HealthStream Research has provided physician satisfaction survey services to healthcare systems and individual hospitals across the U.S. since 1990 and has accumulated the nation’s largest comparative database for physician satisfaction. We recently took a closer look at four hospitals that scored high when physicians were asked to rate the hospital’s efforts to maintain a high quality of care which is consistent across all shifts and floors. This is the final interview of a four part series that features best practices of hospitals that score high in this area. If you have not had the opportunity to read parts 1, 2, and 3 of this series, you can find them here (www.healthstreamresearch.com, Knowledge Network, Best Practices).
Consistency of Care: A Hospital Built on Innovation
Dupont Hospital, Fort Wayne, IN
HealthStream Research recognizes Dupont Hospital as a top performing small hospital on consistency of care. Dupont is a 122-bed facility located in Fort Wayne, IN. After meeting with CEO Mike Schatzlein, it is easy to see why Dupont Hospital is doing so well in delivering consistent care across all shifts and floors.
Innovative Organization
Nearly everything about Dupont is innovative. Dupont Hospital was started by a group of physicians who wanted a certain kind of hospital. The physicians wanted a hospital that was good for both patients and physicians, and they worked hard to get it. This situation may be nearly impossible to replicate, but the lessons learned from it are universal.
Innovative organization is one key to Dupont’s success with consistency of care. When organizing division directors in the hospital, Dupont was faced with several common problems. For example, Emergency Room patients would often end up waiting on the Lab and X-ray departments. The solution that Dupont came up with was unconventional. Mike Schatzlein decided that the division director for the Emergency Room would also handle Lab and X-ray. Similarly, the OR would often get backed up waiting on anesthetic drugs. To combat this, Mike put the division director for the OR in charge of the pharmacy as well. Innovative organization has worked to solve many problems at Dupont.
Innovative Techniques
In addition to innovative organization, Dupont is also innovative when it comes to use of creative techniques when working with physicians and employees. This unique approach begins with the hiring process. Dupont uses a local company to provide personality assessments for job applicants. Dupont has learned to be selective and only hire the absolute best employees for the job. Dupont intentionally looks for individuals with positive attitudes who will bring their optimism to the workplace. In addition to the hiring process, Dupont also uses this information in employee relations. The information from these assessments can help identify individuals with leadership skills. It also helps employees to understand one another better. Use of creative techniques when working with physicians and employees increases the level of consistent care.
On top of their already innovative techniques, Dupont uses innovative technology to help create an environment of consistent medical care. Dupont realizes that technology is not a panacea, but rather a tool for physicians and employees. Technology helps streamline many things, from procedures, to the dispensing of medicine, to communication between doctors and nurses. This technological support allows physicians to provide consistent, efficient medical care.
Innovative Problem Solving
Innovative problem solving also contributes to consistent care at Dupont Hospital. Recently RNs and physicians got together to solve communication problems. On-call physicians were having difficulty reaching nurses after they were paged. In addition, when they finally reached the nurse, there was often key information missing. To help solve this problem, physicians created a checklist of information to have before contacting on-call physicians. In addition to the checklist, RNs were supplied with portable phones so physicians can be paged directly to the nurse instead of to a central secretary. This creative problem-solving has helped physicians provide consistent care to their patients.
Traditional Communication
One very important element of Dupont’s success, however, is not innovative. Dupont places great emphasis on the timeless value of communication. Communication was what started Dupont Hospital in the first place. Before the hospital even opened, physicians, nurses, specialists, and patients came together to design a hospital that met everyone’s needs. Now that tradition of open communication is carried on within the hospital itself. Members of the administration visit the physician lounge as frequently as possible, allowing for opportunities to discuss problems and concerns. This visibility has trickled down to the physicians as well—they are in the administration offices all the time! Dupont truly has an open-door policy. This high frequency of communication allows physicians to concentrate on providing consistent care.
Innovative organization, techniques, technology, and problem-solving, combined with the use of traditional communication, have allowed Dupont Hospital to attain a consistent level of care across all floors and shifts. Congratulations to CEO Mike Schatzlein and the entire Dupont team for their selection as a top performing small hospital in the area of consistent care!