Martin Health System is in the midst of two big developments to move the organization forward: opening Tradition Medical Center, a new hospital in west Port St. Lucie, and continuing its lean management journey to improve quality, efficiency and patient outcomes.

 

Martin Health System has put a robust process of education at the forefront of each of these developments to ensure the organization’s continued success.

 

Onboarding, orientation and precepting of more than 600 new hires over a 2 1/2 month period for the new hospital has required careful planning and coordination.

 

Education needs range from practical clinical skills training and assessment, corporate policies and procedures, equipment training, and learning our computer based systems which include electronic medical records.

 

Given the large volume of individuals there has been a focus on not compromising the integrity of the education we routinely provide. Our preceptor program was reviewed and revised to support clinical staff once they reach the floors. Our team of clinical educators aligned to each service area provides further ongoing support throughout the career of the associate.

 

Weekly orientation programs run through the remainder of 2013 until the new hospital opens in December 2013. The goal is to provide new hires with excellent orientation that gives them robust preparation for their new roles, as well as a sense of support and excitement to be a part of the Martin Health System team.

 

Other special programs running simultaneously include a novice nurse program, where special training is provided to more than 70 newly-hired novice nurses, as well as critical care courses for RN’s.

 

Martin’s Learning and Organizational Development Department implemented a major initiative in its lean management journey with a suite of programs called Training Within Industry. Key associates at Martin Health were trained on how to deliver two elements of TWI: job relations (JR) and job instruction (JI).

 

Job relations is a standard method to manage people and team issues, while job instruction is a standard method in how to instruct a person to do a task correctly and develop standard work.

 

Martin’s goal in implementing TWI is to provide associates and leaders with the skills to support our culture, which puts people at the forefront of improvement and change with easy-to-apply methods to achieve results.

 

More than 200 associates and leaders were trained in both job relations and job instruction in 2013, demonstrating Martin Health’s commitment to developing a culture of results through its associates.

 

As Martin Health continues to grow and enhance the services available in the community, learning and organizational development has played a pivotal role. And as Martin Health seeks to continue building a culture of excellence, that role will only grow more vital.