VA Healthcare-VISN 4
Employee Engagement - Facility Outcomes
Employee Engagement - Facility Outcomes
The Employees Association at James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center in Altoona expanded in 2016, offering a bus trip to New York City, an Altoona Curve baseball game, a Halloween party, and a holiday party for children.
James E. Van Zandt VAMC employees were also offered training sessions in the 7 pillars of Servant Leadership: being a person of character, putting people first, being a skilled communicator, being a compassionate collaborator, having foresight, being a systems thinker, and leading with moral authority.
Prior to a Topping Out Ceremony for VA Butler Healthcare's new Health Care Center, the final steel beam for the facility was displayed outside the main entrance at the main facility for approximately two weeks. This allowed all VA Butler employees the chance to sign their name and be a permanent part of the new building, which will be a modern and convenient facility for outpatient services, opening in 2017. Employees have been actively involved in the design and planning of this building since the project began.
Coatesville VA Medical Center was one of nine sites to be selected for the National Center for Organization Development Servant Leadership pilot program. This was an opportunity to help create a culture that supports high psychological safety and employee engagement throughout VA. Studies have concluded that servant leadership is positively associated with employee satisfaction. Just two results of the program there are a telephone etiquette project and a reduction in customer service complaints.
Erie VA Medical Center began offering free, on-site fitness classes through a partnership with the local YMCA. Yoga, interval training, and Tai Chi classes are now offered to all employees and Veterans four nights a week. More than 300 Veterans and employees have attended the fitness classes since they began.
Lebanon VA Medical Center was one of 22 sites nationally chosen to join the VA Innovators Network. Through this network, Lebanon VAMC will launch the Spark-Seed-Spread Innovation Funding Program. Employees will learn innovation-related competencies, such as Human Centered Design, and gain access to funding to support their innovation efforts.
At VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, a huddle board is a dry erase board that is used as a tool to incorporate continuous daily improvement into employees' work. Employees in workgroups who utilize the boards add issues or suggestions to improve efficiency and eliminate waste in the workgroup to the board throughout each day. Then, the employees hold 15-minute meetings, or huddles, to offer ideas for process improvements and lead the way in implementing their ideas. These voluntary huddles are driven by frontline staff and can occur daily, weekly, or as frequently as the workgroup determines is best. The workgroup uses the board to track and celebrate the implementation of each improvement.
Employees at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center now regularly receive thank you and WOW cards to receive positive feedback for outstanding contributions to the facility. WOW cards are available in clinics and common areas for colleagues, patients, or family members to fill out and drop in mail boxes for presentation at a department meeting. Thank you cards are an avenue for supervisors to recognize staff.
Employees at the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center developed a nationally recognized model for consistent staffing in the Community Living Center. This model allows residents to regularly receive care from the same caregivers, fostering a trust-based relationship with open communication and quicker recognition of health concerns. In addition to improved outcomes for the residents, studies have also shown consistent staffing reduces caregiver absence and generates a team environment.
A record-setting 71% of Wilmington VA Medical Center employees participated in the 2016 All Employee Survey.
