July 2018 Q&A with the CEO – Ed Jimenez
We caught up with CEO Ed Jimenez and asked him several questions for this edition of News+Notes. See how to submit your question at the bottom of the page!
Jesse Jones
Learn what's top of mind for our UF Health Shands CEO
CEO Ed Jimenez shares his thoughts each month on this page. You also can read and respond to our executives’ posts on the Bridge intranet homepage under “Leaders Online” and “Leadership Status Updates.”
How did we do in the recent accreditation survey visits to our hospital system?
First, thank you to everyone who provides patient care and service across the organization. This network of hospitals and outpatient programs is very complex. It takes thousands of people to keep it running 24/7 and 365 days a year for our patients. We take pride in the details and it shows.
In May, two major survey teams visited. The first was for Magnet redesignation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Our nursing and patient services teams have earned several consecutive designations and it’s an incredible honor. Magnet is the nursing industry’s top award for quality, service and nursing practice. Our nursing staff is talented, knowledgeable and compassionate, and we’re proud of them.
We also completed a survey by The Joint Commission, which accredits and certifies more than 21,000 health care organizations. This was the first survey for our new heart and neuro hospitals, and a follow-up for the rest of the hospitals under the UF Health Shands umbrella. The survey team closely examine our operations, processes and documentation. Surveyors confirm our best practices and what we need to improve. There were no significant findings, which is good news. But now we have a work plan for what we can address immediately as well as challenges that require longer-term solutions. We set high standards for ourselves and we’re not daunted by challenges. We love to keep improving and raising the bar. Thank you for your work.
What advice do you have for our staff as they continue problem-solving care and service?
One of the surveyors led a great discussion with our emergency management and disaster response leaders. He was very positive about how we have prepared for and handled crises but cautioned us to continue the focus. Especially in the wake of crimes that result in mass casualties and challenge hospitals like us. Plus, he emphasized the need for workplace awareness and safety.
He made a call for our faculty and staff to practice “mindful awareness.” If we’re aware of our surroundings and tuned in to the people around us, we’ll be more likely to notice when something is out of the ordinary. This will make us quick to identify problems that need our attention as well as possible threats.
This goes hand-in-hand with being attentive in the hospitality and service sense. When we’re paying attention to the work we’re doing, the facility we’re in, the people in our care and also our colleagues … we’ll make UF Health more welcoming, more responsive and safer. A good reminder for us all.
Want to submit a question?
Email Michelle Moore, assistant director, Strategic Communications, at moormm@shands.ufl.edu and we’ll consider it for an upcoming edition.
