Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: How is Sound Heart good for my patients?
- A: Your patients will receive the best cardiac care close to home.
- Q: How is Sound Heart good for me?
- A: Sound Heart creates a culture of teamwork that helps you serve your patients better. We align referrals, infrastructure, quality standards and procedures to improve communication between all caregivers. The end result is better support of the patient/doctor relationship. But the ultimate benefit is that Sound Heart will encourage more of your patients to choose to stay on the Eastside for complete cardiac care. It will greatly ease your ability to track patient care and progress.
- Sound Heart makes it simpler to consult and coordinate with top cardiac colleagues on diagnosis, treatments, procedures and studies.
- Streamlined referral processes and eventual combining of charting and information systems will make it easier to coordinate care and handle billing issues, as well as track patients' cardiac care path.
- Q: What services will be at each hospital?
- A: For the immediate future, the hospitals will invest in programs of greatest strength. In general terms, both hospitals provide similar services, but open-heart surgery will continue to be performed at Overlake.
- Q: How do physicians fit into decision making for Sound Heart?
- A: Shared governance is at the core of Sound Heart's leadership principles. An operations committee, headed by physicians from Overlake and Evergreen, will work to reengineer our current delivery model where it makes sense. This committee will encourage the adoption of "best practices" from both cultures to improve clinical outcomes and grow our patient base.
- Q: What are the economics of this collaboration?
- A: Sound Heart represents a smarter use of dollars and resources, giving us a better ability to leverage resources for the good of patients, physicians and the organization. Since we will contract with vendors as one entity, there will be inherent cost efficiencies.
- Q: Who do I call or E-mail if I have questions or concerns about Sound Heart?
- A: Paul Link, Administrator (425-688-5838)
