1. Developing Frontline Teams To Drive Health System Transformation
Jeffrey J. Glasheen, MD; Ethan Cumbler, MD; Patrick P. Kneeland, MD; Jennifer L. Wiler, MD, MBA; Daniel Hyman, MD, MMM;
Gail Armstrong, DNP, PhD(c), ACNS-BC, CNE; Sarah J. Caffrey, MBA; Zachary Robison, MBA; Bryan Gomez, BA;
Molly Lane, BS; Michelle Rove, BS; Heather J. Bennett, MS, MBA; and Read G. Pierce, MD University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
Developing Frontline Teams To Drive Health System Transformation
Key Point
Trained and Resourced Interprofessional Teams Can Eliminate Harm, Improve Quality, and Reduce Waste
Conclusion
Background
Purpose
Healthcare is shifting from a focus on volume to value.
This transition requires frontline clinical leaders who can build and manage teams, care processes, and systems.
Traditional health professional training does not provide necessary skills such as leadership, quality improvement (QI), patient safety (PS), and health systems operations to support this transformation.
Many frontline clinical leaders do not have adequate resources and support to pursue complex systems redesign.
Develop high-functioning clinical teams that are trained, resourced, and aligned with broader organizational goals in order to improve the value of the care we provide.
Description
A comprehensive training and development program aimed at creating, resourcing, and supporting high-functioning clinical leadership teams can facilitate academic medical centers’ efforts to pursue high-value care and achieve measurable improvement.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Jeanne Harris
In January 2013, the Institute for Healthcare Quality, Safety and Efficiency (IHQSE) at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus launched the Certificate Training Program (CTP).
This 1-year training program annually accepts inter- professional, unit-based Clinical Leadership Teams (CLT).
The CTP curriculum focuses on enhancing team performance, leadership development, and process improvement. Participants meet weekly—twice monthly for 4-hour classroom sessions, and twice monthly with their CLT for coaching sessions.
The CLTs receive support from a coach, process improvement (PI) specialist, and a data analyst (DA).
Upon graduation from CTP, the CLTs maintain their coaching, PI, and DA support in order to pursue continuous quality improvement.
The CTP is run by 8 faculty members with support from 6 process improvement and data analyst staff and an administrative assistant.
Outcomes
Two cohorts consisting of 82 participants representing 25 CLTs completed the CTP in 2013 and 2014.
Comparing before and after program surveys revealed significant improvements in self-perceptions of leadership, team building, QI, PS, and efficiency skills (Table 1).
CLT project work has resulted in significant quality, safety, efficiency and experience improvements (Table 2).
Overall cost avoidance and revenue benefit exceeds $5 million.