The Client Challenge
Leaders of a nonprofit regional health system were focused on rapidly elevating system performance in the context of significant financial pressures—yet recognized the need for organizational alignment and stability for their providers and workforce. As a result, they prioritized embedding change management throughout the planning, approval, and implementation process across every performance improvement initiative. Long-term sustainability of the change was just as important as the change itself.
THE RISKS OF NOT PRIORITIZING CHANGE MANAGEMENT PLANS INCLUDE:
- Teams of caregivers unaware of the reasons for change
- Leaders failing to gather and incorporate feedback from those most affected
- Employees hearing mixed messages about what’s happening and when
- Providers unprepared to adopt new processes
- Public and private resistance to the changes
- Lack of real impact; anticipated gains never achieved across the organizations
Navigating to Next: The Solution
While implementing immediate changes in response to financial pressures, the health system’s leaders also began to assess a broader array of transformational changes that would be required to achieve their goals. Chartis partnered with them throughout this process and, with alignment on sustainability as a key measure of success, promptly began identifying opportunities for organizational transformation and creating plans to help the organization achieve long-term success.
The team quickly realized there was additional opportunity through this work by having leaders apply change management concepts and tactics within the context of implementation to enhance cultural development. This work included, for example, creation of unified “why” statements; refinement of the implementation plan with feedback from “the frontline”; and addressing policy, training, job aids, and other key needs. Meaningful engagement and participation of both the clinical and nonclinical workforce would be key success factors, as would training, education, and supportive tools.
Each initiative work plan required integrated change management elements prior to its approval and implementation. Chartis helped develop and pilot this thoughtful approach and guided leaders through facilitation of the change—ultimately driving acceptance, adoption, and achievement.
