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Strategic Planning
NEWS RELEASE
Strategic Thinking at CKHA’s Planning Workshop May 9/10, 2008
What is Strategic Planning?
“In the simplest terms, an organization undertakes strategic planning to reaffirm or to modify its mission – why it exists, what its purpose is, and what it now does – and to agree on its vision – what it wants to be and do in the coming years.” - Fisher Howe , The Board Member’s Guide to Strategic Planning
CHATHAM-KENT, May 12, 2009: This past weekend, Chatham-Kent Health Alliance’s Tri-Board of Directors hosted its Strategic Planning workshop. Approximately 80 people voluntarily attended, including Board members, physicians, management, unions, staff, Foundation representatives and community partners including the Erie St. Clair Community Care Access Centre and Local Health Integration Network. Participants received a comprehensive retreat package in advance, including Program updates, CKHA’s planning cycle, environmental scan, balanced scorecard, strategic direction monitoring tools and glossary of terms.
Process
In advance of the planning weekend, to assure that retreat participants had as much information as possible, there were numerous opportunities to consult and gather information both inside the organization and the broader community. Beginning in March, CKHA held community focus groups; sought input through its website; held staff focus groups; provided strategic thinking education and resources to Boards and staff; raised strategic questions during departmental staff meetings; and hosted ‘Strategic Thinking Week’.
The Retreat opened with remarks from Erie St. Clair LHIN CEO, Gary Switzer, who highlighted Chatham-Kent’s health demographics; the Government and LHIN priorities; and the process of accountability agreements and funding allocations. Mr. Switzer referred to CKHA as “a model of integration” and congratulated CKHA on its robust planning process.
Presentations
Program and Medical Directors co-presented their teams’ key accomplishments related to the current strategic plan. The themes of their progress related to development of new and expanded services and partnerships; solid performance scores; improved wait times; and award-winning initiatives. Achievements included advancements in patient safety, quality and patient satisfaction. Their collective challenges include recruiting adequate human resources; aging facilities and inadequate space requirements, and rising patient volumes and community needs.
Vice-Presidents, Shona Elliott and Paul Heinrich highlighted some of the successes accomplished by support service departments. The collective achievements of these 20 departments included advancements in technology & information systems; recruitment/retention, education, reward and recognition programs; regional initiatives (e.g. pharmacy and supply chain) and quality, risk and safety.
On behalf of the three Boards of Directors, Jennifer Wilson presented the most recent achievements in governance including marking 10 years as an Alliance; adoption of best practices in board governance; volunteer recruitment to the Boards; retiring long term debt; community engagement; and sponsoring Tri-Board Awards of Excellence.
Chief of Staff, Dr. Gary Tithecott, and President and CEO Ken Tremblay, spotlighted issues that are shaping the world of health care. These are advancement of patient and family centered care; infrastructure and information technology; recruitment, retention and recognition; LHINs, partnerships and system-wide planning; quality, safety, performance and accountability.
“To meet challenges and expectations now and in the future, CKHA needs to become a high performance organization, integrated with other providers for seamless care,” said Dr. Tithecott. “We must provide safe, efficient, quality care which is highly networked and connected internally and externally. We require modern, well-equipped facilities with information technology, nimble governance and management to navigate system transformation and fully-engaged physicians and staff.”
“We want to be an organization that is better, safer, quicker, cheaper and healthier,” said Mr. Tremblay, “ … one that is committed to providing patients and families with the right care, in the right place, by the right provider at the right time, the first time, every time, all the time.”
Participants then heard a presentation entitled, “Building a Future through the Lens of Change: Options for a Willed Future in which Mr. Tremblay described the attributes of four types of organizations -- from those that are functional and stable to those that are redefining healthcare.
Day I ended with invited keynote speaker, Peter Robertson, an executive from GE Healthcare Canada with 20 years of commercial healthcare leadership experience. His presentation highlighted the GE process of strategic planning, implementation and evaluation.
Mission, Vision, Values
On Day II, equipped with a clear understanding of successes, challenges, and future possibilities, participants discussed the Values of Chatham-Kent Health Alliance. CKHA’s current values are Trust, Teamwork, Respect, Accountability, Compassion, Knowledge. Discussion followed, regarding potential revisions to CKHA’s current Mission, Together….advancing compassionate, quality care, drafted in 2001. The participants’ suggestions will help guide development of mission and values for CKHA for 2009-2011.
Strategic Directions and Goals
The afternoon was focused upon gathering participants’ suggestions for areas of future focus for CKHA. These ideas were later distilled to four broad strategic directions -- patient & family centred care; innovation, performance, and our people. Draft goals were then developed to support achievement of each direction. These draft directions and goals will be vetted through the Tri-Board’s planning process and once finalized, will help guide CKHA from 2009-2011.
Next Steps
In the coming weeks, a process will be determined to finalize the Mission, Vision and Values for 2009-2011. The Tri-Board’s Strategic Planning Implementation Committee will tweak, vet and finalize the Strategic Directions and Corporate Goals in the very near future, for final approval by the Boards. Timelines and champions for each Strategic Direction will be determined. The Strategic Directions and Corporate Goals will guide Program, Medical and Corporate Directors as they work with their teams to develop specific, departmental plans and budgets for the coming two years. Achievements will be monitored and communicated throughout the process.
“Planning forums such as this are critical in any strategic-thinking organization,” noted Jon Wood, Chair of the Tri-Boards’ Strategic Planning Committee. “It provides a chance to acknowledge progress; consider factors that can influence the future; refresh relationships; and direct group energy toward making new plans for the future.”
This is the 3rd iteration of the strategic planning process for CKHA in its 10-year history. The retreat was facilitated by Linda Tarrant who for the past 20 years has helped hundreds of businesses, health, government and volunteer organizations across North America thrive in times of downsizing, restructuring, mergers and growth.
For more information
Documents and presentations from the planning session will be available on CKHA’s internet shortly. Further communication will follow as the process continues.
Retreat Photo available upon request, 519-437-6065
Media Spokesperson, Ken Tremblay, 519-437-6001