Faced with a dizzying array of needs of Associates at differing levels of education, Holy Cross Hospital has undertaken a number of initiatives in the last two years to transform itself into a learning institution.
Those initiatives include hiring a Chief Learning Officer, establishing Holy Cross University, and teaming a Director of Clinical Education with a Director of Organizational Development & Training to increase the convenience of and access to education.
Mary Lou Alonso, RN, Director of Clinical Education, who has an education background worked closely with Kathy Domenico, Director of Organizational Development & Training, to form Holy Cross University and foster a commitment to lifelong learning throughout the organization. They also serve as consultants to members of the Leadership Team, tailoring courses to meet their Associates needs.
Kathy Domenico (left) and Mary Lou Alonso (right) formed Holy Cross University.
“Today, there is more of a hunger for education than theres ever been,” said Domenico. “The norm had been to focus only on Nursing. Now, the focus is on all of allied health.”
Holy Cross Universitys six schools are the:
School of Management and Leadership: where classes include New Leadership Orientation, Practical Coaching Skills, Analytical Problem Solving and Conducting Effective Meetings.
School of Individual Development and Growth: where classes include GED, English as a Second Language and Stress Management.
School of Technology: where classes include PowerPoint, Publisher, Access and more.
School of Clinical Training & Development: where classes included Nursing Orientation, Basic EKG Interpretation, Infection Control, Physical Assessment and Sterile Processing.
School of Spiritual Development: where classes include Retirement as a Spiritual Journey.
School of Quality Improvement: where classes include Rapid Process Improvement (RPI), Process Management and Reduction of Medical Errors. Through the RPI, teams devise ways to fix broken processes. In fact, Holy Cross experienced a positive financial impact when the Charge Capture process was reevaluated and reworked.
Holy Cross has set up an Education Advisory Board made up of Associates and is enhancing the website to permit self-registration for courses. Through the Learning Management System, best practices are promoted.
“As we look to meet Associates needs, blended learning (part instructor live on-line and part curriculum) may assume a bigger part of the educational picture,” said Alonso.
Associates who dont own personal computers can still take advantage of blended learning. The Holy Cross Learning Center offers Internet access and computer work stations, and Associates can go there to check out hundreds of CDs through the Total Training Network, which allows yet another opportunity for professional and personal development.
The Learning Center also serves as the site for many of the Holy Cross University courses, and Associates can visit the Center to learn more about educational opportunities available through Netg Harvard Manager, RN.com, and Swank Healthcare.
One of the most exciting additions to the education menu at Holy Cross is the Computers on Wheels (COWs), which bring learning to the units, rather than requiring the Associates to leave their units.
“Its an easy way for Associates to learn about new policies and procedures,” Alonso said.
Multi-media is a critical component in the new education delivery systems, said Alonso, who underwent intensive multi-media training, and recently converted Holy Cross annual mandatory Enrichment from paper to computer. Incidentally, the money saved on paper contributed to the purchase of the COWs, and the response has been remarkable. In two months, one half of Holy Cross Associates completed Enrichment.
“The decision to bring in Chief Learning Officer Clayton Fitzhugh shows Administrations commitment to education,” said Domenico. “Training is no longer taking a back seat. It is being strategically aligned with the business unit.”
