Ann Mcdonald Email and Phone Number

Director, Mayors Wellness Campaign, Developed and implemented a statewide series of best practices to reduce obesity through activity following an aggregation of evidence based programs. 182 NJ communities participated. Partners included NJ Health Care Quality Institute, Aetna Insurance, the NJ League of Municipalities and the NJ Dept of Health and Senior ServicesDirector, Community Pain Management Initiative, Implemented a unique innovative intra-agency countywide project to optimize opiate prescribing and reduce prescription drug abuse and diversion. Initiatives included literature review, provider education, innovative treatment programming and implementation of opioid risk management strategies to reduce opioid deaths and poisonings. Identified and implemented strategies to reduce a number of care and communication barriers to effective treatment. Strong relationships across all community, legislative and judicial partners maintained the successful program. Significant changes in prescribing patterns were measured by the state Prescription Monitoring Program. Reductions in opioid overdoses also resulted.Project Liaison, Enabling Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances Study. Provided foundational work to implement national pilot to test electronic prescribing of controlled substances in cooperation with MA DPH, DrFirst, Inc and Brandeis University. Exceeded goal accrual for baseline survey of prescribing practices and expectations of electronic prescribing of federally scheduled medications, provider recruitment. 2004 - 2006 Senior Examiner, Quality New Jersey AccomplishmentsExaminer Governors Performance Excellence Award Examined diverse organizations using the Malcom Baldrige National Quality Standards with increasing leadership roles for examining teams. Organization closed in 2006 due to funding challenges.

AccomplishmentsResponsible for accreditation, regulatory compliance, quality of care and professional development of staff regarding quality improvement, standards of care for a 450 bed full service hospital. Key coordinator for successful preparation for Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award competition and Missouri Quality Award. Reporting structure was made up of the departments of security, medical management, quality improvement, risk management, infection control and health information management. Leadership team exceeded goals in financial performance, employee satisfaction and were in the top quartile in 4/5 national quality indicators. Medicare LOS was reduced by 1.2 days. JCAHO scores improved in each of last two cycles and cardiac surgery mortality improved by 60% in with no decrease in acuity

AccomplishmentsWith up to 185 PCPs, developed and implemented a comprehensive UM and QI program modeled against NCQA standards. Developed, implemented and evaluated a medical management program which was very successful in a Medicare risk environment. Program resulted in a significant reduction in bed days/1000 and health care costs through a collaborative practice case management program and best practice outpatient disease management programs. Later increased responsibilities across a 1600 physician and 5 hospital integrated delivery system, led the medical management support within global capitation and pilot primary care risk groups.

Initially, responsible for the scope, operations and quality of care for a staff model oncology program. Coordinated activities across 12 health centers. Expanded model of care delivery and scope of outpatient services. With promotion, provided leadership to a 40 member hospital-based medical management staff with a focus on quality, measurement, continuity of service and NCQA preparations. Multifaceted departments included triage, oncology, urgent care, OB/GYN, large case management and disease management quality improvement programs.

Responsible for program development, financial management and research and clinical quality of multidisciplinary cancer center. Core departments included hematology, medical and radiation oncology, clinical trails programs for RTOG, SWOG, NSABP and ECOG along with multidisciplinary breast center. Reorganized medical oncology and cancer center into collaborative practice teams to improve efficiency and communication. Greatly improved accrual performance to clinical trials.

Surgical Oncology Collaborative Practice

Developed first advance practice radiation oncology nursing program in metro area with a collaborative practice model. Established disease and site specific systems for nursing documentation and patient education materials. Provided critical support for large oncology department optimizing productivity. Increased accrual to RTOG clinical trials program

Developed model for collaborative practice in surgical oncology private practice focusing on the crisis of new diagnosis or recurrence, surgical care and education and the collaboration with oncologic and radiologic specialties to enhance surgical productivity.