Our True North: Driving Everything We Do

Along with our mission, vision, values and strategic plan, “True North” is an important part of the foundational framework of our rapidly growing and evolving health system. True North drives everything we do. It is the compass that guides us to make the right decisions, aligns our daily work with our goals and inspires us to do our best for our patients and each other.

In developing this concept, Munson Healthcare leaders intentionally put the most emphasis on the patient and the patient’s experience. Our patients have always been at the center of everything we do, so when we were creating the visual for True North, it was obvious the Patient needed to be at the center of it.

Patient: Keeping the Patient at the Center of Everything We Do

The key focus of True North is keeping the patient at the center of everything we do. In fact, everything we do at Munson Healthcare needs to put our patients first.

So, how do we know if we’re doing a good job and creating the best patient experience possible? We ask. A majority of our patients are asked to complete a survey regarding their experience. This survey allows patients to tell us about the care they received from their perspective.

The patient experience is a vital part of the healing process and this survey provides us with invaluable feedback. The survey identifies opportunities for improvement and we are always working on initiatives that will continue to enhance the patient experience.  Through this, we are trying to ensure that patients have the same kind of experience no matter where they’re being treated in our system.

But don’t just take our word for it.  Here is what some of our patients have to say:

• "I cannot say enough good things about Munson Medical Center and all of the staff there that I came across during my stays and/or tests. From housekeeping and the kitchen right up through the medical staff, I never came across one person that was unkind or rude, even if they were having a bad day."
• "Dear Friends - Words could never express our gratitude for the care we received at your hospital. A humble thank you! May God continue to bless you all in your work."
• "I had triple bypass surgery this past summer at Munson Medical Center. I would like to thank my surgeon and all the staff on heart floor #4 and #2 for the great care I was given. I have to express how great everyone is at your facility — from the person that came to clean my bathroom to all the nurses and nurses aids — you all treated me so good. I never witnessed even one person having a bad day or anyone not willing to help with my care. Anytime I had an individual come into my room I was asked if I needed anything. I cannot say in words how grateful I am to you all at Munson. Thank you once again from the bottom and top of my heart for everything."

Health Care Team: Making This a Great Place to Work

What makes this a great place to work? It truly is the people. Our Health Care Team is really intent on providing the best possible care and service for our patients. This is what brings everyone together.

When we ask our staff members what they like most about their jobs, what we often hear is that their team is like a family. They want to work in an environment where they can focus on patients, and have great relationships with doctors and co-workers. They want to share ideas and see those ideas turn into results. We believe that when a department is staffed with the right people, they have the right systems and tools in place, and each employee has the opportunities to do what they do best, the result is a great work environment.

Safety: Ensuring a Safe Team and Safe Care: Zero Harm

In health care, there really is nothing more important than safety and it’s at the forefront of everything we do. It is one of our core values and a True North area of focus. We are committed to creating a system-wide culture of safety because when we ensure a safe environment for our health care team, they can provide safe care for our patients.

In addition to focusing on keeping people safe, we want to be sure our staff and patients feel safe. We are creating an environment where people feel safe to speak up, we support timely reporting of safety incidents and we respond quickly to safety concerns with the right support and resources. We encourage a collaborative environment where employees feel valued and safe to express their opinions.

Quality: Delivering the Right Care, at the Right Time, in the Right Place

When it comes to our patients, we define quality as providing the right care, at the right time, in the right place. As a system that serves 30 counties across northern Michigan, this translates to our ability to coordinate patient care and offer seamless transfers throughout our service region. When we successfully do this, we are creating a quality experience for our patients.

In the changing health care landscape, it is critical that we provide consistent quality care. Hospital re-admissions and hospital-acquired conditions are two key areas of focus. Working to improve these core metrics will lead to better patient outcomes and experiences, and position us for a stronger and more viable future.

Operational Performance: Ensuring a Strong Future

As a non-profit health system, we have a responsibility to our communities to be sustainable for the future. Our goal each and every day is to deliver superior quality care to our patients. To accomplish this we need talented teams, strong services, the best technology and the right equipment. In other words, we need to invest in resources. Our focus on strong financial performance allows us to do that and help ensure we are here to care for the generations to come.

We are working together across the system to share strengths, best practices and resources, which creates synergy and helps reduces waste. All in an effort to provide the best experiences and outcomes for our patients.

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