Building a culture of engagement

Hear how the Intermountain CI method provides the processes, tools and environment where physicians help identify problems, participate in problem solving, and drive standards to improve clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction and flow. Hear how this has generated thousands of ideas from front-line staff and physicians and contributed to the organization's position as a health care industry leader.

Intermountain Healthcare has developed a continuous improvement method composed of seven key systems that align leader's behaviors to support the cultural values of the organization. Discover the elements of the seven key systems with examples on how the method is applied and the results achieved. Hear how to align goals throughout a large organization, visualize gaps in performance, and engage teams in daily problem solving and improvement. Learn how to sustain a culture of improvement through the use of closed-loop systems that promote leadership behaviors through leader standard work, escalation systems and recognition. One of the challenges is to ensure that front-line team members are engaged in improvement. In health care, physicians are key front-line leaders that must be engaged.

Intermountain Healthcare is a not-for-profit health system based in Salt Lake City, Utah, with 22 hospitals, a broad range of clinics and services, 1,400 employed primary care and secondary care physicians at more than 185 clinics in the Intermountain Medical Group, and health insurance plans from SelectHealth. Its mission is helping people live the healthiest lives possible. Its vision is to be a model health system by providing extraordinary care and superior service at an affordable cost. www.intermountainhealthcare.org

Bryan Crowell is the AVP of CI at Intermountain Healthcare. He is former VP of manufacturing for ATK Armament Systems group and former plant manager at the highest scoring and first 2-time winner of the Shingo Prize-winning Autoliv Airbag Module Plant in Ogden, Utah. He led multiple organizations through cultural transformation. Employees under his leadership and processes have implemented over 500K ideas being recognized as world class throughout industry. Crowell is co-author of the Shingo Prize-winning book, "Own the Gap: How to Build a Daily Kaizen Culture." He earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from Weber State University and an MBA from Utah State University. 

Dr. Matt Pollard is the medical director of CI at Intermountain Healthcare. He has presented his physician engagement approach to multiple organizations across the country including the Shingo conference and has trained dozens of healthcare providers in the use of CI to improve the delivery of health care. Pollard earned his medical degree from Medical College of Wisconsin, where he also completed his residency in Emergency Medicine. During that time, he was the chief resident. He earned a master’s degree of business operational excellence from The Ohio State University – Fisher College of Business and is a lean six sigma black belt.