Frontiers of Health Services Management - Spring 2013 - (Page 30)

areas that are critical to future viability. it also mandates the adoption and consistent application of best clinical, administrative, and governance practices. and, perhaps most important, toussaint and Kaplan agree that successful healthcare systems in the future will be patient centric rather than provider centric. they will focus on strong team involvement in the daily identification of potential problems and simultaneous implementation of potential soluBoth features stress the tions. clearly, healthcare importance of physician delivery processes have long been designed around support and involvement in the physicians’ and staffs’ the transformation journey. convenience rather than the needs of the patients and their families. organizations must upend this design to transform the way they deliver healthcare. The Feature Authors’ Approaches to Change to accomplish the necessary transformational changes, toussaint articulates six process principles and eight components of management-by-process thinking. His discussion of these principles and components is worth careful review and thorough understanding; he provides clear guidance on how to apply and adapt these processes in your organization. Kaplan speaks to constantly adhering to the checklist for high-value healthcare (cosgrove et al. 2012) and continuously connecting the dots of virginia Mason’s daily performance to its strategic plan, where the patient is unequivocally at the top. Both features stress the importance of physician support and involvement in the transformation journey. for example, toussaint writes about the need to move physicians from a perspective of white coat authority to one reflecting improvement leadership. Key among the parallel characteristics listed in exhibit 2 of his feature is the need for healthcare providers to move from an all-knowing attitude to one of humility and willingness to learn from others. Similarly, Kaplan promotes the implementation of a physician compact, such as that shown in exhibit 3 of his article. it is important to note that a physician compact is not a legal contract but a document that explicitly articulates the “gives and gets” for the physicians. Specifically, it lists the organization’s deliverables to the physicians—the gets—and the physicians’ responsibilities to the health system— the gives. these responsibilities can be required of not only employed physicians but also contracted physicians (e.g., emergency department physicians, pathologists) who practice in any of the health system’s inpatient or outpatient facilities. the goal of the physician compact tool, which we used at cHriStUS Health, is to create a vehicle for physicians to speak in a common voice while helping them align their individual performance with the strategic and operational goals of the organization. Physicians must be involved in the development of the compact so that strong ownership is created, ensuring a successful implementation and ongoing compliance. Do These Road Maps for Change Work? Do all the recommendations of toussaint and Kaplan really work toward creating sustainable transformational change? Kaplan shares an example of his organization’s improvements through the performance profile of virginia Mason’s Kirkland clinic in 2003, before implementing 30 • f ro ntier s o f h ea lth s e rvic e s m a na g e me nt 29 :3

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Frontiers of Health Services Management - Spring 2013

Frontiers of Health Services Management - Spring 2013
Contents
Frontiers of Health Services Management - Spring 2013
A Management, Leadership, and Board Road Map to Transforming Care for Patients
Pursuing the Perfect Patient Experience
Adapting to the New Healthcare Market
High Reliability: Truly Achieving Healthcare Quality and Safety
Making Lean Progress Last: Why Sustaining Excellence Requires the Right Leadership Framework

Frontiers of Health Services Management - Spring 2013