Hospital visits improve relatonships with staff, patients

Nurse Sean O'Neill (right) is recognized for his work with pulmonary patients by Miami Valley Hospital president and CEO Mary Boosalis (left), public relations specialist Anne McDevitt and chief operating officer Bobbie Gerhart. After analyzing the results of an employee survey, executives, department heads and directors at Miami Valley Hospital started devoting four hours per week to making rounds to increase employee communication. Staff photo by Ty Greenlees

Staff photo by Ty Greenlees Nurse Sean O'Neill (right) is recognized for his work with pulmonary patients by Miami Valley Hospital president and CEO Mary Boosalis (left), public relations specialist Anne McDevitt and chief operating officer Bobbie Gerhart. After analyzing the results of an employee survey, executives, department heads and directors at Miami Valley Hospital started devoting four hours per week to making rounds to increase employee communication. Staff photo by Ty Greenlees

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By Marc Katz, Staff Writer Updated 2:35 AM Saturday, September 19, 2009

Kim Burns, one of about 2,100 nurses at Miami Valley Hospital, greeted hospital president and CEO Mary Boosalis this week in the hallway of the hospital’s Renal Unit, where Burns works.

“Hi, Mary,” Burns said. “I know who you are.”

MVH COO Bobbie Gerhart beamed and gave Burns a hug. Gerhart’s program is working just the way she wants it to.

Nearly two years ago, Gerhart thought relationships between management and staffers were not what they should be, so she instituted “rounding,” requiring all executives, directors and managers (about 330 in all) at the hospital to learn how to interact with the general work force as well as patients and visitors.

“We did an employee and patient survey,” Gerhart said, “and our scores weren’t where they needed to be. Our employees wanted more visibility of leadership, wanted to be involved in the decision making, wanted us to be proactive when something was about to happen.

“They didn’t want to read about it in the newspaper first.”

Then Gerhart set aside four hours a week for management — including herself and Boosalis — to make visits. Sometimes it’s just to recognize employees for doing good work, sometimes it’s to discuss hospital policy and sometimes it’s just to talk about what’s going on in a particular unit.

It is a variation of what all local hospitals do, including Good Samaritan (part of MVH’s Premier Network), Kettering Health Center and Children’s Medical Center.

On the recent day they met, Boosalis and Gerhart congratulated Burns and fellow nurse Kristen Paulick for receiving special written thanks from a patient, something they did not expect.

“I think I’m about to cry,” Burns said.

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