Truman Medical Centers CEO Inducted as AHA Chair - April 12, 2011

The American Hospital Association (AHA) recently officially inducted John W. Bluford, president and chief executive officer of NAPH member Truman Medical Centers in Kansas City, Mo., as AHA chairman. He assumed the AHA's highest elected position in January and will chair the AHA Board of Trustees for one year. In his speech, Bluford called upon hospital leaders to tackle their community's toughest ills. According to an AHA release, he asked that hospital leaders learn from each other and recognize they will be judged not only by the care delivered within the hospital walls, but also by the health status of the community they serve.

"Your community has its own dynamics that create its own barriers - solid walls that stand between people and the health that will allow them to achieve their full potential," Bluford said. "Tearing down those walls will be painfully slow. But we will never get to the destination if we don't start the journey."

Bluford said the career accomplishments of which he is most proud involve influencing changes in hospital culture to emphasize patient safety and customer service, as well as innovation. He has shown significant success in doing so at Truman Medical Centers, in particular with the Passport to Wellness program. Tapping various creative means, the program helps people who are frequently in need of hospital services and their families make lifestyle changes designed to help them better manage their health, resulting in fewer hospital visits. Using guided protocols and case management through team-based care, including a physician, nurse, pharmacist and social worker, the program thus far has demonstrated impressive results: Sickle Cell readmission rates fell 26 percent and emergency department visits fell 23 percent.

Bluford also noted that community starts at home - with hospital employees. He urged hospital leaders not to overlook employee wellness, as he likewise did in a guest entry for NAPH’s Safety Net Matters blog.
 
"Every community, from the most urban to the most rural, has social and health disparities. It's our job to know our communities, our schools, our community gathering places, our churches, and in general the overall human circumstance of our neighborhoods so that we can address those disparities with passion," Bluford said.