PubMed · 8462954
The source did not provide an abstract. Follow the original record for more information.
Explore connections, maps & timelines
C Laine, F McCarthy. 1993. Collaboration.. https://doi.org/10.1176/ps.44.4.393
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.
KEEP EXPLORING
BACKGROUND: In early 1992 the chief executive officer (CEO) and consequently the senior leadership of Shawnee Hills, a mental health care organization comprising more than 65 facilities in West Virginia, decided to begin the journey toward total quality management (TQM). TQM provided guidance for establishing an infrastructure for planned organizational change and continuous improvement while maintaining the CEO's responsibility to set the vision and provide direction. TQM'S IMPACT: Absenteeism and turnover rates have decreased, which are felt to reflect increasingly high levels of staff satisfaction. The tripling of the operating budget from 1993 to 1995 is also considered a byproduct of TQM. TQM has increased the potential for this organization's success in the new health care environment by providing an infrastructure for "managing" managed care. IMPLEMENTING TQM: Setting forth the vision, purpose, mission, and goals required a focus on customer satisfaction and the development of partnerships, empowerment, and teamwork. The leadership identified strategic indicators for critical success factors--customer satisfaction, positioning for future success, financial viability, and safe and professional environments--and teams were formed to address how improvements can be made. BENCHMARKING AND REENGINEERING: If a problem is minimal or average, processes are improved. If it is severe, reengineering is indicated. For example, each program at Shawnee Hills had its own intake procedure. To simplify access to service, it was determined that a single point of entry was needed, requiring a total redesign of current operations. CONCLUSION: Although not a panacea for all the problems an organization might be experiencing, TQM does provide guidance and direction to organizations in an ever-changing environment.
BACKGROUND: The St Louis Mental Health Center, an agency of the Missouri Department of Mental Health, is using the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award criteria as the organizing scheme for its total quality management (TQM) program. PRE-BALDRIGE STEPS: Personal readiness training for managers coincided with a strategic planning process that also focused on quality. An organizational quality structure was developed and quality improvement teams launched. SELF-ASSESSMENT: In 1994, once the management team decided to use the Baldrige criteria, it began developing and implementing organizational self-assessment criteria. However, it was not until August 1995 that the organizational self-assessment was conducted. KEY AREAS TARGETED FOR IMPROVEMENT: Critical areas for improvement were selected on the basis of their alignment with the strategic objectives, their cross-functional nature, an analysis of the costs and benefits of implementation, and the probability of and ability to measure the success of the improvement. EXAMPLE--COMPLAINT AND FEEDBACK SYSTEM: After Baldrige criteria led the agency to determine whether a complaint management process resolves issues effectively and promptly, it was apparent that complaint resolution was not monitored, and various process improvement strategies were implemented. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION: Use of the Baldrige criteria has helped the agency move forward in its TQM program. Areas for improvement, as documented in the self-assessment phase, become part of the strategic plan. The criteria's focus on process and customer satisfaction are reassuring to staff in a changing health care environment.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.