JBSA-Fort Sam Houston –
Leaders at Brooke Army Medical Center on Fort Sam Houston
are adjusting their schedules to ensure they’re connecting with staff and patients from dusk till dawn.
The process, called “Reverse Cycle Leadership Rounding,”
entails visiting units throughout the hospital during night and weekend shifts.
“As leaders, we have a very real responsibility for knowing
how medicine is practiced within our walls, for knowing if and how we are
meeting the needs of our patients at all times of the day and night,” said Army
Col. Evan Renz, BAMC commander, who also serves as an active surgeon. “Active,
engaged leadership at all levels is vital to continued success and medical
readiness throughout BAMC.”
The commander and his most senior leaders embarked on
another reverse cycle rounding shift from 8 p.m. to nearly dawn Dec. 11, 2015.
Friday nights make sense, Renz explained, noting that with a 24/7 trauma and
specialty care mission, the weekends are oftentimes when the staff kicks into
high gear.
For their reverse cycle schedule, “the goal was to visit the
areas of the facility that operate 24/7, observe operations and speak with
staff about patient care and support services,” said Army Col. Mark Swofford,
BAMC deputy commanding officer and deputy commander for administration.
“The hospital runs
continuously and processes that work during normal weekday operations may not
work as well at night or on the weekends,” he added. “By doing the
reverse-cycle and weekend rounding, we can get a better understanding of how
our decisions will impact the organization over the entire range of
operations.”
The teams visited nearly every floor of the hospital,
speaking with staff in medical, neonatal, pediatric and surgical intensive care
units throughout the facility.
Karen Rideout, a neonatal ICU staff nurse, said she was
honored by the late night visit.
“I was able to share stories about our NICU family, which
includes parents, grandparents and, of course, the babies,” she said. “We
create very close bonds with many of our NICU patient families; these bonds
continue for years.
“We were not in need of any particular assistance at the
time, but the offer to assist with our needs was welcomed, appreciated and
helpful,” she added.
Glinda Rangel-Garcia, BAMC 5E antepartum unit nurse, said
seeing the command team made her feel more connected to leadership.
“I was very impressed when the commander asked if our unit
had any gynecology patients on the boards,” she said. “Our unit is primarily an
antepartum unit, and the fact that he knew we extend our services to serve
gynecology patients made me feel he took an active part in knowing each unit he
commands.”
As he walked throughout the units, Swofford said he gained
valuable feedback on staff challenges, “but one of the most important things
that occurred was that we had a chance to speak with the staff in various areas
and thank them for what they are doing for our patients.”
The discussions were mutually beneficial, added Army Col.
(Dr.) Douglas Soderdahl, deputy commander for surgical services.
“The command team was able to directly discuss issues with
staff, and employees had the opportunity to provide candid and direct feedback
and suggestions to the leadership of the hospital,” said Soderdahl, who also
serves as an urologist.
The reverse cycle rounding program is an addition to
leaders’ already robust daytime rounding routine. Additionally, last year the
hospital implemented the “Suits to Scrubs” program where nurse leaders trade
their uniforms for scrubs to join their staff on the front lines.
It’s all about keeping their finger on the pulse of this
organization, Renz said, which includes the Defense Department’s only Level I
trauma center, more than 8,500 staff, 425 inpatient beds and more than 2
million square feet of clinical facilities.
Renz said he looks forward to the future reverse cycle
rounding schedule.
“The process of establishing a High Reliability Organization
demands that those responsible for day to day operations have an accurate grasp
of all activities that occur within a major military medical center,” he said.
“We have an enormous responsibility to optimize the valuable resources we have
been given to ensure safe, high quality care.
“At the end of the day, our patients are at the center of
everything we do.”