Voices of U of U Health
Forward Together: Collective Goal Setting
By Bob S. Carter, MD, PhD
This is the first blog in a multi-part series discussing how University of Utah Health is taking steps to become an integrated academic health system achieving unsurpassed societal impact. The series highlights six shared goals guiding our collective vision for 2030.
In Utah and across the nation, we find ourselves at a critical inflection point. As the premier academic health center for the Mountain West, we are evolving to face the complexities of our industry, external pressures, and the demands of our rapidly growing state and region.
How are we responding to this moment? Together. We are actively aligning our hospitals, clinics, departments, institutes, providers, networks, and missions in clinical care, research, education, and community collaboration into one coordinated system.
First Steps Toward System Integration
Historically, we have been organized by the department, unit, or area we represent. Now, we are creating new structures to unify, align, and operate as a system. As we begin our evolutionary journey, we are unveiling six strategic goals that function across all our missions.
These goals were developed in collaboration with our leadership teams with an early emphasis on one of our critical core missions: clinical care. As our journey continues, we are also developing and connecting strategic goals co-designed for research, education, and community collaboration.
Establishing a set of shared goals allows us to connect operational and departmental goals with system-level strategies. These first steps lay the groundwork for shared accountability, efficiency, and our collective progress.
Everyone in our U of U Health community plays a role in achieving these shared goals. Together, we’re learning to adopt a system mindset that helps us think more broadly, while remaining focused on our day-to-day work.
Six Strategic Goal Areas
Chairs, Hospitals, Institutes Performing as a System (CHIPS) is a group that was formed to engage clinical leadership—across our provider and operational teams—in setting goals to move us forward as one system. As I asked them to consider the priority goals for their areas, the following six themes emerged:
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Enhance access to U of U Health
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Provide exceptional patient care
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Prioritize community well-being and development
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Foster a culture of innovation and scholarship
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Practice generative financial stewardship
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Create opportunities for system alignment
These themes intentionally align with existing goals in our hospitals and clinics operating plan, as well as those of our schools, colleges, and the university. Those well-established priorities helped shape our system-level goals. I worked with senior system leaders to develop corresponding goals for advancing in each of these areas.
Additionally, all clinical departments and operating units developed goals for their areas based on these six guiding principles. Already, we are starting to see a cultural shift toward the development of more “co-operational” teams.
Deeper Connection, Deeper Purpose
Together, we are shaping a culture that bridges missions, fosters accountability, and strengthens the sense of belonging to something larger than ourselves. While our local responsibilities differ—team to team, mission to mission—aligning around shared system-level goals gives us common purpose and direction.
The more interconnected we are, the more focused we can be on the present and future health of our patients, communities, and internal teams. This shared culture honors the unique contributions of every discipline. By linking our distinct strengths to shared goals, we unlock our full potential for delivering exceptional care, sparking life-changing discoveries, transforming education, and building enduring community partnerships.
I’m grateful to all of our U of U Health teams for helping us navigate the journey to becoming one unified system. This transformation would not be possible without them.
Other Blogs In This Series
Forward Together: Building Our Patient Stewardship and Navigation Hub
