts & Research Center as we announce the 2019 Employee of the Year and Practice of the Year winners. We will also be awarding the 4th quarter WOW awards. Enjoy cake and punch and celebrate the exceptional work we do every day at UT Health!

New hire orientation

The next UT Health Way Training and Certification class for new employees will be on Friday, Sep. 20. Contact Theresa Lomperski for more information.

CT Surgery adds a new location at the Mays Cancer Center

The cardiothoracic surgery practice has opened a second location on the fourth floor of the Grossman Building at the Mays Cancer Center. The new location will primarily see thoracic surgery cases. The location at the Medical Arts & Research Center will continue seeing primarily cardiac surgery cases. The scheduling number remains the same for both locations, 210-450-0999.

Your practice operations team is here to support all of you in your effort to provide exceptional care to UT Health San Antonio patients. If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to your practice operations leaders: Casey Peterson, senior director of practice operations; Jeanette Hernandez, director of practice operations; Johnna Nerios, director of practice operations; and Dina Wright, director of practice operations. 

Event Details

2019 Awards for

Wow! Employee of the Year

and

Patient Experience Practice Champions of the Year

Where

Medical Arts & Research Center

1st Floor Lobby

When

Tuesday, Oct. 1

Noon - 1 p.m.

Cake and punch reception will follow the award ceremony

Leaders of UT Health Physicians will present the 2019 WOW! Employee of the Year awards and the 2019 Patient Experience Practice Champions of the Year awards at noon on Tuesday, Oct. 1 at the Medical Arts & Research Center.

These awards recognize practices, providers and employees who go above and beyond to ensure that every patient has the best experience possible at UT Health Physicians. Help us congratulate this year's winners, and thank them for living out our promise to provide exceptional care to our patients.

Wow! Employee of the Year awards are awarded to employees based on the accolades and kudos submitted to the Wow Award Committee throughout the year by these employees' patients, colleagues and managers.

Patient Experience Practice Champions of the Year is a recognition awarded to the practices that receive the highest scores on the National Research Corporation (NRC) survey question, “Would you recommend this office to a family or friend?” The goal is for every UT Health Physician practice to have their patients answer yes to this question 95.2 percent of the time. The Patient Experience Practice Champions of the Year award is given to those practices that have consistently received the highest scores throughout the year.

Please join us in recognizing these outstanding individuals and practices who give life to our mission to make lives better and help set us apart as the leaders in health care.

1. Communication to Referring Providers and PCPs will soon be Automated
   • UTHP IT Team is working with individual departments to tailor an automated process so specialist clinic notes are sent directly to referents and PCPs. No longer will providers need to send the notes – that will automatically occur by default (unless manually turned off by provider). And yes, we are also working to ensure the referring provider and PCP fields are accurately completed and the provider library is regularly updated.

2. Patients can soon view their Clinic Notes through MyChart

2. • Patients currently have access to their notes but must follow a burdensome paper request process through HIM. Starting October 1 patients will be able to view their notes upon closure of the encounter. This is called “Open Notes” and has become the industry standard. A tip sheet will be provided to help you replace terms like “noncompliant” and “poor historian” with phrases more acceptable to the patient.

3. Orders and Consults directed to internal UTHP services will not be printed - starting October 1.
   • Orders for outside services will continue to be printed and the provider can always manually print an order if desired. Of course, all orders and consults will be listed on the printed AVS as they are today.

We are bringing the flu shot to our employees and students. Help us stop the spread of influenza this season. Please bring a photocopy of your insurance card and ID Badge with you. Contact Wellness 360 with any questions at 210-567-2788.

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