The PCPI Foundation

An experienced pediatrician and serving as the chief clinical officer of the Nicklaus Children’s Health System in South Florida since 2019. Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva also holds membership in multiple clinical associations and initiatives, including the PCPI Foundation.

Established by the American Medical Association (AMA) in 2000 as the Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement (PCPI), the PCPI Foundation has evolved into a national leader in the field of medical measurement development. Occupying headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, the organization has operated independently of the AMA since 2017. The PCPI Foundation and its members span a broad spectrum of clinical specialties and medical boards of certification.

Dedicated to crafting and optimizing evidence-based clinical performance measurement resources for medical doctors, PCPI members have initiated more than 350 physician performance measures over the years. These measures have received endorsements from organizations such as the National Quality Forum, and serve key functions in many federal health care programs.

Simulated Mannequins Teach Pediatric Care in a Safe Environment

Serving as senior vice president and chief clinical officer of Nicklaus Children’s Health System in Miami, Florida, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva handles several key responsibilities. One of the departments Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva oversees is the Pediatric Human Patient Simulation Program. This initiative provides health professionals with a consequence-free setting where they can hone their skills.

One of three computer-assisted mannequins, the Pediatric Human Patient Simulator is programmed with complex algorithms that model the bodily responses of a 7-year-old. The device can speak and open its eyes, and also demonstrate respiration of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Users can perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, administer medications, and immediately see the effects of both. Two smaller simulators mimic the reactions of infants.

The program offers several advantages. Participants can learn new procedures and technology, improve their communication and teamwork skills, practice for emergencies, and engage in bedside decision-making.

The simulations can be adapted to many situations. Medical personnel can practice procedures such as assessing respiration and heartbeat, evaluating neurological health, and starting intravenous infusions. Additionally, educators, caregivers, and parents can discover new coping mechanisms for children with special needs.

What Is the Dyad Model?

A respected presence in the field of pediatrics, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva serves as the senior vice president and chief clinical officer at Florida’s Nicklaus Children’s Health System. As part of his responsibilities, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva works closely with the president of the hospital using the Dyad model to ensure efficiency in operations.

The Dyad model is an organizational structure whereby both clinical and non-clinical hospital personnel work together under a defined system of cooperation designed to help medical institutions achieve their goals. The Dyad model has its origins dating back to 1908 at the Mayo Clinic when Dr. William Mayo, a physician, appointed Harry Harwick, an administrator, to assist him in managing business operations and creating a suitable environment for business expansion.

In today’s fast-changing healthcare sector, the Dyad leadership structure creates an enabling environment for partnerships among various departments. Under this structure, clinical leaders with medical expertise work together with their non-clinical colleagues with expertise in operations, human resources, and finance to complement each other and ensure every facet of a hospital’s operations is well-managed.

The Dyad Model of Leadership in Healthcare

Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva leverages his nearly three decades of experience working in pediatric medicine to inform his work as senior vice president and chief clinical officer for Nicklaus Children’s Health System. Overseeing all hospital operations, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva works in tandem with the president of the organization in what is called a dyad model of leadership.

A popular leadership strategy in the healthcare field, the dyad model pairs up both clinicians and non-clinicians (in a hospital setting, usually administrators) to take advantage of both skillsets. For hospitals and other healthcare situations, complex challenges are a daily struggle. Leadership methods that take advantage of different perspectives to arrive at a useful model for all involved are usually viewed with approval.

For most healthcare systems adopting a dyad model, a respected leader from among the physicians is paired to work in a close partnership with an administrator that has a history of success. In some situations, these dyad models exist down the leadership chain, going from the very top of the hospital down to lower levels as well. Communication is key for this setup to work; partners must be able to respect different viewpoints and acknowledge differences in skills and background for the partnerships to be effective.

Understanding Childhood Epilepsy

With nearly three decades of experience in pediatric medicine, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva works at Nicklaus Children’s Health System in Miami, Florida as senior vice president and chief clinical officer. In his previous role, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva served as the associate executive director for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), where he worked on several important projects, including as project director for a study titled ‘Awareness and Access to Care for Children and Youth with Epilepsy.’

Childhood epilepsy is the single most common brain disorder in the United States, with more than three million diagnosed with this condition. Almost two-thirds of children diagnosed with epilepsy will eventually outgrow their seizures upon reaching their teenage years. Despite this, it is still essential that parents monitor their child’s health, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and taking their child in for regular doctor’s visits.

Though each child will experience epilepsy differently, improvements in treatment options have made it so that most can manage seizures effectively by using anti-seizure medications. Even for those who still experience seizures even while taking medications, there are alternative treatment options available that can be effective. In these cases, dietary treatment options (following a ketogenic diet), vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), or brain surgery may be alternative considerations.

Even in children that do not only have one seizure or don not quickly outgrow their seizures and need treatment with medication, but the long-term effects also are typically small and do not warrant too much worry.

NCHA Names New President to Run Hospital

A recognized leader in pediatric medicine for three decades, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva holds a juris doctor degree in addition to his medical degree. Formerly an associate director with the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva currently serves as the senior vice president and chief clinical officer at Nicklaus Children’s Health System in Miami, Florida.

In February 2020, Nicklaus Children’s Health System (NCHS) announced the appointment of Perry Ann Reed as its new chief operating officer. She will also serve as president of the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, where she will be in charge of the facility’s day-to-day operations. Ms. Reed has been working in health care administration for more than two decades. In her most recent position, she served as executive director of North Carolina’s WakeMed Children’s Hospital & Women’s Services.

In his comments on the hire, NCHS president and CEO Matthew A. Love pointed to Perry’s experience as one of the major assets she brings to the table. He also praised her ability to work with key stakeholders on both the staff and administrative levels as an example of the health and growth the hospital will experience under her leadership.

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s New President and CEO

Holding a Juris doctor in addition to his medical degree, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva has been a leading voice in pediatric medicine for more than two decades. He currently serves as the senior vice president and chief clinical officer at Nicklaus Children’s Health System in Miami, Florida.

In January 2020, the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital announced the appointment of Matthew A. Love to serve as the facility’s new president and chief executive officer. Mr. Love holds an MBA from Cleveland State University and began with the hospital as its chief financial officer in October 2018. He had most recently served as the interim president and CEO for 6 months. He brings over two decades of both adult and pediatric health care management experience to the table in his permanent role as head of the facility.

Speaking about the appointment, Mr. Love said he looks forward to working very closely with all of the hospital’s devoted health care staff. High levels of trust and cooperation are what he believes will continue to set Nicklaus apart as a leading provider of pediatric health care in the region.

MetaECHO 2019

 

MetaECHO 2019
Image: echo.unm.edu

As the associate executive director and medical director of quality initiatives for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva has spearheaded initiatives such as the creation of the AAP Quality Division. An active member of the field, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva has given presentations and participated on panels for events such as the Project ECHO MetaECHO conference.

An initiative of the University of New Mexico, Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) reimagines health care education and provision as a decentralized, demonopolized knowledge-sharing community. By connecting specialist medical educators with primary care providers across the world, Project ECHO hopes to expand specialty medical services to rural and underserved communities.

Each year, Project ECHO brings together members of the global ECHO community, including government officials, medical educators, global health experts, and other health care professionals, for its international MetaECHO conference. Over several days, attendees share ideas, discuss innovative uses of technology, and network in the service of the larger ECHO vision.

MetaECHO 2019 will take place March 13-16, 2019, at the Albuquerque Convention Center & Hyatt Regency in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In addition to seminars and presentations on topics such as ECHO and the opioid epidemic, ECHO and behavioral health, and methods for evaluating ECHO programs, conferees can attend keynote speeches by prominent figures such as Don Berwick, MD, president emeritus of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

To learn more about the conference, please visit echo.unm.edu/metaecho-2019-conference.

American Academy of Pediatrics Issues New Report on Military Children

 

Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva

A physician with a juris doctor and advanced degrees in business, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva has worked in the health care field for over three decades. Since 2012, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva has served as associate executive director of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

A recent report issued by AAP provides updated recommendations for physicians who care for children of military families. The report, which appears in the January 2019 issue of the journal Pediatrics, updates 2013 guidelines that identify best practices for meeting the physical and mental health needs of military children who receive care in both military and civilian medical centers.

According to the report, military children move geographic locations as frequently as every two years. Research has shown that these frequent moves can lead to an increase in mental health encounters and emergency department visits. Studies have also shown that some military children are at higher risk of maltreatment and substance abuse.

To better support military children, the recent AAP report recommends that physicians work closely with military programs and community-based resources that help families of deployed service members. The report also recommends that physicians establish clinical processes within their own practices to identify military children and document their parents’ deployment and mental health histories. More information about the report and other recent work from AAP is available at www.aap.org.

AAP and the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units

Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units
Image: aap.org

Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva works as a pediatrics professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin in tandem with his role as associate executive director of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). At AAP, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva has led initiatives in a number of areas, including environmental health.

For more than six decades, AAP has been addressing pediatric environmental health issues such as lead poisoning and water and air pollution. Over the years, the organization has expanded its efforts to focus on other topics, including the health effects of mold, BPA and PCB exposure, and climate change.

Today, AAP works in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency, and American College of Medical Toxicology to oversee a national network of Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSUs). The North American PEHSU network helps health care providers, parents, government agencies, and community organizations protect children and adolescents from environmental hazards.

For its part, AAP establishes and supports PEHSUs in federal regions 1-5, which cover the eastern United States from Wisconsin and Mississippi to Florida, Virginia, Maine, and other states in between. In addition to addressing questions regarding the health impacts of various environmental factors, AAP and PEHSUs across the country provide guidance during natural disasters, health news events, and community hearings.