• CAPABILITIES
    • Col – 1
      • Care DeliverySCP Health - Care Delivery

        Innovative care models revitalize organizations and improve quality.

      • Clinical StaffingSCP Health - Clinical Staffing

        Support beyond traditional recruiting and staffing to include onboarding, credentialing, and clinician growth and development.

      • Clinical Workforce OptimizationSCP Health - Clinical Workforce Optimization

        Staff, engage, and optimize clinicians and clinical operations.

    • Col – 2
      • Documentation & Revenue Cycle ManagementSCP Health - Documentation & Revenue Cycle

        Proven strategies that maximize revenue opportunities while reducing administrative burden.

      • Virtual HealthSCP Health - Virtual Health

        Leverage technology to expand coverage & support both in and outside of the hospital.

    • Col – 3
      • Advanced Care in the HomeSCP Health - Advanced Care in the Home

        An extension of your health system, bringing high-quality, acute patient care into the home.

      • Clinical IntegrationSCP Health - Clinical Integration

        Solutions to align and integrate processes and understanding across departments.

  • SPECIALTIES
    • Col – 1
      • Emergency MedicineSCP Health - Emergency Medicine

        Scalable approaches that prioritize acute patient care while achieving strategic goals.

      • Critical Care MedicineSCP Health - Critical Care Medicine

        Intensivist staffing and management, leveraging technology for quality care.

      • Hospital MedicineSCP Health - Hospital Medicine

        Streamlined management and virtual care solutions to maximize efficiency.

    • Col – 2
      • Urgent CareSCP Health - Urgent Care

        Technology & tools to plan, staff, and manage profitable urgent care centers.

      • Primary CareSCP Health - Primary Care

        Patient-centric approach to make integrated, accessible health care available to communities.

      • Retail HealthSCP Health - Retail Health

        Reduce administrative and staffing burdens for cost-effective health centers.

    • Col – 3
      • Patient EngagementSCP Health - Patient Engagement

        Grow your patient base with brand recognition and direct-to-employer marketing.

      • Telehealth & TelemedicineSCP Health - Telehealth

        Extend quality, cost-effective, compliant, and specialized virtual care.

  • COMPANY
    • Company
    • Partner With Us
    • Leadership
    • Technology
    • Sustainability
  • CAREERS
    • Clinical Careers
    • Corporate Careers
  • NEWS & RESOURCES
    • Resources
    • Blog
    • Company News
    • Events
    • Virtual Briefing Center
SCP HealthSCP Health
  • CAPABILITIES
    • Col – 1
      • Care DeliverySCP Health - Care Delivery

        Innovative care models revitalize organizations and improve quality.

      • Clinical StaffingSCP Health - Clinical Staffing

        Support beyond traditional recruiting and staffing to include onboarding, credentialing, and clinician growth and development.

      • Clinical Workforce OptimizationSCP Health - Clinical Workforce Optimization

        Staff, engage, and optimize clinicians and clinical operations.

    • Col – 2
      • Documentation & Revenue Cycle ManagementSCP Health - Documentation & Revenue Cycle

        Proven strategies that maximize revenue opportunities while reducing administrative burden.

      • Virtual HealthSCP Health - Virtual Health

        Leverage technology to expand coverage & support both in and outside of the hospital.

    • Col – 3
      • Advanced Care in the HomeSCP Health - Advanced Care in the Home

        An extension of your health system, bringing high-quality, acute patient care into the home.

      • Clinical IntegrationSCP Health - Clinical Integration

        Solutions to align and integrate processes and understanding across departments.

  • SPECIALTIES
    • Col – 1
      • Emergency MedicineSCP Health - Emergency Medicine

        Scalable approaches that prioritize acute patient care while achieving strategic goals.

      • Critical Care MedicineSCP Health - Critical Care Medicine

        Intensivist staffing and management, leveraging technology for quality care.

      • Hospital MedicineSCP Health - Hospital Medicine

        Streamlined management and virtual care solutions to maximize efficiency.

    • Col – 2
      • Urgent CareSCP Health - Urgent Care

        Technology & tools to plan, staff, and manage profitable urgent care centers.

      • Primary CareSCP Health - Primary Care

        Patient-centric approach to make integrated, accessible health care available to communities.

      • Retail HealthSCP Health - Retail Health

        Reduce administrative and staffing burdens for cost-effective health centers.

    • Col – 3
      • Patient EngagementSCP Health - Patient Engagement

        Grow your patient base with brand recognition and direct-to-employer marketing.

      • Telehealth & TelemedicineSCP Health - Telehealth

        Extend quality, cost-effective, compliant, and specialized virtual care.

  • COMPANY
    • Company
    • Partner With Us
    • Leadership
    • Technology
    • Sustainability
  • CAREERS
    • Clinical Careers
    • Corporate Careers
  • NEWS & RESOURCES
    Featured
    The No Surprises Act… FULL of surprises!
    Patient Billing
    • Resources
    • Blog
    • Company News
    • Events
    • Virtual Briefing Center
Contact
Medical practitioners in a meeting
Culture and Teamwork, Technology and Innovation
June 09, 2022

How Hospitals, Health Systems, and Clinicians Foster Innovation in Health Care

  • Share

Innovation in health care is vital for several reasons. Not only can it stimulate economic growth through enhanced efficiency, increased productivity, and optimized patient outcomes, but innovation can also improve patient safety, promote transparency, and enable greater access to care.  

Such innovation often results from proactive action or forced necessity. Consider the changes in clinical practice because of the pandemic – the health care industry experienced a dramatic shift in operations, from new processes in the ED and inpatient departments to a widespread increase in the use of telehealth both inside and outside the hospital. 

Health care cannot afford to stand still and be satisfied with the status quo. There is a continuous need to develop novel solutions for patient care, including improving clinical systems and processes, offering new services to patients, and developing new therapies and effective diagnostics. 

Clinical, hospital, and health system leaders can foster innovation in their own ways, avoiding the pitfalls of habits that keep processes stuck in the same place.  

How Hospitals and Health Systems Can Foster Innovation 

At facility and system levels, hospitals and health systems must focus on building a solid foundation that takes care of basic needs, creating the right environment, and making the right investments. 

Start with the Basics 

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs tells us that we must take care of the basics to be able to engage in higher-level thinking.  

During the pandemic, patient surges and staffing shortages created stressful situations where putting out fires was the order of the day. Optimized scheduling with dynamic staffing and proactive attention to surge plans can guarantee your hospital is fully supported with the people and resources they need to deliver exceptional care every day.  

Appropriate coverage creates an environment conducive to innovation, as it allows room to actively think and consider new ideas and approaches that can lead to substantial improvements. Extend the impact of that environment with continuous evaluation of current processes, an attitude of advancement, and the retirement of policies that are no longer relevant.  

Cultivate Respect for Learning — Create an Innovative Culture 

It’s incumbent upon us to create a culture that values courage and doesn’t fear failure while always keeping patient safety in mind.  

Of course, innovation does not come without friction. As the Chinese proverb says, “When the winds of change blow, some people build walls, others build windmills.” We must acknowledge the challenges — limited budgets, increased demand for health care services, rising patient expectations, and mounting pressure on clinicians and front-line workers due to staffing shortages.  

However, if a culture of innovation is to take root, everyone, from entry-level staff to executive leaders, needs to buy in and show both courage and curiosity, while testing out new solutions. Not every idea will work, nor will every proposed solution be quick, but that shouldn’t stop us from trying.  

Make the Right Investments 

Innovation takes investment in resources and assets, including your people. Ensure you are investing in your team, flexing your workforce by putting the right talent in the right places at the right times. Help your workforce rediscover their “why,” supporting boundary-setting and work-life balance, and rewarding innovation through growth, learning, and development opportunities. 

Such efforts will pay off with greater individual resilience, improved morale, and more productive staff. 

Investing in technology and tools is also imperative. Hospitals and health systems have limited budgets, so leverage yours to get the biggest return on your investment possible. That includes looking for multi-service technology solutions that can help in numerous places instead of just one.  

How Clinicians Can Influence Innovation 

For innovation to be effective, it must start at the clinical level, with the doctors, nurses, and staff who serve patients directly every day. Their attitude toward embracing change will filter through the entire hospital, so they must have the right mindset.  

Take Care of Yourself 

The adage, “put on your oxygen mask first before helping others,” is a common self-care mantra, but it’s especially applicable to clinical staff because of the stress you face. You need to put your health care needs before your patients by keeping a positive mental attitude, staying physically fit, and achieving a healthy work-life balance.  

Identify Lessons Learned and Apply Them in New Ways 

We got creative during the pandemic out of necessity. Not everything worked well, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t leverage those lessons and apply them in this new era of normalcy. That also doesn’t mean unprecedented situations won’t recur, so it’s best to prepare for the future. The pandemic was a proving ground for advancements, and we must continue that work.  

Have a Growth Mindset 

Your mindset affects what you will achieve. A growth mindset means developing new skills and adjusting to new operating procedures. A fixed mindset is resistant to change. Adopt a growth mindset to transform your team and organizational culture. Evaluate processes regularly and spend your energy thinking about what you could change versus dwelling on an outcome. 

Be Adventurous 

Don’t be afraid to try new things. Also, encourage your team to be innovators, thinking of new and exciting ideas. While you may not be making TikTok videos of new operational practices, clinicians can be influencers for their teams and the industry as a whole. Be willing to go out on a limb and show courage.  

Innovation for Growth and Improvement 

Health care industry growth opportunities and challenges will always lie ahead. That has never been truer than now in this tentative, post-pandemic era. Therefore, we must make innovation a priority if we are to deliver first-in-class health care and advance care across the entire continuum.  

Realizing long-term growth benefits means creating a culture where innovation can flourish, and staff and patients feel they are change agents in the process. 

SCP Health can help. Our innovative health care solutions span the entire continuum of care, from emergency services to post-acute care, urgent care, advanced care at home and beyond. We drive cost-effective, high-quality results using advanced technology and innovative care models.  

 

Related Topics
  • Care Delivery
  • Clinical Staffing
  • COVID-19 Response
  • Culture and Teamwork
  • Growth
  • Hospital Medicine
  • Mental Health and Wellness
  • Operational Advancement
  • Patient Surges
  • Staffing Shortages
  • Technology and Innovation

Contact SCP Health

Discover What Together Can Do
PREVIOUS ARTICLE
2022 Emerging Medical Leaders
NEXT ARTICLE
2022 Medical Leadership Conference – Providing Opportunities and Showing Appreciation
Also of Interest
  • What Does It Take to Be an 'Innovative'...
  • LHC Group and SCP Health Partner to Provide...
  • Advanced Health Care Technology
SCP Health

SCP Health. All Rights Reserved.

200 Galleria Parkway SE
Suite 1300
Atlanta, GA 30339

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
CAPABILITIES
  • Care Delivery
  • Clinical Staffing
  • Clinical Workforce Optimization
  • Documentation and Revenue Cycle Management
  • Virtual Health
  • Advanced Care in the Home
  • Clinical Integration
SPECIALTIES
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Hospital Medicine
  • Critical Care Medicine
  • Urgent Care
  • Primary Care
  • Retail Health
  • Patient Engagement
  • Telehealth & Telemedicine
COMPANY
  • Company
  • Partner With Us
  • Leadership
  • Advanced Health Care Technology
  • Sustainability
  • Corporate Compliance
CAREERS
  • Clinical Careers
  • Corporate Careers
  • Provider Portal
RESOURCES
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Company News
  • Events
  • Virtual Briefing Center

rfeeeddd