When clinical teams go on rounds, they discuss their patients’ care and review treatment results and health goals with colleagues, patients, and the patients’ loved ones. When senior leaders go on rounds, typically the focus is a bit different, but the goal is essentially the same: establish an informed, transparent dialogue in which everyone is on the same page, and use that communication to spur action – whether with regard to patient care or to process improvements.
Over the years, Pennsylvania Hospital’s leadership rounds have shifted in their approaches, but they were primarily focused on regulatory concerns. Now, the “Proud Rounds” program offers the leadership team the opportunity to strengthen PAH’s hospital-wide communication strategy, regularly meet staff “where they are,” and more meaningfully connect with every level and department on a rotating basis.
Every two weeks, a member of the senior team pairs up with two administrative or clinical departmental leaders, and together they visit another hospital team to bridge the divides between disciplines, connect with staff members, and develop a better understanding of the plethora of roles in patient care. Whether they’re watching a presentation about a team’s latest steps to improve patient safety, or they’re looking over a bulletin board highlighting the steps taken to make Pennsy a comfortable environment for even the most overwhelmed patients and families, the senior and departmental leaders have the chance to learn what is working well, where recognition is due, and what could be improved – whether by allocating additional resources or identifying and overcoming hurdles. After all, the Proud Rounds program was established to support open, honest, and productive lines of communication between management and staff and to answer the eternal question, “Did anyone actually listen to me?” with a resounding, “Yes.”
Rather than simply acknowledging opportunities for improvement and moving on in the hopes that they’ll fix themselves, Proud Rounds aims to create an open, fruitful dialogue that ultimately leads to the efficient elimination of obstacles that can impact departmental success, patient safety and outcomes, and staff morale. By ensuring that a combination of backgrounds is represented by the leadership visitors and the departmental hosts, the rounds frequently lead to multidisciplinary solutions that draw from the strengths of departments across the hospital. These opportunities are often further explored in Quality Improvement Projects, and the senior leadership member always takes note of any challenges, lists the actionable items, and promptly follows up with staff members who raise concerns.
This re-establishes the links between personal goals, departmental successes, and PAH’s overall mission. It also affirms that just as clear communication and consistent follow up are critical between patients and their care team, they are also necessary between colleagues to develop an engaged, energized, and innovative workforce.
Top-Notch Proud Rounds
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| Dan Feinberg, MD, chief medical officer
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Jeff O'Neill, AIA, ACHA, CHFM, senior director of Facilities Services |
Dan Wilson, MBA, RN, BSN, FABC, vice president for Allied Health and Ambulatory Services |
| “In one of my proud rounds with CFO Frank Anastasi, we visited the hospital’s kitchen. I had never visited the kitchen before and it was an amazing opportunity. We spoke with many staff members – some new and some long-term employees – and all of them voiced how their roles were important to the patient experience and safety, especially with respect to food allergies. The pride that the staff exhibited was palpable in every corner of a facility that prepares thousands of meals per day with fresh vegetables and fruits. The staff care deeply about our patients and their healing process, and it was such a great experience to see the behind-the-scenes work.” |
“I was visiting Nuclear Medicine with Dr. Kevin Baumlin that day. We got to talking with a physician about a safety issue regarding exposure to radioactive material in the restrooms and the need for a dedicated ‘hot’ restroom for patients. Engineering, Environmental Services, and Nuclear Medicine partnered to introduce separate restrooms for patients and staff, plus a formal process to clean and maintain them safely. This was eventually presented as a Quality Improvement project called ‘Stow Your Glow,’ and it received high marks for teamwork and effectiveness. The fact that it was born out of a conversation on Proud Rounds demonstrates how these simple discussions and small changes can have great effects.” |
“Proud Rounds afforded our leadership team an opportunity to help Interventional Radiology (IR) remove obstacles to improve performance. A committed IR stakeholder team began meeting to develop and implement a comprehensive plan that has been very successful solving many critical issues (staffing, IS, reporting and quality measures, etc.) and tracking others still in progress. Proud Rounds helped us discover these issues, create a plan, and close the loop through feedback provided directly to the department leadership and staff.” |