Special Reports
Jump to section:
- Patient & Family Centered Care Steering Committee
- Project Recharge
- Progress Around Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI)
Patient & Family Centered Care Steering Committee
The Work of our Patient and Family Advisory Councils
Patient & Family Centered Care (PFCC) is at the heart of nursing practice at UWMC. PFCC is a culture that values and promotes equality in relationships, collaboration, respect, information-sharing, and clear communication.
We are proud to have 6 Patient and Family Advisory Councils and the PFCC Steering Committee, with advisors, nurses and other disciplines working together to improve the patient & family experience at UWMC.
With COVID taking front stage in 2020, some of our PFCC work had to change. Our councils and steering committee work shifted to Zoom conferencing and was highly effective in facilitating our work. Many advisors believe that this mode of interaction should be here to stay. This past year we welcomed 24 new patient and family advisors across all our councils and steering committee. These advisors bring new perspectives to this work, specifically around accessibility and accommodations for patients and families.
Our focus has been and will continue to be emphasizing families as part of the care team and family presence within the medical center. The partnerships we have with patients, families and our advisors improves outcomes for our patients especially when we include families as part of the care team.
Project Recharge: Enhance your Break Space
The goal of Project Recharge was to improve the aesthetics of staff break spaces at the University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) to create a unique area that allows staff to rest and rejuvenate their spirits. The evidence-based tenants of Stress First Aid (safety, calm, connection, self-efficacy, and hope) were used as a framework to design the structure and implementation of this project.
Through an award from The Giesecke Endowment, UWMC Shared Leadership developed a process to award departmental grants aimed at improving the aesthetics of medical center break spaces. Teams applying for the grants provided information on the current state of their break space, their future vision, and how this project would impact their team. Awards were based on greatest need, collaboration, sustainability, creativity, and consistency with UWMC Mission, Vision, and Values.
The Project Recharge Team worked with each team to remove unwanted items and purchase new items that would incorporate the teams’ visions for truly restorative environments. Items were delivered to each unit, where the teams worked together to complete their newly customized and restorative space.
Fast facts:
- All 44 applicants were awarded grants ranging from $1,000-$6,000.
- Over 215 pieces of unwanted furniture were removed from break spaces.
- More than 1,000 new items were purchased.
- Approximately 3,000 staff have been impacted by the improvements.
The most popular items ordered were:
- Seating (couches, chairs, lounges)
- Appliances (coffee machines, toaster ovens)
- Lamps
- Kitchenware (dishes, flatware)
- Organization bins
- Massagers
- Wall art
Based on the impact statements the project team received, this project has reinvigorated and empowered the teams, improved morale and engagement, and is providing meaningful respite for the mental and physical breaks essential to providing quality and compassionate care.
Unit testimonies:
“This project allowed us to make a big difference in our break room. The space is now welcoming and relaxing for our staff. We are thrilled with the differences and this project was much needed.” - SCU Northwest
“Our breaks used to be taken at these separate tables but now we sit family style and enjoy breaks together like a team.” - Outpatient Surgery, Northwest
“Thank you for making it possible to improve our break room! You made a BIG difference in our work lives and have improved unit morale.” - 6E, Labor and Delivery Montlake
“It's so nice to have a mural of the outside since we don't have any windows. I especially love being able to dim the lights and not have the harsh overhead lights glaring on you.” -SICU, Montlake
“When I heard about Project Recharge, I knew right away that the lactation room could use some sprucing up! Some may argue that this is not a staff break space, but I, along with other staff who pump, know the reality is this is where we take our breaks. The room initially consisted of old bedside drawers and a high back chair that came from patient rooms. Those using the lactation room made it work, but it was not ideal and certainly did not contribute to a relaxing environment. I hope current and future mothers who utilize this room can enjoy some of the upgrades.” - Resource Team, Northwest
Progress Around Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI)
UWMC, in alignment with UW Medicine’s Office of Healthcare Equity, is committed to becoming an anti-racist organization and creating a more equitable, diverse and inclusive work environment. In 2022, members of UWMC’s EDI Committee contributed to several valuable tools and delivered numerous trainings, including:
Bias against care team APOP
This policy was developed as a response to feedback heard from staff concerning mistreatment and bias from patients, visitors and/or family members and needing clearer resources and guidance. This policy supports and supplements the Disruptive Patient and WPV policies.
Bias Reporting tool
The Bias Reporting tool launched on February 2021 as a system-level tool to report bias events. Two annual community reports have been published and two members of UWMC-EDI committee serve in the committee. In the last year, themes in the reports included bias in the work environments and patient care, needs for continuing education on terms or phrases that have derogatory origins, harm related to gender identity, and policies and practices that introduce bias.
First Annual Community Report 2021-22
Bias against care team APOP
This policy was developed as a response to feedback heard from staff concerning mistreatment and bias from patients, visitors and/or family members and needing clearer resources and guidance. This policy supports and supplements the Disruptive Patient and WPV policies.
Partnership with Patient Safety
As part of the EDI and Patient Safety partnership, a few notable projects include:
- Adding a prompt asking about whether bias played a factor in a reported event in PSNs for all inpatient areas. These PSNs are tracked by EDI and Patient Safety. Additionally, all intensive review processes now also ask a question about equity.
- Public Safety has included a category on incidences related to racism in work place violence reports.
- Monthly and annual code gray reports are being tracked and disaggregated by demographics and presented to the WPV Guidance team.
EDI Consults
The UWMC EDI consult committee began in fall of 2022 due to a growing number of requests for additional support around patient and staff cases related to EDI. The EDI consult team members also attend Montlake and Northwest’s interdisciplinary discharge consult services and attend to various requests from care team members, referrals from Risk, Patient Safety, and Patient Relations. A formal intake form is being created via RedCap.
Cultural Observances Implementation Subcommittee
Members of UWMC EDI participate in this systemwide committee and is responsible for invigorating cultural observances celebrations that include coordination of flag raising, huddle articles, systemwide messaging informed by SMEs, culturally appropriate meal options, and various media resources like Zoom backgrounds and email signatures. This committee also helped provide guidance with holiday decorations.
Special projects worth a shout-out
Our Stories Series: This project includes interviewing participants and creating a photo exhibit that tells their story. The purpose of this series is to highlight BIPOC and other traditionally underrepresented staff and their important contributions as part of the care team. Our team has featured staff from Environmental Services and Interpreter Services.