VP/CNO Content Strategy and Clinical Programs
Clinical and support staff are the backbone of the healthcare industry. Often asked to work with few resources to deliver care at the most important times in a patient’s care journey, clinicians deserve recognition and appreciation for all they do.
Faced with a workforce crisis like never before, health systems and hospitals need someone who understands these challenges — and at Get Well, we do understand. And we certainly appreciate those on our staff who have spent time as clinicians. That’s why we’re launching the Get Well Clinician Spotlight series — an opportunity to give the clinicians who work for Get Well the recognition they deserve and the space to share their stories and thoughts about the biggest challenges facing today’s clinician workforce.
VP, Content Strategy and Clinical Programs
Please share a little about your clinical background and what brought you to Get Well.
I consider myself an experienced professional nursing leader with over a decade of clinical and operational experience. I was formerly certified in step down intensive/progressive care, critical care and neurosciences. I was the founder and former president of the Association of Neuroscience Nurses in Upstate New York and hold memberships in a variety of Professional Organizations.
This passion led me to Get Well, where I was able to use my experience, knowledge and skills to make a broader impact.
“I have a passion for improving the healthcare experience while reducing cost and health disparities. I believe success is achieved by creating highly reliable processes and teams, focused on a common vision.”
LouAnn Bala
What do you enjoy most about your work?
Working at Get Well is different everyday. While the challenges remain the same for many healthcare organizations, the approaches vary. Working in product has allowed me to apply human centered design theory to focus on the perspective of care through the lens of patient and family members. Deep understanding of the communities we serve is paramount to solving the right problems with meaningful, affordable solutions.
What are some of the biggest challenges facing today’s clinician workforce?
Clinician burnout, lack of mentors and distraction during care delivery are three significant challenges. Many nurses with longevity and experience are choosing to step away from the bedside. Some are choosing travel assignments or permanent positions and others are choosing new career paths. This is leaving a significant knowledge gap at the bedside, which can contribute to poor patient outcomes. Nurses report feeling overwhelmed, finding it difficult to sleep, and other physical and mental ailments attributed to the work environment.
What is the best way to address those challenges?
Digital technology can eliminate redundant work, triage incoming data, and provide point of care resources to reduce strain on the bedside clinician. Augmenting delivery of patient education, creating care checklists, and digitizing patient check ins can reduce burden. Offloading non-clinical tasks such as concierge requests (room temperature, extra blankets, TV services) is a great way to allow clinicians to spend more clinically focused time at the bedside. Finally, using technology to support communication between clinicians, patients, and families can reduce redundant calls and missed communications while improving the overall experience.
