The month of June brought together MedStar Health Research Institute associates at three locations for our biannual town halls. Hosted at University Town Center, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, and MedStar Washington Hospital Center, the town halls help to engage and connect associates. Thank you to all the Research Institute associates who were able to join us at one of the Spring Town Halls in the last month.
Thank you to Amy Loveland, Osirelis Sanchez, and Becky Montalvo for presenting our safety moment involving an ongoing research study led by Nawar Shara. It was a great example of how technology is being used in research and what steps our study teams are taking to protect patients who participate.
The main portion of the Spring 2019 Town Halls was presented by Neil J. Weissman, focusing on the results of the 2019 Associate Engagement Survey. MHRI surpassed our participation goal of 80%, with close to 90% of MHRI associates participating in the survey. The survey looked at 9 key areas: Patient First, Career Development and Training, Communications, Leadership and Direction, Performance Management, Total Rewards, Engagement, Supervision and Teamwork. Overall, we improved in six areas, stayed the same in two and declined in one area.
At the manager’s meeting in May, the results of the survey were reviewed in detail along with every written comment provided by associates. Managers discussed opportunities for change and feedback will be incorporated into the MHRI operational goals and plans for the next fiscal year.
During town halls, the interactive Sli.Do tool was used to ask associates specific questions and receive answers in real time. Associates were asked what can be improved in our Communication efforts and what are some areas of opportunity for Career Development and Training. You can view the submissions to Sli.Do from the Spring Town Halls here.
Mary Anne Hinkson provided leadership updates. We would like to welcome Grant Gonzalez (Director of Finance), Shawana Jackson (SCA Director for Orthopedics & Sports Medicine), and James Boscoe (Director of ORI) to MedStar Health Research Institute and joining us in Advancing Health Through Research.
Eva Hochberger introduced new professional development tools developed by the Associate Engagement Committee. You can access these resources for Professional Development on StarPort. It's also linked on the MHRI StarPort landing page under the Associates Engagement links.
Also, the IS Self-Service Portal is available through StarPort as an alternative way of accessing our IS Helpdesk. Select SOM from the drop-down menu when you log in to access it. As a reminder, please be safe and secure when you are checking your email. For more information on phishing emails, check out these IS resources.
Research would not be possible without our associates and without the patients who participate. Thank you to those who allow us to make the lives of our patients better today and in the future.
