Relating Across Difference - An Improvement Process for Clinical Units uses principles of relational coordination to build relationships across professional and personal differences, as part of process improvement. It is led by Olawale Olaleye, MA, MBA, BPharm, Jody Hoffer Gittell, PhD, and Anthony Suchman, MD, MA, with implementation occurring over a 3-year period in three sites including the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic/Case Western Reserve University, Mass General Brigham, the RELATE Lab at Oregon Health Science University.
Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center (pre-pilot)
Mary Dolansky, PhD, RN, FAAN, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University; Senior Faculty Scholar, VA Quality Scholars Program
Ellen Luebbers, MD, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Mamta Singh, MD, MS, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Cleveland Clinic/Case Western Reserve University
At Cleveland Clinic/CWRU, Relating Across Difference “is consistent with our goal of promoting diversity, equity and belonging in the healthcare sector. For example, we include the RC approach in our onboarding requirements, and the RAD diversity intervention will build on that foundation. It also aligns with existing programs implemented by the Office of Interprofessional Learning at Cleveland Clinic and is synergistic with the improvements we have already implemented based on the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion in addition to interprofessional care.”
Cecile Foshee, PhD; Director of GME Learning Innovation; Co-Director, Office of Interprofessional Learning, Education Institute; Cleveland Clinic Health System
Aanchal Kapoor, MD, Pulmonology, Critical Care Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Health System
Tyler Reimschisel, MD, MHPE; Founding Associate Provost, Interprofessional and Interdisciplinary Education and Research; Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic Health System
Ronna Romano, MBA, Program Manager, Interprofessional Education, Cleveland Clinic Health System
Chiedozie Udeh, MBBS, MHEcon, MBA, FCC, FCCM, FASA Director, ICU Operations, Cleveland Clinic Health System; Medical Director, eHospital, Cleveland Clinic Health System
Mass General Brigham
At Mass General Brigham, Relating Across Difference “is consistent with our For Every Patient approach to quality – designed to unify a single vision and set of practices across MGB's hospitals and clinical care sites to deliver safe, effective and equitable care that will improve quality. The RAD approach compliments our longstanding Clinical Process Improvement Leadership Program (CPIP) which provides frontline staff with the skills and tools needed to lead interprofessional teams and make improvements in the clinical environment. It will provide additional tools to ensure diversity, equity and inclusion are focal points to improving care for our patients.”
Victoria Carballo, MPH, Program Director, Mass General Brigham
Kristin Cox, MD, Hospitalist, Director of Quality and Patient Safety, Department of Medicine, Newton-Wellesley Hospital
Brian Cummings, MD, Attending, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Chair, Pediatric Ethics Committee, Medical Director and Vice Chair, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children
Ilona Goldfarb, MD, MPH, OB/GYN Vice Chair for Quality, Equity and Safety, Assistant Professor in Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital
Judy Krempin, MS, CPHQ, Senior Director, Process Improvement, Analytics, Planning, Strategy and Improvement, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Gianna Wilkins, BS, Senior Process Improvement Consultant, Massachusetts General Hospital
RELATE Lab at Oregon Health and Sciences University
RELATE Lab's mission is to develop Relational Leadership capacity for interprofessional healthcare workers and trainees. Their Relational Leadership programs build leaders who re-humanize the health system, foster team spaces of psychological safety and belonging, and support colleagues to find common ground amidst unique differences, so that everyone on the health team can thrive. Relating Across Difference and the underlying principles of relational coordination help to support the mission of the RELATE Lab.
Leah Gordon, MPH, Associate Director
Matt Lewis, PhD, Co-Director of Relational Leadership Programs
Alexander Mansour, MPH, Co-Director of Relational Leadership Programs
Hilary Mar Lopez Nichols, Health Equity Organizer
Brian Park, MD, MPH, Director
Niki Steckler, PhD, Leadership Director
Anais Tuepker, PhD, MPH, Co-Director of Research
Elaine Waller Uchison, MS, Research Associate, Multi-Media Story Teller