 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
         |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| navigate: home: magazine: spring 2002: article | |
|
Management Development: Enhancing the hospital workforce By Mary B. Waltman | ||||||
|
These are times of change and transition in today’s busy, technologically advanced health-care environment and, as a result, everyday issues surrounding hospital relationships and responsibilities have become increasingly complex. It is these ever-challenging situations that lead health-care staff to seek more effective solutions for managing their facilities. Not only have leadership development programs proved beneficial for manufacturing and other industries, but for health-care facilities, as well. One highly successful Penn State Management Development Programs and Services program, titled Leadership and Supervisory Skills Development, has been delivered to more than 200 group leaders, managers and nurse supervisors at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, which has facilities in Allentown and Bethlehem, Pa. The program, coordinated through Penn State Berks-Lehigh Valley, is designed to help participants develop the necessary skills to meet the performance demands of today’s complex, dynamic health-care environment. According to Dr. Wesley E. Donahue, director of Penn State Management Development Programs and Services, “Management Development faculty members have assisted a wide range of business organizations in reaching their goals through leadership development programs for more than 86 years, since the University’s Board of Trustees created management education in 1915. Our philosophy is: ‘The organization with the best-trained people will produce the best products and services.’” Lothar Gumberich, management development coordinator at the Penn State Berks-Lehigh Valley campuses, said the Management Development program began in 1998 as an outreach program to train patient-care coordinators. Since then, the training program conducted by Dr. Katheryn Woodley, assistant professor of management development with Management Development Programs and Services, has expanded to other departments within Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, including pharmacy, diagnostic radiology, materials management, computer information, finance, security and human resources. Lauding Woodley’s leadership of the well-received development program, Gumberich said, “She is well qualified and does an outstanding job.” In addition to holding a Ph.D. in industrial organizational psychology from the Union Institute, Woodley has extensive experience in adult education and is a licensed psychologist. She has been with Penn State Management Development Programs and Services for 18 years. She describes the Leadership and Supervisory Skills Development course as “comprehensive and focused on developing the multi-skilled leaders needed to meet today’s challenges.” The program teaches heterogeneous groups from all departments of the hospital and health network to build a common language and philosophy. “We help them see how they are all connected and how their actions can affect others,” Woodley said. “We help them achieve the skills to deal with situations in an experienced and practical way. Participants especially appreciate the practical tools the program provides for developing more effective work relationships.” “Kate is very knowledgeable and knows how to put people at ease,” noted Gwen Rosser, an organizational development consultant for the program at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. Rosser, who collaborated with Woodley to develop the course, said participants value the extra confidence and more efficient methods to deal with problems the course provides. Woodley stressed the course does not cover the technical aspects of health care, but focuses on the human side, leadership, performance management and interpersonal skills. Some of the methods she uses to “ensure that concepts are applicable and useful” include behavior modeling, action learning, self-assessments and action planning. Program content covers managerial roles and responsibilities, interpersonal and leadership skills, conflict resolution, delegation and empowerment, the management of individual performance, performance appraisals and the building and maintenance of high performance teams. Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network offers two, 10-week programs a year. Participants who complete the series and attend at least eight of the 10 learning sessions receive 3.5 continuing education units from Penn State. According to Rosser, who coordinates the program, classes are always filled, and there is a waiting list of those wanting to enroll in the program. The program gives supervisors and managers who have obtained the required technical expertise, but not necessarily the management training, the opportunity to enhance specific skills. The program enables them to “function better as leaders, coaches and performance models as they work toward excellence in quality and service.” Past participants have cited the use of real-world examples of conflict resolution, group discussion, sharing in problem solving and role-playing as increasing their leadership skills and confidence. Rosser noted she and other organizational development consultants are available for follow-up discussions and to help participants apply their new techniques. Woodley described Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network as a “forward-looking health-care network” willing to invest in the program to help reduce the stress often felt by group leaders. She noted not only must today’s health-care supervisors work with a variety of people to achieve results, but also with demanding schedules, multiple priorities, government-mandated regulations and the increasing use of advanced technology. Enhancing the abilities of group leaders through the Leadership and Supervisory Skills Development program has helped Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network managers meet many of these challenges. An outreach program of Penn State Berks-Lehigh Valley and Management Development Programs and Services | |||||
| ||||||
