Achievement Awards Spotlight: West Virginia University Medicine Uniontown Hospital

August 30, 2024

HAP's annual Achievement Awards honor hospitals and health systems for their innovation, creativity, and commitment to patient care. The Achievement Awards showcase and share member hospitals’ and health systems’ successful programs and best practices.

This year, West Virginia University Medicine Uniontown Hospital won the Workforce Innovators Award for its all-hands-on approach to improvement and sustainability.

A simple and intentional approach was needed to inspire and activate a tired leadership team and workforce who had experienced CEO turnover, the pandemic, a system merger, and a new electronic health record implementation within a 14-month timeframe.

Here’s what you need to know:

• The opportunity:  The hospital focused on opportunities to define and build a new organizational culture following an eventful 14-month period that included leadership changes, the pandemic, the finalization of an acquisition, and a new electronic health record.
• Taking action:  The cultural transformation featured three main tenants, including casting a vision for the future; defining cultural shifts; and aligning through role clarity.
  • A simple lean management system created a common way to approach problem and storytelling provided reinforcement and recognition.
• Key components:  The hospital defined a clear vision statement for the short and long-term; identified opportunities to foster collaboration and to clarify roles and align goals for the leadership team.
• Results:  In 2023, the hospital saw record growth, including an 11 percent increase in surgical case volume; a 10 percent increase in inpatient admissions, and equal growth in the outpatient setting. The hospital also significantly reduced turnover and saw a 35 percent decrease in patient safety events.
• Quotable: “What could not be measured but is palpable throughout the organization and the community is the livening of the entire team,” the team noted in its entry.

Congratulations to West Virginia University Medicine Uniontown Hospital for its outstanding commitment to improvement and sustainability. Learn more about the project online.

Questions about the HAP Achievement Awards may be directed to HAP Member Services at (717) 561-5359.