Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

11 Executive Briefing EXECUTIVE BRIEFING Getting leadership buy-in Leaders at CHRISTUS understood the idea that achieving quality outcomes requires strong quality professionals. However, in the absence of clear and consistent standards, it hadn't been easy to defi ne what this meant. With NAHQ and the eight domains of the Healthcare Quality Competency Framework, it became possible to defi ne the desired competencies of a quality management professional; assess the organization's team members; identify gaps; determine plans to close these gaps; and identify when credentialling via the CPHQ is required. "With the eight domains, I was able to say, 'This is where the enterprise is now and this is where we need to be for achieving a successfully integrated quality management program in each hospital,'" Ms. Lauzon-Vallone said. Leadership got on board because they saw the value of having consistent standards for quality professionals. They also saw promise in the idea that strong quality management professionals could help the entire organization achieve its quality goals. Quality as a discipline and quality professionals that lead the work are the connective tissue between setting goals and achieving them. The value of quality management professionals is constantly reiterated when leaders across the enterprise regularly see scorecards refl ecting quality metrics that trend toward goals and exceed goals to reach excellent performance. Quality professionals with strong competencies that use the NAHQ tools tend to help their organizations achieve quality goals, while those whose skills are not as refi ned often fall short in achieving desired metrics. "That's how we continue to show them the value of working with NAHQ," Ms. Lauzon-Vallone said. Implementing NAHQ tools in phases NAHQ tools, specifi cally Workforce Accelerator and Organizational Membership Subscriptions ™ , can be implemented in phases. CHRISTUS Health had some fl exibility in its phased execution. The fi rst phase was focused on director-level staff members, with some risk managers included. Phase two addressed the next level of managers. Each phase included a professional assessment that evaluated the level and type of work that was being executed at CHRISTUS based on the Healthcare Quality Competency Framework, as well as custom upskilling opportunities established relative to organizational goals and implementation of training and upskilling activities. Results — including changes in metrics and culture By adopting and using NAHQ's Workforce Accelerator throughout quality management at CHRISTUS Health, the organization's hospitals are exceeding the goals set for each fi scal year, Ms. Lauzon- Vallone said. But the successes realized go beyond improvements in metrics; the results include a change in the organization's culture, the establishment of an enterprise quality management standard, and an elevation and upskilling of CHRISTUS Health's quality management system. As more quality professionals have earned their CPHQ certifi cations, they are feeling more confi dent; fi nding that they have an important voice; speaking up; leaning in; and supporting leaders to facilitate and drive change for optimal patient quality of care. Part of the cultural change is that the focus of the quality professional isn't merely to look at metrics and report results but to translate the metrics into actions that improve care. Their role is "weaving quality management into the fabric of the organization," as taught by Workforce Accelerator. "We're looking at quality management through this new framework from NAHQ, to look at the problem and solve it better with sustained improvement," Ms. Lauzon-Vallone said. What's next for CHRISTUS Health Ms. Lauzon-Vallone said by using Workforce Accelerator, the next phase of CHRISTUS' journey will be supporting its quality professionals to achieve their certifi cations. NAHQ showed that certifi ed quality management professionals are more prepared in each framework domain to help leadership attain high levels of quality of care and patient safety. Certifi cations also help quality professionals maintain the Professional Engagement domain of the framework by remaining engaged in their professional growth and evidence-based practices. Additionally, NAHQ's program has helped with quality professional recruitment because candidates can clearly see themselves in the articulated framework of the role and place it in their future career path. 2 The National Association for Healthcare Quality® (NAHQ) is at the forefront of elevating the profession and advancing the discipline of quality and safety across and beyond the continuum of care. We set the industry standard and help individuals and organizations achieve it. Learn more at NAHQ.org.

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