Southcentral Foundation: Award -Winning Approach to Quality Healthcare
Presented by CDR Fred Lief, DPT, OCS
The 2011 Baldrige Award
Recipients for Health Care
 Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Mich.
 Schneck Medical Center, Seymour, Ind.
 Southcentral Foundation, Anchorage, AK
What is the Malcolm Baldrige
Award?
 Named after Malcolm Baldrige, the 26th Secretary of
Commerce. Run by the Commerce Department’s National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
 Established in 1987 to enhance the performance and
competitiveness of U.S. businesses in Manufacturing,
Service companies, and Small Business
 Scope expanded in 1999 to include Education and Health
Care and again in 2007 to include Nonprofit organizations
Baldrige Performance Excellence
Program

Mission: To improve the competitiveness and performance of U.S.
organizations

Vision: To be a partner in choice for excellence in every sector of the
economy

Core Values:
•
Deliver a consistently positive customer experience
•
Value and empower our workforce
Think and act ethically
Think and act strategically
•
•
Mission continued
 To Improve the competitiveness and performance of U.S.
organizations
 Provides global leadership in the learning and sharing of
successful strategies and performance practice, principles,
and methodologies
Baldrige Criteria:
7 Elements
4 Measurements, Analysis, and Knowledge Management
Out with the Old, In with the New
Customer Focus
 Nuka Modal of Care: Nuka is a Native American word that
describes strong giant structures and living things.
 Native American patients referred to as “customer-owners”
 Nuka emphasizes the notion of understanding the
uniqueness of each customer-owner and developing flexible
strategies that fit individual needs
 Wellness= social, physical, emotional well-being
Clinical Staff
 Work in small teams of MD and RN Case Manager
 RN’s clerical duties shifted to Case Management Support (CMS)
and some of their clinical duties shifted to CMA’s (blood draws,
routine EKG’s etc.)
 Subject Matter Experts (SME’s) from all disciplines and time off is
granted to develop didactic and practical training at Development
Center
 Same day appointments for customer-owners
Clinical Team
 Family Practice consists of 6 clinics with each clinic having
6 teams
 Team: MD, RN Case Manager, 2 CMA/LPN, 1 Case
Management Support (CMS) person who splits time
between 2 teams, and a behavioral health consultant
 RN works behind the scene as Case Managers for
prevention and chronic disease management. Manage panel
and referrals, take patient calls as needed, do triage
Reliance on CMA’s
 CMA greets customer, weight/height, escorts to room, takes
vitals, administers questionnaires as needed
 Blood draws, blood cultures, throat swabs, wound cultures,
EKG’s, administer medications, immunizations and antibiotic injections, assist with minor surgical procedures
(colonoscopies, toenail, cyst, tag removal), IUD
insertion/removal, apply fluoride to children’s teeth,
schedule mammograms, radiology exams
Training is Key
 SCF began a job training program to prepare high school
graduates to become dental assistants
 SCF began a 6-8 week Administrative Support Training
Program (ASTP) for clerical staff based on a Baldrige
Award-winning employee training program, PAL’s Sudden
Service
 SCF created the Development Center which now has 20
employees
Training, continued

Certified Medical Assistants (CMA’s) undergo 3.5 days of new hire
orientation, followed by 5-6 days of the CMA/LPN Clinical Training
Program

Trainees attend courses and receive feedback in a simulated clinic in the
Development Center. Emphasis on the importance of relationships,
empathy, wellness, and cultures.

Structured Departmental Training in respective departments for 2-6
weeks by a senior CMA

Mandatory 3 day workshop for all new employees: Core Concepts
Career Ladder
 CMA I, CMA II, CMA Supervisor
 Administrative staff: Frontline staff, Manager I (small
program), Manager II (PCC), Administrative I and II
(multiple departments)
 Process Improvement Track: Supervisor, Program
Coordinator, Improvement Specialist, Improvement Advisor
Outcomes
 Customer-Owner satisfaction of 91% (2010)
 50% decrease in ER visits
 65 % decrease in specialty care visits
 20% decrease in primary care visits
 53% decrease in hospital admissions
 Decrease in staff turnover from 37% (2008) to 17% (2011)
Southcentral Foundation Receiving
Baldrige Award 2012
King of the Hill
Thank You!
Questions?