Charting

a new

course

Annual Report 2012 

Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center 

Leading the way for federal health care by providing a 

quality, patient-centered experience, and ensuring the 

highest level of operational medical readiness

Contents

Who We Are 

4 9 

PatientCentered Care 

Talent 

Management 

15 

Lean 

19

Innovation

 21 

Leadership

 25 
Message from the Director and 

Deputy Director and Commanding Officer 

A year of notable achievements for the FHCC
 

As we reflect on the second year of 

our “being” the nation’s first federal 

health care center, we are proud 

of our many accomplishments and 

humbled at the same time by our 

sacred mission of Readying Warriors 

and Caring for Heroes. 

And as we begin our third year, 

the way forward for the nation’s 

first federal health care center is 

clearly mapped, guided now by a 

comprehensive strategic plan that 

will ensure we remain a health care 

provider of choice, as well as the 

employer and destination of choice. 

We will do this by providing first-class 

patient-centered care to thousands of 

Veterans, military retirees, Active Duty 

military members and their families 

at our East and West campuses, 

along with three community based 

outpatient clinics. 

With the objectives of becoming a 

Lean organization, fostering ongoing 

Innovation, focusing on Talent 

Management and always providing 

premier Patient-Centered Care, we are 

charting a challenging, but exciting 

course. As you 

go through our 

annual report, 

you will notice 

remarkable 

initiatives that 

have been 

implemented. 

Every one of our 

approximately 

3,000 dedicated 

Sailors and civilian 

staff take to heart 

our honorable 

role of ensuring 

military readiness 

for U.S. Navy recruits 

and wellness for 

our retired military, 

military families 

and Veterans. From the World War 

II Veteran who is greeted at the 

entrance by enthusiastic and caring 

volunteers – many of them Veterans 

themselves – to the military spouse 

picking up medication to ease the 

symptoms of a child, we strive every 

day to provide Excellent Care, Every 

Patient, Every Time. 

About Lovell 

FHCC

30

Patrick L. Sullivan, FACHE

Director

Captain José A. Acosta, MC, USN 

Commanding Officer

and Deputy Director

As always, we sincerely thank you for 

choosing Lovell FHCC to provide your 

health care, and/or be your employer, 

in 2012, and we look forward to more 

firsts and bests in 2013. 

2 

Who We Are
 

We are two rich cultures combined 

with a single purpose: Readying 

Warriors and Caring for Heroes. The 

core of our organization is made up 

of the men and women we serve. 

They are what defines the 

organization’s purpose. They are 

our patients. Our patients are at the 

center of everything we do, every 

decision we make. 

In building upon our core and 

patient-centered approach, it is 

important to recognize and 

understand the role and impact of 

Lovell FHCC staff and volunteers. 

The staff, volunteers, and patients 

go hand-in-hand; each are critical to 

defining and fulfilling our mission. 

Our staff and volunteers are the 

human touch to the patient; they 

are the closest to our patients, and 

have the awesome responsibility 

of setting the example of Excellent 

Care, Every Patient, Every Time. 

Serving Veterans, Active Duty 

service members and their families 

and military retirees in Northern 

Illinois and Southern Wisconsin, the 

commitment of our integrated staff 

is evident in the patient-centered 

care provided in our West campus, 

East campus and three Community 

Based Outpatient Clinics. 

Our Guiding Principles 

• Quality: Commitment to patient 

outcomes, adherence to best 

practices, and state-of-the-art 

care for patients throughout the 

organization. 

• Experience of Care: Excellence for 

every patient, every time. Providing 

the best experience for our 

patients and their families through 

excellent customer service, quality, 

coordinated care in a patientcentered environment. 

• Readiness: Optimizing operational 

medical readiness for both our staff 

and constituents. 

• Staff: Serve as the employer/ 

destination-of-choice. We will 

foster career development 

through education, teamwork and 

accountability. We strive to recruit 

and retain the highest qualified 

staff to ensure engagement and 

satisfaction. 

• Innovation: Continuing to be a 

leader in creating a 21st century 

healthcare organization. 

• Sustainability: Ensure longevity 

of success. We will maximize 

the utilization of our resources, 

capitalize on opportunities 

for growth, and evolve with 

transformation in the health care 

industry to ensure a sustainable 

environment for the future of our 

organization. 

Our Directional Strategies 

Lovell FHCC staff and volunteers 

provide care to our patients through 

our Guiding Principles, which 

are framed within a three-point 

foundation: 

... our Mission of leading the way 

for federal health care by providing 

a quality, patient-centered 

experience, and ensuring the 

highest level of operational medical 

readiness. 

... our Vision of creating the future 

of federal health care. 

...our Values of Respect, Integrity, 

Trust, Accountability, and Teamwork. 

Our Promise 

Readying Warriors and Caring for 

Heroes 

 One Team 4 


Our Facilities

West campus 

48 buildings on 107 acres of 

land between Green Bay Road

and Buckley Road in North 

Chicago, Ill. 

East campus 

Four medical facilities on 

Naval Station Great Lakes, 

Illinois 

Community Based 

Outpatient Clinics: 

One each facility in Evanston 

and McHenry, Ill., and one in 

Kenosha, Wis. 

Operating Beds 

369 (authorized 442) 

At our campus in North Chicago, 

Ill., the Lovell FHCC provides 

a full-spectrum of health care 

for our patients, including 

full medical and surgical 

care, a large array of medical 

sub-specialties (cardiology, 

pulmonary, neurology, etc,), a 

variety of mental health services 

(acute and long-term care, posttraumatic stress care, homeless 

domiciliary care, alcohol/drug 

rehab, etc.), and Community 

Living Center services, as well as 

many other programs. 

Evanston CBOC Fisher Clinic McHenry CBOC USS Osborne Kenosha CBOC USS Red Rover 

7 
2012 Highlights

•Accredited by The Joint Commission with half the

national average number of findings (15 vs. 29).

•Opened two 16-bed Community Living Center units

following the patient-centered care design model, with

private rooms and bathrooms, and a unit kitchen.

•Renovated Primary Care Clinic to better serve patients,

facilitating Patient Aligned Care Team initiative.

•Initiated a 48-hour follow-up callback process for

discharged Medical/Surgical patients to ensure all needs

are met.

•Established evening clinics to better serve patients and

to target OEF/OIF/OND returning combat Veterans and

Active Duty military.

•Implemented a mental health 24-hour callback program,

which is specifically geared toward ensuring that all

recently discharged mental health patients have what

they need to affect a successful return to the community.

•Implemented clinical guidelines for care of diabetes,

hypertension, cardiac disease and surgical procedures.

•Established programs for returning OEF/OIF/OND

combat Veterans and Active Duty to ensure every

returnee is screened for depression, substance abuse,

post-traumatic stress (PTS), traumatic brain Injury (TBI),

gastroenterology, infectious disease and imbedded

fragments.

•Opened our first Green House® home, shifting

established practices of long-term patient care to a more

personalized and dignified care for up to 10 Veterans.

Department of Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, center, joined 

Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, second from right, to 

present FHCC staff with awards for the new model of VA/DoD care 

created at the FHCC. 

Awards & Recognition: 

•2012 DoD Medical Operations Management (LIMDU &

MEDBOARDS)

•2012 U.S. Navy Certified Pipeline Mover Certificate

(third year in a row)

•College of Lake County Certificate of Recognition 2010-

2011 (HIMS)

•2012 U.S. Navy Bureau of Naval Personnel, Transient

Monitoring Unit

•Mr. Patrick Sullivan, Lovell FHCC Director, 2012

Presidential Distinguished Rank Award

The FHCC was surveyed and remains accredited by 

Comprehensive Accreditation for Rehabilitation Facilities 

(CARF); successfully recertified the Vocational Rehabilitation 

and Compensated Work Therapy Transitional Residence 

(CWTTR) programs. For the first time, CARF also provided 

initial surveys for the Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation 

Treatment Programs, the Psychosocial Rehabilitative Recovery 

Center, the Grant and Per Diem Program, and the Department 

of Housing and Urban Development and VA’s Supportive 

Housing (HUD-VASH) Program. All programs surveyed were 

found to have no issues requiring corrective action, putting 

Lovell FHCC in the top 3 percent of all facilities nationwide. 

The FHCC also boasts full accreditation from the College 

of American Pathologists and the Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission. 8 

USS Tranquillity 
 

Patient-Centered Care
 

Our patients are at the 

center of everything we do, 

every decision we make. It 

is because of their service 

and sacrifice that we are 

proud to care. 

Surrounding the patient 

core are the Lovell FHCC 

staff and volunteers. The 

staff, volunteers, and 

patients go hand-inhand; each is critical to 

defining and fulfilling our 

mission. Lovell FHCC staff 

and volunteers are the 

human touch to the patient 

and have the awesome 

responsibility of providing 

excellent care to every 

patient, every time. 

It is our honor to serve 

our country’s warriors 

and heroes, and our 

organization. The Lovell 

FHCC is a pioneer on a 

remarkable journey to 

transform federal health 

care. 

Patient Encounters 

Total Outpatient patient visits: 804,610 

VistA: 371,759 

AHLTA: 432,851 

Total Inpatient Admissions: 4,773 

Total Dispositions (Discharges): 4,750 

Total Dental Encounters 

West campus: 7,707 

East campus: 195,250 

Patient Population Care Total: 76,086

 Unique Veterans: 24,317 

Active Duty Military: 3,995 

Active Duty Family Member: 5,111 

Non-Active Duty Family Member and Retirees: 4,663 

Recruit Training Command Students and Recruits: 38,000 9 
Lovell FHCC cuts ribbon on first 

Green House® home 

This model is a 

cultural shift in 

long-term patient 

care. It’s a vision 

that allows a home

like environment 

for “residents,” not 

“patients.” 

The revolution in how 

long-term care will be 

provided in the new 

Green House® homes 

focuses on giving 

residents choices. 

The model dovetails 

state-of-the-art medical care 

with resident choice and the 

fundamental comforts of life. It 

means not just building homes, 

but building choices. 

The culture change is part of a 

national movement to transform 

nursing homes and longterm care facilities to provide 

each resident – each person – 

improved quality of life 

through care that gives 

residents choices and 

greater autonomy. Instead 

of an “institution,” 10 

residents live in a home 

where they have private 

bedrooms and bathrooms, 

and the ability to direct 

their care and treatment 

on their own schedules, 

according to their own 

desires. 

The model allows residents 

to live as autonomously as 

possible through creating a 

family-like environment, where 

they dine together and are able 

to have choices in their daily 

environment. 

Each home is staffed by two 

universal workers, called 

Shahbazims, on each shift. 

The workers provide patient 

care, cook, do some light 

housekeeping and help with 

resident activities. 

Meals are cooked on site based on 

a meal plan developed by house 

residents and staff together. 

Medical providers, nurses, social 

workers and dieticians make up 

a clinical support team to assist 

with meeting the medical needs 

of each resident. “When I needed the FHCC

for help and direction, 

you were all there; ready 

to assist me. I’m so 

fortunate to have you all 

there for me. Thanks ...”
Patient-Centered Care
 

Primary Care Renovation 

The first time Army Vietnam Veteran 

Herman “Sam” Radatz sought medical 

care at a Veterans Affairs facility in 1974, 

crowded waiting rooms and impersonal 

service caused him to decide he 

would never go back unless absolutely 

necessary. 

Today he is so satisfied with the care he 

receives at Lovell FHCC that he agreed 

to speak at the ribbon-cutting of the 

renovated Primary Care Clinic. The 

renovation brings the clinic’s décor in 

line with other clinics at Lovell FHCC, and 

it will better serve patients. It will allow 

health care team members to be located 

closer together. In the renovated clinic, 

patients will find clerical staff, nurses, 

medical providers, pharmacists, social 

workers, mental health professionals and 

dieticians. 

Modernizations, including private 

screening rooms, also allow for patient 

privacy and the best infection control. 

There are approximately 4,000 patient 

encounters a month in the Primary Care 

Clinic. The space is also the outward sign 

of a new initiative to improve patient care 

called PACT, or Patient Aligned Care Team. 

PACT is a partnership between Veterans, 

their families and multi-disciplinary 

treatment teams that work together to 

improve health outcomes. The bottom 

line is that patients 

don’t always need to 

get in a car and drive 

to the FHCC to get 

the care they need. 

PACT will use a variety 

of methods to treat 

patients. In addition 

to face-to-face visits, 

PACT will use telephone 

consultations, shared 

medical appointments 

and secure messaging 

online to serve patient 

needs. 

The focus is on the patient being at the 

center of his or her care, and PACT will 

help patients 

make lifestyle 

choices to 

meet their 

health care 

needs. 

When 

patients do 

have to come 

in for an appointment, they’ll find their 

team of providers and other medical 

professionals all in one convenient place, 

ready to do their utmost to provide the 

best patient care. 

Pharmacy Prescriptions Total: 1,773,836 

Total outpatient prescriptions filled: 610,735 

Total inpatient prescriptions filled: 53,607 

Total unit-dose prescriptions filled: 1,095,353 

Total local mail-order prescriptions filled: 14,141 

11 
The “Team” Approach 

The medical home or patient-centered medical 


home (PCMH) is a team-based method of 


providing comprehensive and continuous 


medical care. 


The medical home model for Veteran patients is 


called the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT).
 

The medical home model for Active Duty 


patients and their family members is called 


Medical Homeport.
 

With PACT and Medical Homeport, each patient 


works with their primary health care team to plan 


for whole-person care, and life-long health and 


wellness. The goals of this method of care are to:
 

• Allow better access to providers through clinic

visits, telephone visits, group visits and secure

messaging (Relay Health and My HealtheVet) to

increase patient satisfaction with medical care and

improve patient health.
­

• Provide team-based care with a whole person 

approach, focusing on health, wellness and 

prevention. Patients are members of the team, 

which may include the primary care manager, 

a nurse, clinical associate, Navy Corpsmen, 

pharmacist, mental health provider and support 

staff as well as your family members and caregivers.
­

USS Red Rover processed: 

18,000 glasses, administered 230,000 immunizations, conducted 

approximately 9,000 gynecological exams and evaluations, administered 

40,000 hearing exams, collected and examined 200,000 tubes of blood 
Patient-Centered Care 

Get Well Network 

The Get Well Network is an Interactive patientcare system to be activated at the FHCC in 2013. 

The Get Well Network offers the following: 

Clinical capabilities include patient alerts, care 

plans, bedside nursing tools, documentation and 

patient education. 

Entertainment options include internet access, 

games, movies, menus and communication tools. 

Performance improvement options include the 

ability to survey patients and solicit comments/ 

suggestions. 

The Get Well Network was made possible through 

the FHCC’s partnership as a pilot facility with 

the Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural 

Transformation. 

USS Osborne provides a full spectrum of dental treatment to 38,000 enlisted recruits. 

Seventy-five percent of incoming recruits need some dental treatment during recruit 

training; 60 percent require treatment that is more extensive than a simple cleaning; 20 

percent of incoming recruits require extensive treatment such as removal of impacted 

wisdom teeth, root canals, multiple large fillings, crowns, and/or dentures, frequently calling 

for complex, multi-disciplinary treatment plans. 13 
FHCC Pain Clinic offers 

support, relief 

Some of FHCC Veteran 

patients can barely walk or 

talk when they first come to 

Lovell FHCC’s new Primary 

Care pain management 

program. They hurt so much 

that it is all they can do to 

make it in, leaning heavily 

on canes or walkers for 

support or even resorting to 

wheelchairs to get around. 

After the five-month program, 

however, they “graduate” into 

a brighter future, where most 

can manage their pain on 

their feet, armed with new 

knowledge and coping skills 

to improve their quality of 

life. They learn more about 

their pain and what triggers 

it, and they develop selfmanagement skills including 

relaxation and stressmanagement techniques, 

healthy eating habits, exercise 

skills, and pacing skills. 

At the FHCC, many patients 

have many chronic health 

conditions, which frequently 

involve some degree of 

chronic pain. The Shared 

Medical Appointment (SMA) 

program was developed 

in response to this evergrowing problem of chronic 

pain and the demand 

for patient-friendly and 

effective pain management 

programs. It is the first of 

its kind. It was developed 

after months of legwork by 

FHCC Primary Care staff and 

piloted in July 2011. It is a 

comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to pain 

management. Three to seven 

people enroll at a time and 

meet for two clinics a week. 

The goal is to empower 

Veterans to achieve a better 

state of health by actively 

coping and self-managing 

their pain, resulting in a more 

balanced and functional 

lifestyle. When patients sit 

down during their regular 

SMA visits, not only are 

their primary care doctors 

at the table, but they also 

are joined by a registered 

dietician, psychologist, 

physical therapist, nurses, 

and a neurologist as needed. 

Working together, the 

medical professionals then 

treat the “whole patient,” 

covering many issues in one 

visit. 

New Facility for Kenosha CBOC 

The expanded Kenosha 

Community Based 

Outpatient Clinic will open 

its doors in the spring, 

2013 at a convenient new 

location at 8207 22nd 

Avenue in Kenosha, Wis. 

The new 8,000-squarefoot facility will double the 

number of exam rooms 

from the current location, 

making the best use of 

space for Kenosha Veteran 

patients. 

The new facility will 

continue to offer primary 

care services, women’s 

health care, phlebotomy, 

mental health services, 

social work services, MOVE 

weight management clinic 

and pharmacy services. 

Additionally, the larger 

space will allow for larger 

group clinics, TeleDiabetes 

clinics, TeleRetinal 

screenings and primary 

care space improvements 

to support the Patient 

Aligned Care Team 

initiative. 

The new location and 

additional space will allow 

us to continue to grow and 

meet the ever-expanding 

medical needs of our 

Kenosha Veterans. 

Nearly 1,700 Veterans use 

the Kenosha Community 

Based Outpatient Clinic 

during approximately 9,000 

unique visits each year. 

The number of visits is 

expected to grow by 23 

percent over the next two 

years. 

14 
 

Talent Management
 

Over the past decade, our efforts have been 

dedicated to integrating two distinct organizations; 

organizations with different missions and patient 

populations. 

Today, as an integrated organization and the nation’s 

first federal health care center, we are proud of the 

progress made and are excited about the extraordinary 

opportunities that lie ahead. 

Staffing: Total full-time equivalent (FTE) positions: 3,058.9 

Civilians: 1,988 

Active Duty military: 799 

Stay Navy civilians: 16 

Contractors: 

212 DoD contractors

 17 VA contractors 

OI&T/ISO: 26.9 

Volunteers: 1,099 

Volunteer hours: 56,887 

15 
Residency Programs ­


Through our affiliations 

with the Rosalind 

Franklin University of 

Medicine & Science/The 

Chicago Medical School 

and the University 

of Illinois at Chicago, 

medical residents 

and students receive 

extensive training here 

at Lovell Federal Health 

Care Center. 

Residency/fellowship 

training is in internal 

medicine, psychiatry, 

endocrinology, 

infectious disease, 

pulmonary 

medicine, cardiology, 

dermatology and 

ophthalmology. FHCC 

physician faculty have 

joint appointments at 

the universities and 

at the FHCC, seeing 

patients at the FHCC, 

supervising students 

and residents, and 

conducting research. 

The FHCC delivers high 

quality patient care 

with highly trained, 

academically-oriented 

physicians. 

Employer of Choice 

-The FHCC attracts and retains the “best of the best” 

civilians and Sailors. 

-It’s a place where staff enjoy coming to work and find 

a rewarding purpose to each day. 

-It’s a unique and valuable experience, which will 

prepare civilians and Sailors for career progression. 

-The FHCC fosters a great work/home-life balance. 

Secretary Shinseki’s goal to hire and retain 

Veteran employees is 40 percent. 

Lovell FHCC retains 37.30 percent, which is 

the highest within the Veterans Integrated 

System Network 12 (VISN12). 

“It’s an honor to serve our 

Veterans and Active Duty 

patients at Lovell FHCC ...It 

is a great place to start my 

career!” 

16 
Talent Management 

Lovell FHCC Navy Corpsmen mentored by inpatient nurses 

Lovell FHCC’s new Corpsman 

Clinical Practice Program pairs nurse 

preceptors with Navy Hospital 

Corpsmen. 

When Navy Hospitalman Shawn Cook was 

asked if he wanted to participate in a new 

training program at the Lovell Federal 

Health Care Center in North Chicago, 

Ill., after graduating from Naval Hospital 

Corps School, he jumped on board. 

He already loved the hospital because he 

had surgery at the FHCC after Boot Camp 

at Naval Station Great Lakes, and found 

the staff to be very nice and caring. So 

the idea of being one of the first to go 

through the FHCC’s Corpsman Clinical 

Practice Program was appealing. 

Having Corpsmen actually work on a 

ward in a facility like Lovell FHCC was such 

an exciting and different concept, Cook 

thought it would provide him invaluable 

career experience. 

A few weeks after he reported to the 

FHCC, he began working on the MedSurg (Medical-Surgical) inpatient unit, 

where he was assigned a civilian nurse 

as his preceptor. In the nursing world, a 

preceptor is the person who mentors and 

educates a new nurse. That was the start 

of the unique training he received as part 

of the program. 

Cook said he benefitted and learned from 

the different perspectives of non-military 

nurses. 

Lovell FHCC’s Corpsman Clinical Practice 

Program was a long time in the making. 

Navy Lieutenant and Nurse Gwendolyn 

Mulholland spent months researching 

and designing the parameters of the 

initiative, and today serves as the division 

officer for the Corpsman Clinical Practice 

Program. 

The 2010 integration of Department of 

Defense and Department of Veterans 

Affairs medical services at the Lovell 

FHCC precipitated the development of 

the Corpsman Clinical Practice Program. 

This means there currently isn’t a program 

exactly like it anywhere in the country. 

The goal is to get Corpsmen inpatient 

clinical experience to develop their critical 

thinking skills and their hands-on actual 

clinical skills so when they get deployed, 

they have those necessary skills. 

17 
Lovell FHCC Magnet Journey
­

While the reason for taking the 

journey can vary, embarking 

on the Magnet Journey pulls 

nursing staff together for a single 

purpose: excellence in patient 

care. Magnet designation serves 

to promote a collaborative 

culture and advance nursing 

practice. Nursing staff from a 

variety of departments have 

contributed to the development 

and outcomes of our shared 

governance councils — a 

forum where nurses are 

respected for their knowledge 

and professionalism while 

contributing to decision-making 

in patient care. 

Changes in our professional 

nursing practice are apparent 

at the direct-care level as our 

nursing units apply a variety of 

processes for change: patient 

rounding, unit-level journal 

clubs, improvement in the 

discharge-planning process, 

self-scheduling, stocking and 

supply enhancements, and 

many others. For example, as a 

Magnet initiative, a small nursing 

team initiated a research study 

to learn about the educational 

needs of our direct-care nursing 

staff who serve our diabetic 

patient population. As a result, 

an interdisciplinary team now 

provides focused diabetes 

education, and nurses have 

become more knowledgeable 

about the epidemic of diabetes 

and its latest treatments. 

Unit-based Diabetes Nurse 

Champions provide support 

for point-of-care nursing, and 

nurses report an increase in their 

confidence levels in providing 

care to diabetic patients. 

Our evidence-based nursing 

practice is data-driven, and our 

nursing staff collects, analyzes 

and uses data to improve 

nursing care practices. Our 

Magnet journey reinforces the 

art and sciences of nursing as 

a lifelong learning process and 

offers the opportunity for staff 

nurses to be mentored and 

to mentor others and to lead 

projects and meetings, as well 

as make contributions as team 

members on a wide range of 

initiatives, committees and 

projects. 

While we still have quite the 

distance to go in the first steps of 

our Magnet Journey, we’ve seen 

increases in nursing educational 

levels (more undergraduate 

and advanced degrees), the 

number of nurse specialty 

certified nurses, and the number 

of nurses returning to school to 

advance their careers. Truly, the 

FHCC has just begun the Magnet 

Journey —and we already have 

plenty to celebrate; our future 

looks to be even more successful 

for our organization, our staff, 

and our shared mission — our 

patients. 
Lean 

The FHCC Lean Six Sigma (LSS) program 

continued to expand since Lean was selected 

as one of the four strategic objectives. 

Lean is also known as Kaizen, Rapid 

Improvement Event (RIE) and Rapid Process 

Improvement Workshop (RPIW). 

The Lean process always involves “people 

who do the work.” It is about waste reduction 

to maximize flow to meet customer 

requirements. 

Lean identifies critical customer requirements 

and uses tools to identify and eliminate 

waste. 

Lean is about continuous improvement; a 

process, system, or a culture. It respects the 

people who do the work. 

LOVELL FHCC Annual Budget 

(includes Military labor, less TRICARE funding) 

Fiscal Year 2012: 


$466,152,760.58. Carried over $7,071,303.
 

19 DONATIONS - $1,018,641.00
 
 FHCC focuses on Lean
 

Lean typically focuses on removing 

waste to improve flow, while Six Sigma 

focuses on reducing and eliminating 

process variation. 

The multidisciplinary team formed as 

part of the strategic planning process 

completed its recommendations to 

implement a full LSS program at the 

FHCC. The recommendations were 

presented to the Executive Steering 

Committee (ESC), which approved 

military and civilian positions, space, 

equipment, and implementation 

support. 

The FHCC has been using customer 

input from patients and staff to initiate 

projects. For example, one Six Sigma 

project resulted in reduced wait 

times for pharmacy. Pre-project, 60 

percent of patients waited more than 

30 minutes to have their outpatient 

prescriptions filled at our main 

pharmacy. 

After the project, wait 

time was reduced to 

less than 30 minutes 

for 70 percent of our 

patients. 

We initiated and 

completed a project 

based on customer 

input at Fisher Branch 

Medical Clinic for 

our Sick Call process. 

Patients told us they 

wanted improved 

privacy and reduced 

wait times to see 


their providers. 


We constructed 


three private patient interview and 

triage rooms, and also made several 

improvements that resulted in 

reducing patient wait times by 38 

to 67 percent and decreasing time 

spent by patients at the clinic by 26 

to 31 minutes per visit, depending 

on the time of year (seasonality of 

volume). This project also resulted 

in redeploying 60 hours of staff time 

each week from non patient care to 

direct patient care, and also resulted in 

improved physical space utilization. 

The FHCC also initiated Lean projects 

to streamline the Periodic Health 

Assessment (PHA) process at Fisher 

Branch Medical Clinic; completely 

redesign the delivery process for 

medications for our Domiciliary 

patients; and we also initiated a 

project to improve the hiring timeline 

for new FHCC staff, based on input 

from our staff. 

 

This past year, Navy Medicine East 

traveled to the FHCC and presented 

a five-day Green Belt Class to teach 

students about Lean and Six Sigma. 

During The Joint Commission 

Accreditation survey, The Joint 

Commission was impressed with 

the sustainment results from our 

LSS projects. The Joint Commission 

Resources Quality and Safety Network 

visited the FHCC for one day to shoot 

a video entitled, “Developing Your 

Performance Improvement Approach.” 

The video highlights the FHCC LSS 

program and is a best-practice case 

study. It can be viewed at http://2012. 

august.qualityandsafetynetwork.com/. 

In the near future, the FHCC will be 

partnering with the Indianapolis 

Veterans Engineering Resource Center 

(VERC) for 12 months to undertake 

a Lean transformation journey. The 

Indianapolis VERC, part of the VA, 

employs industrial engineers and 

other experts in LSS. The VERC will 

work with FHCC staff to develop a 

Lean transformation project plan and 

provide on-site training, coaching, and 

other activities while completing 12 to 

18 Lean projects. 
 

Innovation 

The Lovell FHCC is a pioneer on a 

remarkable journey to transform 

federal health care. It is with full 

confidence that through the support 

and dedication of the Lovell FHCC 

staff and volunteers, our plan will be 

successful, progress unprecedented, 

and a transportable federal health 

care delivery model discovered in 

our pursuit of creating the future of 

federal health care. 

Orders Portability 

In 2012, we began the deployment of 

Laboratory Orders Portability, which 

crossed orders and results between VistA 

and CHCS. Unlike Radiology, which 

was deployed in 2011, laboratory was 

deployed in a phased approach turning 

clinics on separately. We began at the end 

of February and completed the phased 

deployment in late spring. 

In September, we then initiated the 

roll out of increment 1 for consults 

orders portability in the similar phased 

approach as we did with laboratory. 

Increment 1 provided us with the ability 

to get the consult order and status to 

cross between VistA and CHCS. Full rollout was completed on October 31, 2012. 

Increment 2 for Consults requirements 

phase began immediately after. 

Anticipated deployment of Increment 2 

is March 2013 which will allow the notes 

to cross.’ 
FHCC breaks ground on Lovell 

Education Center of Excellence 

Our high-tech education center 

will feature the very latest and best 

simulation training available, not just 

for our newest medical professionals, 

but also to sharpen the skills of our 

current medical practitioners, thus 

leading to the end result of providing 

optimum health care to our Veterans, 

Active Duty military and their families, 

and military retirees. 

The FHCC’s Center of Excellence will be 

a flagship for future 

federal health care 

centers and other 

integrated federal 

medical facilities. 

The project is 

projected to be 

completed in the 

summer of 2013. The 

advanced simulations 

available in the 

center will cover the 

spectrum, including 

an intensive care unit, 

an emergency room, 

surgical suite, sedation 

suite, long-term patient care unit, task 

training on actual functioning hightech body parts, a medical-surgical 

open bay, computer training labs and 

a military training area that simulates a 

combat field hospital. 

After the groundbreaking ceremony 

in August, 2012, attendees viewed 

architectural renderings and 

simulation displays. 

they helped 

themselves as 

simulations 

experience 

the chance to 

Attendees had 

check vital signs on “patients” of 

various ages, including an adult 

and baby in separate hospital 

beds hooked up to real 

monitors. 

In another corner, an 

injured serviceman “bled” 

from battlefield injuries. 

Each mannequin is named 

by education staff. Chesty, 

shown on the right, was 

named after one of 

the most decorated 

Marines in history, 

Lt. Gen. Lewis Burwell 

“Chesty” Puller (June 26, 

1898 – October 11, 1971), 

who served in World 

War II and Korea. 

Dual Use Vehicle 

The FHCC received five DUV (Dual 

Use Vehicle) buses: three large (36­

foot) and two small (28-foot). These 

buses were purchased under a 

national program to outfit VA hospitals 

across the country with vehicles for 

emergency evacuations, whether it is a 

civilian disaster or local to the VA. 

These buses can be quickly converted 

from regular daily use to an emergency 

evacuation vehicle capable of 

transporting patients on litters and 

in wheelchairs, ambulatory patients, 

or a combination of the 

three, to move people from 

one location to another. 

They can also be used on 

airfields. 

We use these buses daily on 

our shuttle and train runs 

and for patient recreation. Lovell FHCC 

is responsible for maintenance, fuel 

and keeping them mission-ready. 

22 

One Team 

Dedication and compassion shown by our staff and volunteers 

Year-end statistics look impressive 

on paper but it is the personal 

stories that best illustrate being “One 

Team, One Family.” 

One such story is about the staff 

from the Critical Care Unit and 

Communications Department 

who helped a Vietnam Veteran 

patient, a retired Marine Lt. Col., and 

his wife celebrate their 10th wedding 

anniversary in his hospital room. The 

couple’s long-planned trip to Las Vegas 

to celebrate had to be cancelled due 

to his failing health. Our employees 

gathered decorations, ordered a cake 

and quietly brought Las Vegas to him 

while he slept, even going as far as to 

bring a working slot machine 

to his room. The Veteran’s wife said she 

couldn’t believe the lengths the staff 

went to in order to make their day 

special. What a great example of 

patient-centered care! 

Another employee, a Navy Sailor, 

showed great compassion and 

care when he went the extra mile 

to follow up on treatment for a 

severely injured fellow shipmate, 

who was hospitalized in another 

state. The Hospital Corpsman 2nd 

Class, an assistant Leading 

Petty Officer in Managed Care, 

coordinated with Lovell FHCC staff 

and multiple disciplines to ensure the 

best outcome for his patient, including 

Case Management, the Integrated 

Disability Evaluation System and Navy 

Safe Harbor. He kept the Sailor’s family 

fully informed every step of the way. 

There are many more stories to tell 

of dedication and compassion. As we 

celebrate this past year, may we all be 

thankful for our fellow employees and 

volunteers at the FHCC, who go above 

and beyond every day to help us 

succeed as well as to provide Excellent 

Care, Every Patient, Every Time. 

FY 12 Inpatient Satisfaction 

Survey of Healthcare Experiences of Patient(s) (SHEP) 

vs. 

Patient Advocate Tracking System (PATS). 

FY 12 Outpatient Satisfaction 

Survey of Healthcare Experiences of Patient(s) (SHEP)
 

vs.
 

Patient Advocate Tracking System (PATS).
 

PATS - produces data vital to trending, reporting and identifying areas to increase customer expectations. (exam mechanism to receive complaint and compliments)
­

SHEP - random survey from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAMPS) to access the quality of VHA care as seen from the eyes of the patient family.
­

24 
Lovell FHCC Leadership 

Patrick L. Sullivan, 

Director of the Captain 

James A. Lovell Federal 

Health Care Center , 

is responsible for the 

strategic leadership and 

operations of the federal 

health care center. He 

leads an integrated VA/ 

DoD team of people, 

serving Veterans, Active 

Duty military, retirees 

and DoD dependants. 

The Lovell FHCC is 

responsible for the 

medical readiness 

of more than 40,000 

Navy recruits that pass 

through Naval Station 

Great Lakes. 

Captain José A. Acosta, MC, 

USN is the Commanding 

Officer and Deputy 

Director of the Captain 

James A. Lovell Federal 

Health Care Center. As 

the Deputy Director, he 

supports the Director 

with all leadership and 

administrative functions 

within the health 

care center, maintains 

Uniformed Code of Military 

Justice authority, and is 

responsible for the day to

day operations at the 

federal health care center. 

Master Chief Maurice 

Coffey is the Command 

Master Chief at the Captain 

James A. Lovell Federal 

Health Care Center . As 

the Command Master 

Chief, he is the senior 

enlisted advisor and works 

as a liaison between the 

Director/Deputy Director 

and the enlisted ranks. 

He is responsible for all 

quality of life, discipline, 

training and morale 

among enlisted members 

assigned to the federal 

health care center. 

Captain Jim Oxford is the 

Interim Executive Officer at 

the Captain James A. Lovell 

Federal Health Care Center. 

In his current position, 

Oxford is responsible 

to the Commanding 

Officer for the military 

performance of duty, 

training, and good order 

and discipline. 

Dr. Tariq Hassan is the 

Chief Medical Executive, 

Associate Director of 

Patient Care at the Captain 

James A. Lovell Federal 

Health Care Center . In 

his current position, he is 

responsible for overseeing 

all medical functions and 

direction at the federal 

health care center. 

25 
Captain Jamie Kersten is 

the Associate Director of 

Fleet Medicine and Deputy 

Navy Nurse Executive at 

the Captain James A. Lovell 

Federal Health Care Center. 

In this position, Kersten is 

responsible for all Branch 

Medical Clinic operations. 

As the Deputy Navy Nurse 

Executive, she shares the 

responsibilities for all FHCC 

Nursing Personnel with the 

Senior Nurse Executive. 

Dr. Sarah Fouse is the 

Associate Director of 

Patient Services and Nurse 

Executive at the Captain 

James A. Lovell Federal 

Health Care Center. She 

is responsible for the 

operation and evaluation 

of education, geriatrics and 

extended care/Community 

Living Center (CLC), 

rehabilitative medicine, 

supply processing and 

distribution (SPD), 

customer service and 

ancillary services. Fouse 

is the organization’s 

executive level nursing 

leader with full 

responsibility for the 

direction of nursing care 

delivery. 

Captain Dale Barrette is 

the Associate Director of 

Resources at the Captain 

James A. Lovell Federal 

Health Care Center. In 

this position, Barrette is 

responsible for fiscal and 

budget management, 

business planning and 

operations, human 

resources and total 

workforce management, 

information resources and 

information security at the 

federal health care center. 

Marianne Semrad is the 

Associate Director of 

Facility Support for the 

Captain James A. Lovell 

Federal Health Care Center. 

In her position, Semrad 

is responsible for the 

direction and coordination 

of all administrative 

functions including 

patient administration, 

facility management, 

communications, police 

and safety, logistics 

and managed care. She 

is also responsible for 

equipment and space 

management, acquisition 

and contracting. 

Captain Martin Anerino 

is the Associate Director 

of Dental Services at the 

Captain James A. Lovell 

Federal Health Care Center. 

In his position, Anerino is 

responsible for all dental 

operations at the nation’s 

first federal health care 

center. 

26 



 

About The Lovell FHCC
 

On October 1, 2010, the Captain James 

A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center

(FHCC) was stood up as the nation’s first

fully integrated Department of Defense

(DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs

(VA) medical facility. This partnership is

receiving high level attention from VA,

DoD and Congress. As a five-year DoD/VA

Medical Facility Demonstration Project, the

FHCC serves as an important resource in

identifying and recommending solutions

to integration issues regarding information

management / information technology,

regulatory changes in legislation, policy

and financial issues.

The unique creation required specific 

federal laws authorizing the change. This 

language was included in the National 

Defense Authorization Act of 2010, which 

was signed into law by President Barack 

Obama Oct. 28, 2009. The authorization is 

spelled out in six sections of the law: 

Sec. 1701 - Demonstration project 

authority 

Sec. 1702 - Transfer of property 

Sec. 1703 - Transfer of Department of 

Defense civilian personnel 

Sec. 1704 - Joint funding authority 

Sec. 1705 - Eligibility of members of the 

uniformed services for care and services 

Sec. 1706 - Extension of VA/DoD health 

care sharing incentive fund 

President Barack Obama also signed the 

Fiscal Year 2010 Omnibus spending bill into 

Public Law 111-117 Dec. 16, 2009, officially 

naming the federal health care center in 

North Chicago, Illinois, after Captain James 

A. Lovell.

There were several factors that drove 

the integration. These included the 

Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) 

committee’s recommendations of 1995, 

Executive Order 13214 of 2001 (Presidential 

Task Force to Improve Healthcare Delivery 

for our Nation’s Veterans), the Capital Asset 

Realignment for Enhancement Services 

(CARES) study of 2001, the Center for Naval 

Analysis recommendations of 2002, and 

Congressional support. 

The integration has dramatically expanded 

the services and programs now available in 

North Chicago, Ill. 

Lovell FHCC is part of the Veterans 

Integrated Service Network (VISN) 12, 

which includes Jesse Brown VA Health 

Care System; Hines VA Hospital; Milwaukee 

VAMC; Madison VA Hospital; Tomah VAMC; 

and Iron Mountain VAMC. These facilities 

make up a regional Veterans health care 

system that provides a full spectrum of 

health care. 

Lovell FHCC is also a part of the Military 

Health System (MHS) as a treatment 

facility under the Department of the 

Navy’s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery 

(BUMED) and Navy Medicine East (NME). 

The FHCC is the only Navy medical facility 

in the Midwest and, as such, covers a 16 

state regional area for active duty and 

reserve members in addition to providing 

comprehensive medical care for all eligible 

DoD beneficiaries living near North 

Chicago who desire to utilize the FHCC. 

 One Team 30 
,, 
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http://www.lovell.fhcc.va.gov

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