Leaders throughout City of Hope will soon begin implementing improvements in their departments based on results of the organizational employee survey.
“The survey was taken very seriously as a means to learn from those who know and care the most, as we work together to improve our institution,” said Alexandra M. Levine, M.D., chief medical officer.
 Liz Dunne describes survey results to medical center leaders (Photo by p.cunningham) |
Levine and Liz Dunne, executive officer of the medical center, presented survey results covering the entire organization as well as the medical center at a special meeting for medical center leaders Oct. 23. Supervisors also were provided with results specific to each of their departments.
According to employee feedback in the survey, which was conducted in June, the medical center has several major strengths: Employees are committed to and have confidence in City of Hope’s values and strategic direction, exert extra effort, feel a sense of organizational pride, and intend to stay at the institution.
The survey also highlighted opportunities for improvement: Leaders should continue to improve and build a culture of patient safety, enhance recognition and reward programs, become more staff focused and improve processes. These strengths and opportunities were consistent across all of City of Hope.
Based on the survey results, City of Hope’s executive team identified two institutional priority areas for fiscal year 2009: building a culture of patient safety and improving rewards and recognition programs. Medical center leadership has embraced these two areas.
“Patient safety is a priority over all other activities and projects,” Levine said. “City of Hope provides outstanding patient care, and now we have the opportunity to be a national leader in patient safety. We are on our way to developing a culture where we use every opportunity to learn how to provide a safer environment for each patient under our care.”
Dunne noted that all of the opportunities identified in the survey are linked. “Addressing patient safety and reward and recognition will positively impact leadership engagement and process improvement,” she said.
Levine and Dunne unveiled plans addressing both priority areas within the medical center, and asked leaders to share the survey results and improvement plans with their staffs. In February, medical center leaders will reconvene to share their department-specific successes and to provide feedback.
Entity-specific and department-specific survey results will be provided in the coming months to physicians, as well as to staff in Development and External Affairs, Beckman Research Institute and Business Support Services.