Benchmark project - Jackson

1. IA2 (a): Benchmarks Developmental Plan
(Approximately ½ page)
Submit to Patreece Thompson pthompson@treececonsulting.com
and Brian Pelowski Brian.Pelowski@DrexelMed.edu
Please follow the format below when submitting your report
Name: Carlayne E. Jackson, MD
Institution: University of Texas Health Science Center
ELAM program year: 2008-2009
Developmental areas selected (Select no more than two areas):
Leading Employees
Balancing Personal Life and
Work
Participative Management
Resourcefulness
x Change Management
Compassion and Sensitivity
Self-awareness
Being a quick study
Confronting Problem Employees
Doing Whatever it Takes
Putting People at Ease
Building and Mending
Relationships
Straightforwardness and
Composure
Differences Matter
Career Self-Management
Decisiveness
How I reported my results to my raters: I wrote a note on my ELAM stationary to
everyone who was invited to complete the Benchmark survey. I thanked them for taking the

2. time to complete the survey and encouraged them to continue to provide me feedback. In
some cases, I summarized what had been identified as my weaknesses, and told them I
would be developing a project to address these.
Successes and accomplishments: I have developed a Quality Management plan for our
practice plan, UT Medicine, and initiated a new task force on Quality Improvement to oversee
these activities. I currently chair the Clinical Operations Working Group which has been
working for the past 6 months on ways to change the culture of our clinical practice to a more
“patient centric” mentality. Some of the activities that we have already implemented include:
1. FISH training for the staff (based on Seattle Fish Market experience); 2. “Blue Ribbon
Inspections” in which we assess physician, staff and patient related issues and score each
clinic on a variety of metrics; 3. “Mystery Caller” program in which our staff call each other
with a variety of questions and score the staff answering the phone; 4. Clinical Operations
meetings presented to the staff over lunch.
Challenges: UT Medicine has served a predominantly indigent population in the past and
these patients, in general, have low expectations for patient service. We will be moving into a
new 250,000 square foot building this summer (the cost of which is being borne entirely by
clinical revenue) and our plan is to see predominantly Commercial/Medicare payors at this
facility. In order to “grow” our commercial business, both the staff and faculty must learn to
provide exceptional customer service. Currently, we have very poor patient access (3
rd
available appointments are up to 90 days) and inefficient room utilization (most providers see
2-3 patients/room/4 hour session averaged over 46 weeks). Many of our providers cancel
clinics due to “academic” commitments with little thought of how this impacts patient care and
clinical revenue. There are inadequate processes to handle patient messages and refills in a
timely fashion. In addition, consult notes are frequently not being sent back to the referring
provider. Staff turnover during the last academic year was 33%!
Anticipated next steps: 1. Develop a Medical Director program to provide physician
leadership in each clinic and improve the “sense of team” within each work group. 2.
Distribute physician access information to each Chair and Department Administrator and

3. schedule meetings to discuss strategies to reduce 3
rd
available wait times. 3. Review current
room utilization with each Department and designate space in the new building based on
current and projected activities. 4. Host School of Medicine Town Hall in December to review
Clinical Operations initiatives – where we’ve been, where we are, and where we need to be.
5. Launch Quality Improvement program and task force. 6. Continue quarterly Blue Ribbon
Inspections and post results in each staff work room. 7. Work with Clinic Managers on
developing processes for handling refills, messages, and consult reports. 8. Continue
quarterly staff Clinical Operations updates. 9. Take Quality Improvement course sponsored
by UTHSCSA 10. Continue to ask for feedback from Clinic Managers, Department
Administrators and Chairs, and UT Medicine Staff. 11. Ask Vice Dean and Vice President of
Patient Services to be my Coaches.
Learnings to date: Change works best from the bottom up rather than setting rules and
policies from the top down. Leadership needs to set the vision of where we need to be and
allow the stakeholders to make it happen. A strategy that is effective for one Department
may not work at all in another area – centralization is not always the answer. Above all,
change requires that we remain flexible!