Continuous Improvement and Resources

Annual Report - 1998-1999

Just as individuals strive to better themselves, so, too, do the faculty and staff at M. D. Anderson. While the cancer center always has had a tradition of finding ways to improve services and enhance delivery of care systems, the concept of continuous improvement is now etched into the overall vision of the institution.

Led by M. D. Anderson President Dr. John Mendelsohn, the cancer center’s management team identified key performance improvement initiatives and cemented them into the institution’s new strategic plan at fiscal year end.

“We have been asking the question: ‘How can we improve this service or process?’ Only by getting everyone involved can we continue to provide the best care for our patients and achieve our mission,” says Sherry Martin, associate vice president for performance improvement.

During the past year, continuous improvement projects ranged from providing institution-wide education to reduction of wait times to improving information and communication systems.

Highlights include:

• The Employee Orientation Program was revamped to give new employees a real sense of the institution’s history and to initiate them into the M. D. Anderson culture. Information about key performance improvement projects, current cancer diagnosis and treatment options, and customer service skills training were important additions to the two-day program.
• Members of the Education Resource Committee, Nursing Staff Development and the Office of Performance Improvement spearheaded the development of the first Annual Employee Education Update program. The program was established to give employees an opportunity to refresh their knowledge on a variety of topics, ranging from patient rights to infection control to proper management of hazardous materials and spills.
• Faculty and staff worked year-round to prepare for the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) survey and to ensure that M. D. Anderson was in compliance with the organization’s standards.

JCAHO is the nation’s oldest and largest accrediting body charged with improving the quality of health care provided to the public. In November 1998, the cancer center received Accreditation with Commendation, the highest of seven levels of accreditation awarded by JCAHO.

Of the 11,000 hospitals and home care agencies surveyed each year by the JCAHO, only 15 percent achieve Accreditation with Commendation.

• The Nellie B. Connally Breast Center implemented on-line X-ray requisitions resulting in a reduction of wait times for imaging exams and time to reconcile daily requisitions.
• The Department of Nuclear Medicine reduced wait times by one hour for patients awaiting a treadmill stress test in a collaborative project with the Medical Specialties Clinic.
• An on-line Involved Provider Database was implemented to improve communication between M. D. Anderson physicians and community partners. The faculty can send messages directly to referring physicians, giving them timely information on the treatments their patients are receiving.
• In conjunction with M. D. Anderson’s laboratory information system, hand-held computers are now used at the patient bedside to ensure accuracy of ordering and administrating medication. The computer scans bar-coded medical record numbers on the specimen tube and on the patient’s wristband to verify a match. When the technician completes rounds and returns to the lab, information from the mini-computer is quickly downloaded to the central system.

Utilizing resources is an important aspect of continuous improvement. One goal is to diversify funding sources so the institution is less dependent on using patient care revenue to support its mission areas in patient care, research, education and prevention.

Philanthropy plays a critical role in providing substantial funds to the institution. Last year, the Development Office raised $45.2 million, up from $37.7 million in fiscal year 1996-97.

The Development Office also secured funding for eight Institutional Funding Initiatives, which were established nearly three years ago by M. D. Anderson faculty and The University Cancer Foundation Board of Visitors members. By the close of the fiscal year, designated goals were exceeded in the areas of  cancer prevention, Science Park, and brain, breast, ovarian and prostate cancer research.

Major gifts from generous individuals, corporations and foundations included:

• A $10 million gift from the Kathleen C. Cailloux Family Foundation and the family of Floyd A. Cailloux to create the Floyd and Kathleen Cailloux Research Center in Human Cancer Genetics.
• A $5 million gift in honor of the late Virginia Harris Cockrell, the largest ever presented to M. D. Anderson’s Science Park — Research Division. It will create the Virginia Harris Cockrell Cancer Research Center at Science Park.
• A $1 million gift from Burlington Resources Foundation. One-half of the donation will support lung cancer research, while the remainder will be used to establish an endowment to fund other research initiatives.

Several special events contributed greatly to M. D. Anderson’s fund-raising goals as well as institutional goals for visibility and education. The Saks Fifth Avenue Gala raised more than $600,000 for the Nellie B. Connally Breast Cancer Fund, while the Polo on the Prairie event raised $147,834 for various research, patient care and education programs at M. D. Anderson.

Two other events —  A Conversation with A Living Legend  , featuring Henry Kissinger, and  A Conversation with Harry Belafonte — raised $230,823 and $60,144, respectively.

Optimizing investments in technology was another way M. D. Anderson faculty increased revenue to the institution. Last year, the Office of Technology Development, generated $3.4 million in license income, compared with $700,000 in the previous fiscal year.

The big increase in 1997-98 reflects the first royalties received from the sale of the drug Abelcet™, which was developed at M. D. Anderson and now is used world-wide for life-threatening fungal infections. Royalties also came from the sublicense fee from a company that is extending research from M. D. Anderson to advance the application of a new tumor suppressor gene.

M. D. Anderson researchers continued to accelerate the pace of new drug development and reap the increasing benefits of partnerships with several technology companies. During the past year, 13 new license agreements were signed, 108 patents were filed on behalf of the faculty and staff, and 22 patents were issued for M. D. Anderson discoveries and devices.

The quality improvement initiatives undertaken last year strengthened M. D. Anderson’s commitment to providing its faculty and staff with the best resources they need to execute cutting-edge research and deliver outstanding patient care.