Quoteworthy
I gain tremendous satisfaction by providing and acknowledging the compassionate service of my teammates, regardless of time, severity of illness, or the frenetic atmosphere we find ourselves in. The currency is connection, and the profits are priceless.
David Sandweiss

Most Recent
What It’s Really Like To Teach Something New Every Day

COVID-19 has brought a new challenge to the work of continuous learning in health care: how to teach new information when it is constantly changing and emotions run high. As nurse educators for the emergency department, the pulmonary and palliative care unit, and outpatient clinics, Emma Gauci, Paige Wilson, and Sarah Smith have been thrown into an educator’s quandary: how to help staff feel as knowledgeable and supported as possible.

Lean On Existing Strengths to Thrive in Complexity

Crisis requires new ways of doing things, but those who know how to double down on existing strengths thrive in complexity. Case manager Todd Selmer shares two tactics for managing change brought on by the coronavirus that have always served him well.

When Duty Calls: Strategies for Managing Redeployment

Redeployment may be a new health care reality, but in the U.S. military, rapid redeployment and tours of duty have always been part of the job. We turned to local veteran and nursing director Trell Inzunza, and the Resiliency Center's Megan Call, to learn practical strategies for supporting our teams as we transition.

The Effective Communicator: Reclaim Your Weekend

The Effective Communicator spoke with Tom Miller, Utah’s Chief Medical Officer, about respectful communication in the workplace. His tips? Go slow, set boundaries, and pick up the phone. Bonus: why he uses Emojis in text messages.

Workplace Challenge: Is It a Culture or Technology Problem?

The pace of technological progress can make it seem like solutions to our health care problems are only a click away. Howard Weeks, Utah’s interim chief medical information officer, lauds the virtues of technology with this caveat: you can’t IT your way out of every problem.

Revenue Cycle: Culture Drives Success

Revenue Cycle Support Services is the backbone of Utah’s financial system – from insurance prior authorizations to processing billions of dollars in claims and payments. Their leadership team, led by administrative director Kathy Delis, has been on a years-long journey to make this work better both for patients and employees. Here, she shares how she brought meaning, purpose, and a sense of community to the team.

The Effective Communicator: The Medium is the Message

The Effective Communicator returns to settle the never-ending debate: which form of communication is the best?

Book Club For Busy People: "Quiet" by Susan Cain

Kyle Bradford Jones returns with a review of “Quiet,” Susan Cain’s book about the power of introverted thinking. Although introversion is often viewed as a drawback — “a second-class personality trait,” Cain writes — Bradford Jones believes that reassessing his personality type has helped him better understand himself, his co-workers, and even his patients.

Leading Change: Frustration is the Mother of Improvement

In her five years at University of Utah Health as hospitalist, educator, and medical director of AIM-A and WP5, Karli Edholm led amazing amounts of impactful work. She trained future leaders and improved the safety, experience, and cost of an inpatient stay. Here she shares her lessons for leading and staying focused on improvement: start with your own frustration.

Digging In To The Outward Mindset

In the new series Book Club for Busy People, Accelerate shares highlights of books we’re hearing about from the community. First up: how thinking about others’ needs strengthens teams and increases civility in The Outward Mindset.

Creating a Culture of Civility

Three years ago, an internal study found that Huntsman Cancer Institute employees experienced significant compassion fatigue. Director of Nursing Services Sue Childress teamed up with HCI executives, providers, and managers to combat burnout by promoting conscientious leadership and a culture of civility.

The Wisdom of Leaders: How to Cultivate Teams

Leaders embody U of U Health’s focus on patient-centered care, respect for people, and continued improvement. Recently, Jessica Rivera, Carissa Christensen, Sue Childress, and Tracy Farley described their efforts to deliver a better health care experience for patients by taking care of their teams. In advance of individual articles from each leader, below are four big takeaways that can be put into action today.