Sanford Health: Developing leadership among health care professionals
Sanford Health is a large, integrated health network spread over 4 states and including more than 150 facilities, 300 physicians and its own health plan. It is dedicated to providing the highest level of quality care to its patients; one of its facilities, Sioux Valley Hospital, was named one of America’s Best Hospitals by U.S. News and World Report.
"Quality of care depends heavily upon strength of leadership"
Many managers in health care are highly trained in medical science but have less focus on leadership and managerial skills. Sanford Health recognized that leadership abilities contribute to the network’s ability to deliver quality care. They selected Harvard ManageMentor® from Harvard Business Publishing in 2003, because of the high quality of the content and resources, and the relevancy of the materials to strategic goals.
Harvard ManageMentor: Interdisciplinary leadership development
Through Sanford Health’s Center for Learning and Innovation, Harvard ManageMentor was offered to interdisciplinary leadership teams that included nurses, physicians, directors, executives, finance officers and other health care professionals. The teams explored leadership theory, inter- and intrapersonal dynamics, and other relevant core leadership concepts and competencies.
Blended learning
Various Harvard ManageMentor® modules have been incorporated into the diverse learning curriculum. For example, "Giving and Receiving Feedback," "Managing Difficult Interactions," and "Leading & Motivating," modules play a role in a blended learning setting to engage participants in strategic dialogue around these concepts and the challenges facing Sanford Health and the healthcare industry.
"We are hearing from our participants about the positive impact that this program is having on team and organizational dynamics, efficiency, and ultimately, patient care."
-- Diana Vander Woude, RN, MS, Director, Center for Learning & Innovation