Karolinska University Hospital received an honorable mention by the International Hospital Federation
At this year's World Hospital Congress in Lisbon, the medical unit for Sterile Technology and Logistics received an honorable mention from IHF in the Executive Excellence Award for Leadership and Management category for their efforts in driving change and improvement within the hospital.
Congratulations Tore! What success factors do you believe led to receiving this recognition?
– The first success factor was changing our production to a customer-demand-driven supply chain. We simply needed to listen to and understand our customers' unique demands. The number of acute orders has dropped, and our sterile technicians can work at a normal pace without being interrupted, says Tore Evang, Director of Medical Unit Sterile Technology and Logistics.
– Secondly, it was important to engage the entire workforce in suggesting improvements to quality, the work environment, and waste elimination. We eliminated the 'blame game' and instead embraced discrepancies as a great opportunity for change and better practices in the future. I truly believe in the competence of my staff to solve problems together with the operating rooms. 'Be brave and say yes.' As a manager, I would carefully listen, focus on the positive, and inspire with energy.
– We also introduced Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and set goals for our management and units to follow, based on customer values, carefully avoiding suboptimization. We measure group performance, not individuals. We reduced the workload for managers, for example in economy and investments, so they could focus on productivity, lead-time, and quality instead. Our managers have a flexible budget in production hours depending on workload. This way, we can keep the lead-time to a minimum and prevent constraints, delays, and heavy burdens or stress for our staff.
We are not just leaders; we are purpose-driven leaders, and if we succeed in delivering high quality, more people will receive care and get well. We are so proud!
Tore Evang, Director of Medical Unit Sterile Technology and Logistics.