Team and Innovation Spotlight Series

Point-of-care technology (POCT) and testing are increasingly important diagnostic and monitoring tools that provide physicians and patients access to rapid assessment and results for a variety of conditions. From at-home COVID-19 and blood glucose tests to small, handheld ultrasound units that can be used by physicians during physical exams, these technologies are changing the way health care is delivered and the patient’s overall experience.   

Like many hospitals, UMass Memorial Medical Center is in the midst of an ongoing capacity crisis which has been particularly burdensome in the intensive care unit (ICU). While the UMass Memorial Health (UMMH) Hospital at Home (HAH) Program, started in August 2021, has periodically cared for patients coming from the ICU, their teams see the potential for greater collaboration.   

In this month's Innovation Spotlight, we are excited to feature Greg Leslie, MD, physician, assistant professor of medicine, clinical and interim division chief, and Michael Devine, DO, physician and assistant professor of medicine, both of Hospital Medicine and their recent initiative to help address patient flow challenges.

In this month’s Innovation Spotlight, we feature Michael Devine, DO, a physician and assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Hospital Medicine, who is currently leading an innovative initiative to improve discharge orders at UMass. In a new conversation with Dr. Devine, he discusses the drivers of this initiative, results thus far, and goals for future applications. 

The eICU program at UMass Memorial Health is leading exciting new efforts to improve efficiency and patient outcomes in intensive care units across Central Massachusetts.

Frail geriatric patients are vulnerable to acute stressors including hospitalizations. They can become more vulnerable when they transition from one environment to another and need additional support when recovering from acute stressors. When patients go home from the hospital, they usually receive a follow-up telephone call within 48-72 hours of their discharge from the primary care or geriatric clinic as part of transitional care management.

The Center for Digital Health Solutions (CDHS) is a new initiative at UMass Memorial Health that builds and implements intelligent digital health solutions which enable measurable change and make health care delivery more efficient and accessible.

In this month’s Team Spotlight, we highlight the work of the Mission Behavioral Health Lab, which joined the Division of Health Systems Science in the fall of 2022.

In late October, the UMass Memorial Health (UMMH) Hospital at Home (HAH) team was awarded the “Hospital at Home Program of the Year,” and the “Hospital at Home Patient Video of the Year,” by the American Academy of Home Care Medicine (AAHCM) HAH User’s Group, a professional society that oversees and advocates for hospital at home services across the country. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers, including palliative care caregivers at UMass, experienced a marked increase of stressors due to several factors including restrictions and increased demands, feelings of isolation, and fatigue. To address this, the “Palliative Care Buddy System” intervention was conceptualized, designed, and implemented by the UMass Chan Palliative Care team “with the goal of counteracting personal distress and compassion fatigue as well as improving compassion satisfaction and resilience among team members.”