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A large urban faith-based hospital had just purchased and shut down its major competitor, a hospital sponsored by a different faith. This acquisition had increased its debt load and generated a lot of bad publicity. In addition to the acquisition, the hospital was juggling several IT, financial, and regulatory changes. Morale was low, and employees were fearful and resistant to change. Interact worked with the internal OD staff to conduct focus groups within units. A variety of small-scale OD solutions were implemented, and Interact developed tailored training materials. Employee morale has increased in the units where work has been done, and the work is being expanded. This is a case study in progress.
Hospital System
A system of 75 small regional hospitals had experienced an increase in expenses due to malpractice, discrimination, and harassment suits. The corporate OD staff had conducted dozens of site visits, and concluded that poor or inexperienced management accounted for much of the problem. Interact worked with the OD staff to establish codes of conduct for the hospitals and to develop training to support these codes. The number of grievances and lawsuits was reduced by half within a year. The OD staff attribute the improvement to the new codes and to the Interact training, and have expanded the training to include physicians.
Inner-City Hospital
A large inner-city hospital was experiencing severe financial pressure due to a changing mix of patients, changes in reimbursements, and the closure of nearby facility that had been serving many uninsured patients. In addition, a nurse’s union was organizing an election. In interviews, Interact found that many supervisors were untrained and overwhelmed. They didn’t know how to hold people accountable without alienating them, and their actions were creating a split between the business and the health-delivery sides of the organization. Interact developed a supervisory training program, and all of the managers and supervisors were trained. While the financial pressures remain, organizational climate measures have improved and supervisors report confidence in their skills. The union has not succeeded in its organizing attempts.