Cultivating a Culture of Continuous Improvement: A Collaborative Journey

To ensure that Summa Health delivers outstanding service to our community, we have the motto, “Everyone has two jobs: doing the job and improving the job”. The concept of continuous improvement stands as a cornerstone for our organizational growth and success in the dynamic and ever evolving environment of healthcare. However, embracing this philosophy goes beyond mere lip service; it requires fostering a culture deeply rooted in collaboration, innovation and shared accountability. The principles and practices essential for building a culture of continuous improvement (CI) together include:

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The Role of Collaboration: Central to the CI journey is the spirit of collaboration. When individuals come together, pooling their diverse perspectives, expertise and experiences, they form a collective intelligence that fuels innovation. Collaboration through CI project teams breaks down silos, fosters cross-functional communication and cultivates a sense of ownership and belonging within the organization.

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Empowering Through Feedback: Feedback serves as a catalyst for improvement, providing valuable insights and perspectives for growth. Creating a culture where feedback flows freely and constructively is paramount. Encouraging open dialogue, active listening and constructive criticism fosters a learning environment where individuals feel empowered to iterate and innovate continuously.

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Establishing Clear Goals and Metrics: Clear goals and measurable metrics provide the roadmap for CI efforts. By setting achievable objectives and tracking progress against key performance indicators, teams can gauge their impact and course-correct as needed. Transparent communication of goals fosters alignment and accountability, ensuring that everyone is working toward a common purpose.

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• Set specific and quantifiable goals and move away from anecdotal statements that are mostly driven by outliers. Investing time to develop simple and goals with clearly defined intent will yield better results.
• Healthcare processes are highly integrated and require collaboration, so instead of making assumptions about needs, talk and understand requirements. Do not be afraid of asking questions about if activities add value or not.
• When there is a business mistake, ask the question - how did our process let this mistake happen instead of “who did it.” Have a non-blaming culture. Remember, no one makes a mistake intentionally, processes or infrastructure drive business errors.

Author:

Mustafa Culcuoglu, System Director, Performance Solutions