Heather Fuller

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Sunflower Health Networks Strategic Planning
Process A Focused Journey into the Future

• Heather Fuller
• Sunflower Health Network
• National Cooperative of Health Networks
  Conference
• April 20, 2009
• Francis Marion
• Charleston, South Carolina

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• The Sunflower Health Network (SHN) is a network
  of 16 hospitals located in North Central Kansas.
• 160,000 people in the region
• The SHNs mission is to improve the effectiveness
  and efficiency of healthcare delivery in the
  region.
• 15 year history of collaboration

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4

• Group Purchasing
• Group Health Insurance
• Equipment Maintenance Program
• Physician Recruitment
• Education/Networking for Dept. Directors, Board
  members
• Shared Staff Pool-Radiology
• Advocacy
• Policy Guidelines
• Grant Writing
• Emergency Preparedness

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Background

• Kansas ranks 20th in the US in health system
  performance (access, quality, avoidable hospital
  use costs, equity, healthy lives).
• (KS Health Policy Authority, 11/1/07)

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Regional Community

• Zero population growth overall
• Upward shift in median age is greater north and
  west in the region
• Some national health trends may be more
  pronounced in our region
• Less people to provide healthcare

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However

• People in counties of the SHN tend to
• See good things in their home communities
• Trust and are willing to help their neighbors
• Advise their teenagers to not move away.

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Questions

• What do we as health care leaders do to make
  quality health care a reason to STAY in rural
  Kansas?
• What do we do to make quality health care a
  reason to relocate TO rural Kansas?

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Is it possible for SHN hospitals to use our
combined strengths and leadership to make health
care a cornerstone in building central and north
central Kansas into a region that stands above
the rest in quality of rural life?
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Planning Process

• Board presentation
• Hospital CEO interviews
• Key Themes
• Confirmation from Board
• Determination of Priorities
• Develop Teams
• Initial team meetings

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Scenario-Based Strategic Planning

• Method to navigate into uncertain future
• Creative adaptive
• Emphasis on action

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Prioritization Tool
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Team Members

• Team Leader
• Facilitator
• Executive Director (if not one of above)
• Subject matter experts
• Board member (s)
• Community (employers)
• State agencies (hospital association, state
  health dept., etc.)
• Patients, family members.?

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Define the Problem

• Take time to define the problem (focus on the
  why not the how)
• Current data
• Key stakeholder input
• Strategic challenges advantages
• Define the scope of work
• Develop action plans with goals, measurable
  objectives, strategies, lead roles, time lines,
  and evaluation indicators.

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Sunflower Health Network 2009
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Initial Team Meetings

• Review Boards expectations of the team, scope of
  work, and deadline to create recommendations to
  the SHN Board of Directors
• Edit the list of high level observations
• Review the purpose and process of scenario-based
  strategic planning
• Determine teams expectations of individual
  participants (e.g., meeting conference call
  participation, work involvement)

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Initial Team Meetings- cont.

• Discuss additional resources (e.g., time and
  money) needed from SHN or its members to conduct
  adequate planning work
• Edit the list of participants and determine the
  role each will play (e.g., participate in
  planning meeting(s) consult as a subject matter
  expert, etc.)
• Decide if there is other research to be done
  (literature, best practice organizations, rural
  health networks around the U.S., etc.) as we
  begin the planning process
• Plan next steps

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Strategic Priorities 2008-2013

• Improve access to specialist physician care
  throughout the region.
• Reduce hospital vulnerability to changes in
  Medicare reimbursement policies.
• Optimize timeliness and safety of inter-hospital
  referrals and transfers.

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Priorities-continued

• Sustain adequate number of quality nurses (and
  other key professionals).
• Optimize patient care quality within each member
  hospital.
• Improve the capacity to share electronic patient
  care information.

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Team Updates

• Team 1 Physician Recruitment services added
• Team 2 Reimbursement workshop
• Team 3 Hospitalist program
• Team 4 Nursing recruitment retention surveys
  and focus groups
• Team 5 Patient/Family focus groups and phone
  interviews
• Team 6 Key stakeholder interviews

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Reporting/Communication

• 2008 Summary Report
• October 1, 2008-September 30, 2008
• The purpose of this summary report is to
  communicate Are we meeting SHN goals?
• What actions are being taken to achieve SHN
  goals?
• Meeting Goal ? Progress is being made ?
  Not meeting goal
• New projects are printed in blue text.

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Next Steps

• Continue implementing team plans
• Monitor other groups working on similar projects
• Provide regular updates to board
• Maintain relationships with key stakeholders

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Lessons Learned

• Communication is key!
• Board members
• Team members
• Key Stakeholders
• Funding Sources

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Lessons Learned

• Prepare/Lay the groundwork
• Dont rush through the initial planning
• Designate lead roles
• Set deadlines
• Develop a budget
• Be flexible

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Contact Information

• Heather Fuller, Executive Director
• Sunflower Health Network
• PO Box 2568
• Salina, KS 67402
• 785-452-6102
• hfuller_at_srhc.com
• www.sunflowerhealthnetwork.com