Hospitals & Health Networks looks at how “Immersion Day” gives hospital boards a very close-up look at these institutions. This piece focuses on Mission Health, a community hospital system in western North Carolina.
Among the observations:
“Perhaps counter-intuitively, it seems that once board members understand {after participating in Immersion Day} how complicated the delivery of care is today, they come to appreciate even more the skill and expertise of management — and to leave operations to the management team.
“The benefit of immersion for boards seems to be the focus it brings to strategic planning, the experience and authority it gives to board members when they advocate for the system, and the bonding that forms between board and management as both face the stress and rapid change of modern care delivery.’’
“Here are some of the best practices followed by Richard Bock, M.D., of Immersion Advisors in Asheville, N.C., when he conducts an Immersion Day program:
- “Meets with health system leadership to understand their goals.
- “Drafts immersion plans tailored to the institution.
- “Meets with the system’s chief medical officer to refine the plans.
- “Individualizes standard HIPAA releases and other agreements as needed.
- “Communicates directly with medical staff and nursing leadership ahead of time.
- “On Immersion Day, prepares, orients and accompanies participants in all hospital areas.
- “Conducts debriefings afterward.
- “Optionally arranges end-of-day discussions with the CEO and other key leaders — particularly valuable for policymaker immersions.”
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The main facility of Mission Health, in Asheville, N.C.