This year, National Healthcare Quality Week takes place from October 21 – 27 and focuses on recognizing the personnel and providers tasked with measuring and improving the quality of care provided to patients.
Why is this a week worth recognizing? Within the past decade, the healthcare industry’s focus has shifted to quality improvement (QI) which consists of systematic and continuous actions that lead to measurable improvement in healthcare services and the health status of targeted patient groups. In other words, there is a direct correlation between the level of improved health services and the desired health outcomes of individuals and populations. It’s up to all of us in the industry to do our part in achieving population health—including recruitment and HR professionals.
What is recruitment’s role in healthcare quality?
Modern healthcare quality improvement relies heavily on both technology and people. Technology tools such as electronic health records (EHRs) are used to gather and store data, but human analysis is required to give that information meaning. Collecting, organizing, and analyzing data to determine best practices has created an entirely new set of careers within the healthcare industry. Experts are only beginning to realize how to use technology to increase—instead of replace—patient/provider connections. It’s up to us to connect these experts with the right organizations in which they can innovate and make impactful changes.
The patient/provider connection is increasingly important as it directly impacts patient satisfaction scores. Studies have shown that patient-centered care, where individuals (and their families) partner with providers and are active participants in managing their health, helps lower costs and leads to better patient outcomes. In order to create a trusted partnership between provider and patient, it is necessary for providers to utilize emotional intelligence in addition to their medical knowledge. Physician leaders also need to possess strong interpersonal skills, like empathy and the ability to communicate effectively, because they are tasked with setting the direction of their departments. Effective recruitment strategies are required to find—and retain—physician leaders who can model, champion, and promote the right techniques to ensure that providers on their team are able to achieve this high level of care.
To champion the integration of technology (without the loss of relationships), the expanded skillsets of providers, and the healthcare quality movement, several C-level positions in the healthcare industry have been created. Within the past several years, Jordan Search Consultants has been called to recruit for titles that didn’t exist 10 or 20 years ago! Examples include Chief Quality Officer (CQO), Chief Medical Information Officer (CMIO), and Chief Learning Officer (CLO). In general, CQOs oversee the creation and maintenance of quality management and improvement processes; CMIOs ensure IT is used correctly and effectively in an organization; and CLOs are responsible for creating training, education, and development programs for staff. It is common for the roles and responsibilities among these C-suite positions to overlap. Teamwork, communication, and sharing of information among executive leaders – and among providers – is crucial for successful healthcare quality improvement programs. And these quality improvement programs, in turn, inform the success and sustainability of healthcare organizations.
At Jordan Search Consultants, we understand the importance of soft skills and cultural fit, especially in light of the evolving priorities of healthcare quality improvement. Our thorough recruitment process yields detailed pictures of candidates that go much deeper than a paper profile. Need help finding the right person for your healthcare organization? Contact us at 866-750-7231 or email us here.
