| In contrast to the leisurely pace of my canoe trips the | | | | develop the new idea into a system or process that |
| world of healthcare is fast-paced and sometimes quite | | | | better meet the needs of patients. |
| changeable. Currently, there is a demand for significant | | | | There are many tools that are necessary to carry out |
| change in the delivery of healthcare in the United | | | | the work of implementing new systems and |
| States. There are numerous articles in medical journals, | | | | processes. Some of the tools are team building, quality |
| a plenitude of surveys and even political campaigns | | | | leadership, process mapping and process |
| that tell the medical profession that change is urgently | | | | improvement, and kaizen events. Another is knowing |
| needed to ensure delivery of quality healthcare to all | | | | the various strengths of your people so they can |
| citizens. The Institute of Medicine in its "Crossing the | | | | focus on the areas where they can make their best |
| Quality Chasm" lists ten important principles that a | | | | contribution. I would like to dwell a bit on this. A recent |
| healthcare provider should follow to fully meet the | | | | article in the American Society of Quality's "Quality |
| patient's needs; the principles are based upon | | | | Progress" magazine by Peter Merrill, "In the Lead," |
| patient-centered care. A recently completed survey by | | | | listed four types of contributors who are necessary to |
| the Commonwealth Fund indicated that 9 out of 10 | | | | the innovation process if it is to be successful. They |
| surveyed indicated they thought it important that a | | | | are Connectors, Doers, Creators and Developers. He |
| primary care physician should be responsible for the | | | | went on to list the characteristics of each. Let me |
| coordination and delivery of all medical care to a | | | | briefly list them here. |
| patient. As we know, this seldom happens in | | | | A Connector connects the dots, needs to understand, |
| healthcare in the U.S. | | | | doesn't like being told what to do, likes to think things |
| Fortunately, many healthcare sites are responding to | | | | through, likes to see the big picture, and likes to define |
| these pressures, even though funders are not very | | | | problems. A Connector won't necessarily be strong in |
| supportive in general. Hospitals are adopting the | | | | all of these characteristics but will possess most. |
| techniques of Lean Quality and Six Sigma to improve | | | | A Doer likes to get things done, make things work, |
| at their sites. The capacity to deliver coordinated care | | | | prefers facts over theory, has high energy and takes |
| at the primary site is being established as the Patient | | | | risks, and pushes for acceptance. A Doer possesses |
| Centered Medical Home. If funders and purchasers of | | | | most of these traits. |
| healthcare adequately support this movement it seems | | | | A Creator likes to think in terms of possibilities, see |
| that there may be a significant improvement in the | | | | situations as having good and bad sides, doesn't fuss |
| delivery of healthcare in the U.S. | | | | with details, likes to hear about problems and own |
| I believe that the best healthcare providers will respond | | | | them, and likes to find out the facts. A Creator |
| to these pressures as the best businesses respond to | | | | possesses many of these traits. |
| the needs of their customers. In responding to these | | | | Finally, a Developer likes to bring things down to earth, |
| demands these healthcare sites will have healthier | | | | likes right answers, likes to analyze data, likes precision |
| patients, a better bottom line, and more time to get | | | | and plans and tends to be very focused and thorough. |
| things done. Numerous studies of hospitals that | | | | Scientists and mathematicians frequently fall in this |
| responded to the call of improved quality through | | | | category. |
| continuous improvement programs have reaped the | | | | I suggest that as you build teams at your site, |
| benefits. For instance, St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City | | | | assuming that you want to rise to the challenge of |
| dramatically improved their bottom line by 15% as it | | | | finding innovative ways to be more patient-centered at |
| sought after and won the Baldrige Award for Quality | | | | your site, that you try to populate your teams with |
| in Healthcare. The TransformMed project of the | | | | these types. In order to identify the chief characteristic |
| American Academy of Family Medicine reports | | | | of any particular employee, you might want to have |
| improved income for physicians who adopt the | | | | him or her examine the characteristics, without the |
| medical home concept. | | | | labels of Connector, Doer, Creator and Developer but |
| Sites that want to respond to the challenges of | | | | still grouped into the four types, and circle the traits that |
| improved patient focus must have the capacity or build | | | | they think most closely resemble the way he or she |
| the capacity to be innovative. Phil Crosby, a quality | | | | works and thinks. The one with the most circles is |
| improvement guru, stated that "Innovation is the | | | | probably that person's type in the innovation process. I |
| process of converting new knowledge into new | | | | scored high in Creator closely followed by Connector |
| products, services, and processes. Innovation in an | | | | and Doer. If you don't have a team member whose |
| organization can take place at a system, process or | | | | highest scores represent one of each of the four |
| product level." For healthcare providers, the focus of | | | | types, it is perfectly fine to choose someone whose |
| innovation should be at the system and process level. | | | | second highest strength is in one of the missing |
| Innovation as I mean it here is not just the "aha" | | | | categories. |
| moment of a new invention, but also the capacity to | | | | |