Chief Learning Officer - November 2007 - (Page 64)

case study The ossiculoplasty course, for example, is being developed by Dr. Wayne K. Robbins, otolaryngology program director. By Web-enabling the course, Robbins and Genesys Health will be able to provide continuing medical education units to physicians across the country. “Physicians are lifelong learners,” Robbins said. “However, they also live very busy lives. A library of content available to physician learners when they have an interest, a need and the time to devote to education will result in the most efficient dissemination of new concepts and the best patient care available in the world.” Improving the Bottom Line Risk management isn’t the only way Ascension Health is using its learning program to improve business performance. For example, the system’s corporate office recently developed and rolled out a worker’s compensation claims learning course for management personnel. Ascension Health officials think managers will be able to get staff members back to work more quickly (in a different role if necessary) by taking a more hands-on approach to compensation claims on a case-by-case basis. Ascension Health leaders also created an enterprisewide supply chain strategy as part of a drive to use all resources more efficiently. That strategy is being furthered by a Supply Chain Learning Academy the MLE platform supports. These courses are showing workers throughout Ascension Health how to simplify purchasing through single sourcing, standardize a global product catalog and improve decision making through consolidated information, shared best practices and precise performance measures. The ultimate goal is to generate significant savings and redirect increased time and dollars to patient care. Today, physicians, nurses and other Ascension Health employees are turning to their enterprise learning program at their convenience to learn and grow as employees, as medical professionals and as individuals. Preventing Patient Injuries At St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Birmingham, Ala., doctors have led Ascension Health’s effort to eliminate facility-acquired pressure ulcers, another focus of the drive toward zero preventable injuries. Staff members developed a comprehensive plan to promote the four keys to pressure ulcer prevention: Surfaces, Keep the patients turning, Incontinence management, Nutrition (SKIN). This program is being implemented throughout Ascension Health via the MLE. Another component of the effort to eliminate pressure ulcers: new beds that are designed to reduce those injuries. To make sure everyone fully understands how to use the beds properly, thus preventing as many ulcers as possible, Ascension Health has rolled out a learning course available on the MLE. For all these courses and more, Ascension Health continues to use a survey and assessment process to identify new objectives for the clinical excellence process. Future Learning Potential In the six years since the implementation of the MLE, Ascension Health’s learning program and capabilities clearly have come a long way. But the organization hasn’t stopped evolving. This year, Ascension Health is migrating to the newest version of the MLE after a successful pilot rollout at Ascension Health’s Providence Hospital in Mobile, Ala. The new version’s enhanced functionality includes linking and tracking to more than 170 third-party courses, management access to assign/view direct reports’ learning activities and role-specific reporting across the enterprise. Other key components include the integration of badge readers for automating course enrollment and completion, as well as internal development of online content. Today, physicians, nurses and other Ascension Health employees are turning to their enterprise learning program at their convenience to learn and grow as employees, as medical professionals and as individuals. The MLE upgrade will add to that capability. Regardless of from where the next important advance in patient care comes, Ascension Health employees know they’ll be able to share that valuable knowledge through learning and apply it promptly to the patients they treat every day. Managing Risk in the Workplace Ascension Health also leverages its blended learning program to reduce costs by managing risks for employees. Injuries to staff members in the process of moving a patient from one bed to another are the No. 1 cause of employee injury, and they are a major expense at many facilities. So, in conjunction with investing in special bed lifts to make the process easier, Ascension Health introduced a learning course to promote proper, safe techniques for moving patients. A workplace violence-prevention course also has been widely used at Ascension Health. Originally envisioned as an awareness poster campaign, Ascension Health officials took advantage of their blended learning program to make something much more powerful out of the content. The course has been the most popular in the entire Ascension Health course catalog for the last two years. November 2007 I www.clomedia.com I Chief Learning Officer 64 Robb Powell is the president of Gradepoint Enterprise Learning, a provider of strategic development programs. He can be reached at editor@clomedia.com. http://www.clomedia.com

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Chief Learning Officer - November 2007 Editor's Letter Table of Contents Imperatives Selling Up, Selling Down Strategies Take Five Rediscovering the Essence of Learning Cornell University Maintains Productivity While Pursuing Higher Education CLO Profile How Loyalty and Employee Engagement Add Up to Corporate Profits A Strategic Foundation The Evolution of the LMS Ariba: Growing Sales Skills in Conjunction with LMS Technology Leveraging Change to Build Productivity Equinox Fitness: Leveraging Change to Build Productivity Tangibles or Intangibles: Where’s Your Value? Raising the Stakes: The Strategic Role of the CLO Case Study Business Intelligence Case Study Advertisers' Index Editorial Resources In Conclusion

Chief Learning Officer - November 2007

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