GRMC Chief Nursing Officer gives behind the scenes peek at the hospital.

Photo and article by Margaret Hopper

Every Tuesday people move in and out of the meeting room at Gila Regional Medical Center. The Project Management Steering Committee (PMSC) is about three-and-a-half years old, the brain-child of Brian Cunningham, outgoing CEO of Gila Regional, who believed that the best way to run a hospital was to empower the people who work there by giving them a voice and some choices about what the future of the workplace could and should become.

The morning's agenda has a long listing of projects, beginning with a programmed computer relaying scripted information to a camera that projects the topics to a large screen at the end of the room. Topics are at all stages; some are nearing a conclusion after many reports, analyses, input from those most interested in that project, and consensus that they meet the tests of need, efficiency, cost and quality guidelines. It is time to plan how to present those ideas to the rest of the staff, the board and community at large. Implementation dates will be added.

Others are relatively new on the agenda, but have been prioritized as needed, offering potential and solutions for immediate improvements. They may still require additional stake-holders, from GRMC personnel or the community, but the reviewers believe the promise is worth the effort. Gaps and glitches are noted, and a few more people are added to the list of those willing to work on that project.

Some have to be tabled until more expertise and staff time can be focused on them. One by one, each targeted portion is updated on the control computer and they move on. According to Peggy White, Chief Nursing Officer, the projects on the first and fourth Tuesdays of each month are related to nursing issues; there are more of them. Second and third Tuesdays have other departments presenting their chosen topics. Jed Rudd, Chief Operations Officer, developed the present agenda/listing and categories that each project must address for inclusion.

Everything is geared to efficiency as well as cost, quality and need. There is no time to waste. Waste has been identified as a major factor in failure; even waste of time. Success requires ever improving skills and efficiencies. They have seen improvements with this program and firmly believe that GRMC has a bright future tied to problem-solving and higher standards.

White has given her input on the necessary topics and quietly she and the reporter leave the conference room. The work continues. There are more projects to be reviewed and there is no break in the concentration of effort.

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