As Pennsylvania Hospital continues to grow and evolve, every PAH team member has the power to effect change and propel positive transformation — all you need to do is bring your ideas to the table. Earlier this year, clinical and non-clinical staff were invited to contribute their voices to a hospital-wide crowdsourcing exercise. Inspired by the Penn Center for Health Care Innovation, PAH’s hosted a “Your Big Idea” challenge, which encouraged frontline staff to consider where they had seen opportunities for improvement and to put forward creative and innovative solutions without worrying about cost or resources.
I couldn’t be more thrilled by the outcome. We received 72 submissions from 43 departments, some of which actually echoed ideas that the leadership team had already begun work on. The winning proposal was submitted by Amanda Pfaff, MS, BSN, RN, and Margaret Nnyamah, BSN, RN, CMSRN, who suggested that purchasing remote video monitors could prevent patient falls. Falls can lead to serious complications and lengthy hospitalizations, but as their proposal notes, current strategies don’t always alert staff quickly enough to prevent a fall from occurring. Remote video monitoring not only lined up with PAH’s priorities — increasing patient safety, reducing long-term costs, and improving overall staff and patient satisfaction — but Amanda and Margaret also cited evidence of success at other organizations. As a result, their suggestion is no longer just a “Big Idea,” but a shared plan of action, and PAH will be purchasing and implementing the remote video monitors in the coming months.
I’m also appreciative of the efforts of our judging team, who combed through the details of each proposal and categorized, bundled, and assessed each submission. This would not have been possible without the enthusiastic and dedicated efforts of Mary Pat Lynch, CRNP, MSN, AOCNP; Debbie Drayton, RN, EdD, MSN; and Feargal Roche; as well as Lindsay Aaronson, MBA; Jeff O’Neill, AIA, ACHA, CHFM; Christine Tierney, RN, MSN, SPHR, SHRM-SCP; and Dan Wilson, MBA, BSN, RN, FABC. Thank you to everyone who participated in our first Your Big Idea Challenge. I encourage you to keep thinking big and to stay tuned as we take the next steps to make the first proposed solution a reality.