Munson, Pilong Respond to Scorecard Results

Munson Medical Center (MMC) received mixed results in an in-house scorecard designed to measure progress in its fiscal 2017 year.

“True North,” the scorecard, is an important part of Munson Healthcare’s foundational framework, according to MMC President Al Pilong. He says it aligns the healthcare system around what they believe to be important and provides the hospital with a balanced approach to keeping the patient at the center of everything they do, making the hospital a great place to work and practice medicine.

“First and foremost, our True North goals are meant to be aspirational,” he tells The Ticker. “They’re used internally to push and stretch ourselves in the pursuit of perfection, which means zero harm, 100 percent engagement, excellence in patient experience and strong financial performance so we can be sustainable for the next 100 years.”

“Second, we use an internal scorecard to set goals and measure our performance each fiscal year. We would rather set stretch goals and fall short of them, than set achievable goals that keep us complacent. Because of our approach, we continue to see ongoing improvements in many areas throughout the organization year over year.”

MMC’s latest fiscal year ended on June 30.

In the category of “making this a great place to work,” the hospital saw its score drop from 76 percent to 72.

“Munson Medical Center leadership is dedicated to making this organization a great place to work,” responds Pilong. “Over the past few years, we have implemented several measures to ensure that staff members have an opportunity to be heard and their accomplishments are recognized and appreciated. Hospital leadership meets regularly with staff to listen, understand issues and promote solutions.”

In a contested August election, MMC registered nurses voted to be represented by the Michigan Nurses Association. Prior to the vote, nurses had voiced concerns about understaffed units, mandatory overtime and an administrative shift of emphasis from quality care to bottom-line profits.

“If you think about the division that the union organizing effort caused among our nursing staff this past year,” Pilong says, “it’s impressive that our ‘great place to work’ scores remained relatively unchanged across the entire organization. We’re a family here and just like with any family, we sometimes disagree. However, we always have and always will find common ground through our focus on True North.”

In a related category aimed at physicians, “making this a great place to practice,” the score dipped from 39 percent to 31.

Pilong counters that 29.4 percent of the medical staff rated MMC as an ‘excellent place to practice.’ “If you add in those who rated it ‘very good’ and a ‘good’ place to practice, that score jumps up to 93.4 percent,” he says. “That demonstrates that physicians are engaged and supportive. That being said, we are always looking for opportunities to improve and always aiming for excellence.”

Hospital leaders will continue to interview each department and develop plans to address areas for improvement, says Pilong. He cites an example of collaboration between physicians and the hospital regarding information technology and enhancements to electronic health records. “We also have been very successful in recruiting physicians in a nationally competitive environment,” he adds.

In the safety category, the number of serious employee injuries went down from 123 to 115, while the number of serious safety events climbed from 22 to 26. In June, MMC hired Dr. Tom Peterson as its vice president of quality and safety – a newly created position.  

In the financial realm, the hospital’s operating margin slipped from 6.8 percent to 6 percent over; Pilong explains that every year the hospital re-invests 100 percent of its operating margin back into its people, new technology and facility upgrades.

“Our operating margin fluctuates every year based on our patient mix and our reimbursement rates from both state and federal governments,” he says. “In addition, the high cost of pharmaceuticals continues to challenge our operating margin. Despite all of this, we’re pleased that we can continue to provide the level of service and specialty care we do while remaining the largest employer in northern Michigan.”