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