Huddle Up

What a good looking team!

Joining Johnson Health Center, the goals of my position seemed daunting enough: raise the standard of women’s healthcare at the Health Center and build continuity of patient care across the inpatient and outpatient system.  To meet these goals, I began with the foundation of a health center: not its building, but rather, its staff.

Is it a boy or a girl?

I respect the OB/GYN staff that worked before me to keep the women’s health services functioning, but it took months to reorient existing staff, and replace ineffective positions to create an integrated care model. Before me, a lengthy time of revolving leaders caused skilled staff to retreat into self-preservation mode to keep the doors open and provide basic services.  It would take great determination to build trust in the sustainability of our program and inspire the staff to take ownership of their jobs.  For example, when I came to the Health Center, the reception and scheduling staff had no communication with the clinical staff.  Each made their own decisions without regard for how those decisions impacted a patient’s visit experience.  This caused frustration for both patients and staff with long wait times and conflicting patient information.  During these months of transition, I suggested installing a beer tap at the nurse’s station to get everyone through the day!

NST's are so much fun.

Prior to Johnson Health Center, I had worked across the spectrum of obstetrics and gynecology; from private practice, to hospital employment, and public health.  I learned to adapt patient care algorithms and staff resources to the needs at hand.  I had previously worked alone and with physician partners, with Women’s Health Nurse Practitioners and Certified Nurse Midwives, and supervised medical students, nursing students, and resident physicians.  I would draw from all of these experiences to build the OB/GYN Department we have today.

I will spare you the cliché sports analogies, but the best snapshot of our building process was initiating a morning “huddle.”  Being born and raised in Pittsburgh, I thought of Chuck Noll, former head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.  He was the architect of the “Steel Curtain,” a virtually impregnable defensive line, built on extraordinary drafting and teamwork development.  In the 1974 NFL Draft, Noll picked four future Football Hall of Fame players in his first five draft picks…a feat never repeated.  Our morning “huddle” lasts only a few minutes, before the doors even open.  Our focus is a planning look at the day’s schedule from all logistical positions: patient registration, nursing, medical providers, sonographer, equipment, and behavioral health.  We review the previous day’s hospital admissions and identify the current day’s challenges.  Our purpose is to consider all patient-care areas and coordinate their activities into a seamless flowing patient visit.  This encourages everyone to identify problems beforehand and remain focused on our mission: the best possible patient care outcome.

A smile lowers your blood pressure.

Looking back on our first year, I believe we have met our department goals with the hard work of an excellent team. From the front desk, to the medical providers, to the allied health staff, our department works tireless to coordinate daily out-patient visits, obstetric and gynecologic ultrasounds, in-house laboratory, antenatal testing, mental healthcare, case management, and both in-patient and out-patient hospital procedures.  Everyone works together, patients are happy, and we use all our resources efficiently to provide excellent quality of care.

Go Team!