Having worked across Texas in different roles, including in Irving and Dallas, Paul Generale has served as Christus Health’s executive vice president since 2015. At the organization, Paul Generale has seen its centers receiving several reclassifications, such as with the Good Shepherd Medical Center - Longview’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
The Texas Department of State Health Services officially re-classified the unit as a Level III NICU, which recognizes the center’s commitment to best practices and maintaining high standards. Dr. Christopher Ihionkhan, the NICU’s medical director, noted that he was proud of the services he and his colleagues provide. Speaking about its quality of care, he added that the Good Shepherd Medical Center was able to offer a level of care often only seen in large metropolitan areas. The center’s services include a neonatal nurse practitioner that’s available in-house to patients 24/7 and a specialized NICU Transport Team. The classification system was introduced by the Texas legislature in 2015, and mandates minimum safety and quality requirements for any medical centers that offer child care or delivery services.
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Named by Becker’s Healthcare as one of the Top 150 Healthcare CFOs in the country, Paul Generale is the executive vice president of CHRISTUS Health in Dallas, Texas. Paul Generale oversees new ventures and acquisitions for the Catholic health system, which employs more than 2,500 physicians and 45,000 staff members.
As a Catholic faith-based ministry, CHRISTUS aims to implement healthcare services and structures that improve patient care. The health system’s Continuing Care division encompasses all levels of care provided in post-acute settings, including hospice, home health, and long-term acute care hospitals. CHRISTUS Continuing Care aims to provide compassionate, high-quality care through facilities such as St. Joseph’s Home in northern Louisiana, which provides around the clock nursing services and personal care assistance. The facility also offers respite services for the caregivers of patients who require full-time living assistance. In addition to compassionate medical care, St. Joseph’s residents can utilize services such as shuttles to shopping centers and other community activities. Possessing decades of experience in healthcare management, Paul Generale serves as executive vice president and chief strategy and network officer for CHRISTUS Health in Dallas. Paul Generale is actively involved with several professional networks to continue providing the best service possible to patients. One of these networks is the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA).
This year, HFMA published best practices for the fair resolution of patient medical bills in collaboration with the Association for Credit and Collection Professionals. The joint report highlights the importance of patient education and ensuring these individuals understand the bill, as well as the account resolution process. Education makes the process feel transparent and prevents patients from receiving an unexpected bill. Transparency also requires that hospitals cover financial assistance policies and connect patients to a full range of coverage and payment options. The best practices report provides a full outline of the accounts receivable resolution process, from education before services are rendered to post-discharge policies. In addition, the document offers suggestions on handling special circumstances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. More information about the best practice suggestions are available at HFMA.org. A graduate of the University of Houston, Paul Generale serves as executive vice president at Dallas-based CHRISTUS Health. In this capacity, he oversees acquisitions, services, and risk finance. Paul Generale also plays a leadership role in administering post-acute-care and ambulatory services for the system.
CHRISTUS recently joined several nearby hospitals to provide hurricane relief along the Gulf Coast. Hurricane Laura hit the area in August 2020 and caused significant damage in coastal Louisiana. Lake Charles Memorial Hospital, directly hit by the hurricane, suffered damage, and had to have babies moved from its neonatal intensive care unit to other nearby hospitals. Our Lady of Lourdes Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Lafayette took in 10 babies from the unit. CHRISTUS Ochsner Lake Area Hospital in Lake Charles also had to move four infants from the NICU to the system’s St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont, Texas. Though Ochsner Lake Area remained open during the storm, it experienced extensive wind and roof damage that required the transfer of 24 patients and the subsequent closure of the facility. Meanwhile, Ochsner St. Patrick, also in Lake Charles, suffered substantial wind damage. However, it remained open and was kept running thanks to additional water-processing equipment and generators that were brought to the facility. CHRISTUS St. Elizabeth Hospital also sent physicians and nurses to Ochsner St. Patrick to provide the employees there with some relief. St. Elizabeth also took four infants from the NICU at Ochsner Lake Area facility. An experienced healthcare system administrator, Paul Generale serves as executive vice president and chief strategy and network officer at CHRISTUS Health in Dallas. Paul Generale and his team ensure efficient, responsive healthcare services for an extensive patient population in Texas, New Mexico, and Louisiana.
In a move to improve efficiency, CHRISTUS Health recently announced a partnership with Sectra, a leading global IT and cybersecurity firm with a medical imaging focus. The plan is to establish an integrated imaging strategy across 30 hospitals, as well as several imaging centers, within a leading not-for-profit Catholic healthcare system. The new system encompasses cardiology, mammography, and radiology modules and has a vendor neutral archive (VNA) at its core for storing and organizing imaging. Other aspects of the scalable platform include a universal viewer, business analytics, and advanced visualization resources. The system also features a recently FDA-approved full-scale digital pathology module. Implementing the Sectra platform is a vital step toward improving productivity and collaborative capacities at CHRISTUS Health. |
AuthorPaul Generale - 22 Years of Leadership with CHRISTUS Health. Archives
January 2024
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