e.crew Expands Across System
e.crew, the Associate-recognition group, has expanded this year to include individuals from across Beacon Health System. “From the start, e.crew has been about recognizing the best and the brightest, the go-to person in a department,” says Barbara Walsh, M.S.E.D, Beacon Organization Effectiveness – Facilitator. “It only made sense to highlight outstanding Associates throughout the health system.” 2014 marks the fifth year of e.crew, with more than 130 Associates having participated in the yearlong program that identifies people who exemplify our values of placing Patients at the center, Compassion, Respect, Integrity and Trust. New for 2014 is the expansion of e.crew to include Elkhart General Hospital, making for a total of 33 Associates across Beacon for this year’s e.crew team. More than just an employee recognition, e.crew offers members outstanding monthly opportunities to more deeply engage in the organization, including:
- Structured activities and training to enhance professional development
- Attendance at Leadership Connection Days
- Interaction with top leaders at Beacon
- Participation in a special project
“e.crew acts as an incubator allowing Associates to learn more about how the organization works and training opportunities, such as a communication skills seminar, that aides them in performing their job better,” says Barbara. While e.crew at its heart is more about a learning experience, it offers opportunities for Associates to work in teams to advance special projects that impact the health system in a large way, says Judy Finkler, Beacon Associate Relations Manager. For example, various e.crew members over the past few years have worked on an ongoing project aimed at enhancing the quality of care at night connected with sleep. From 2011 to 2013, e.crew members have underaken a variety of important tasks to improve the patient-care experience at night, including patient surveys, a noise study, equipment and environmental assessments, introduction of patient sleep kits and equipment modifications. More great things are to come as a result of e.crew, particularly with Elkhart General Associates being selected for this well-deserved honor. “Associates form friendships with their peers. They learn about the depth and breadth of our organization. They interact with senior leaders. They learn new skills,” says Judy. “e.crew is yet another reminder of the outstanding quality of our Associates and why it’s so important to recognize their efforts.”
“e” What?!
The idea for e.crew was conceived in 2009 when then Vice President of Human Resources, George Soper, Ph.D., met with Associates Barbara Walsh, Judy Finkler, Jinny Longbrake and former Associate Deborah Drendall. Led by George, the group wanted to create a program to recognize and develop Associates. As they brainstormed, words beginning with the letter “e,” like Excellent and Empathetic, kept popping up. The creative juices kept flowing when the group, wanting to create a name that was catchy, thought of capitalizing on an established brand, specifically JCrew. And just like that, e.crew was born.
