During October and November, Sacred Heart is holding visioning sessions to gather ideas from community members to incorporate into strategic planning. Steve Ronstrom, CEO of Sacred Heart and President of Hospital Sisters Health System Division (Western Wisconsin), says the 344-bed hospital is the first to adopt a grassroots and holistic planning system, and it’s reminded him of the importance of community. “I really feel I know what people want here now in a way that I’ve never known before,” he says.
Simpler healthcare needs than one might expect
When Sacred Heart held visioning sessions last month, Mr. Ronstrom expected community members to express healthcare needs in terms of integrative care, alternative therapy or technology. Instead, he realized community members felt alienated and fearful, particularly in the midst of healthcare reform, and their needs were simpler than he expected.
“You know what people really want? They want the body, mind and spirit to be brought back in. They don’t want shiny new buildings,” says Mr. Ronstrom. Community members asked for clearer communication, more interaction with care providers, and hospital involvement in larger social issues that extend beyond facility walls.
“We need to look at the role of the hospital going forward in health reform,” says Mr. Ronstrom. “The way we’re going to deal with healthcare costs is through wellness, prevention, personal accountability, early diagnosis and technology.” Mr. Ronstrom said the hospital is examining ways to become involved in societal issues, such as food supply, education, mental health and environmental conservation. The hospital is considering partnerships with universities, for example, so students can volunteer at the hospital while earning school credit.
Amish, Hmong, kindergarteners, senior citizens — everyone’s voice will be heard
Attendance at the visionary meetings has been diverse, says Mr. Ronstrom. So far, the hospital has seen approximately 1,000 people turn out to the meetings, and they expect to see 1,600 people by the time the meetings end. Farmers, as well as members of the Amish and Hmong populations, have attended and expressed their healthcare needs, which is important since they represent significant segments of Eau Claire’s population. Sacred Heart officials are also visiting elementary schools, senior citizen centers and a chemical dependency facility to hear the needs of various populations.
This grassroots, community involvement is an additional component to Sacred Heart’s traditional planning method, which involves consultants, the Public Health Department, colleagues and others. “This time around, we’re doing the same thing. We have consultants, we’re working with Public Health, talking with medical groups, pulling statistics — but at the same time, we’re going to the community-at-large and asking what they want. Just tell us. We went back to the voice of the customer,” says Mr. Ronstrom.
People expressed the desire for healthcare that is close by, with “everyone on the same room,” as Mr. Ronstrom says, which seems to suggest an ACO. “That’s sort of the place we’re going, but it’s even more basic than that right now. We complicate things with terminology, but people want needs met in a coordinated way, and they’re willing to pay for it.”
Implementing the proposed changes will be a two-team effort
To bring these ideas into change, Sacred Heart will organize two teams. Mr. Ronstrom calls one the “dream team” of the hospital, which will be made up of hospital colleagues and will be responsible for executing three changes a week and sending administration a weekly report of their progress. Physicians will become involved in this group over time. The other team will be community-based, with members working as volunteers to meet the needs of the community and make sure these ideas are carried beyond the visionary sessions.
The hospital’s board, though, is still integral to the process. “Community needs assessment is something our hospitals are really focusing on. At the board level, they want to see the need of the communities being met by programs in planning. This needs to be very clear,” says Mr. Ronstrom.
St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls, Wisc., part of the 13-hospital Hospital Sisters Health System based in Springfield, Ill., is conducting similar visioning sessions with community members and hospital staff.
Learn more about Sacred Heart and its grassroots, holistic planning.
Read about other hospital CEOs:
–Hospital Leader to Know: Gene Michalski, CEO of Beaumont Hospitals
–Hospital Leader to Know: Ron Girotto, CEO of the Methodist Hospital System
–Hospital Leader to Know: Marna P. Borgstrom, CEO of Yale-New Haven Hospital
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