Case Study: West Virginia University Medicine Uniontown Hospital 2024 Achievement Award
Workforce Innovators—Small/Medium Division
Leveraging Culture, Governance and Leadership to Improve Patient Safety, An All-Hands-On Approach to Improvement and Sustainability
The Goal
A simple and intentional approach was needed to inspire and activate the 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.
Intervention
From the board to each team member, all had to be aligned to a common vision, understanding the relevance of their work, and the unique role they played in sustained improvement.
While improvement began immediately upon data transparency, three specific steps were deployed to align and guide the needed cultural transformation:
- Casting a vision for the future
- Defining cultural shifts
- Aligning through role clarity
A simple lean management system created a common way to approach problem solving, and storytelling provided reinforcement and recognition. An Equation for Change was used as a diagnostic tool to inform the change management process.
Results
During 2023, volume growth continued at record levels. The hospital experienced an 11 percent increase in surgical case volume, a 10 percent increase in inpatient admissions, with equal growth in the outpatient setting. The difference this year, however, was the improvement in staff engagement and patient safety.
- Staff Engagement: 10 percent turnover reduction resulting in 100 more employees and $4 million agency labor savings
- Patient Safety: Decrease patient safety events by 35 percent (hospital-acquired pressure injuries, VTE, CAUTI, CLABSI, falls with injury)
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Topics: Quality Initiatives, Workforce
Revision Date: 2/20/2024
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