As hospital and health system workers continue to serve patients and experience staffing challenges, they have a lot on their minds, including questions they want their CEOs to ask them about topics ranging from employee input to care access.
To gain insight into front-line workers' top concerns, Becker's asked them to provide questions they want CEOs to ask them right now and share why they are pressing questions. Below are their responses, in alphabetical order.
Kayla Random Boatman, Christina Swanson and Andrew Selover. Customer Engagement Representatives, Medical Group Scheduling, at Renown Health (Reno, Nev.)
Question: Where do we see are the greatest needs for growth to serve our community? What is our plan to meet these needs?
Why this question is important: There is exponential growth in our area and especially in the rural community where there is a significant need for healthcare.
Tabby Dallmann. Customer Engagement Representative, Medical Group Scheduling, at Renown Health (Reno, Nev.)
Question: Regarding employee morale, what is something our organization could implement that would influence each member of each team individually and inspire our team members? What are the opportunities that our organization has to better support employees through updating policies and procedures?
Why this question is important: This is a pressing question given the challenge with being a competitive employer in today's evolving job market and how the organization is working to retain top talent.
Nikah Edwards and Lisa Flower. Customer Engagement Representatives, Medical Group Scheduling, at Renown Health (Reno, Nev.)
Question: How can our organization better recognize and hear suggestions for improvement from employees?
Why this question is important: With the evolving job market and financial challenges, employee engagement is critical to understanding where to focus time and attention.
Deb Gunter, RN. Registered Nurse at St. Joseph Medical Center (Kansas City, Mo.)
Question: Knowing that in healthcare, compensation is always going to be the key variable in recruiting and retaining great talent, how would you grow and stabilize our workforce to set St. Joseph Medical Center apart from our competition?
Why this question is important: Clearly, staffing and labor costs are one of the most pressing concerns for the viability of all hospitals post pandemic. Beyond compensation, we must build cultures that engage and energize our staff. This includes servant leadership, creating opportunities for continuous learning and quality improvement, breaking down silos and teamwork throughout the hospital — as opposed to just in individual departments — and creating a culture of joy and appreciation.
Lindsay Long. Behavioral Health Manager at St. John's Health (Jackson, Wyo.)
Question: How should the hospital be helping to promote mental health in the community?
Why this is important: This is a pressing question because it directly affects the health and wellness of the staff as well as the larger community.
Question: What am I doing that I should keep doing?
Why this is important: This is an important question because providing feedback and support for what is going well provides important direction for the CEO and ultimately the entire organization.
Kacie Martin. Customer Engagement Representative, Medical Group Scheduling, at Renown Health (Reno, Nev.)
Question: What is my biggest challenge in my day-to-day work and how is it affecting my time at work?
Why this question is important: The importance of supporting employees with mental health and work-life balance.
J.P. Pratt. Customer Engagement Representative, Medical Group Scheduling, at Renown Health (Reno, Nev.)
Question: What are you hearing from our patients about their challenges with our organization? How can we better support you with the tools that would be beneficial to solving their issues — and in doing so, make you feel better about solving their problems?
Why this question is important: We need to constantly consider and hear from our patients and customers about how our business changes are impacting their lives, finances and care.
Madonna Ramzey, BSN, RN. Critical Care Nurse at Penn Medicine's Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)
Question: Over the past six months, I have been lucky enough to be a fellow in a program at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania that promotes diversity within leadership — the Diversity Nurse Leadership Fellowship. Through the program, we shadow leaders across HUP and learn several important leadership skills. This is done while I still work full-time as a bedside nurse, so I have had the unique opportunity of experiencing our organization on a micro level, within different departments, as well as being able to glimpse at the macro level through this program. One of my favorite things about Penn is its ability to lean into unknown territory in order to be as innovative as it has been. My question — in lieu of the advancements in artificial intelligence, what is our strategic vision for using AI and machine learning to streamline processes and enhance patient care? What is your vision of a technology empowered hospital on macro and micro levels over the next 20 years?
Why this question is important: This is a pressing question, because it seems that we, as a society, are on the precipice of engaging in a new revolution by merging artificial intelligence with healthcare. I have little doubt that Penn Medicine could be a leading figure at the forefront of that revolution.
Carmen Trujillo. Financial Assistance Caseworker at Cook County Health (Chicago)
Question: What have you learned from your previous experience that will help Cook County Health to improve the care and service we give our patients?
Why this question is important: We all learn from our past experiences. Sharing successes and lessons learned can help our whole team approach opportunities in new ways so we can better serve the patients who rely on us.