Making a Difference

Pledge to Advance Healthcare Operations

Shared commitment to better our health systems.
Cluster of graphics showing various healthcare professionals including nurses and doctors

Healthcare operations, defined as the systems and processes that make healthcare organizations work so patients get the care they need, when they need it, are at a critical juncture in the U.S. The stress put on the healthcare industry by the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with macroeconomic pressures outside of our control, has exposed cracks in the system, driving clinician burnout, budget cuts, compliance challenges, and inequities. 

While the challenges are complex, there are steps the industry can take to improve healthcare operations in a way that will create impactful change. Together with KLAS and healthcare executives from 26 organizations, we have identified five areas of focus where every health system can improve healthcare operations to increase efficiency, improve margins, and lessen the administrative and operational burden on all healthcare workers so that they can focus on what they do best: providing patient care.

By adding my name to this pledge, I commit to work with my teams, clinicians, technology partners, and colleagues across the industry to advance the following key aspects of healthcare operations, which will give organizations more time to deliver exceptional patient care:

 

Empower Decisions
Empower Decisions
Unify and standardize healthcare operations tools, reporting, and analytics for decision-making — ensuring we are getting near real-time, valuable insights from data
Prioritize User Experience
Prioritize User Experience
Champion user-oriented technology that supports and strengthens an exhausted healthcare workforce
Advocate for Better Data
Advocate for Better Data
Unite around one dynamic and reliable source of truth for provider data as well as other related healthcare operational data
Expand Access Build Loyalty
Expand Access, Build Loyalty
Exceed the expectations of today’s transient healthcare consumer with patient access and loyalty ecosystems that rival those found in other industries
Facilitate the Advancement of Care
Facilitate the Advancement of Care
Embrace proven innovation and automation to streamline care and operational efficiency, raising expectations for how our industry delivers care

Pledge to Advance Healthcare Operations

 

"When healthcare operations are not optimized, there is a greater risk of medical errors and associated patient morbidity and mortality. By improving the use of healthcare operations software, we can increase the effectiveness of the workforce, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes."


Linda Knodel, former chief nurse executive and senior vice president of patient care services at Kaiser Permanente and Mercy Health System

100+ Signers and counting:

Adam Gale
Chief Executive Officer KLAS
Linda J. Knodel, MHA, MSN, FACHE, FAAN
Former Chief Nurse Executive and SVP, Patient Care Services at Kaiser Permanente and Mercy Health
Deb Zimmermann, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
Chief Executive Officer
The DAISY Foundation
Ann De Los Santos
VP, Physician Relations and Strategic Growth
Ascension Texas
Ray Gensinger, MD
Chief Medical Officer Tegria
Tim Getsay
Executive Vice President, Integration and Performance Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare
Antoinette Geyer, MBA

Senior Vice President, Provider Delivery Services
The Health Plan

Justin Glasgow, MD, PhD, SFHM
Former Associate Chief Quality Officer
Susan Grant, DNP, RN, FAAN
Executive Vice President, Chief Experience Officer, Chief Nurse Executive
Wellstar Health System
Taylor Hamilton
Chief Consumer Officer
Ballad Health
Phil Hampton
Chief Supply Chain Officer Presbyterian Healthcare Services
Barbara Happ, PHD, RN-C
Retired
NIBC
Ajith Kumar
Vice President, Digital
Transformation
Prime Healthcare
Maeve O'Neill, LPC-S, CHC
National Compliance Director Circa Behavioral Healthcare Solutions
Jack Russel, PhD
Retired Psychotherapist and Adjunct professor Western University Canada
Jamie Silkey, PA-C, MPAS
Associate Chief Medical Informatics Officer
Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin
BJ Schaknowski
Chief Executive Officer symplr
Nicole Rogas
President
symplr
Brian Fugere
Chief Product Officer symplr
Kristin Russel, MBA, MA
Chief Marketing Officer symplr
Julie Andrews, MSN, RN, CCRN
Spend Advisor Manager symplr
Curtisha Bell, BSN, MSN, practicing RN
Business Consultant symplr
Beth Bontemps, MSN, RN, NP (inactive)
Scientific Director, Horizon
Scanning
symplr
Ashley Brand, BSN, RN, CVAHP
Evidence Research Services Senior Manager
Hayes, a symplr company
Shannon Brooks, RN
Learning & Development Specialist symplr
Leigh Anne Childree, MSN, RN
Product Manager symplr
Donald Cox, MHA, BSN, RN-C, FHIMSS, CPHIMS
Principal Consultant
symplr
Dee Donatelli, RN, BSN, MBA
Senior Director, Spend Management
symplr
Natalie Graham, MBA, RN
Quality Engineer symplr
Ann Joyal
Vice President, Marketing Communications symplr
Karlene Kerfoot, PhD, RN, FAAN
Chief Nursing Officer symplr
Colleen LaLonde, MSN, RN, CVHAP
Evidence Research Senior Specialist symplr
Margaret Martin, RN
Evidence Research Senior Specialist symplr
Angel Mena, MD, PhD
Chief Medical Officer symplr
Ali Morin, MSN, RN-BC
Vice President of Nursing Informatics
symplr
Deanna Reddin, RN, MSN
Product Owner
symplr
Heather Roberts, RN, BSN
Senior Business Consultant symplr
Paul Russell, BSN, RN
Strategic Advisor
symplr
Debi Turner, MBA, RN, ACHE
Evidence Research
Senior Specialist symplr
And many more...

Resources

symplr's CEO presenting a slide in front of a group of summit participants
Blog
The Pledge Origin Story