Nurses are at the forefront of the interdisciplinary teams leading the transformation of the healthcare system in the United States, according to Ascension's top nursing leader.
Writing in Health Progress, a publication of the Catholic Health Association, Ann Hendrich, PhD, RN, FAAN, says the move to a fee-for-value healthcare system requires a team effort, with physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, physical and occupational therapists, and others collaborating with each other and with those they serve across the continuum of care.
"This teamwork ethic produces an environment that cultivates the leadership potential of nurses and the care team," says Ann, who serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Quality/Safety and Nursing Officer for Ascension Health, the healthcare delivery subsidiary of Ascension. This is vital because "nurses have expertise in areas that are central to healthcare transformation, such as care management, health promotion and designing care models across the continuum," she says.
In the Health Progress article, Ann shares the stories of three Ascension nurses that demonstrate how nursing leaders build teams, foster collaboration and champion innovation.
The first story is about Jennifer Gengo, MSN, RN, CWOCN. Jennifer was serving as a clinical nurse specialist at St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport, Connecticut, when she brought an interdisciplinary approach to the problem of device-related pressure ulcers. The work of Jennifer and the team of professionals she assembled from across many disciplines led to changes in equipment and processes that made a positive difference in those they serve.
The second example is from St. Vincent's HealthCare in Jacksonville, Florida, where Amy Svensson, RN, CCRN-K, was selected to be a clinical ambassador for Ascension Health's Hospital Engagement Network, part of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Partnership for Patients initiative. During her 12 months in the role, Amy facilitated implementation of best practices to reduce patient harm at St. Vincent's three acute care hospitals in Jacksonville by tapping into the power of collaborative networks.
The third story relates how Debra Keith, MS, CNM, set out to address long wait times for women to see a provider at an OB-GYN clinic at Providence Hospital in Washington, D.C. – many of them from underserved areas of the city where they had few other options for perinatal care. While her initial motivation was to create positive healthcare experiences for these women, Debra ended up transforming perinatal care at her clinic, improving health outcomes for mothers and babies.
"As these stories illustrate, nurses at Ascension Health are emerging as leaders who have the education, capability and vision to innovate and to spearhead improvements in care quality and safety," Ann says. "In this new era, when the model of what healthcare looks like is changing, when there are financial imperatives to provide better care at lower cost and ethical imperatives to create seamless care experiences centered on the needs of the person, it's vital to fully cultivate the potential of our nurses to serve as partners in bringing about this transformation."
Click here to read the Health Progress article.
