Innovative Care Delivery Models in Action

How Two Nursing Leaders Led the Transformation of Their Care Models to Improve Patient Care and Nurse Satisfaction

In a recent webinar, Aya Healthcare invited nursing thought leader, Dr. Bonnie Clipper, to moderate a discussion with two nursing leaders: Kathy Howell, Chief Nursing Executive of UCHealth, and Ashleigh Gerhardt, VP of Network Operations and Emergency Services of HonorHealth. They shared valuable insights and lessons they learned from redesigning their care delivery models through team nursing initiatives and virtual care programs.

Watch the full webinar on demand or continue reading to discover some of the innovative care delivery models they implemented in their own health systems.

Expanding Care Team Capabilities with a Skill Mix Framework

With the increased strain on resources brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, many health systems are finding creative strategies to increase the speed and accuracy of care delivery even with reduced resources and headcounts. Experimenting with different skill mixes is one way to improve and supplement service delivery with a broader range of practitioner types while still allowing nurses to practice at the top of their scope.

“We’ve implemented quite a few new support roles to allow our nurses to practice at the top of their scope. One is a patient technology technician, which is a role that takes all the technology concerns off our frontline nurses in acute care settings. Our teams have shared that it’s a revolutionary, game changing addition — yesterday a nurse told me they wouldn’t work in a unit without this role.”

Kathy Howell, Chief Nursing Executive of UCHealth