Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1464704
M E A S U R E S TA K E N P R I O R to t he pandemic and meaningful adjustments ma de i n respon se to COV I D -19 set St. Joseph's Health up for success and enabled them to maintain capacity and ser ve their community during one of the most difficult times in healthcare's modern history. Fostering a team approach and shared governance set the precedence of unity by allowing nurses and other staff to share concerns which would then be addressed to improve patient safety, optimize positive outcomes, ensure job satisfaction, and elevate the overall experience of patients and their families. Working this way throughout the pandemic also brought the St. Joseph's Health team closer together, which measurably improved resiliency among staff, something still evident in the recovery phase following the initial and subsequent COVID-19 surges. "Our nursing team here is absolutely wonderful a nd comfor table with the ever-changing landscape, and they are able to effectively care for and support our community," says Jamie M. Kabanuk, DNP, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Chief Nursing Officer at St. Joseph's Health. RAISING THE BAR FOR CLINICAL EXCELLENCE Kabanuk believes promoting employee engagement a nd empowerment — in tangible ways — can directly improve patient safety and outcomes. "We promote a shared decision-making platform here at St. Joseph's Health, and we use our shared governance committee and our unit practice committees to ele- vate the voice of our bedside colleagues," Kabanuk says, noting how this approach allows for faster and better identifica- tion of issues so changes can be made to improve patient care and experience. This approach also empowers the clinical team because they know their input is heard, valued and taken seriously. "Our Unit Practice Council (UPC) is right down at a unit level, including our licensed staff and unlicensed staff, ancillary staff and manager/leadership staff, to be a part of bringing the unit's voice to the higher-ups," adds Helen " Melba" Ja mes, M H A , R N, Inter i m Director, Capacity Management Center at St. Joseph's Health. St. Joseph's Health uses a tiered huddle approach to make it happen. First, the UPC will meet and bring ideas to their managers and leadership. Leadership then huddles and passes this information to directors at another tier level, then it travels to administrators, and on to VPs. Messages heard during the initial UPCs are also heard by practice admin- istrators, the CEO, finance officers and human resources. "So, it really goes all the way to the top," James says. "Now, when those concerns are communicated and employees start to see changes, they realize they are a big voice — not a little voice — in this organization, and that there is a whole team behind them at different layers and at different levels of administration willing to help them." Kabanuk says shared governance was exemplified when a bedside colleague expressed the need for a designated dis- charge nurse who could provide support and one-on-one attention to patients during the discharge process. Assisting patients during this process was often time-consuming for staff and sometimes confusing for patients. The adminis- trators listened and decided to provide this new service — tangible proof that St. Joseph's Health: THE PANDEMIC CAUSED UNIMAGINABlE CHAllENGES FOR HE AlTHCARE SYSTEMS ACROSS THE WORlD. IN CENTR Al NE W YORK, ST. JOSEPH'S HE AlTH WA S UP TO THE TA SK. BY ROBIN OVERBAY Empowered, Engaged and Resilient 0 6 ❱❱❱❱❱ C O V E R S T O R Y