HQW 2024: Steps to Success as a Healthcare Quality Professional-Video - Steps to Success as a Healthcare Quality Professional

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Video Summary

Cleveland Clinic outlined its vision to be the best place to receive care and work, guided by four care priorities (patients, caregivers, community, organization), six core values (safety/quality, empathy, inclusion, integrity, teamwork, innovation), and four leader behaviors (lead change, inspire/coach, drive results, connect teams). Leaders then discussed how they onboard safety, quality, patient experience, and accreditation professionals who arrive with varied backgrounds.<br /><br />Panelists emphasized that onboarding begins with selecting people who fit the mission and values and demonstrate curiosity, resilience, organization, communication, relationship-building, and willingness to shift from “expert to novice.” Cleveland Clinic uses broad, regularly updated onboarding checklists and individualized orientation plans that combine organizational orientation, role expectations, self-directed learning, and hands-on competency assessment. Plans are adapted for internal versus external hires and are not strictly time-bound, since some key experiences (e.g., surveys, annual evaluations) occur infrequently.<br /><br />Common barriers include feeling overwhelmed, unclear priorities, limited business/technical skills (data, Excel, presentations), and difficulty building credibility with operational leaders who have competing demands. Leaders address these through standard work, clear meeting structures, weekly check-ins, peer mentorship (“first teams”), and coaching on urgency without chaos. High reliability concepts such as deference to expertise and sensitivity to operations help new staff collaborate effectively and prioritize patterns and trends.<br /><br />Success is measured through engagement and safety culture surveys, retention, milestone reviews, and progress toward certifications. Team culture is strengthened through shared scorecards, recognition, cross-enterprise collaboration, professional development, and community service. Clinical degrees are not required; diversity of experience is encouraged.

Keywords

Cleveland Clinic vision and values

care priorities patients caregivers community organization

leader behaviors lead change inspire coach drive results connect teams

onboarding safety quality patient experience accreditation

mission and values fit hiring

individualized onboarding plans and checklists

competency assessment and self-directed learning

peer mentorship first teams weekly check-ins

high reliability organization principles deference to expertise

engagement retention safety culture surveys and certifications