Situation: Leadership at a large, Midwestern hospital needed to address issues surrounding decreasing staff morale, lowered physician satisfaction, and ongoing concerns with leadership effectiveness in one of their largest operating units. Despite increased capacity, patient volumes were flat or falling. Physicians were complaining, and employee - management relations were strained.

Actions: Based on an in-depth assessment of the situation, HRSP worked in direct partnership with hospital leadership to:

• Design customized surveys of employee and physician satisfaction
• Conduct follow-up sessions with employee groups in order to understand ongoing staff issues and develop effective solutions
• Significantly increase understanding of employee satisfaction and organizational culture issues
• Develop effective reward and recognition strategies for unit staff
• Provide one-on-one coaching and leadership development for management of the affected unit
• Complete benchmarking studies of other area hospitals
• Design and implement an improved organizational structure for the unit

Results: In just over six months, these intense efforts resulted in gains to both patient volume and unit efficiency. Significant improvements were also made in a variety of critical performance areas for the unit, including:

• Communication between staff, physicians and management
• Unit leadership capabilities and functions
• Availability of equipment and resources
• Staff morale and satisfaction
• Unit members' understanding of unit goals and business objectives

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