Case Summary week 3
58 TD | October 2018
JPS HEALTH NETWORK | FORT WORTH, TEXAS17
A s the community public health network serving the
Fort Worth, Texas, area with a 578-bed hospital and
more than 40 sites of care, the JPS Health Network
pursues three strategic goals daily: to be the employer of
choice throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area, to develop
and engage its employees, and—its number 1 priority—to
provide the best possible care for its patients.
“We are only as good as our people,” says a succinct Pia Walker, senior vice pres-
ident of HR and learning. The statement may be casually dismissed as a bromide,
except for the innovative and exhaustive efforts that Walker’s department under-
take daily to implant it into the organization’s culture.
It starts, of course, by hiring the right people and nurturing them to provide ex-
pert patient care. A variety of steadily evolving talent development initiatives help
achieve that goal by ensuring that team members are proficient in their jobs, feel
connected to the organization, are wholly engaged, and are confident that they
belong. Particular attention is devoted to team building.
JPS is a 6,600-person organization whose employees predictably run the
gamut from GED to MD and PhD. As executive director of talent acquisition,
learning, and organizational development, Jennifer Bailey-Jackson heads a
24-person team of clinical and nonclinical members who collaboratively design
and develop all educational and training materials, courses, programs, and ini-
tiatives to meet its diverse needs.
The team’s concerns include all the usual development categories: skills, work-
force, professionals, teams, and leaders. There’s also career pathing, diversity and
inclusion, change and performance management, and succession planning. It ad-
dresses this with targeted training and education as needed.
NURTURE EMPLOYEES AND THEY’LL REWARD YOU
Encouraged by a passionate CEO and a tireless talent
development department, a Texas health provider is
developing a truly engaged and proficient workforce.
BY PAUL HARRIS
Pia Walker, SVP, HR and Learning; Jodi Bell, Director, Learning & OD; Jennifer Bailey-Jackson, Executive Director, Talent Acquisition, Learning & OD; Renette Toliver, Director, Clinical Education; Theresa Wilson, Manager, Learning & OD
IMAGE | TOM HUSSEY
October 2018 | TD 59
P O D C A S T
60 TD | October 2018
The learning and organizational development
(OD) team’s primary mission is to “develop highly
motivated and innovative individuals with hearts
for public service who thrive on challenge in the
ever-changing environment of patient-centered
care.” It’s one of six key pillars that guide all activities
within JPS. The others are quality, stewardship, popu-
lation health, service, and academics.
Focusing on the front line Improving engagement is a top priority that has
spawned several development initiatives. One is the
Ambassador Development Program, a three-year-old
initiative aimed at developing frontline employees
who exemplify the network’s core values and key
competencies. Nominated by leaders from across the
network, these employees serve as brand champions
to help spread a culture of engagement throughout
all areas of the organization.
Taking the program one step further, the organiza-
tion created the Ambassador Development Institute
(ADI)—a quarterly symposium focused on learning
and collaboration. During these day-long sessions, am-
bassadors receive fundamental tools for added insight
into the organization’s purpose and vision, includ-
ing important metrics for its success. Walker calls it a
“transformative experience” for participants because
it enhances their connection with the organization.
The mission of the two ambassador programs is to
engage, educate, align, and ignite top frontline talent.
“We connect them back to the purpose of why they’re
here and how they make a difference in the lives of pa-
tients,” Walker explains. “They take that message back
to their departments and team members and impart
what they learn about metrics and engagement.” More
than 500 employees have participated to date.
An eager participant at ADI and other learning
events is the network’s energetic CEO, Robert Earley,
who instills the art of engagement with his three
simple “Rules of the Road”: Own it. Seek joy. Don’t
be a jerk.
“From dressing in costume to FaceTiming partic-
ipants, there is nothing Mr. Earley won’t do to make
a training event fun and impactful,” insists learning
consultant Shane Mckee. “He inspires and motivates
by always sharing his authentic self while simultane-
ously making everyone around him feel comfortable
enough to be their true selves. He embodies his Rules
of the Road in everything he does.”
The learning and OD team focuses intently on its
frontline employees—and for good reason. It consid-
ers them the organization’s eyes and ears, who learn
before anyone else what is working and what isn’t.
They are typically the first to be affected when pro-
cesses and systems are changed, yet they are seldom
asked to share their insights with top leaders. “ADI
solves this problem,” Walker insists.
Other talent development programs for frontline
employees include Empower, which engages team
members interested in furthering their professional
development. Topics include effective communication,
time management, and healthcare fundamentals. The
department has also hired a career guidance and OD
consultant to coach and mentor frontline employees
ready to advance their careers. Similar programs are
offered for employees throughout JPS.
Training programs for those further up the org chart One of the organization’s most successful learning
initiatives is its Leadership Acceleration Program
(LAP), a 10-month cohort-based program for ex-
perienced directors and managers. It is aimed at
inspiring competencies and instilling the servant
leader concept throughout the network’s ranks.
Principal topics include team building, employee re-
tention and engagement, leading change, employee
relations, and conflict resolution.
The leadership program has been so successful
that the team unveiled a follow-up series last year
named LAP 2. Restricted to graduates of LAP 1, its goal
is to build leadership bench strength and “hardwire
excellence.” It introduces new learning experiences
and opportunities each year, helping leaders contin-
uously grow and evolve—a vital mission as JPS copes
with constant growth and change in healthcare.
Participants also dive deeper into areas of com-
munity involvement and enhanced management
skills, Walker contends. In addition, JPS offers the
Engagement Mentorship Program each year for
leaders who need more support and assistance in
employee engagement.
So how is all this engagement-related instruction
working out? The network’s latest employee en-
gagement survey ranks the organization in the 90th
percentile, up from 86 during 2016, Walker reports
proudly. “That demonstrates that we have a work-
force that is confident that they’re able to do their
jobs.” She says it reflects steady progress from its re-
lentless campaigns to do right by its employees.
JPS can justly celebrate, because such transfor-
mations reportedly take from five to eight years to
complete. Yet, its real victories are in the reduced turn-
over and other metrics attesting that JPS is indeed an
employer of choice in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Paul Harris is a freelance writer in Alexandria, Virginia; pcharris007@comcast.net.
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