StrategyShare19, an annual, interactive event at Vanderbilt University Medical Center to showcase innovations and initiatives to advance the Medical Center’s Strategic Directions, is focusing this year on Design for Patients and Families — one of the four Strategic Directions — and efforts to enhance patient, clinician and staff experiences.
The half-day event is Tuesday, June 18, at Langford Auditorium from 12:30 until 5 p.m., and is open to all members of the VUMC community.
Topics during StrategyShare19 will include both existing and proposed Medical Center initiatives that use proven technologies and techniques from other industries to improve the care experience of patients and their families. The event will include a series of TED-style talks, power pitch presentations, networking opportunities and more.
A team of more than 40 individuals representing a diverse mix of of clinical teams, patients, community leaders, Medical Center administrators and others with a stake in patient care has been meeting to capture what patients want from experiences with other industries to suggest designs for health care.
“I’m absolutely certain there will be ideas that will emerge from this that will improve the patient and family experience,” said Paul Sternberg Jr., MD, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Patient Experience Officer.
“For example, we know that coordination of care is a challenge, we know that access is a challenge, and we may not do as good a job at patient education as we could.
“Our hope is that the bright and creative people that connect with these ideas through participation in StrategyShare19 in June are going to help us identify impactful ways to make some shifts in the quality of patient experience and the quality of care that we provide,” Sternberg said.
During a recent meeting, the StrategyShare19 planning team reviewed profiles of simulated VUMC patients representing a wide range of demographics, medical histories and socioeconomic backgrounds. They brainstormed innovations and technologies that could be used to improve patients’ quality of life and their overall health care experience. For example, an elderly patient with limited transportation could be connected with resource agencies in the community that could provide easily scheduled rides to medical appointments.
“One of the most important things about this work is putting the patient in the center of our care and our decision making,” said Laura Beth Brown, RN, MSN, vice president of Vanderbilt Health Services.
“The other piece that’s really important is engaging staff at all levels throughout the organization to influence our strategic direction.
“Designing care for patients and families, innovation, experience — all of these things create a care path that help us provide optimal experiences for anyone who comes through the doors of our hospitals and our clinics, in homes or anywhere where we deliver care. And we should have shared voices in all of our decision making; we should have the patient’s voice, the caregiver’s voice, the voice of the people who keep our hospitals clean. This effort is to engage all the voices within our organization and, most importantly, the patients’ voices, as we deliver care in an optimal way,” Brown said.
StrategyShare19 is an initiative of the VUMC Strategic Directions team, which is led by Reed Omary, MD, MS, professor and chair of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, and Jennifer Pietenpol, PhD, Executive Vice President for Research and director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, with the support of William Stead, MD, Chief Strategy Officer for VUMC.
For additional information on StrategyShare19 or to register, go to www.vumc.org/strategy/strategyshare19.
