Page 6 - Focus March 2018

Interview
The responsibility of a big provider in a small state
FEBRUARY 27, 2018 • REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM NEJM CATALYST
Listen to the audio at https://catalyst.nejm.org/responsibility-big-provider-christiana-care/
Thomas H. Lee, M.D., interviews Janice E. Nevin, M.D., MPH, President and Chief Executive Officer for Christiana Care Health System.
TOM LEE: This is Tom Lee from NEJM Catalyst, and we’re talking today with my friend and colleague Janice Nevin, who is a physician and the CEO at Christiana Care in Wilmington, Delaware. Janice has been doing some very forward-looking things with her organization, and we’re going to talk about what and, even more important, why. Janice, I’ve followed Christiana for a long time for a variety of reasons, including the fact that I grew up right nearby, but not everyone in our audience will be familiar with Christiana. Can you tell us a little bit about your system and the role it plays in Delaware health care?
JANICE NEVIN: Absolutely, Tom, and
it’s great to talk with you. We’d love to have you back for a visit next time you’re around. Christiana Care Health System is a regional, community-based, academic health system, and we have the great privilege of serving people throughout the state of Delaware
as well as in the contiguous counties of
Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey. But it’s because of our presence in Delaware that we have a unique opportunity because the work that we do always has a statewide impact.
“When we think about our impact, the value that we bring is not simply to those who come to us, those
we serve directly, but as importantly, the impact that we have on the people who live throughout the state of Delaware.”
We’ve got four campuses — a couple
of acute-care hospitals, a freestanding emergency department and multiple outpatient facilities throughout the state
— although we are concentrated in the largest county. We are absolutely focused on achieving the highest, the best outcomes that we can, and so have been nationally recognized by multiple organizations
as a leader in quality, safety, innovation, and health equity. We sponsor multiple academic programs in all the different health professions.
Everything that we do is rooted in The Christiana Care Way. It is our promise
to those we serve, and it starts with the words “we serve.” We talk about serving our neighbors because Delaware is a small state, and we care for people as though
we live next door to them. And we do that as respectful, expert, caring partners
in their health by creating innovative, effective, affordable systems of care that our neighbors value. That last word, value, is very important to us. When we think about our impact, the value that we bring is not simply to those who come to us, those we serve directly, but as importantly, the
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