JHM 3.0: Hardwiring Johns Hopkins Medicine for the future

Dear Hopkins Medicine Leader,

Your guidance and support have been invaluable as we determine how to best position Johns Hopkins Medicine for the future, and we thank you for your dedication. We heard you specifically note that decision-making has been unclear and that greater clarification of roles and authority is imperative. As a result, we are designing a new operational structure that preserves what works with the current system, establishes new forums to support more nimble, democratic decision-making processes, and creates shared services to develop the next phase of Johns Hopkins Medicine, JHM 3.0.

As we move from a focus on Baltimore and concentrate on Hopkins Medicine as a whole, we need a strong new foundation to solve problems, align goals and implement new ideas. We are moving from positioning JHM for the future to actual hardwiring. These reconfigurations, which include careful consideration of all three parts of the mission in decision-making, will internalize the changes we've been discussing over the last few months, including expansion of our international enterprise, increased focus and organization around health care reform transformation, greater systemwide clinical integration with our community-based hospitals and our community physician relations, and enhanced patient safety, quality outcomes and performance measures.

Effective August 1, we will phase out some of the existing JHM operating committees and organize new ones. A new JHM Operating Committee will be formed with seven operational units to set the strategic course for and coordinate operations throughout all of JHM regardless of the legal entity involved. Decisions that involve more than one operational unit will go through joint councils so that all the key stakeholders are involved. See the attached proposed functional chart for an overview. Our aim is to create forums that allow our various organizations to speak to each other directly and transparently, coming together to make the best decisions for Hopkins Medicine.

To implement systemwide change, it's necessary to have organized shared services that are not merely coordinated or collaborative, but are truly integrated. We will need your support as we centralize or further centralize functions like marketing and communications, brand management, managed care, security, risk management, real estate planning and others to allow for prudent use of resources and execution of best business practices. We also need to increase the collaborations related to our human resources practices and our quality and safety initiatives and priorities. These newly designed shared services will eliminate redundancy and inconsistency while creating a structure that can respond more rapidly and appropriately to the collective and unique needs of JHM as a whole.

Taking into consideration our tripartite mission and guided by the principles for health care transformation, this multifaceted new structure will expressly move us from planning to early implementation of JHM 3.0: Hardwiring Johns Hopkins Medicine for the future. Instead of talking about our potential, with your help, we will make the restructure a reality.

With the intent to be operational by January 2012, we look forward to your full commitment and will keep you informed of new processes, procedures and other necessary modifications as we work with you to create a strong foundation for our future.

Sincerely,

Edward D. Miller, M.D.
Dean of the Medical Faculty
CEO, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Ronald R. Peterson
President
The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System
EVP, Johns Hopkins Medicine