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; [email protected].

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