Commitment to administrative rounding

In an effort to improve communication, quality, patient safety and patient and employee satisfaction, Portneuf Medical Center, a 250-bed acute care facility in eastern Idaho, implemented a comprehensive Rounding Program.

In addition to each director at Portneuf Medical Center doing rounds, the administrative team has stepped up and is rounding as well. Administrative team leaders that participate in the rounds include the CEO, CNO, CFO, VP of Clinical Services, Director of Surgical Services, Human Resource Director, Marketing Director and Chief Quality Officer. Each person on the administrative team does daily rounding on staff, patients and physicians.

The administrative rounding for staff and physicians is organized in a matrix so that each department in the hospital is rounded on by someone in the administrative staff at least monthly and as often as every other week. A pocket log book (see below) is kept by each administrator and the results of the week's rounding are shared at an administrative council weekly.

The daily administrative rounding for patients is organized by floor. When the administrator comes to the floor, they look at a log book to see which patients had been rounded on the previous day and if there were any issues. This log also allows the administrator to focus on patients who have not had a rounding.

If the administrative team identifies issues during the rounds that need addressing, they work with the department managers and staff to resolve them in a timely manner.

One of the most important aspects of the program is that staff members have direct input to administration and this speeds up the process to address needs to provide better care. An example is when Portneuf was undergoing a change in computer systems. The staff spent a weekend on “down time” paper charting while the computer systems were changed out. As rounding was occurring, it was apparent what the staff needed most was a runner. So the rounding administrator became the runner to take paper orders and results from one department to another. In addition to administration seeing daily issues, it has given staff the opportunity to see that administration is there to help and support them. It also has helped patients see that the administrative team is concerned about their care. The program has helped to foster a better team environment at Portneuf and a positive attitude for all.