HJNO Jan/Feb 2021

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  JAN / FEB 2021 13 efforts to address this include creating a child care program during school closures, implementing Zoom and other technology to support communication with remote workers, and continued retention and engagement coaching for leaders. So many aspects of our lives have changed rapidly over the last several months. It’s been essential that Ochsner be responsive to those changing needs and circumstances to best support our workforce. Finally, talent development is a challenge and an opportunity. We work to give team members timely feedback and offer training opportunities. We also work to identify mentors to help people develop and find the right career path. As a large organization, we have many professional opportunities. We do everything possible to get talented, mission-driven employees into fulfilling roles. RUPPERT First, I’d say staffing and talent. An ongoing nursing shortage will continue to present challenges that directly impact patient satisfaction and health outcomes. It will be imperative for healthcare leaders to make sure appropriate staffing ratios and needed equipment are provided to avoid burnout and turnover. This also includes developing leaders to motivate and successfully lead an engaged workforce. Data and analytics is another area. Accurate data is a necessity when making key decisions. Having the right timely information is key to understanding the operations of your business and making appropriate decisions. Finally, employee engagement is a challenge during the pandemic. It’s not enough to have a satisfied team. A truly engaged team results in improved recruitment and retention, which result in patient satisfaction and better health outcomes. Pay is only a small piece of the puzzle. To be truly successful, you need to understand what motivates someone on an individual level and provide an array of benefits, opportunities and work-life balance. CORTEZ 1. Succession planning – initiating a mentor program. 2. Continuing shortages in RNs, LPNs and other key clinical positions – working with local schools to assess needs and increase the size of graduating classes. 3. Consistency in benefits package – with the costs of virtually everything on the rise, it is becoming more and more difficult to offer an attractive benefits package. We have partnered with SoFi to assist with student debt and a number of other vendors to assist with concerns of the current and future workforce. Editor What do you like most about your job? SCHIRO It’s incredibly rewarding to support employees to be their best – professionally and personally. I’m passionate about our workforce development programs and the opportunities they provide for current employees and people in our community. It makes me so proud to see someone discover a career path that is meaningful and sparks their passion. This year, it’s been humbling to witness the work ethic, sacrifice and compassion that I see our team display on the front lines, in the office and from home. There have been significant challenges, but what we’ve seen time and time again is people stepping up. It’s an honor to lead and support our team. RUPPERT The best thing about Tulane is the people. We do a great job of hiring amazing people. The support and comradery make our workplace enjoyable. From an HR standpoint, I like being able to connect the dots to see how a successful HR team leads to improved patient satisfaction and better health outcomes. CORTEZ I like to work in an industry where my efforts lead to something bigger – in this case high quality patient care. Editor From an HR perspective, what do you see on the horizon for your organization and the industry at large? SCHIRO We’re seeing great strides and investments in diversity and inclusion programs. We hired our first Chief Diversity Officer in March, which has been incredibly helpful over the last several months. Since then, we’ve expanded her team to include regional directors and a council made up of team members across the organization. We’ve also grown resource and inclusion groups to eight groups for team members including LGBTQ+, African Americans and Veterans. I see continued emphasis on building a workforce that reflects the diversity of the people and communities we serve. I also think we’ll continue to see health systems partner with schools, universities and organizations to train unemployed and underemployed community members. This is a win-win as it helps build a trained pipeline of healthcare workers and creates new and better job opportunities for our neighbors. RUPPERT Healthcare is an ever-changing industry, and everyone in the field should focus on identifying creative and innovative solutions as we move forward. HR specifically has to continue to understand the business side of managing a hospital to be a truly successfully partner. The search and retention of top talent will continue to be a top priority. The ability to grow and develop talent internally will be a necessity for success. CORTEZ A continued period of enhanced competition for limited talent, specifically in the areas of nursing, radiology and lab, at least in the short term (one to three years). Also, a continued push toward technology as a way to communicate, resolve issues and perform day-to-day HR-related activities. n