June 9, 2005

Dear Colleagues:

Please join me in offering Dan Wassilchalk our sincere appreciation and congratulations as he will be leaving Johns Hopkins to assume the role of Executive Director at The Institute for Performance Improvement at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

In 1998, Dan joined the Johns Hopkins Hospital as the Director of Performance Improvement and Utilization Management (PI/UM). Under Dan’s leadership, the department became a leading edge quality improvement unit. One of Dan’s most notable accomplishments was the implementation of the Quality Profile, which is a balanced scorecard of quality indicators designed to identify and prioritize quality improvement needs.

After demonstrated success in Quality Improvement, Dan also assumed responsibility for the Admitting Department. Dan guided the department to significantly improve accounts management productivity, raise “top box” patient satisfaction scores (more than a 60% increase in courtesy and 50% increase in the pre-certification process) and heighten staff awareness to address patient safety issues. Dan was also instrumental in the implementation of the Electronic Bed Board in collaboration with JHMCIS and Nursing. The Electronic Bed Board has significantly enhanced the accuracy of the hospital’s census data. During his leadership, the departments of Quality Improvement (PI/UM) and Admitting have collectively helped the organization meet its revenue recovery goals over the past several years.

We wish Dan a fond farewell and continued success.

Thank you,

Richard O. Davis, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Center for Innovation in Quality Patient Care
Senior Director, Operations Integration/ Ambulatory Services Practice Managment/ Quality Improvement
Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center