Case: A Healthy Investment at Sisters of Charity Providence Hospital
At Sisters of Charity Providence Hospital, a 304-bed hospital in Columbia, South Carolina, a training function that addresses performance gaps and supports quality service is a top priority. Training and development programs are linked to the hospital’s strategic goals: to become an employer of choice and to provide service and operational excellence. It is not only important to develop programs supporting the strategy, but also to provide evidence as to how they contribute. One priority has been to develop leaders from its current managers. The hospital’s first program, Leading Edge, included a curriculum that focused on financial and performance management, identifying and recruiting top talent, and change management. The focus of the training was based on the middle managers’ performance needs and weaknesses. The training used a variety of methods, but each program included a set of team building activities and a performance review of the organization. Formal processes were implemented to hold leaders accountable for the performance of their area. The principle objectives included (1) increased earnings before interest, depreciation, and amortization; and (2) improvement of employee and patient satisfaction.
Answer the following questions:
What outcomes should the hospital collect to determine the effectiveness of the Leading Edge Program? What evaluation design should it use? Explain your choice of outcomes and design.
