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 Cleveland Clinic/Case Western Reserve University, Mass General Brigham, and the University of Washington Medical Center.
Project Sites
Cleveland Clinic/Case Western Reserve University
At Cleveland Clinic/CWRU, Relating Across Differences “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.”
Tyler Reimschisel, MD, MHPE; Founding Associate Provost, Interprofessional and Interdisciplinary Education and Research; Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic Health System
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
Chiedozie Udeh, MBBS, MHEcon, MBA, FCC, FCCM, FASA Director, ICU Operations, Cleveland Clinic Health System; Medical Director, eHospital, Cleveland Clinic Health System
Ronna Romano, MBA, Program Manager, Interprofessional Education, Cleveland Clinic Health System
Mass General Brigham
At Mass General Brigham, Relating Across Differences “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.”
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
Victoria Carballo, MPH, Program Director, Mass General Brigham
Brian Cummings, MD, Attending, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Chair, Pediatric Ethics Committee, Medical Director and Vice Chair, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children
Kristin Cox, MD, Hospitalist, Director of Quality and Patient Safety, Department of Medicine, Newton-Wellesley Hospital
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
University of Washington Medical Center
At University of Washington Medical Center, Relating Across Differences “is consistent with our goal of promoting IPCP and DEI in the practice environment, [building] on a recently completed 4-year study to improve relational coordination among two advanced heart failure units [here]. We were able to demonstrate an improvement in communication and relationships, as well as patient satisfaction and nurse satisfaction, following an intervention comprised of team training, workflow improvement, and leadership development… We will now use the same RC principles to become a more diverse and inclusive environment.”
Kevin D. O’Brien, MD, Professor of Medicine, University of Washington; Inpatient Cardiology Service Director, Cardiology ICUs; Medical Director, UW Medical Center
Brenda Zierler, PhD, RN, FAAN, Professor of Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Informatics in the University of Washington School of Nursing, with adjunct appointmsnts in the School of Medicine (Division of Vascular Surgery and Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education) and the School of Public Health (Department of Health Systems and Population Health)