BSD and Hospitals Sponser achieving Breakthroughs Initiative
Leadership of the Hospitals and BSD have jointly committed to implementing an initiative called "Achieving Breakthroughs in Service and Operational Excellence." It is a systematic approach which will enable UCH to provide superior health care by improving the work environment for physicians and staff, increasing patient satisfaction and insuring excellence in clinical quality and safety.
Chief Operating Officers of UCH (Kenneth Kates) and BSD (Kenneth Sharigian) are executive sponsors, providing leadership in planning and implementing the initiative. The project structure includes a Steering Committee and involves physician representatives in virtually every aspect of the initiative. Status updates are regularly provided to BSD leaders.
Leadership accountability and evaluation are critical elements within Achieving Breakthroughs. Every hospital leader and employee is linked to five major categories of organizational goals: People, Service, Quality, Growth and Finance. ( The categories of goals are frequently referred to as "Pillars" to underscore their importance). Under each "pillar", leaders have committed to and are held accountable for achieving specific goals. For example -- a department manager might have goals related to patient satisfaction, meeting service expectations of internal departments, reducing staff vacancies in key positions, and meeting budget targets.
Achieving Breakthroughs establishes clear accountability structures to insure that proven, leadership practices which drive excellence are firmly established throughout the entire organization. (This is commonly referred to as "hardwiring".) Both formal training (quarterly Leadership Institutes) and informal coaching sessions are provided to support all leaders. Service Excellence Teams, which will soon be forming, provide opportunities for frontline employees to participate in developing processes and standards to insure that goals are achieved. To foster a culture of recognition, physicians, employees, and departments who are doing superior work will be acknowledged as role models.
Achieving Breakthroughs is an on-going systematic approach that will continue to be rolled out over a period of time. For further information regarding Achieving Breakthroughs, please contact either Ken Kates (kenneth.kates@uchospitals.edu) or Ken Sharigian (ksharigi@bsd.uchicago.edu).
Brain Tumor Center Funded by Dean's Initiative Maciej Lesniak, M.D., Department of Surgery, is passionate about providing the best possible care to patients diagnosed with brain tumors...
A Novel Look at SpeciationChung-I Wu, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Ecology and Evolution, has taken on the process of evolution at its genetic core. His work, primarily using Drosophila melanogaster, seeks to understand how certain genetic alterations manifest...
BSD and Hospitals Sponser Achieving Breakthroughs InitiativeLeadership of the Hospitals and BSD have jointly committed to implementing an initiative called "Achieving Breakthroughs in Service and Operational Excellence...
DISCOVERIES
The BSD to announce the appointment of T. Conrad Gilliam, Ph.D., as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Human Genetics, effective September 1, 2004...
DEVELOPMENT
The new academic year is off to an energetic start. Spark Discovery, Illuminate Life has a new website, which was launched on October 18...
Dollars and Sense
The BSD financial highlights for fiscal year 2004
In Memoriam
Stanley Yachnin, M.D., professor emeritus and former section chief of hematology and oncology at the University of Chicago, died at his daughter's home in Hyde Park on Monday, Aug. 30...
ACCOLADES
Recent Awards and Grants Information for Biological Sciences Division Faculty
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Recent Recruitemnts and Appointments of Biological Sciences Division Faculty
The University of Chicago 5741 S. Maryland Ave, Chicago, IL 60637
773 702 2900 contact@bsd.uchicago.edu