October 3 , 2003

Strategic planning spotlight: Workforce Issues Task Force

Since the MGH embarked on an intensive strategic planning effort several months ago to determine the future direction of its clinical programs, members of seven task forces have been meeting, planning and preparing to make preliminary recommendations to the Strategic Planning Steering Committee. Hotline will be highlighting the work of some of these task forces during the upcoming weeks.

Members of the Workforce Issues Task Force are developing a three-pronged approach to tackle their ultimate charge - to identify strategies that will address issues that affect the way MGHers perform their jobs.

With more than 16,000 employees, the MGH has a diverse workforce base that reflects people with different job functions, education levels and ethnic backgrounds. The Workforce Issues Task Force is looking at how the hospital can make the day-to-day work life better for the entire MGH community.

According to Nancy Gagliano, MD, vice president for MGH Physician Practice Management and co-chair of the task force, the task force formed subgroups to focus on three main areas - improving clinical efficiency, providing supportive work environment, and addressing critical workforce issues.

"We have a group representing a broad cross-section of the hospital charged with finding great ideas about how to make the MGH an even better place to work," says Gagliano, who is co-chairing the task force with Marianne Ditomassi, RN, executive director of Patient Care Services Operations. "It is important for us to get different perspectives on work life at the MGH, and this group is determined to make a difference with the work of this task force."

The clinical efficiency subgroup is developing strategies to help improve the quality of practice life for clinicians. One of the group's short-term ideas is to standardize the way utility cabinets are organized on each of the inpatient floors. This would reduce the amount of time that clinicians must search for items such as bandages or tongue depressors when visiting different units. A long-term goal is to develop an "ambulatory care office of the future," a collaboration with CIMIT similar to the "operating room of the future."

The supportive work environment subgroup is researching what it would mean for various job role groups for the MGH to be the "employer of choice." To do this, the group is looking at how employees already view the hospital as an employer, and how the MGH currently recognizes employee achievements and supports professional development. They also plan to conduct focus groups and surveys to better understand how employee groups value career advancement and quality of life.

The critical workforce issues subgroup has analyzed internal, regional and national benchmark data to identify workforce shortages within the institution. Highlighting the
importance of growing the hospital's workforce from within the MGH and the surrounding areas, the subcommittee is exploring efforts to train current and prospective employees for critical job functions and to promote rewarding careers.

"The hospital's employees are its greatest assets," says Ditomassi. "The Workforce Issues Task Force is committed to ensuring that the MGH remains the 'employer of choice.'"

Any employee is welcome to submit ideas to the Strategic Planning Steering Committee by visiting http://is.partners.org/mghstrategicplan or by filling out the enclosed form in this week's Hotline and sending through interoffice mail to Bulfinch 240.