Resource Library-Advancing a Quality Mindset

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Christine Groves, Executive Director of VHA’s Office of Quality Management, explains how to “advance the quality mindset” across a massive health system (400,000 employees, 150+ hospitals, 1,000+ clinics). She argues quality is everyone’s responsibility—not just the quality department—and that leaders must “connect the dots” so every role, clinical and non-clinical, understands how it contributes to excellent veteran care.<br /><br />Using a coffee shop conversation with non-healthcare friends, she simplifies and maps the NAHQ quality framework to everyday work to show its universal relevance: professional engagement, leadership, improvement methods (change management, project management, Lean/PDCA), customer focus and equitable experiences, data and outcomes, safety, regulation/compliance, credentialing, and quality review. The point: if people outside healthcare can grasp the framework, staff across healthcare can too.<br /><br />In Q&A, Groves recommends starting by defining what “quality mindset” means for your organization and linking it to mission/values, then beginning where you are, finding early adopters, and tailoring approaches to local needs. VHA’s plan starts within quality “home” departments to align core processes and professional development to the framework, then cascades systemwide. She also describes building “quality champions” open to anyone passionate or “quality-curious,” supported by training and a recognized pathway/badge.

Asset Caption

Speaker: Kristine Groves, RN, MBA-HCM, CPHQ

Overcoming challenges such as patient care, rising costs and the looming workforce cliff will require a coordinated effort and quality is key to developing sustainable solutions. Recent NAHQ research reveals that 85% of those working in healthcare agree quality should not just be the work of the quality department. The quality mindset and hardwiring quality into all areas of an organization is everyone’s job. That’s why NAHQ is expanding our reach to include both a profession and a discipline. Hear from Kristi Groves, Executive Director at the Veterans Health Administration Office of Quality Management on how she is engaging every department at the VHA to advance and activate their quality mindset. If you are a leader in your organization, you’ll leave this session with takeaways on how you can create and advance a quality mindset across the entire organization. If you are a contributing team member, you’ll discover how you can help support advancing the discipline.

Meta Tag

Competency Tag QLI1

Competency Tag Description Direct the quality and safety infrastructure to achieve organizational objectives.

Domain Tag Quality Leadership and Integration

Keywords

VHA Office of Quality Management

quality mindset culture

NAHQ quality framework

healthcare leadership alignment

Lean PDCA improvement methods

quality champions training badge

veteran care safety equity compliance