Becker's Hospital Review

Save the date! Becker's Hospital Review 6th Annual Meeting — May 7-9, 2015 — Chicago. Please call 800-417-2035 to register. 12 12 practice cut overall time spent in additional meetings but im- proves outcomes because each discipline contributes uniquely to the conversation, often leading to a better solution. I always make sure minutes are taken during meetings so action steps are clear. Accountability and follow up are key elements to pro- ductivity. Another personal habit I follow is grouping my phone calls at one time during the day to improve my efficiency. F.S.: Employee and patient rounding — or making sure to speak to them regularly — is a great habit to embrace. As a leader, it helps me identify things that are not being resolved and allows me to make sure we have the resources needed to solve problems. It also helps provide the knowledge to have in-depth discussions with department directors or managers, and ensures we are fol- lowing up on the issues most important to our staff and patients. Additionally, reviewing informational dashboards on the business statistics of the facility — knowing where we are at any given time — offers good perspective to know if we need to do something different, like develop an action plan to help stay on top of goals and measures. Q: What kind of environment helps you work best? T.F.: Woman's operates best in a collaborative environment. Deci- sions made by a group will identify opportunities and considerations based upon each person's experiences and expertise. Shared de- cision-making also engenders support for the decision and allows the rationale to be communicated accurately to stakeholders. N.V.: I thrive in an environment of change. I enjoy challenges, piloting new things, creating new processes and demonstrating outcomes with report cards. Baylor Heart and Vascular Hospital is often chosen to pilot different projects, because we have a culture of change and we focus on zero defects. F.S.: A work environment with teamwork and collaboration helps yield results quickly. We really expect that any time an employee has a need or has to call upon another department for support, he or she will always be responded to quickly. An environment that recognizes the importance of its internal customers — the employees — and meets their needs will ultimately help the orga- nization deliver the best service or product to its external custom- ers — the patients. Without this type of work environment, our jobs would be very difficult. Everyone in our organization knows leadership values staff feed- back, and we want to hear from them. It could be getting an ice machine fixed or a computer or printer repaired, but they know they can count on the hospital's leaders to take care of the issue and allow them to focus on patient care. Q: In your opinion, what qualities does a great colleague pos- sess? T.F.: Great listening skills and the courage to give honest feed- back; not reluctant to disagree with the CEO. I also respect an ability to think through various scenarios when problem-solving. A person who views issues as challenges and possibilities rather than obstacles is also an asset. Self-awareness, desire to learn, personal motivation and work ethic are also important. And finally, being trustworthy and reliable — knowing I can count on a per- son's word — is really important to me. N.V.: A great colleague possesses a desire for excellence, integ- rity and respectfulness. He or she is a team player, has passion and a focus on excellence. It is important to surround yourself with people will speak up, and who are honest and transparent in their communications. F.S.: A great colleague will always provide support and feedback to a difficult situation. He or she will typically take ownership by becoming part of the solution. Great colleagues provide questions to test the validity of your solutions or opinions, and make sure you've entirely thought through a decision. You can always count on them to participate in each opportunity and provide input. A great colleague is one of your "best fans" and not afraid to recog- nize your achievements and successes. Q: How do you show support or express thanks to colleagues and employees? T.F.: Unexpected surprises like a handwritten note to recognize a specific action. For general appreciation, the executive leaders gather a few times a year offsite where we can relax and con- nect on a more personal level. As an organization, we express appreciation to our team in large and small ways throughout the year — hot chocolate served by the executive team on a cold morning, leaders serving the holiday meal on all shifts, an em- ployee family picnic, and every year, a week-long Hospital Week celebration. Our employee bonus plan is another way of thanking employees for their contributions to our success. Last year's bo- nus exceeded $5,000 for each full-time employee. N.V.: We have all-employee forums and lots of celebrations — we use a lot of confetti here. We like to do special things for our employees, like having an afternoon where we serve ice cream or a morning where we hand out coffee and cookies. One of our special celebrations is Partners in Care Week, which begins with a blessing of hands ceremony and a release of doves. The cele- bration's purpose is to reflect on the importance of each specialty to the outcomes of our patients. "We have all-employee forums and lots of celebrations — we use a lot of confetti here." — Dr. Nancy Vish, President and CNO of Baylor Jack and Jane Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital

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