Moving Forward: Summit Update
Anne Hyduk, Nursing Administrative Supervisor; Candace Andresen, Director of Memorial’s Emergency Care Center; Bev Teegarden, Vice President of Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Officer of Memorial; Molly Kelly, Emergency Care Center Project Lead; Kreg Gruber, President of Memorial; Terry Stefanski, of Navigant Consulting; Melanie Gullixson, of Navigant Consulting; Jean McCarthy, of Navigant Consulting; Sandy Kowalski, Memorial Lean Practitioner/Six Sigma Black Belt; Linda Kosnik, of Navigant Consulting; Diana Custer, Vice President of Operations at Memorial; and Michelle Hurst, of Navigant Consulting.
Climbing a mountain is one of the most physically demanding tasks any human can undertake. The arduous journey can be filled with many difficulties—inclement weather, rough terrain, reduced level of oxygen and the sheer challenge of moving upward, step after step. Such an adventure often involves a group of people, equipped with the necessary tools and resources, all working together to move forward. As the team rises higher and higher through hard work and determination, all the stress, the pain and the sacrifices evaporate when you reach your goal—the summit.
Such a journey has begun at Memorial Hospital where teams of Associates are working together to achieve something that will transform how things are done for the betterment of our patients, and our Associates. The Summit Project is a three-year house-wide improvement initiative that will impact every department.
Memorial President Kreg Gruber was joined by several other key leaders at a Summit kick-off event Feb. 6. Bev Teegarden, Vice President of Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Officer; Diana Custer, Vice President of Operations; Steve Huffman, Chief Information Officer; and Candace Andresen, Emergency Care Center Director, share enthusiasm about this patient-care driven initiative.
“It’s about a cultural change, transforming the very good work of today into something even better,” says Kreg. “We have such outstanding leaders and engaged Associates that we can do this together. We can take Memorial to the next level.”
Memorial’s entire patient-care model will be transformed, starting with the Emergency Department. Departments will be working hand in hand with each other, including integrating processes, managing the delivery of care and streamlining of operations. This will enhance the overall system for progressing patients from admission to discharge, reducing wait times and making patient care more predictable. Patient care, while remaining compassionate as always, will be more efficient thanks to improved communication and greater alignment among departments. Stay tuned.
