Intermountain Healthcare. Culture and Communication, Fostering Healing for Life

Transcription

1 Intermountain Healthcare Culture and Communication, Fostering Healing for Life Ryan Bennion September 25, 2012

2 1 Table of Contents At a Glance 1 Introduction 2 Communication: Employees, Clinics Hospitals and Sub- teams 3 Dimensions of Care: Affecting Patients and Families for the Better 5 Communication: Learning from Toyota 6 Works Cited 8 At a Glance Intermountain Healthcare is a multi- dimensional company that affects many people in America, making it a company considering worth working for. Health care is more than nurses and doctors, many careers are required to make such a diverse company functional, looking at the styles of communication and culture of Intermountain Healthcare s employees will help those considering a health care career decide whether Intermountain Healthcare is a company they would work for Patients are the reason health care exists; Intermountain has developed the Dimensions of Care to provide extraordinary care. We look at what those dimensions are and how they affect the patients at Intermountain Healthcare Intermountain is an innovational company that learns from members of its community. This report analyzes how the Japanese car company, Toyota, has affected the health care community Intermountain is diverse and fast paced. It is important that one looks at their personality when considering a career with Intermountain Healthcare to insure that the career choice is the one made with the best interest of the patient and employee

3 2 Introduction Whether you need a flu vaccination or the latest in cancer treatment, we offer a full range of services, from urgent care to home care to the region's most advanced trauma centers. Providing excellent care of the highest quality at an affordable cost is at the heart of our mission. ("Intermountain Healthcare," 2012) This is the pledge of Intermountain Healthcare (Intermountain) to the employee, patient and community. This established culture impacts citizens of communities more than one may realize. As stated on their webpage, Intermountain Healthcare is an internationally recognized, nonprofit, system of 22 hospitals, a Medical Group with more than 185 physician clinics, and an affiliated health insurance company, SelectHealth. Our 33,000 employees serve patients and plan members in Utah and southeastern Idaho. Obviously, such a large organization dedicated to the health of the human family, is too important to be ignored. Intermountain Healthcare, its decisions, culture, procedures and employees impacts societal members in Utah, the seven states referring to the organization and national healthcare practice. While Intermountain does not directly brag about the organization s pervasiveness in intermountain healthcare influence, one must consider the personal impact this company may have had on you. If you have ever been sick, injured or had a medical emergency, you have probably been treated by Intermountain ("Intermountain Healthcare," 2012) personnel at some point in your journey to recovery. Whether transferred via ambulance or LifeFlight from the seven state referral area to an emergency room, or during a routine physical, you are likely to have been treated by Intermountain. Kim Bennion, Corporate Compliance Program Manager, reports that Intermountain Healthcare, under the direction of Dr. Brent James, has been denoted a leader in the arena of health care best practice and the lowest cost (personal interview, 2012). We are facing one of the largest economic recessions since the great depression! One reporter states that more than 7.5 million Americans have lost jobs, wiping out every job gained since the year 2000 (Zuckerman, 2011). During this economic crisis, when so many are out of work, Intermountain Healthcare is Utah s largest private employer. They offer more than nursing and doctorate careers such as nursing, pharmacy, physical and respiratory therapy, lab, imaging, information systems, food service, building maintenance and housekeeping, business office and administration, and health insurance through SelectHealth (Intermountain Healthcare, 2012).

4 3 This report will inform readers considering a health care profession the specific culture of Intermountain Healthcare, to include writing style expectations. This will allow the reader to make an educated decision regarding career options within Intermountain while considering personal values. It is crucial to understand that the writing styles of Intermountain Healthcare are directed to three main audiences: employees, patients and their families, and the communities in which Intermountain serves. In its multi- dimensional communication styles, Intermountain creates the culture for members of the company s staff. This report will analyze the specific aspects of communication of the company with emphasis on the following: 1) communication between Intermountain and its employees, clinics, hospitals and other sub- teams, 2) communication between Intermountain, the patients and their families, and 3) one example of how Intermountain has improved service through another business in the community Communication: Employees, Clinics, Hospitals and Sub-teams Trust, mutual respect, personal accountability and extraordinary care are the keystones to Intermountain s mission, vision and values (see chart below). Employees should expect and exemplify these values. Hospitals and clinics in general have a more sensitive nature caused by the large amounts of stress that physical illness can perpetuate. It is very important that Obtained by permission from Intermountain Healthcare Inc. professionalism is achieved while also exhibiting unpretentious sensitive nature to those who may need it. As an employee of Intermountain, it is expected that excellent care be provided through physician and employee engagement, operational effectiveness, clinical and service excellence, and community stewardship (Intermountain Healthcare, 2012). Garvin asks what do you feel is of the greatest concern for respiratory therapists today? Bennion s reply, Respiratory therapists care for some of the healthcare profession s most critical patients. The demand for RTs with critical thinking skills has never been higher. We must not only be able to perform detailed physical assessments, but must be able to apply our findings in determining the most medically appropriate interventions. Communication of such to other disciplines is vital. If we

5 4 are to be seen as true contributors to improved patient outcomes, active participation on medical care teams and in our professional organization cannot be over emphasized. (Garvin, 2012) This type of communication is clear and direct, each employee knows what is expected of them and they know what to expect from coworkers. The patient should always come first as is demonstrated in Intermountain s mission, vision and values. This sort of attitude clearly sets forth a culture of generous and genuine staff. Obtained by permission from Intermountain Healthcare Inc. Intermountain s Compliance Organizational Chart shows the flow of information from each sub- section of the company. It identifies sixteen boxes of what the company feels are areas where variation in communication styles are required. For example, business transactions/finance/accounting differs in the type of communication it needs, such as statistical and financial information for all of Intermountain versus that of patient care which is interested in statistical and financial information only regarding patient care, not for the entire company. The Gallup Survey is a partnership between Intermountain and Gallup Consulting, Inc., a company contracted to perform statistical surveys to gauge employee engagement in companies across the globe. Gallup Consulting, Inc., performs an Intermountain annual survey of its employees. Twenty- seven companies in 2012 were awarded the Gallup Great Workplace Award, among them is two- time award winner, Intermountain Healthcare ("Twenty- seven organizations receive," 2012).

6 5 Based on this survey, employees of Intermountain are some of the most engaged workforce on the planet. Dimensions of Care: Affecting Patients and Families for the Better Dimensions of Care are the expectations of staff to provide extraordinary care. They include the mission, vision and values as the foundation. Built upon those values, are six standards, in which a patient can expect extraordinary care, they are clinical excellence, service excellence, physician engagement, operational effectiveness, employee engagement, and community stewardship. Clinical excellence is the framework for the quality care we provide is our clinical programs. These programs adopt nationally recognized, evidence- based care processes, which are implemented throughout the system. This system- wide focus sets us apart from other local and national health systems, because it's unusual in healthcare for an organization with the size and scope of Intermountain to adopt and measure best practice standards ("Intermountain Healthcare," 2012). Operational effectiveness is the dedication of Intermountain to provide the best service for the lowest cost, Utah being lowest in the nation for healthcare costs. Time wasting is an expense all companies look to eliminate, as will be shown in the next section, Intermountain does all they can to eliminate waste, including incorporating business models from businesses that are unrelated to health care. THE EXPERIENCE is Extraordinary Care. Everyone should have this experience at Intermountain Healthcare. Every person should be able to recall how well he or she was treated, medically or otherwise. THE ACTIONS are Clinical Expertise, Service Excellence, Operational Effectiveness, Physician Engagement, Employee Engagement, and Community Stewardship. These six areas are how we achieve extraordinary care. THE FOUNDATION is our Mission, Vision, and Values. Our actions are based on these principles. They are why we treat people well, and the ideals that ensure an extraordinary experience. Employee and Physician engagement are where it really hits home for the patients and their families. Doctor s are not the only ones that affect the quality and speed of care, everyone from the janitor keeping the facilities clean to the technicians that help the medical world respond electronically, all are important factors in the quality of care patients receive. Intermountain is revolutionary in their use of cutting edge technology to improve the rapidness of patient care and recovery; all kinds of Obtained by permission from Intermountain Healthcare Inc.

7 6 professionals are needed to keep this company running and improving health care. Service Excellence is how the patient explains their feelings of overall total service. Intermountain reports, The 2009 Press Ganey Associates HCAHPS Performance Report found the top drivers of patient satisfaction were: How well staff worked together; Staff's effort to include patients in decisions about their treatment; Clear and complete explanations; How well staff addresses emotional needs; Response to concerns/complaints; Friendliness and courtesy of the nurses. Staff concern for patient privacy; Courtesy of staff starting patient; Instructions provided for patient care at home; Nurses treat patients with courtesy and respect; Courtesy of person admitting patients; Friendliness and courtesy of physician; Whether pain is well controlled; Physician concern for patient's questions/worries; And the speed of admission. Community stewardship is Intermountain s check that makes sure that the community is served well. It s the philosophy that people can t always come to the hospital for help so Intermountain takes healthcare to the community. Some examples include free community health fairs, and the North Temple Clinic in Salt Lake City, Utah. The North Temple Clinic offers care for the uninsured and the under-insured. All of their written communication is created on a fifth grade reading level, allowing nearly all to understand the next steps in their personal healthcare. Communication: Learning from Toyota Intermountain Healthcare benefits and is a beneficiary of the community in which it serves. In October of 2002, Intermountain began looking at the way one of the more successful car industries was effectively removing waste and errors from their production line. The Toyota Production System known as TPS became more than part of the car industry, its ideologies were observed and replicated by Intermountain Healthcare. No one has looked at the ideal healthcare the way that Intermountain does, ideal in healthcare means: exactly what the patient needs, defect free; one by one, customized to each individual patient; on demand, exactly as requested; immediate response to problems and changes; no waste; is safe for all patients, staff, and clinicians physically, emotionally and professionally. Because of TPS, the healthcare company was able to create a system

8 7 of communication that excels all others. Instead of creating efficient dependable cars at a low cost, Intermountain has eliminated wasting time and attending to the needs of patients, for example what could take up to four hours to get a new medicine prescribed, now only takes about twelve minutes! ("Twenty- seven organizations receive," 2012) Intermountain s culture implements cultures from other successful businesses. This shows that this company is always open to improvements and innovation, a true mark of a successful business. Employees are encouraged to speak up according to Bennion (personal interview, 2012) Affects of Writing Due to Culture After looking at the styles of writing valued by Intermountain Healthcare, It is fundamentally important that we analyze the culture that affects these writing styles. Health care is fast paced, and it requires an ability to think critically under stressful situations. It is expected that education be continued because health care procedures are continually changing as time passes and technology grows. One might infer that you must be a genius to work in health care professions, but there are more than just nurses and doctors. Lawyers, accountants, volunteer coordinators, technicians in all of their varieties, janitors and maids, all play an important part in this huge organization. All of these occupations require different people with different skills and education. Patients also play a part in the communication needs of Intermountain. What can we learn from this diverse group of occupations is that the valued writing styles of Intermountain Healthcare must be simple and direct. At minimum, all employees should be able to read and understand the mission, vision and values along with the dimensions of care and know how it affects their specific position at Intermountain. Intermountain does not only deal with a diverse group of occupations, but a very diverse group of people from all ethnicities. In an interview with Kim Bennion, she states, One difficulty that Intermountain Healthcare is working on is communication between different ethnic groups. Most of Intermountain s professional workgroup is Caucasian and non-professional group is Latino, this creates a barrier for communication. Intermountain is working on making all documents in English and Spanish but we still need to work on communication between Intermountain and other ethnic groups. To help this process, we have hired more graphic designers to create pictures so patients can understand procedures and next steps. The Culture of Intermountain Healthcare is for those who can handle diversity, follow orders, think critically and exhibit characteristics of compassion, caring, and sincerity. Based on styles of communication within Intermountain, it is recommended that introspection is performed and evaluated on a personal level and compared to knowledge of what is expected of an Intermountain Healthcare employee. It is critical to understand how to communicate simply with other healthcare professionals before one begins a specific career in this broad field of work.

9 8 Refrences Garvin, K. (2012). Question and answer with Kim Bennion, bsrt, mshs- ph, rrt. chc, respiratory therapist and corporate healthcare compliance program manager at Intermountain Healthcare. News- line: Respiratory care professionals, 11(7/8), 4-6. Intermountain Healthcare. (2012). Retrieved from Twenty- seven organizations receive the sixth annual gallop great workplace award. (2012, September). Retrieved from Zuckerman, M. (2011, June 20). Why the job situation is worse than it looks. Retrieved from