As hospitals and health systems face industrywide pressures, workforce resilience is coming into sharper focus. But building resilience is not the result of a single decision or strategy, leaders have said. “It’s the result of many actions working together, and its not easy in today’s challenging health care environment,” Kimberly Hartz, CEO of Fremont, Calif.-based […] The post The strategies health system leaders are using to boost workforce resilience appeared first on Becker's Hospital Review | Healthcare News & Analysis.
As hospitals and health systems face industrywide pressures, workforce resilience is coming into sharper focus.
But building resilience is not the result of a single decision or strategy, leaders have said.
“It’s the result of many actions working together, and its not easy in today’s challenging health care environment,” Kimberly Hartz, CEO of Fremont, Calif.-based Washington Health, told Becker’s.
Over the past year, Ms. Hartz has worked to foster a culture where team members feel trusted, supported and connected by listening, being visible and acknowledging both the challenges staff members face and the contributions they make daily.
“By reinforcing that every role matters, we are strengthening not only our ability to navigate challenges, but also our belief that, even when it’s difficult, we can emerge stronger together,” she said.
Los Angeles-based MLK Community Healthcare, which includes a private safety-net hospital, recently added a full-time wellness specialist to its permanent staff. The clinical social worker — originally brought in through a philanthropic donation — oversees wellness programming and provides counseling to individual staff members. Programming includes initiatives for physical, mental and financial well-being, CEO Elaine Batchlor, MD, told Becker’s.
The system’s mission-driven nature also plays a central role in resilience, Dr. Batchlor said.
“The No. 1 reason that our staff is resilient and is not experiencing burnout is the fact that we are an extremely mission- and values-driven organization,” she said. “We serve a historically underserved community, and we are bringing access and excellence to this community. That commitment to mission and values — and the fact that our staff are able to do what they went into healthcare for, to take care of people without a lot of institutional barriers — is really important.”
Fairfield, Calif.-based NorthBay Health has focused on employee engagement and resilience by involving front-line teams in efficiency improvements, using artificial intelligence to reduce caregiver burdens, and sharing transparent metrics on access, wait times, length of stay, engagement and quarterly financial results. Some teams are also encouraged to work from home on Mondays and Fridays to promote flexibility, President and CEO Mark Behl told Becker’s.
“It’s important to balance what’s happening inside of work and outside of work,” Mr. Behl said. “Let’s not spend 14, 16 hours a day trying to solve the issues that we have. It will consume us all.”
At Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames, Iowa, celebrating successes and breaking down department silos have helped strengthen resilience, President and CEO Amber Deardorff, BSN, RN, told Becker’s.
At St. Peter’s Health Partners, part of Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health, culture is a cornerstone of resilience efforts. One approach has been nurse huddles — brief, structured check-ins to celebrate wins, share challenges and access mental health resources, Meredith Robison, DNP, RN, chief nursing officer for St. Peter’s Health Partners Acute Care, told Becker’s.
“Regular huddles are critical to help normalize conversations around stress and burnout, while strengthening team cohesion and celebrating our staff,” she said. “[By] facing safety concerns head-on, we are seeing improved morale, reduced turnover and a stronger sense of community within the team.”
The post The strategies health system leaders are using to boost workforce resilience appeared first on Becker's Hospital Review | Healthcare News & Analysis.
