Abstract
Forest Hills Hospital has implemented powerful Quality Improvement (QI) strategies to become a leading provider of evidence-based health services. The hospital offers hospice, palliative care, outpatient, and inpatient care. Several clinical programs such as bariatric, thoracic, and breast surgery are offered in this hospital. This discussion examines Forest Hills Hospital’s development from a linear to a complex adaptive system and the use of the clinical microsystems thinking concept.
Development from Linear to a Complex Adaptive System
Forest Hills Hospital (now known as Long Island Jewish Forest Hills) is one of the leading institutions that provide inpatient and intensive care to many patients in Queens, New York (“Northwell Health,” 2017). The hospital’s success is attributable to its organizational culture and behavior. The institution has completed the major stages of development towards becoming a complex adaptive system. The first step was to develop a suitable leadership strategy (Crowell, 2015). The unique microsystems in the organization were brought together to focus on a shared vision. The targeted vision was to maximize patient outcomes and promote satisfaction. Consequently, different roles in the institution were demystified in an attempt to support the new culture. Departmental heads were encouraged to offer appropriate inhibitions and incentives. This approach has remained critical towards empowering every healthcare worker.
A change model was implemented whereby the concept of microsystems was taken seriously (Crowell, 2015). The workers were guided to embrace new behaviors, work as teams, establish positive relationships, and identify new ideas for promoting performance. The employees are constantly encouraged to experiment and engage in lifelong learning. This approach results in new behaviors that have the potential to transform the institution. Personal commitments, self-organization, and focus on outcomes are some of the characteristics associated with this hospital (“Northwell Health,” 2017). These developments show clearly that Forest Hills Hospital has become a complex adaptive system that offers quality medical support to its patients.
Style and Actions of Leadership
Forest Hills Hospital has succeeded because of the nature of leadership exhibited by its managers. The leadership philosophy at the institution focuses on the best approaches capable of improving the quality of life and health of the communities it serves (Hovlid, Bukve, Haug, Aslaksen, & von Plessen, 2012). The provision of patient-centered and world-class service is mandatory in this organization (O’Dwyer, 2014). The leaders at the hospital use both complexity and charismatic leadership approaches. The best strategy for developing an adaptive system is through effective leadership. The managers balance the targeted goals and settings by ensuring their followers remain accountable.
These leadership models have catalyzed new actions that support the institution’s journey towards becoming a fully complex adaptive system. For instance, the administrators have implemented shared attitudes, values, and beliefs that reflect the institution’s working environment. Different microsystems are coordinated in an attempt to drive performance (Crowell, 2015). Multidisciplinary teams have been established to provide individualized and patient-centered care.
The leaders offer powerful incentives that can drive performance and improve patient satisfaction. They go further to be part of the healthcare delivery process (Crowell, 2015). Complexity leadership at the facility creates room for the emergence of new ideas that can result in better health practices. The main role of leadership has therefore been to promote effectiveness, delivery of results, and realization of goals. Consequently, Forest Hills Hospital has managed to become a successful system. Additionally, information is shared across the systems using modern health informatics. This approach has played a positive role in meeting the needs of more patients. Healthcare professionals are guided to practice by their skills and competencies (Crowell, 2015). Although some conflicts do emerge in the institution, the managers have created a powerful adaptive system that meets the diverse needs of many clients in the targeted community.
Clinical Microsystems Thinking: Application at Forest Hills Hospital
The concept of “clinical microsystems thinking” has been treated as a powerful agent that promotes new changes at Forest Hills Hospital (“Northwell Health,” 2017). The facility’s leaders use the initiative to develop new strategies that can deliver desirable results. At the very beginning, the institution aligned its goals across the departments. The ultimate goal was to ensure the departments functioned optimally. According to different theorists, a powerful strategy aimed at promoting the performance of the constituent units in a system will eventually deliver tangible results (Hovlid et al., 2012).
The hospital’s managers guide different units to think from the microsystem’s perspective. The departments focus on the best approaches capable of implementing positive behavioral and cultural values. The departments also come up with unique themes and ideas that can support patients’ needs. The next stage is supporting the collaboration of all the departments in the institution (O’Dwyer, 2014). New themes such as awareness, positive relationships, trust, and problem-solving define Forest Hills Hospital’s working environment.
In conclusion, the clinical microsystems thinking at the hospital has led to the creation of functional and effective frontline units (Crowell, 2015). These units “form microsystems whereby the hospital’s strategic goals, goals, and plans are operationalized (“Northwell Health,” 2017, para. 7). The leaders should, therefore, continue to implement the clinical microsystems thinking concept to produce a functional organization that provides world-class health services.
References
Crowell, D. (2015). Complexity and leadership. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Company.
Hovlid, E., Bukve, O., Haug, K., Aslaksen, A., & von Plessen, C. (2012). Sustainability of healthcare improvement: What can we learn from learning theory? BMC Health Services Research, 12(235), 1-13.
Northwell Health. (2017). Long Island Jewish Forest Hills. Web.
O’Dwyer, C. (2014). The introduction of clinical microsystems into an emergency department. RCSI, 1(1), 1-101.