Recently, we had the opportunity to visit the Baptist Home at Brookmeade who invited Language Fundamentals in to provide our insight into the PDPM transition. Roughly 24 members of the team eagerly gathered in the conference room ready to hear our thoughts on this upcoming change.
The enthusiasm to learn & mutual respect in the room became obvious, and it was clear that the team is prepared to meet the transition head-on and work together along the way. After an awesome training, I began thinking about the attributes that successful teams have in common.
After having more conversations with key members of the team, the 4 Characteristics of a Cohesive Interdisciplinary Team became obvious:
- Leadership – When the Administrator makes it crystal clear that they are all there for the patients, the culture becomes clear. Administration leads by example on a daily basis and the team follows suit.
- Transparency – This was a common theme amongst members of the team. Free & open communication is welcome and “doing the right things” for the patients is expected. When observing the team interact, it was clear that the best interest of the patient was at the forefront.
- Trust – Take a step back and envision the meaning of “all hands on deck.” The image is often members of an organization digging into their jobs while showing a great deal of trust in one another. The beginning of trust at The Baptist Home begins with having respect for one another’s perspective. There are no worries about “stepping on toes” or “overstepping boundaries” because the goal is doing what is best for the patient.
- Sharing Knowledge – The Baptist Home believes in the principles of sharing information, gaining knowledge, not waiting until the last minute, setting goals & making adjustments. When the team feels like they are involved, in the loop, and valued, they become invested in their jobs and the mission of the organization. It is rare that “monopolizing” information pays off in the long run.
(L to R) Michael Webb of Language Fundamentals, Amanda Barela, SLP of Language Fundamentals, Karen Zobel of The Baptist Home, Matt McGarvey of Language Fundamentals, and Brian Zeidan of The Baptist Home
The Patient Driven Payment Model is about the patient. The days of “this is rehab,” or “that is nursing” will be over, and the team approach will be more important than ever.
If you have thoughts or ideas you’d like to share, feel free to comment in the box below. We’d love to hear from you.
