New concept leads to greater leadership

At its two hospitals in Oberhausen and Mülheim (approx. 2,300 employees and more than 1,100 beds) Ategris reports that it has opened up new ways to change those structures for the benefit of patients and employees, while also gaining financial profits. Success at the EKO, a Protestant hospital in Oberhausen -- which had been losing money until the new Ategris management achieved a turnaround in its first financial year, 2005 -- confirms the company’s belief in its approach. ‘Combining Christian and entrepreneurial thinking is not a contradiction in terms. The goal is to act responsibly within set parameters. This means using resources in the best possible way to protect jobs and secure business as well as to provide quality treatment and care for patients. The new methods include disbanding the old hospital structures and consolidating traditionally separate areas, such as those of doctors, nurses and administrators.’ 

 

Doctors and Nurses share management responsibility

In Oberhausen top-level doctors and nurses work together in Management Teams (MTs), exercising clear leadership and communication to all levels. ‘This new model was launched in February 2006 for the EKO and has proved its worth. The 15 medical departments at EKO were divided into five management areas. For each of those five departments, one management team is responsible, consisting of a head physician and a head nurse who jointly take decisions. Traditionally, different channels of information and management systems are employed by doctors and nurses, often resulting in flawed co-operation. Mostly, the one who suffers is the patient.

 

‘At EKO, nurses and doctors now co-operate at leadership level to improve patient procedures and can implement according actions. Another benefit of this model is quick decisions: when daily problems or unexpected difficulties occur, there is always a decision-maker on hand. The MT has the knowledge and authority to react immediately -- there are not several hierarchy levels of various people having to consult and agree with each other to be able to change something. A unique communication system within the EKO delivers information top-down and bottom-up. The same information at the same time is given to every staff member and therefore misunderstandings and communication gaps are greatly reduced. However, this requires a given culture of co-operation, because a model such as this would be impossible to realise without partnership.’

 

After implementing the new management structure in Oberhausen, more focus can be put on improving everyday business, which results in better patient care and more efficiency, Ategris explains. ‘Thoughts and ideas are shared on all staff levels to improve procedures, planning and realisation come together in one place, making it possible to assess and, if necessary, modify the results of any decisions directly at work level. In other hospitals, decisions are primarily made by management, with the other occupational groups only executing the management’s ideas. The principle of MTs, which run the hospital together with the CEO, allows hospitals to bring together all occupational groups. As a result responsibility is taken on by everyone and there is a shared commitment to steer the hospital into a safe future.’

 

However, a change process like that does not work overnight, Ategris points out. ‘Only when people see the benefits will they participate. It also takes more than just the willingness of the people involved to break up traditional work processes; they also need to be willing to learn. Doctors and nurses had to qualify for their new management tasks – preparation for this is neither included in neither the doctors’ nor nurses’ education. They all took part in an intensive training programme.

 

‘The risk of developing and implementing a whole new management structure in a hospital,  with the participation of the various occupational groups, has proved a success and underlines the philosophy of Ategris to create value in all aspects.’