By Jay Juffre
No matter if a member of your team has been with you for a decade or just started ten months ago, they have something in common. Both have been working through the COVID-19 pandemic and therefore have needed to alter their approach to patient care. A recent Harvard Business Review article on this subject speaks about the incredible change that has occurred in the workplace for both new and veteran employees. The fundamentals which organizations took for granted as part of the culture (and the way business was done) in many areas has eroded. This is very true when it comes to patient care. It is nobody’s fault, but let’s face it, when folks needed even routine medical care over the past 18 months, the atmosphere was just plain different. Between the masks, the temperature checks, the questionnaires, the social distancing, and everything else, even a trip to the dentist for a routine cleaning felt more like going in for a root canal. There is a big need to get back to basics when it comes to how we approach patients and their families. Our people either have trouble remembering a time before COVID-19 or were not even part of the team when it started. When you add the stress that they (and everyone) have been under, clearly there is an opportunity to reset things. So, meet as a team. This is nobody’s fault but gain agreement on the path forward as it relates to creating alignment on the ground rules. What will be the plan to get everyone in a great place when it comes to execution and consistency? How can we get everybody trained (or retrained) the right way? The organization and health systems that deliver the best patient experience complimented by high staff engagement will win. Others will struggle or worse so make a commitment today to execute the fundamentals. Your patients and teams will thank you.
Jay Juffre is Executive Vice President, ImageFIRST. For more information on ImageFIRST, call 1-800-932-7472 or visit www.imagefirst.com.
