Finding Fulfillment in Our Work, One Improvement at a Time
Working in health care is hard. The stakes are high and the hours are long—whether you work directly with patients or not.
In an academic medical center, we perform the additional work of educating our future workforce while driving the science that will define our future. Resources are tight, and it often seems like there is never enough time or money to do everything we can dream.
It's imperative that we find ways to streamline our systems, bolster our culture, and support our people.
A Culture of Improvement
To do this, we must capture the voice of every individual so we can make our work environment better and right-size our workloads. We must focus on a culture of improvement and lean into change to create a path forward.
The Better U survey launched one year ago after many months of planning and years of survey iteration. The survey was developed in collaboration with many partners, including Human Resources, Resiliency Center/Chief Wellness Office, Office of Faculty, Office of Workforce Excellence, Marketing and Communications, and mission leaders.
The survey is designed to help teams and leaders know what drives employee experience and provide actionable data for improving our workplace. When we optimize the professional fulfilment of employees, we optimize the work of U of U Health.
A Jumping-Off Point
Better U data is a jumping-off point for teams to evaluate what gets in the way of their success. It also pinpoints levels of the organization where change is needed. The success stories highlighted in this blog demonstrate that some issues can be resolved at the team level. Other issues need to be elevated to system leadership to intervene.
With each iteration, we improve Better U to make it more useful. This fall, we added questions to understand the needs of faculty working in all areas of our system. We kept the filters added last April to allow sorting based on characteristics like rank, department, and roles.
Leaders will receive summary data at the department and school/college levels. We’ll also continue recommending system targets based on Better U results.
Please participate in the Fall 2024 Better U survey this month!
Continue to share your success stories
on the Better U Pulse site.
Identifying Greatest Areas of Need
Better U helps leaders identify teams that are struggling to provide more support and teams that are thriving. The teams that have activated successful improvement plans can be a model for others.
Ideally, Better U data can help us better understand how employee experience impacts our research success, patient experience, student success, and financial success of the organization.
Better U Success Stories
University Orthopaedic Center (UOC) – Physical Therapy Clinic
Since the Better U survey launched in October 2023, UOC’s physical therapy clinic has seen a 5-10% improvement in the Engagement, Well-being, and Energized categories of the survey.
PT clinic teams, led by Kim Cohee, attribute this positive change to the following improvement efforts:
- Started quarterly trainings on well-being and communication in partnership with the Office of Organizational Development
- Offered leadership training through iLead
- Established UOC Staff Council that meets monthly to address workflow and clinic improvements
- Shared and posted resources to address staff safety concerns, including escort resources for walking to your car in the dark and Hawklight
- Organized Wellness Committee to plan activities that foster camaraderie • Leaders adopted intentional listening practices in staff meetings
- Set up a kiosk in the center of the clinic for tracking suggestions to improve clinic flow and processes
- Placed white boards and posters around the clinic for sharing shoutouts and capturing staff ideas for continuous improvement
Huntsman Mental Health Institute – Patience Services
October 2023 Better U Survey data showed many patient services staff at Huntsman Mental Health Institute’s Downtown Clinic and Contact Center didn’t feel like they were meeting career goals or making the best use of their skills and abilities.
Senior Manager Rebecca Hyde rolled out a career development plan to address these areas of concern. Hyde and her supervisors Mazey Schiffman and Rayvin Rhodes met individually with team members to review and update their resumes. They asked where they wanted to be in three years. They discussed career paths within Huntsman Mental Health Institute and U of U Health and skills needed to advance to the next level. Hyde is working with the supervisors to create opportunities for staff to use their various skills in their current roles.
The Contact Center at Huntsman Mental Health Institute, supervised by Nikki Enciso, is one of several programs Hyde oversees. Better U survey data inspired Enciso to implement the following improvement efforts to boost staff morale and performance:
- Weekly coaching sessions to review individual call numbers, Quality Assurance scores, and scheduling errors, with a focus on growth and improvement. Enciso followed up each session with an email detailing key takeaways and action steps.
- Monthly scorecards to help team members track their progress toward fiscal year goals.
- Fun challenges with prize incentives to keep the team motivated.
- Building relationships with the clinics they support, educating them on the types of calls the team handles and collaborating to resolve errors.
Through consistent coaching, clear communication, and engaging incentives, employees are feeling seen and heard. They feel supported in their work and they know Hyde and Enciso are invested in their success.
Department of Family and Preventive Medicine – Division of Family Medicine
The Division of Family Medicine in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine received low wellness scores on the Spring 2024 Better U Survey.
Bernadette Kiraly, MD, division chief, mobilized a leadership team to activate a plan for elevating well-being and addressing burnout. They identified five key themes in their Better U survey data:
- Recognition and appreciation
- Clinical and administrative burdens
- Communication
- Compensation
- Belonging
To dig deeper, leaders held a virtual division meeting and polled teams on what most matters to them. With this additional data, they identified the top three ranked issues in each of the five categories. They organized five workgroups for each category and assigned team leads to develop action plans.
Workgroups share progress reports at monthly division meetings. In addition, weekly email updates are improving communication and transparency. Leaders are optimistic that this consistent, systematic approach will lead to a healthier work environment.
Let Your Voice Be Heard
By giving leaders and teams actionable data and a plan for using that data, the Better U team aims to make U of U Health the best workplace it can be.
Please participate in the Fall 2024 Better U survey this month! And continue to share your success stories on the Better U Pulse site.
