Sunday, January 19, 2014

Organic leadership in the Prevention of Healthcare Associated Infections!


Jorge Palacios                                                                                     January 19, 2014

California Department of Public Health (CDPH-CHCQ-HAI)

Re: Organic leadership in the Prevention of Healthcare Associated Infections(HAI)

 

Dear Mr. Palacios,

 Once again please allow me to thank you and your staff at  the California Department of Public Health for all that you do concerning patient safety, I really appreciated it.

 The following is a response to challenge in a linkedin  forum put on by the Healthcare Executives Network. My advocacy for the Prevention of Healthcare Associated Infections in our Veteran’s Hospitals has been advocating for the CDPH to include some form of the fourteen traits of leadership to be included as a “vital” Best Practice to be included in the “Best Practices for the Prevention of HAI”.

A staff member at any level in a healthcare facility should have the tools(knowledge) to assume leadership of their process up, down and 360 degrees around in a professional manor, anything less will result in what is currently occurring in over ninety percent of healthcare facilities in California.

 

“A bad attitude is like a flat tire...you can't go anywhere until you change it. How do you creatively pump yourself up when you initially started with a bad attitude? What's your advice for others?”


 Nurse Manager, Acute Care at xxxx County Hospital

I would rather have an employee who is less skillful than one who exhibits negative behaviors but is more skillful. I find that when I begin to edge towards negativity, I need to put myself in a "time out". I need to shut my mouth, get alone and recharge because I have reached the bottom of my barrell of internal resources. And all the sludge is at the bottom. We are not bottomless pits of enthusiasm and engagement - each of has to refill that supply to avert behaviors we would regret later. I also make no decisions when my mind set hits the "sludge" level because those would inevitably be bad ones. When I have an employee whose tendency is to always see the cup as half empty, I monitor their interactions and let them know when it is time to focus on the positive. I have one person like this - and I have her permission to "jack her up" when necessary because when she gets like that she loses sensitivity to how it is affecting other people and her work. And yes, this mindset has led to errors. I recommend that if you know you have a person like this, you have an obligation to coach them out of it - which requires a frank discussion and a contract of sorts stating the detrimental behaviors that you are going to intervene with. If you honor this person and their contribution, then you commit to come alongside them and coach this behavior. If they truly care to improve, and want to stay employed, they will see that as they choose new behaviors, their success at work and in relationships will increase.
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Then a comment about the correlation between a positive attitude and the prevention of HAI and a request to send in her experience as a “Best Practice for the Prevention of Healthcare Associated infections
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Nurse Manager, Acute Care at xxxx County Hospital

Those without a sense of humor need not apply!!! The first thing you will see when you enter my office is a sign that says "sense of humor required". We have a lot of fun in my world - and have had NO Catheter related infections for over 36 months!!!!

Best regards,

Michael H. Slavinski

 

"If we can improve the quality of care, that will translate into lower cost," Anthem President Pam Kehaly said. "These are real dollars”

http://h-a-i-5.blogspot.com




Unfortunately  for some reason I could not get a picture to upload so plan “B” was put into action. In the sprit of “Let’s get health California”, “Let’s get healthy San Diego” and “Fit for the future” here is “Let’s get healthy Afghanistan” .  For those of you who have not had the honor of serving in a U.S.M.C. maintenance depot it is all about improvisation, making junk do something useful, long hours and a positive attitude, some things never change, please turn down the volume, the language is actually of English navel origins but again, has changed little over the past couple of hundred years.


http://www.cdph.ca.gov/data/informatics/Documents/Let's_Get_Healthy_California_Task_Force_Final_Report.pdf




After our relocating here to Vista, CA, we are once again near Camp Pendleton, the largest structure on the base is now the hospital, I think my sister was actually involved in the design of the building, and seeing all of the young men around here missing limbs I am glad I have a chance to do something positive for our Veterans, twelve years of continuous warfare will not end for those Veterans.













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