Yisrael Mordecai Safeek

Yisrael Mordecai Safeek (ⁱ/ˈsɑːfɛk ˈɪzriːəl/) is an American physician, author, and software developer.^[1][2] In 2010, he founded The SafeCare Group, a firm with headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky with the motto of "we innovate software, analyze data, and publish outcomes".^[3] Before founding The SafeCare Group, Safeek served in the dual roles as the Chief Quality Officer of Covenant Health System (at the time consisting of 18 leased and owned hospitals) and at the time the largest health system between Dallas and Los Angeles, and first Chief Medical Officer of (at the time) the second largest clinical integration program in the US,^[4] Health Partners.^[5] As Chief Medical Officer, Safeek accelerated the implementation of advanced clinical technologies, facilitated the adoption of evidence-based medicine,and reduced the overuse and misuse of clinical resources. The network aligned hundreds of independent physicians with the health system's goals and yielded tangible outcomes in patient safety, quality, and efficiency of care. Between 2005 and 2014, Safeek was associated with The Joint Commission holding certifications in the Hospital Accreditation Program (2005–2014), and the Outpatient-Based Surgery Program (2009–2014). In 2007, he was the first Kentucky physician appointed to the Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award program.^[6] Safeek is a diplomate Certified Physician Executive^[7] from the Certifying Commission in Medical Management,^[8][9] the American Board of Medical Specialties in Anesthesiology,^[10] and the National Board of Medical Examiners.He is a Vanguard Advisory Member^[11] of the American Association for Physician Leadership.^[12] and Fellow .,^[13][14] the “highest honor awarded to physician leaders who have made significant contributions in improving the delivery and outcomes in medicine."^[15]

Biography

Early life and education

Safeek was born in South America, the eldest child of Nazmoon Safeek and Mark B. Safeek according to his credentialing book dedication.^[16] He attended Austin Peay State University graduating in two and a half years with a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring with a double major in biology and chemistry. He attended the Quillen School of Medicine at East Tennessee State University graduating with a Doctor of Medicine degree. .^[17] After a general surgery internship, he completed his anesthesiology training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Later, Safeek completed a Master of Business Administration degree at the University of Tennessee Physician Executive MBA program.^[18]

Early medical career

After medical training, Safeek became medical director at Cleveland Community Hospital while he established an independent anesthesia medical practice. Safeek implemented various patient safety and lean initiatives in various operating rooms like Crew Resource Management resulting in safer anesthesia care. He proactively instituted several steps to prevent awareness under anesthesia while serving as Pikeville Medical Center’s vice-president of clinical affairs.^[19] In the early 1990s, Safeek was a shareholder in Cleveland Community Hospital, and CEO of medical practices and medical director of hospitals in Tennessee and Kentucky.^[20] He later served as CEO of a billing and collections company and was actively involved in revenue cycle management.

Later medical career

Having been a medical director for his entire medical career, in 2007, Safeek transitioned from the clinical arena to the business sector after obtaining his Master of Business Administration. After a year as Chief Quality Officer at Pikeville Medical Center, he was promoted to the dual roles of Chief Medical Officer and Chief Quality Officer at Covenant Health System. Later, he served in various chief medical officer and chief clinical officer roles^[21] to get The SafeCare Group off the ground.

Present career

In 2010, Safeek founded the SafeCare Group,^[22] a firm with subsidiaries including SafeCare Software Solutions that innovates software.^[23] Other SafeCare subsidiaries analyze data to annually produce "100 SafeCare Hospitals" designation,^[24] and publishe SafeCare magazine, "Delivering information on the people, ideas and novel technologies affecting safe and quality healthcare to healthcare's most influential leaders".^[25] The SafeCare Group developed and markets the comprehensive PULSE ℠ software for Clinical Integration and OPPE Readiness App (OPPERA℠)^[26] for OPPE and FPPE regulatory compliance.^[27]

OPPE Readiness App

External video

You may watch OPPE Readiness App for Joint Commission OPPE and FPPE compliance, here

Safeek was the chief design software architect at SafeCare Software Solutions, a subsidiary of The SafeCare Group, to produce the best-in-class OPPE Readiness App (OPPERA℠) for OPPE and FPPE compliance.^[28][29] OPPERA℠ is a specialty-specific credentialing tool centered around the six core competencies. It consists of a care management module, an incident management module, and an educational management module for 54 medical specialties and allied health.

SaaS-based Applications for CMS Reimbursement and Deemed Programs

Safeek was the chief software developer^[30] at SafeCare Software Solutions to produce EMR-based analytical Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)-based applications using SafeCare's proprietary technology to identify conditions that contribute to poor CMS reimbursement programs result.^[31] These include analytical software applications for CMS Inpatient Hospital Value Based Purchasing,^[32] Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program,^[33] and Hospital Acquired Conditions Reduction Program.^[34] Safeek also engineered SaaS applications for CMS Outpatient Merit-based Incentive Payment System.^[35]

SafeCare magazine

Out of the need to educate hospital leaders – CEOs and boards - on topics that are important for safe patient care, Safeek created SafeCare magazine, "Delivering information on the people, ideas and novel technologies affecting safe and quality healthcare to healthcare's most influential leaders."^[36] SafeCare Person of the Year is an annual issue of SafeCare magazine that recognizes the individual who has contributed significantly toward improving patient safety and healthcare quality across the globe.^[37]

CAUTI Bundle

Safeek published a simple, easy-to-remember urinary tract infections bundle (CAUTI Bundle)^[38] in Physician Executive, the journal of the American College of Physician Executives to prevent catheter associated urinary tract infections. The CAUTI Bundle was later reprinted by Healthcare Financial Management Journal upon request as a tool to decrease unnecessary financial cost from hospital acquired urinary tract infections.^[39] The CAUTI Bundle is similar to the bundles for prevention and treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia, sepsis, and central line-related infections from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. It consists of five steps: CDC Hand Hygiene, sterile Foley catheter insertion, maintenance of a closed system, perineal care, daily review of catheter need and earliest removal.

I AM FOR SAFETY Surgical Checklist

Safeek also authored and published a safe surgery checklist in Physician Executive Journal based upon his experience as an anesthesiologist overseeing operating rooms in several states. The checklist is a modified version of the World Health Organization surgical safety checklist and includes safety checks required by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and Joint Commission. It utilizes the mnemonic I AM FOR SAFETY that documents the sequence of patient safety exercises for caregivers to employ.^[40]

The I AM FOR SAFETY checklist incorporated key patient safety exercises designed to be performed during distinctly critical and vulnerable peri-operative time periods for surgical patients:

Sign in: Joint Commission two identifiers, medication allergy and reconciliation, site markings requirements, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) fasting, oxygen, and airway status requirements, transfusion and fluid requirements, and equipment availability before taking the patient into the operative suite.

Time out: Medicare Core Measure SCIP 1a, and Joint Commission Universal Protocol before surgical incision.

Sign out: Yield of final instrument/supply count and specimen tally before closure of the operative wound.

Other Healthcare innovations

Patient Safety innovations

Safeek is credited with several other patient safety innovations. These include measures to reduce patient falls in hospitals, mitigate pressure ulcers from becoming a problem, and supporting safe surgeries through a checklist. DON'T SPLAT Fall Prevention Checklist^[41] SAFE SKIN Pressure Ulcers Checklist^[42]

Efficiency of Care innovations

BLUE (Better Lean & Utilization Exchange) Huddles^[43]

Readiness Early Disposition Plan

RED (Readiness Early Disposition) Discharge Plan^[44] that focuses on utilization management, care facilitation, discharge planning, and clinical integration for safe,timely, and effective hospital discharges.

Joint Commission affiliation

From 2005-2014, Safeek was intermittently employed by The Joint Commission, holding certifications in the Hospital Accreditation Program (2005–2014), and the Outpatient-Based Surgery Program (2009–2014). Between 2005 - 2014, Safeek participated with JCAHO in patient safety task forces, sentinel event /root cause activity, failure mode and effect analyses, and special cause hospital inspections. As part of hospital inspections, Safeek analyzed care systems for risk-points which impacted CMS deemed status, and communicated adverse decisions to hospital boards, leadership, and medical staffs.

In 2010, Safeek worked with a team at The Joint Commission to develop the Systems Tracer, "Evaluating Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation (OPPE) and Focused Professional Practice Evaluation (FPPE) Processes."^[45] This effort culminated in the accrediting body's OPPE and FPPE Booster Pak and is the gold standard for evaluation of credentialing and privileging processes. In 2012, Safeek was interviewed on several occasions for his position regarding the impact of physician credentialing on patient safety.^[46] In 2008, Safeek was recognized by The Joint Commission for his work in formulating a new patient flow tracer that addressed capacity and throughput issues in patient care areas.

National presentations

Safeek addressing the AMP Symposium at Chicago in 2011

Since 2005, Safeek has mentored hospital boards, executive leadership, and medical staffs on quality, patient safety, teamwork initiatives, disruptive behavior, and the OPPE and FPPE.^[47] He presented the keynote address for doctors and teamwork.^[48]

Safeek has been a vocal advocate for physician leadership to improve healthcare quality, patient safety, and the patient experience.^[49][50] Safeek advocated for more physician leaderships in government and leading healthcare organizations.^[51] Safeek stated, "the role of medical administrators (Chief Medical Officer) is no longer that of a diplomatic liaison between the medical and the administrative staff. They are now responsible for customer satisfaction, financial performance and clinical results."^[52]

Safeek addressing the 32nd Annual FAMSS conference in Orlando in 2013

In 2013, Safeek presented at the Florida Association of Medical Staff Services on OPPE and FPPE. His topics were, "Linking FPPE/OPPE to Privileges" and "Best Practices for FPPE/OPPE."^[53][54]

In 2012, he was featured by the American College of Physician Executives Knowledge Worth Sharing Series for his video teleconference of "Credentialing and Privileging: A Prescription for Accountable Care". Safeek highlighted how passage of national health care legislation created a need for better credentialing of physicians to participate in Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), citing the "patient safety vacuum".^[55][56][57]

In 2012, Safeek was also interviewed regarding the current state of OPPE and FPPE across the nation, highlighting the struggles for healthcare organizations.^[58]

External video

You may watch Yisrael Mordecai Safeek discussing Accountable Care in Chicago, here

Safeek addressing the 15th AHAP at Lake Buena Vista in 2012

In 2012, Safeek was the keynote speaker at The 15th Annual Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals Symposium^[59] focusing on "Accountable Credentialing and Privileging: Adopting Strategies for Better Health, Better Care, and Better Value."^[60] In 2012, Safeek was also the featured speaker at the 6th Annual Credentialing Resource Center Symposium focusing on "Preparing for The Joint Commission's OPPE and FPPE Systems Tracer".^[61][62]

Between 2010 and 2011, he served on the Advocacy and Patient Safety task forces^[63] of the American College of Physician Executives. At the AMP Symposium in 2011 in Chicago, he presented the importance of physician leadership in attaining the Triple Aims of Accountable Care.^[64]

Safeek participated in the featured webcast: Assessing the competence of low- and no-volume practitioners^[65][66] In 2011, Safeek was the featured speaker at Cincinnati-based Catholic Health Partners Physician Leadership Academy, discussing strategic solutions to the OPPE and FPPE.^[67]

In 2009, Safeek represented Covenant Health System in a Texas statewide executive panel with diverse politicians and executives on healthcare reform.^[68][69] Safeek was recognized as 2007 Outstanding Physician Leader of the Year.^[70][71] Safeek left Covenant Health System to found The SafeCare Group to enhance quality, patient safety, and efficiency to national healthcare.

Selected publications

Books

Book cover

Safeek is the author of the book Credentialing and Privileging for Accountable Care: A Prescription for the Ailing Stethoscope and the Dull Scalpel, published through the American College of Physician Executives.^[72][73] The reviews for the book were positive.^[74][75][76] There were book signings in Chicago at the Summer Institute of the American College of Physician Executives.^[77][78]

• Credentialing and Privileging for Accountable Care: A Prescription for the Ailing Stethoscope and the Dull Scalpel, American College of Physician Executives. April 2012 ISBN 978-0-98254-825-7

Papers

Safeek has spoken and written on the impact of the Core Measures, National Patient Safety Goals, and IHI bundles to enhance patient safety, and decrease preventable deaths. There are also several publications on healthcare efficiency dealing with decreased lengths of stay and improved discharges. Safeek is published in such prestigious journals as "Physician Executive Journal" and "Healthcare Financial Management Association".^[79][80]

• A Hospital Length of Stay Reduction Strategy, September–October 2010^[81]
• Protocols,Prompters,Bundles,Checklists,and Triggers, August 2010^[82]
• A Preventable Mortality Reduction Strategy, March–April 2010^[83]
• No Outcomes, No Incomes, July–August 2009^[84]
• The Expanding Roles of the Chief Medical Officer, July–August 2008^[85]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yisrael Mordecai Safeek (physician).

• Dr. Safeek's Blog
• Biographical
• Credentialing & Privileging for Accountable Care
• Credentialing & Privileging for Accountable Care
• Credentialing & Privileging for Accountable Care
• Outstanding Physician Leader of the Year
• Expanding Roles of the CMO
• No Outcomes, No Incomes
• A Preventable Mortality Reduction Strategy
• A Length of Stay Reduction Strategy
• Texas Annual Health Symposium
• Clashing Paradigms: A New America – Health Care Reform
• Accountable Care Organization
• Assignable Causes