As someone who has been involved with sports since the age of 4 and a self-proclaimed fitness fanatic, I often find myself comparing the work I do at UTMB, or even the specific work I do at the Angleton Danbury Campus, as the work of an All-Star #1-ranked team striving to win the championship.
Last month, every member of the Health System Leadership Team met at the Angleton Auditorium for their annual retreat. As I decked out the auditorium with our "ADC is the Place to Be(e)" theme for the day-long event, I felt as if my team and I were manicuring the lawn of the home team field, prepping for the big game.
Looking at the agenda, it was clear we had a vision—and
a proposed game plan for achieving it. The topics of discussion were outlined strikingly similarly to the Health System Scorecard, giving emphasis to quality, growth and people all simultaneously.
Instead of operating at a steady pace as the year prior, the team strategized the most important components that needed to be outlined going into the next fiscal year: How will we grow? What could disrupt the plan? How do we develop our leaders? And most importantly, what’s next?
So many things I noted from the retreat translated to me as the big moves that would take our team to the next level. Hearing about the “Big Ambulatory” movement from Beth Fingado and Pete Gutierrez's viewpoints was encouraging. Hearing their enthusiasm and reflective planning on expanding the ambulatory reach with continuity and thoughtful processes was refreshing.
This perfectly represented the enculturation of Lean practices in the organization and how teams collaborated to improve processes, align strategy and achieve outcomes.
Not only did I leave the retreat reinvigorated with excitement and eagerness to kick off another great year at UTMB, but I also left with the overwhelming feeling of gratitude in knowing such thought and dedication went into leading our team in the right direction.
Could you imagine playing for a coach expecting to have a championship team but lacking in the ability to steer the team in the right direction? How could a coach gaze at a scoreboard wishing for points to appear without prioritizing the time for a locker room huddle or even mapping out the strategy on a whiteboard? Would your team take the field the next game and make the same mistakes as before? Would the team ever improve?
I could assume that unless the team was equipped with an unrealistic dose of luck, every successful team spent time in locker rooms or on sidelines strategizing and planning—just as our team did that day.
One important impression worth noting about the retreat was the keen emphasis on the people of UTMB and the importance of nurturing and empowering each team member to carry forth our mission of providing the Best Care to every patient, every time.
Teams can only be as great as their weakest members, and I was inspired by the Health System Leadership’s commitment to ensuring that every one of us is equipped to be the best so we can offer the best support to one another and the best care to the individuals, families and communities we serve.
Sincerely,
Beth Reimschissel
Administrator & Associate Chief Nursing & Patient Care Services Officer
UTMB Health Angleton Danbury Campus