The new management team at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance says it's taking several steps to change the culture of the hospital's work environment.
Back in August, Ministry of Health Investigator Bonnie Adamson criticized Alliance leadership of creating an uncomfortable, even dangerous atmosphere for its staff.
A quote directly from the report indicates changes had to be made:
"The CKHA organizational culture has been frequently described by both hospital staff and medical staff to be one of fear, intimidation, distrust and an unsafe environment in which to voice their opinions without retaliation."
Now Interim CEO Ken Deane and Supervisor Rob Divett have introduced a couple initiatives to allow Alliance staff to feel comfortable airing their grievances.
"What we're trying to do is set up processes where, in fact, we flag opportunities to get better, and set up action plans to do so," says Devitt.
With the help of a third-party, administration has set up a "Whistleblower" system, which staff can use to anonymously report problems they see. The third party will then report those issues, and Alliance management can research and investigate the requests.
In a few weeks, a staff engagement survey will also be released -- and once again, it will be administered by a third party.
"The intent behind that is to elicit from our staff their feelings and impressions about the working environment," says Deane. "And the degree to which they're receiving that necessary level of support."
In the near future, administration says they'll also be forming a Workplace Violence Prevention Committee to set up protocols to keep their staff safe.
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