Lawrence Memorial Hospital

Over the last several months, a Strategic Planning Task Force made up of representatives from the Lawrence Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees, medical staff, management staff and employees has engaged in an intensive strategic planning process known as Destination Health. Last week the LMH Board of Trustees approved a new strategic plan that maps the hospital’s journey to a healthy future over the next three to seven years.

LMH President and Chief Executive Officer Russ Johnson said, “Destination Health guides who we are, what we stand for, and how we deliver care.”

At the core of this new plan are three strategic imperatives that Johnson says are fundamental to the hospital’s success going forward:

• People First: We will make it easy for patients, families and consumers to access care when, where and how they want it.

• Provider Alignment: We will cultivate strong value-based alliances with providers and create an outstanding practice environment that encourages physician leadership and collaboration.

• Clinical Integration and Excellence: We will address the continuum of health care needs in an excellent, coordinated manner.

The strategic imperatives are the long-term themes that set the direction for the next five to seven years. The Strategic Planning Task Force also developed 12 to 15 milestones representing initiatives to support each imperative. The plan is to accomplish the 39 milestones within one to three years, and each year the milestones will be revisited, adjusted and added as progress occurs.

The next phase of the planning will include the development of specific tactics, metrics and responsibilities.

Underpinning the strategic plan is a strong foundation of concepts that Johnson shared; they are key to the success of the plan. They are:

• Cultural Beliefs

• Workforce Excellence

• Learning and Innovation

• Information Excellence

• Financial Stewardship

• Community Leadership

Part of the strategic planning process involved revisiting the hospital’s mission and vision statements. The task force and a subcommittee spent many hours discussing and ultimately recommended a simple statement of purpose to encompass “why do we exist” and “to what do we aspire.” The LMH Board approved as the purpose: “A Partner for Lifelong Health.”

Johnson said, “We want our patients, their families and everyone in our local communities to consider us an ally — a knowledgeable and trusted companion to guide and support them through their health care journeys. Our commitment to patients and the entire community is built on our purpose: Your lifelong health is our priority.”

What does this mean? With lifelong health at the center of LMH goals, we are empowering healthy decisions, promoting healthy lifestyles, and providing guidance and support for every health care journey.

To deliver health services when and where they are needed, we are forming community partnerships and working together for a seamless experience, both inside and outside our facilities.

Through collaborative efforts with one another – as well as our leaders, physicians and community stakeholders – we are creating healthy people, healthy communities and a healthy future for everyone.

Johnson said, “We really do want to continue to grow and be seen in this community as a really great partner. We may not be the end-all solution to everything, but we want to be an engaged partner in this journey for health.

“We’re a health care organization that also has a hospital. Providing ‘hospital services’ is still maybe the nucleus of who we are, but we are so much more. As you think about health and prevention and wellness and post-acute care and education and access and behavioral health, we want to have a broader definition of what it means to be engaged in health care.”

— Janice Early is vice president of marketing and communications for Lawrence Memorial Hospital, which is a major sponsor of WellCommons. She can be reached at janice.early@lmh.org.