| Wright Medical Center Reinvents Rural Healthcare |
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t would be easy for a small hospital without the resources of HUMC to excuse its lack of a sophisticated strategic planning and evaluation process. |
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| But at Wright Medical Center, a 25-bed critical access facility in Clarion, Iowa, alignment, execution and accountability are hardwired through cross-functional pillar teams. The teams track progress on metrics that align to organizational goals in a detailed strategic plan by Pillar (see sidebar to download a copy) and matching Pillar goals in Leader Evaluation Manager. |
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| Each team has its own mission, vision, and focus. For example, the people pillar team is working to make Wright an employer of choice. A low cost home loan program is in the works for employees who want to move to Clarion. The growth pillar team is focusing on what it means to sustain and support Wright’s 140% growth over recent years. And the quality team tracks everything from HIPAA compliance to pain scores on patient satisfaction surveys. |
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| The teams meet monthly with senior leaders to update on results and future plans. Each pillar is equally weighted at 20% on the hospital score card. And it’s results on these goals that establish CEO Steve Simonin’s year end evaluation. |
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Working the Plan
“Studer Group helped us operationalize our strategic plan by simplifying it with a five pillar framework and then coaching us on how to make it real for front-line employees,” explains Simonin. |
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| The overriding goal? To change the perception that rural healthcare facilities are “band aid” stations along the way to “real” care in larger metropolitan hospitals. And Wright is succeeding. In fact, it earned a recent site visit from the Baldrige-based Iowa Quality Award as a first step in their Baldrige journey. |
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Getting Results
Inpatient satisfaction is in the 98th percentile compared to all hospitals (Press Ganey); employee turnover is at just 2% with no openings for RNs. Employee morale is at 100%. Physicians are engaged. And growth averages 10% per year. As a result, Wright has been able to afford a major remodel of the medical center that offers the ambiance of a five star resort, complete with free massages, in-room video games and complimentary long-distance calling cards. Wright was even honored as one of HealthLeader Media’s top ten healthcare leadership teams in 2007. |
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| Can a small hospital really expect to perform as well as a big system? “I think it’s actually easier to be successful in a small organization because you can respond to the environment and deviations more quickly,” adds Simonin. “It’s a lot easier to turn a sailboat than a cruise ship.” |
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