HealthTeamWorks New Strategic Plan: History Has Its Eyes On Us

HealthTeamWorks New Strategic Plan: History Has Its Eyes On Us
Kristi Bohling-Dametz, CEO

As we were reminded with the recent release of Hamilton the musical, ‘history has its eyes on you…’. This is a time unlike any other. What we do and how we respond in this moment will have lasting effects on our legacy for generations to come.

If you find yourself sighing with impatience and holding your head in frustration, you are not alone. September survey results from the Primary Care Collaborative (PCC) and Larry A. Green Center evidence persistent concerns, including the following reported by primary care respondents:

 • 53% of clinicians say that their mental/emotional exhaustion is at an all-time high 
 • 28% have permanently reduced the size of their staff because of COVID-19 

HealthTeamWorks is in the business of teaming to solve complex problems, so how can healthcare be most resilient in this moment to not just bounce back, but to bounce forward with new lessons learned and readiness for the next crisis?

In that spirit, HealthTeamWorks has launched a new strategic plan, informed by what we aspire to for our world, for individual healthcare, for the workforce, and for organizations across clinical, public health, and the community. 

                                                                          Health. Equity. Resilience.

Three small words… one enormous vision. These are the things to which we aspire. Bold aims in light of our current state? Indeed. Worthy of our full dedication? Absolutely. So how to get there or at least be confident in progress toward solving the adaptive challenges in our path?

 
We’ve all had to think differently to meet ever changing needs amidst enormous barriers. For example, telehealth has been on the radar for years, and while it has served a great need during COVID-19, it’s time to think about it more broadly. Telehealth and remote patient monitoring should not be viewed as stand-alone services or merely a substitute for in-person office visits. Embracing flexibilities and innovative approaches to team with patients is essential even as we settle in to limiting our outings, wearing masks, and social distancing. There are certainly advantages such as engaging with patients in their home environments, increasing our awareness as partners in care regarding lived experiences, and reducing deferred care. Obstacles remain such as internet connectivity and a learning curve for patients and care teams. HealthTeamWorks supports this transition by providing working examples of process and workflows, patient messaging and communication, and models to leverage telehealth and remote patient monitoring as integrated care delivery tools.

Considering all contributors to performance improvement, HealthTeamWorks looks upstream. For example, this includes recognizing the importance of seeing beyond the identification of SDoH for individual patients. It includes working to determine what systemic causes of disparity exist as part of a broader approach to population health, strategic planning and collaboration. 

Doing the right thing for patients doesn’t always feel like it aligns with a pragmatic return on investment (ROI) and can be demoralizing for caregivers resulting in burnout. Building the value on investment (VOI), of which ROI is a part, represents one way HealthTeamWorks seeks to balance fiscal responsibility and the innate desire to care for patients.

We do this with a view across rural, urban and sub-urban communities, health systems and practices. This line of sight to exemplars across regions is coupled with results-oriented collaboration in the field implementing changes toward steady improvement every day.

With specific services as vast as designing and standing up a risk-stratified population health infrastructure to effective strategic planning and alignment… HealthTeamWorks’ renewed focus on Performance Improvement, Organization Development, and Training contributes to relevant and mutually desirable goals.

 
…And we are further set apart because we do this embracing the following core values and exceeding the unique needs of those we support.

Visit our website: https://www.healthteamworks.org/ or contact us at solutions@healthteamworks.org for more information about HealthTeamWorks and how we can help you optimize your organization’s performance.

We look forward to teaming with you!

References
Miranda, L. (2015). Hamilton: an American Musical. New York: Atlantic Records
Larry A. Green Center (Series 21: September 18-21, 2020). Quick COVID-19 Survey, Clinician Survey. Retrieved from https://www.green-center.org/covid-survey