Shelly Voet, MD: Commitment to community physicians remains strong
To the community medical staff and alumni who value Staff Bulletin:
Last March, I applied for the executive community physician leader role because I believed in the value and potential of the Community Physician Advisory Committee (CPAC) as envisioned by Arnold Strauss, MD, over seven years ago. As a 20-year member of the community medical staff, I firmly believe that we (pediatric healthcare providers) serve our patients best by maintaining strong partnerships.
Shortly after I began the role, I realized CPAC would be navigating this group through a sea of changes—a new, evolving internal communication system at Cincinnati Children’s, the end of the print Staff Bulletin, a changing external web presence, and multiple potentially changing methods of care delivery and physician communication. It would be easy to feel threatened or even discouraged by all of this. However, change can provide opportunities if share goals are present.
Cincinnati Children’s is committed to connecting with community providers. This commitment is present across roles, from the community physician leaders and Physician Outreach liaisons who have brought your concerns to the institution for many years; the specialists and hospital medicine physicians we have met with; our wonderful PPL staff; and the Information Services (IS) and Marketing and Communications staff who are working with us now as we advise on future methods of communication.
The needs and concerns of the community are also being heard at the leadership level through the relatively new roles of Jeff Anderson, MD, as vice president of External Medical Affairs, and Patty Manning, MD, as vice president of Ambulatory Services. In just a few months, we have had support to work with IS on a direct-messaging HER communication pilot; requested and filled a role to coordinate external communications moving forward; and (with Marketing and Communications’ assistance) developed a format for a clinical support tool (debuting soon). Our voice matters at Cincinnati Children’s, and we are grateful to continue to be involved in the conversation.
While most of us are sorry to see our print version of the Staff Bulletin go away (it was one of the few pieces of print mail we enjoyed), the institution is very committed to keeping us connected. CPAC will continue to work with Marketing and Communications and Physician Outreach liaisons to explore the most effective ways to deliver news to referring and alumni pediatric providers. This may be the last print edition of the Staff Bulletin, but it is not the end of the commitment to the community medical staff.
Shelly F. Voet, MD
Pediatric Associates PSC
shelly.voet@cchmc.org
