Does your hospital have effective internal communication? It can help increase your employees’ job satisfaction, productivity, commitment, engagement and morale. Like any other communication effort, internal ones should be measured–in this case, it’s important to focus on outputs and outcomes.
Continue reading “How Hospitals Can Measure Internal Communication Efforts”
The public knows or suspects your hospital has admitted an elected official, celebrity, VIP or other high-profile patient. A situation like this will really test your staff’s knowledge and compliance with HIPAA.
Your hospital’s policies and procedures should cover situations on protecting patient confidentiality, but let’s look at how communications should be handled.
Continue reading “Protecting the Privacy of a High-Profile Patient”
Capacity building, a process of individual and institutional development that leads to higher levels of staff skills and a greater ability to perform useful research, is a trend many hospitals and healthcare providers are adopting. At its core, capacity building is about improving effectiveness at the organizational level. This ranges from dealing with crises (e.g. Zika, Ebola) to identifying ways to promote social services.
For communities, the outcomes of a healthcare provider’s capacity building should include more involvement in problem solving, increased access to resources and a sense of how to best co-exist.
Community members often will become healthier, showing signs of optimism and trust and a focus on unification. Rather than saying “nothing works,” healthy communities embrace a “we can do it” attitude.
To start a capacity building program, you must start with internal buy-in from top-down. Make sure you include internal audiences in the process, speak in a language they’ll understand and engage them as early as possible. Also, be explicit about the benefits of the program, identify and manage risks and listen to any concerns.
Next, make sure you have the resources and readiness to sustain a campaign for an indefinite amount of time. Consider applying for a capacity building grant; projects that may be eligible for grants include strategic planning, board development and staff training.
Lastly, seek out external stakeholders, such as community leaders, educators and vendors. Invite these stakeholders to a few capacity-building events, including visits to project sites. Stay in communication with them through social media and e-newsletters.