At open house, Integrated Strategic Plan solicits community input

Greeted by balloons, boxed lunches and jumbo posters adorned with sticky notes, several hundred members of the Stanford Medicine community gathered Oct. 3 in Berg Hall to share their thoughts on the Integrated Strategic Plan.

The plan will align the priorities of the School of Medicine, Stanford Health Care and Stanford Children’s Health and lay out a course for Stanford Medicine’s next 20 years. The planning process kicked off early this year with a survey of community priorities and interviews with selected leaders and groups.

Currently, 13 category-based committees are working to answer key questions about Stanford Medicine’s future, such as, “How can we best leverage our existing assets to better meet the needs and expectations of the communities we serve?” And “in research, should Stanford Medicine ‘let a thousand flowers bloom?’”

In December, the groups will submit white papers addressing these questions, which will then be examined by Stanford Medicine leaders in 2018 and compiled into the final plan, said Nancy Taylor, chief strategy officer for the School of Medicine.

The current planning effort is unique because it is the first in recent history that brings together the adult hospital, children’s hospital and the medical school, said Sean Hennessey, senior director for strategy and analytics at the medical school.

The process is timed to contribute to and align with the universitywide strategic planning efforts.

At the open house, the goal was to gather input from community members, Hennessey said. “What can we do better? What’s the future ideal look like?” he asked.  

Seeking ideas from community

Berg Hall was organized to allow attendees to share their thoughts and interact with employees from other areas of Stanford Medicine. Along one wall, a giant poster featured Stanford Medicine’s mission and vision statement. Attendees jotted down related thoughts on neon-colored sticky notes. “What happens here at Stanford has the potential to shape the world!” one bright green sticky read.

Another display asked attendees to vote for five of 24 attributes they hope will characterize Stanford Medicine’s culture in 2025. A few of the most popular attributes included: valuing and appreciating people; clear direction and leadership; cross-functional and collaborative teamwork; and accountable for performance.

Community members offered a variety of motivations for attending the event. Jayna Rogers, a wellness manager with the Health Improvement Program, said she hopes the plan will enhance Stanford Medicine’s focus on preventive health and well-being.

Dale Beatty, DNP, the chief nursing officer at Stanford Health Care, said he attended the event to learn more about the process and to provide feedback. Julie Tisnado, director of clinical services at Stanford Health Care, said she is looking forward to a future in which the two hospitals are more closely affiliated, a sentiment that was shared by Linda Jordan, a manager of advanced practices at Stanford Children’s Health. “We are very interested in working together,” she said.

The time to submit ideas for the Integrated Strategic Plan is now, Taylor said. She urged anyone with contributions or questions to reach out to integratedstrategy@stanford.edu.

The website provides additional information. In addition, the plan will be discussed at the State of Stanford Medicine forum scheduled for noon to 1 p.m. Oct. 24 in Berg Hall.