Berini says employee feedback key to improving work environment, shares highlights from pulse survey

Hershey Medical Center President Deborah Berini stresses the importance of employee feedback to improve the work environment, shares highlights from the recent pulse survey and sets the stage for next steps in the latest edition of the President’s Perspective.

Dear Colleagues,

If there is one thing I hope you have learned about me during the past two years, it is that I value your opinions and ideas. I get great feedback when I shadow in departments across the organization each week, through our physician and employee engagement meetings, in our hallway or Starbucks chats, and when you share your thoughts during town halls.

The employee engagement survey process is another way our leadership team gathers your candid responses to make changes that ensure you can succeed in your work safely and with confidence. In reading your survey comments, hearing perspectives through your voice is critically important.

The results of the pulse survey are encouraging and show that the first round of improvement plans had impact. But we know there is more work ahead and we can do better. The data is helpful, but this is not a statistical exercise for me. This is an opportunity to listen and for our entire organization to engage in a dialogue about what matters most to improve the work environment. Your comments drive change. So what did you tell us?

Working at Hershey Medical Center feels like family. We like our colleagues, the community, the opportunity to learn and advance and the academic setting. Many employees also shared positive comments about the benefits, job security and the newfound flexibility with some of the remote work assignments.

The areas for improvement were focused on engaging with managers, being included in decisions that impact your work, improving kindness and accountability, working across disciplines and teams, improving Cerner, reducing administrative burdens on physicians and advanced practice providers and addressing challenges related to work pace and pressure throughout the ongoing pandemic.

The results have been shared with our department chairs, managers and directors who will be contacting you to share the results and discuss ways to improve. Additionally, we will glean information from our top-performing managers and teams to disseminate best practices. The leadership team also will use your responses to address opportunities for improvement that impact the larger organization.

Employee engagement is an ongoing process that requires everyone’s attention. We now have two data points to track our progress. We will actively work toward continual improvement and measurable successes based on your feedback.

I look forward to being an active participant in listening to and helping implement your ideas to make our organization an even better place to work and receive care.

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