As you know we did not make the Top 25 Best employers in the State this year. We have received the actual survey results and comments.
In most companies feedback like this would normally be the “big pink elephant” in the room that no one wants to talk about. But the only way things get better is to put them out in the open and have a plan to make it better.
These statistics and comments help our senior leadership gauge how well we’re doing on employee satisfaction. There were many positive comments and negative as well. Our raw score dropped overall by 10 points and in each individual category by an equal or greater amount.
Your feedback was very telling about what you were unhappy about and what you would like to see addressed. It is also clear that there are some misunderstandings about all sorts of things from how we make money to how some of our benefits work. Here are a few noteworthy comments:
1. A few people didn’t understand why we are expanding our outpatient sites if we were having money problems.
Here is some clarity: Our Foundation raises money dedicated specifically for renovations of current or new locations, and then we hire staff to serve more patients. The only way we can make more money is to see more kids. There is no other way for us to be able to cover our increasing costs without continuing to grow.
2. Someone wrote that they were unhappy the tuition reimbursement was eliminated.
This one is just not true. We did not eliminate our tuition reimbursement program. We just put a cap on how much we will reimburse and that an employee must continue to work at CSH for a specific period of time after they complete their course. It’s unfortunate, but we had people get their degrees and resign after their graduation.
The examples above speak to a bigger issue of miscommunication and access to information. While we have the weekly wrap up, this blog, children's chatter and the intranet where a lot of information is posted, face to face interactions makes all the difference. This is an area where we can improve, and will!
I have asked Senior Leadership to start attending staff meetings to reinforce that you have access to have your questions answered at any time.
We will also be implementing “lunch and learns” given by Senior Leaders. We will advertise the topic and you can bring your lunch and learn more about all sorts of topics that were identified in your comments.
Many comments also referred for the need for more employee recognition and events we can do together. You ask, we provide.
We are going to have a get together during rehab week in September. We will also use this as the chance to recognize the employees who celebrated their milestone years this year and last (5, 10 15 years of service). In addition we will be pulling the stars that have been given out at each site and the person who has had the most Press, Ganey comments written about them by site and creating special recognition for them.
While I am disappointed that we did not get the recognition, not because of the award, but because it was your way of saying that you aren't happy.
While some will argue that it is not a surprise given that we aren't giving raises and we had to make a lot of hard choices about changing benefits in order to avoid layoffs, the bottom line is that your comments and scores tell us that you didn’t think we handled the changes in a way that was appropriate for you and I own that. No excuses.
You have given us feedback of the things you want changed. Some we can fix; some we can't. But through it all we will keep talking and using your feedback to make us a better organization and a better place to work.
Your ideas and comments are always welcome.
Amy
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
Defining Quality
One of the ongoing discussions in the health care industry is how do we define quality?
In acute care hospitals, the government has established report cards and uses those as a measure of quality. Most consumers/patients do not read these report cards before they go for services. They simply ask someone who they liked and whether they were "good" or not.
This is a sticking point between my parents and I. We continuously battle about which is the “right way” to choose a care provider. My father defines quality by whether or not he likes the doctor - meaning is he/she personable. My mother makes her decision based on whether or not the person will tolerate her eight million questions, give her all of the tests and prescriptions she wants and whether or not her office bills correctly so she doesn't have to fight with her insurance company.
We know that one of the ways people judge quality is based on our Press, Ganey surveys. How does the parent feel about the care we gave? Some would argue that like my Dad, the doctor may be really nice but is that really the way to judge the care given?
Our parents rely on Children's Specialized Hospital to do the screening for them. To find the highest qualified staff who will provide the best quality of care. We wouldn't hire people that weren't high quality and therefore that is something they don't worry about.
The question of how we define quality is often subjective. We observe practice patterns. We rely on supervisors to model and mentor and yes, we use Press, Ganey surveys to give us an indication if something is not going well.
The federal government has told us that they are going to pay hospitals more if they have good quality. Since we don't have a federally accepted report card, many of you are working on "proving" that our care is high quality. This is going to require us to delve more into research and partner with others in order to validate what we do. I know we can do it!
Another pressure we are facing is that quality is now tied to price. Can your hospital operate with what you are reimbursed? If you can't, there is an assumption that your hospital is not efficient and that signifies a problem. We can argue that as a pediatric rehabilitation provider there are a lot of nuances and differences for the cost issue. The State of New Jersey is looking at a $10 billion budget deficit, they aren't going to care about our differences. They are telling us the money has run out and we are going to have to do with less, unless we prove our worth and our outstanding of quality care.
So, we are looking at all of these aspects of quality. Looking at identifying things we can do differently, smarter, with more efficiency and to get better outcomes for our children and our employees.
The major reason we moved to an electronic medical record was to improve the quality of the care we delivered and to hopefully make all of our lives easier in using one system. We know in December that we had NO missed doses or medical errors with pharmacy. Some would contend that our new bar coding system is working. Outpatient therapists are telling me that there are definite improvements in being able to do evaluations and get their billing done.
So let me ask you - are there things that we can do to improve quality? Are there things we can do today to improve our efficiency?
These are conversations your directors are going to have with you over the coming weeks. They will look to you to give them great ideas and guidance so we can continue our move to excellence.
In acute care hospitals, the government has established report cards and uses those as a measure of quality. Most consumers/patients do not read these report cards before they go for services. They simply ask someone who they liked and whether they were "good" or not.
This is a sticking point between my parents and I. We continuously battle about which is the “right way” to choose a care provider. My father defines quality by whether or not he likes the doctor - meaning is he/she personable. My mother makes her decision based on whether or not the person will tolerate her eight million questions, give her all of the tests and prescriptions she wants and whether or not her office bills correctly so she doesn't have to fight with her insurance company.
We know that one of the ways people judge quality is based on our Press, Ganey surveys. How does the parent feel about the care we gave? Some would argue that like my Dad, the doctor may be really nice but is that really the way to judge the care given?
Our parents rely on Children's Specialized Hospital to do the screening for them. To find the highest qualified staff who will provide the best quality of care. We wouldn't hire people that weren't high quality and therefore that is something they don't worry about.
The question of how we define quality is often subjective. We observe practice patterns. We rely on supervisors to model and mentor and yes, we use Press, Ganey surveys to give us an indication if something is not going well.
The federal government has told us that they are going to pay hospitals more if they have good quality. Since we don't have a federally accepted report card, many of you are working on "proving" that our care is high quality. This is going to require us to delve more into research and partner with others in order to validate what we do. I know we can do it!
Another pressure we are facing is that quality is now tied to price. Can your hospital operate with what you are reimbursed? If you can't, there is an assumption that your hospital is not efficient and that signifies a problem. We can argue that as a pediatric rehabilitation provider there are a lot of nuances and differences for the cost issue. The State of New Jersey is looking at a $10 billion budget deficit, they aren't going to care about our differences. They are telling us the money has run out and we are going to have to do with less, unless we prove our worth and our outstanding of quality care.
So, we are looking at all of these aspects of quality. Looking at identifying things we can do differently, smarter, with more efficiency and to get better outcomes for our children and our employees.
The major reason we moved to an electronic medical record was to improve the quality of the care we delivered and to hopefully make all of our lives easier in using one system. We know in December that we had NO missed doses or medical errors with pharmacy. Some would contend that our new bar coding system is working. Outpatient therapists are telling me that there are definite improvements in being able to do evaluations and get their billing done.
So let me ask you - are there things that we can do to improve quality? Are there things we can do today to improve our efficiency?
These are conversations your directors are going to have with you over the coming weeks. They will look to you to give them great ideas and guidance so we can continue our move to excellence.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Finding Your Balance
Here it is 2010. New Year's resolutions are 2 weeks out and all I can feel is the weight of the world. This is more than you want to know about me, and probably will confirm your thoughts that I am crazy, but I have a morning routine like many of you. Mine happens to involve leaving my house at 4:15 am so my Dad and I can have some time together before we both head to the gym together. Dad turned 80 in July and we have been doing this little routine for 10 years. He is my touchstone. The voice of reason in an other wise storm of noise in my head thinking of all that I need to do and where I could have done better.
This morning he asked me how it was going and I said it just sucks. After I finished my run this morning I found a note from him on my car. It said " I hope you have a good day. You need to remember the balance - do your best and the rest will come. There are times your best won't be enough but it is all you have and you have to be proud of it".
It is hard to remember that balance. Many of you are balancing work, families, going to school and just getting through life. The one thing that I have learned with age is that a lot of my younger years were spent worrying about things that I couldn't really control anyway. I needed to give it up to God or whatever higher power you believe in but I didn't and just wasted a lot of time.
I wonder if there are strategies that you could share to help those of us who struggle with finding balance.
This morning he asked me how it was going and I said it just sucks. After I finished my run this morning I found a note from him on my car. It said " I hope you have a good day. You need to remember the balance - do your best and the rest will come. There are times your best won't be enough but it is all you have and you have to be proud of it".
It is hard to remember that balance. Many of you are balancing work, families, going to school and just getting through life. The one thing that I have learned with age is that a lot of my younger years were spent worrying about things that I couldn't really control anyway. I needed to give it up to God or whatever higher power you believe in but I didn't and just wasted a lot of time.
I wonder if there are strategies that you could share to help those of us who struggle with finding balance.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Reflections
So I have been spending a lot of time on vacation reflecting about the year that has passed and anticipating 2010. This isn't just the end of a year but the end of the decade.
I have personally reflected about the last ten years and realized there were some major changes: changed jobs 4 times - the last wonderful 6 years spent with you; experienced the loss of my 12 year marriage and am still standing; major health issues of loved ones, and the loss of my Grandmother. As I reflect on all this change I weigh all the blessings and honor the memories of the things and people lost.
Over the last 10 years, Children’s has grown from 4,000 children served, 500 employees, a 32 million budget to 17,000 children served and 1,000 employees and a 100 million budget. We built a brand new hospital, had the single most successful fundraising campaign topping 32 million dollars, with our first $5 million gift. We opened four new sites and renovated others. So much good and change has happened at a time when many hospitals have suffered closure and loss of services. We are positioned for continued success in the years to come.
I know this sounds sappy, but it's so true. One of the greatest things I cherish was the chance to work with each of you and the children we serve. I am constantly amazed at the lives we touch both our children and each other.
As I contemplate both my personal and professional hopes for 2010, I wonder if there are memories from this past decade, or any goals you have planned for 2010, that you would like to share?
I have personally reflected about the last ten years and realized there were some major changes: changed jobs 4 times - the last wonderful 6 years spent with you; experienced the loss of my 12 year marriage and am still standing; major health issues of loved ones, and the loss of my Grandmother. As I reflect on all this change I weigh all the blessings and honor the memories of the things and people lost.
Over the last 10 years, Children’s has grown from 4,000 children served, 500 employees, a 32 million budget to 17,000 children served and 1,000 employees and a 100 million budget. We built a brand new hospital, had the single most successful fundraising campaign topping 32 million dollars, with our first $5 million gift. We opened four new sites and renovated others. So much good and change has happened at a time when many hospitals have suffered closure and loss of services. We are positioned for continued success in the years to come.
I know this sounds sappy, but it's so true. One of the greatest things I cherish was the chance to work with each of you and the children we serve. I am constantly amazed at the lives we touch both our children and each other.
As I contemplate both my personal and professional hopes for 2010, I wonder if there are memories from this past decade, or any goals you have planned for 2010, that you would like to share?
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Yes Virginia...
Usually I’m very festive. My tree goes up right after Thanksgiving, I’m done holiday shopping weeks before Christmas, indulging in yummy holiday treats, smiling at little kids waiting in line to meet Santa – you know, the fun stuff!
So, for the first time ever in my life, I am not feeling the holiday. It’s probably a combination of personal and work. I don't want to do a tree - I just don't wanna...and then it happened as it always happens at Children's Specialized, I am reminded of the kindness and generosity that is extended by staff and strangers to our children and our hospital.
Remember the holiday cookie baking fun at Stevens Road? I think our staff deserves a medal for bringing out the sprinkles and cookie cutters, all to help bring a little holiday fun into therapy. That’s the spirit!
Just this morning, Vieno shared with me a wonderful story of holiday cheer.
With the holidays just around the corner, our staff in New Brunswick was getting a little worried because holiday donations had seriously dropped off from years past. Our annual holiday party for inpatients is just a few weeks away and staff was getting a little worried we wouldn’t have enough gifts for everyone! Just in the nick of time, we get a call from Diane Bonanno's office at Rutgers Recreation. The seventh annual Big Chill 5K is on Saturday, Dec.12 and instead of paying a fee, entrants are asked to bring an unwrapped toy for children in need across the garden state. With nearly 5,000 people signed up – we’re sure our patients, and many lucky kids around the state, will have a wonderful holiday with presents to spare. Since its inception, the race has provided over 20,000 presents to several NJ charities including the NJ Housing Authority and now PSE&G Children’s Specialized Hospital – New Brunswick. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Clause… and he’s running through New Brunswick on Saturday!
As expected, our staff and generous supporters have given me a dose of holiday spirit.
What is your favorite holiday memory or tradition? Here at Children’s or even at home with your family? What really gets you in the mood to break out the tinsel and eggnog?
Amy
So, for the first time ever in my life, I am not feeling the holiday. It’s probably a combination of personal and work. I don't want to do a tree - I just don't wanna...and then it happened as it always happens at Children's Specialized, I am reminded of the kindness and generosity that is extended by staff and strangers to our children and our hospital.
Remember the holiday cookie baking fun at Stevens Road? I think our staff deserves a medal for bringing out the sprinkles and cookie cutters, all to help bring a little holiday fun into therapy. That’s the spirit!
Just this morning, Vieno shared with me a wonderful story of holiday cheer.
With the holidays just around the corner, our staff in New Brunswick was getting a little worried because holiday donations had seriously dropped off from years past. Our annual holiday party for inpatients is just a few weeks away and staff was getting a little worried we wouldn’t have enough gifts for everyone! Just in the nick of time, we get a call from Diane Bonanno's office at Rutgers Recreation. The seventh annual Big Chill 5K is on Saturday, Dec.12 and instead of paying a fee, entrants are asked to bring an unwrapped toy for children in need across the garden state. With nearly 5,000 people signed up – we’re sure our patients, and many lucky kids around the state, will have a wonderful holiday with presents to spare. Since its inception, the race has provided over 20,000 presents to several NJ charities including the NJ Housing Authority and now PSE&G Children’s Specialized Hospital – New Brunswick. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Clause… and he’s running through New Brunswick on Saturday!
As expected, our staff and generous supporters have given me a dose of holiday spirit.
What is your favorite holiday memory or tradition? Here at Children’s or even at home with your family? What really gets you in the mood to break out the tinsel and eggnog?
Amy
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The Impact of Change
Many of you have received the recent news about the 2010 budget changes. I thought I would blog and give you a chance to ask questions anonymously or just offer a place to vent.
I want you to know that none of these decisions were easy and we sincerely regret that some of these decisions may impact you negatively. During the recent employee meetings, you consistently told me that it was most important to protect people's jobs and health benefits. The goal our senior leadership team decided from the very first discussion was to make sure that we had no lay offs, wanting no one to be out on the street during these tough economic times. In addition, we wanted to make sure our kids still have access to the services they so desperately need.
This was one of the most challenging situations we have ever faced. I know everyone on the team has had many sleepless nights contemplating the “what if we did this…” In the end, we accomplished our goal - no lay offs and our kids are receiving their services.
Even with the things we are doing, there is still great uncertainty in the world around us. The State of New Jersey is facing an $8 billion deficit. The Governor Elect has said that under no terms will he raise taxes. That means that all of our funding from the State, 50% of the children we serve, are at risk of funding cuts or elimination. We are still struggling to make sure that we can protect our kids in the federal health care reform. As you know from our employee meetings, the Senate bill doesn't yet have the language in it that would make sure our kids on Medicaid still have the same benefits as they do today.
We will be posting a memo on our intranet with all the details about the upcoming changes. Please take a look at this for reference and hopefully this will clear up any confusion.
Please post any questions. I’d love to clear up any rumors or ease concerns.
I thank you for your continued hard work and dedication to our children.
Amy
I want you to know that none of these decisions were easy and we sincerely regret that some of these decisions may impact you negatively. During the recent employee meetings, you consistently told me that it was most important to protect people's jobs and health benefits. The goal our senior leadership team decided from the very first discussion was to make sure that we had no lay offs, wanting no one to be out on the street during these tough economic times. In addition, we wanted to make sure our kids still have access to the services they so desperately need.
This was one of the most challenging situations we have ever faced. I know everyone on the team has had many sleepless nights contemplating the “what if we did this…” In the end, we accomplished our goal - no lay offs and our kids are receiving their services.
Even with the things we are doing, there is still great uncertainty in the world around us. The State of New Jersey is facing an $8 billion deficit. The Governor Elect has said that under no terms will he raise taxes. That means that all of our funding from the State, 50% of the children we serve, are at risk of funding cuts or elimination. We are still struggling to make sure that we can protect our kids in the federal health care reform. As you know from our employee meetings, the Senate bill doesn't yet have the language in it that would make sure our kids on Medicaid still have the same benefits as they do today.
We will be posting a memo on our intranet with all the details about the upcoming changes. Please take a look at this for reference and hopefully this will clear up any confusion.
Please post any questions. I’d love to clear up any rumors or ease concerns.
I thank you for your continued hard work and dedication to our children.
Amy
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Sometimes You Just Have to Laugh
Okay we are coming to the end of our first week on the new system. I recently heard a very funny story that I thought would make you smile. This made me wonder whether you may have ironic or funny Meditech stories. If you do, or have heard some, please share! They can be coping stories or just incidental things that have come up.
Joe Assante, facilities, was in the cafeteria in Mountainside when Pat De Martino, director of IT and point man on the whole magilla, came in with Joe Dobosh, CFO. Assante gives DeMartino and odd look and says to Pat "Why are you here? Isn't today is the big day? I am sure of it. I have seen signs all over the place. Isn't today the big Meditech Lunch?”
Pat completely deadpan responds "It's launch, not lunch. Today is the big launch."
Joe was of course pulling his leg trying to lighten the moment but I did laugh out loud.
How about you? Any stories?
I keep hearing threats to "dress" the cows with skirts so they look like Rosie the maid from the Jetsons! I’d love to see that!
Joe Assante, facilities, was in the cafeteria in Mountainside when Pat De Martino, director of IT and point man on the whole magilla, came in with Joe Dobosh, CFO. Assante gives DeMartino and odd look and says to Pat "Why are you here? Isn't today is the big day? I am sure of it. I have seen signs all over the place. Isn't today the big Meditech Lunch?”
Pat completely deadpan responds "It's launch, not lunch. Today is the big launch."
Joe was of course pulling his leg trying to lighten the moment but I did laugh out loud.
How about you? Any stories?
I keep hearing threats to "dress" the cows with skirts so they look like Rosie the maid from the Jetsons! I’d love to see that!
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