Yisrael Mordecai Safeek


Yisrael Safeek is an American physician, author, and healthcare software company executive. For the past 29 years, Safeek occupied a wide spectrum of roles within the US healthcare system - doctor, medical director, hospital co-owner, Joint Commission surveyor, Malcolm Baldrige Board of Examiners, health system Chief Medical Officer, book author, speaker, and software developer. Safeek made the short list for United States Undersecretary of Health. In 2010, he founded The SafeCare Group, a healthcare software firm with headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky with the motto of "Innovating Disrupting Transforming" healthcare. Before founding The SafeCare Group, Safeek served in the dual roles as system Chief Quality Officer of Covenant Health System and at the time the largest health system between Dallas and Los Angeles, and first Chief Medical Officer of the second largest clinical integration program in the US, Health Partners. As Covenant, Safeek accelerated the implementation of advanced clinical technologies, facilitated the adoption of evidence-based medicine,and reduced the overuse and misuse of clinical resources. The network aligned hundreds of independent physicians with the health system's goals and yielded tangible outcomes in patient safety, quality, and efficiency of care. Between 2005 and 2014, Safeek was employed by The Joint Commission holding certifications in the Hospital Accreditation Program, and the Outpatient-Based Surgery Program. In 2007, he was the first Kentucky physician appointed to the Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award program. Safeek is a diplomate Certified Physician Executive from the Certifying Commission in Medical Management, the American Board of Medical Specialties in Anesthesiology, and the National Board of Medical Examiners. He is a Vanguard Advisory Member of the American Association for Physician Leadership. and Fellow, the “highest honor awarded to physician leaders who have made significant contributions in improving the delivery and outcomes in medicine." In 2017, Safeek published a seven-point Making American Healthcare Great Again strategy. For each policy initiative, there was an outline of the Scope of the Problem; Policy Priorities; Deployment Phases; Special Considerations; and Accountability. A copy of the document was sent to President Trump at the White House.

Biography

Early life and education

Safeek was born in South America, the eldest child of Naz Safeek and Mark B. Safeek. He attended Austin Peay State University graduating in two and a half years with a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring with a double major in biology and chemistry. He attended the Quillen School of Medicine at East Tennessee State University graduating with a Doctor of Medicine degree.. After a general surgery internship, he completed his anesthesiology training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Later, Safeek completed a Master of Business Administration degree at the University of Tennessee Physician Executive MBA program.

Medical career

After medical training, Safeek became medical director at Cleveland Community Hospital while he established an independent anesthesia medical practice. Safeek implemented various patient safety and lean initiatives in various operating rooms like Crew Resource Management resulting in safer anesthesia care. He proactively instituted several steps to prevent awareness under anesthesia while serving as Pikeville Medical Center’s Vice President of Clinical Affairs. In the early 1990s, Safeek was a shareholder in Cleveland Community Hospital, and CEO of medical practices and medical director of hospitals in Tennessee and Kentucky. He later served as CEO of a billing and collections company and was actively involved in revenue cycle management.

Business career

Having been a medical director for his entire clinical career, in 2007, Safeek transitioned from the clinical arena to the business sector after obtaining his Master of Business Administration.

The SafeCare Group Chairman

In 2010, Safeek founded the SafeCare Group, a healthcare software firm with specializing in artificial intelloigence and non-AI SaaS applications. SafeCare Applied Intelligence® with trademarked motto Intelligent Healthcare innovated Artificial Intelligence software offering predictive insights to aid proactive real-time decision support and target opportunities of care. The platform offer real-time clinical decision support, based on real-time dynamic exploitation and immediate statistical analysis of EMR information to optimize quality, reduce errors, control cost, and improve redundant care. SafeCareSoft with trademarked motto Softwaring Healthcare Excellence® innovated and marketed EMR-based software for hospital accreditation and ratings. Other SafeCare Group disivions analyze data to biannually produce 100 SafeCare Hospitals ratings with trademarked motto Recognizing Healthcare Excellence, and publish SafeCare magazine, "Delivering information on the people, ideas and novel technologies affecting safe and quality healthcare to healthcare's most influential leaders". SafeCareSoft developed and marketed the comprehensive PULSE℠ software for health system clinical integration and OPPE Readiness App for hospital accreditation and regulatory compliance. SafeCareSoft® also developed and marketed innovative EMR-based software to help hospitals achieve better hospital ratings and avoid CMS reimbursement penalties.

CAUTI Bundle

Safeek published a simple, easy-to-remember urinary tract infections open source bundle in Physician Executive, the journal of the American College of Physician Executives to prevent catheter associated urinary tract infections. The CAUTI Bundle was later reprinted by Healthcare Financial Management Journal upon request as a tool to decrease unnecessary financial cost from hospital acquired urinary tract infections. The CAUTI Bundle is similar to the bundles for prevention and treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia, sepsis, and central line-related infections from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. It consists of five steps: CDC Hand Hygiene, sterile Foley catheter insertion, maintenance of a closed system, perineal care, daily review of catheter need and earliest removal.

I AM FOR SAFETY Surgical Checklist

Safeek also authored and published an open source safe surgery checklist in Physician Executive Journal based upon his experience as an anesthesiologist overseeing operating rooms in several states. The checklist is a modified version of the World Health Organization surgical safety checklist and includes safety checks required by the American Society of Anesthesiologists and Joint Commission. It utilizes the mnemonic I AM FOR SAFETY that documents the sequence of patient safety exercises for caregivers to employ.

Other Healthcare innovations

Patient Safety innovations

Safeek is credited with several other patient safety innovations. These include measures to reduce patient falls in hospitals, mitigate pressure ulcers from becoming a problem, and supporting safe surgeries through a checklist. DON'T SPLAT Fall Prevention Checklist SAFE SKIN Pressure Ulcers Checklist

Joint Commission affiliation

From 2005-2014, Safeek was intermittently employed by The Joint Commission, holding certifications in the Hospital Accreditation Program, and the Outpatient-Based Surgery Program. Between 2005 - 2014, Safeek participated with JCAHO in patient safety task forces, sentinel event /root cause activity, failure mode and effect analyses, and special cause hospital inspections. As part of hospital inspections, Safeek analyzed care systems for risk-points which impacted CMS deemed status, and communicated adverse decisions to hospital boards, leadership, and medical staffs.
In 2010, Safeek worked with a team at The Joint Commission to develop the Systems Tracer, "Evaluating Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation and Focused Professional Practice Evaluation Processes." This effort culminated in the accrediting body's OPPE and FPPE Booster Pak and is the gold standard for evaluation of credentialing and privileging processes. In 2012, Safeek was interviewed on several occasions for his position regarding the impact of physician credentialing on patient safety. In 2008, Safeek was recognized by The Joint Commission for his work in formulating a new patient flow tracer that addressed capacity and throughput issues in patient care areas.

National presentations

Since 2005, Safeek has mentored hospital boards, executive leadership, and medical staffs on quality, patient safety, teamwork initiatives, disruptive behavior, and the OPPE and FPPE. He presented the keynote address for doctors and teamwork.
Safeek has been a vocal advocate for physician leadership to improve healthcare quality, patient safety, and the patient experience. Safeek advocated for more physician leaderships in government and leading healthcare organizations. Safeek stated, "the role of medical administrators is no longer that of a diplomatic liaison between the medical and the administrative staff. They are now responsible for customer satisfaction, financial performance and clinical results."
In 2013, Safeek presented at the Florida Association of Medical Staff Services on OPPE and FPPE. His topics were, "Linking FPPE/OPPE to Privileges" and "Best Practices for FPPE/OPPE."
In 2012, he was featured by the American College of Physician Executives Knowledge Worth Sharing Series for his video teleconference of "Credentialing and Privileging: A Prescription for Accountable Care". Safeek highlighted how passage of national health care legislation created a need for better credentialing of physicians to participate in Accountable Care Organizations, citing the "patient safety vacuum".
In 2012, Safeek was also interviewed regarding the current state of OPPE and FPPE across the nation, highlighting the struggles for healthcare organizations.
In 2012, Safeek was the keynote speaker at The 15th Annual Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals Symposium focusing on "Accountable Credentialing and Privileging: Adopting Strategies for Better Health, Better Care, and Better Value." In 2012, Safeek was also the featured speaker at the 6th Annual Credentialing Resource Center Symposium focusing on "Preparing for The Joint Commission's OPPE and FPPE Systems Tracer".
Between 2010 and 2011, he served on the Advocacy and Patient Safety task forces of the American College of Physician Executives. At the AMP Symposium in 2011 in Chicago, he presented the importance of physician leadership in attaining the Triple Aims of Accountable Care.
Safeek participated in the featured webcast: Assessing the competence of low- and no-volume practitioners In 2011, Safeek was the featured speaker at Cincinnati-based Catholic Health Partners Physician Leadership Academy, discussing strategic solutions to the OPPE and FPPE.
In 2009, Safeek represented Covenant Health System in a Texas statewide executive panel with diverse politicians and executives on healthcare reform.
Safeek was recognized as 2007 Outstanding Physician Leader of the Year. Safeek left Covenant Health System to found The SafeCare Group to enhance quality, patient safety, and efficiency to national healthcare.

Selected publications

Books

Safeek is the author of the book Credentialing and Privileging for Accountable Care: A Prescription for the Ailing Stethoscope and the Dull Scalpel, published through the American College of Physician Executives. The reviews for the book were positive. There were book signings in Chicago at the Summer Institute of the American College of Physician Executives.
Safeek has spoken and written on the impact of the Core Measures, National Patient Safety Goals, and IHI bundles to enhance patient safety, and decrease preventable deaths. There are also several publications on healthcare efficiency dealing with decreased lengths of stay and improved discharges. Safeek is published in such prestigious journals as "Physician Executive Journal" and "Healthcare Financial Management Association".