Journal of Healthcare Management - May/June 2013 - (Page 197)

H oS P I tal K nowledge M anageMent : a naly SIS Further, recipient HCOs sustain their culture with specific education and policies that they have developed (“original development”). For example: of B aldr Ige a ward r ec IPIentS The description in Sharp HealthCare’s application is representative of market research and surveys conducted by Baldrige Award recipients: [O]n an annual and ad hoc basis, Sharp assesses key customer groups, competitor activities, market share distribution, population health indicators, demographic data, customer group feedback, and industry trends data. . . . Sharp’s marketing plans incorporate situational and SWOT analyses; focus group, and Awareness/Perception/Utilization research; and [a proprietary] life-stage segmentation system. Customer satisfaction priorities also are assessed annually and integrated into the planning process. . . . (Sharp HealthCare, p. 12) Ethical practices are first communicated . . . in the orientation of new employees [and are] reinforced by system policies such as the Standards of Ethical Behavior, Conflict of Interest, Corporate Responsibility, Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action, Confidentiality of Information, Sexual and Other Harassment, . . . Staff Rights to Refuse to Participate in Aspects of Patient Care, Corporate Responsibility Process, confidential Helpline and employee grievance process, which encourages reporting of unethical behaviors by management or others. . . . Ethics committees in all the hospitals and nursing homes offer a forum for patients and their families and caregivers to discuss and review clinical/ethical issues, including patient rights. (SSM Health Care, p. 7) The Baldrige Criteria emphasize the importance of identifying best practices and, with them, realistic benchmarks, or known best values of performance measures (Baldrige Performance Excellence, 2009–2010). The applicants use their systematic search for external knowledge as a foundation for benchmarking. For example: Knowledge Application Recipients follow an annual cycle of planning, goal setting, implementation, and preparation for the next cycle (White & Griffith, 2010). The following quotes illustrate the rigor and extent of the planning process (“action plans”): The System Leadership Team, Senior Leadership Team and department heads, with assistance from the outcomes managers, operations improvement department, clinical outcomes department and clinical quality department search their respective sources for world-class benchmarks. (North Mississippi Medical Center, p. 11) Based on the [board] approved strategic objectives and long-term action plans, senior leaders further develop long-term action plans. Senior leaders identify those key service initiatives to be completed within the next fiscal year and incorporate them into the system dashboard. VP owners develop appropriate system-level action plans. (Mercy Health System, p. 9) To support system-wide goals, team members meet with directors in patient care units/departments and use the Avatar priority matrix to identify improvement opportunities, set goals for department and write unit improvement initiatives. For transparency, system, facility and unit patient satisfaction results are posted monthly on the intranet. Units use these data to gauge progress toward their Understanding what customers want has become an ongoing endeavor supported by trained professionals. 197

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Journal of Healthcare Management - May/June 2013

Journal of Healthcare Management - May/June 2013
Contents
Interview with Thomas C. Dolan, PhD, FACHE, CAE, President and CEO, American College of Healthcare Executives
Equity in Care: Picking Up the Pace
How Might a Reforming U.S. Healthcare Marketplace Threaten Balance Sheet Liquidity for Community Health Systems?
Assessing the Productivity of Advanced Practice Providers Using a Time and Motion Study
A Positive Deviance Perspective on Hospital Knowledge Management: Analysis of Baldrige Award Recipients 2002–2008
How to Improve Breast Cancer Care Measurement and Reporting: Suggestions from a Complex Urban Hospital
The Fear Factor in Healthcare: Employee Information Sharing

Journal of Healthcare Management - May/June 2013