Core values are important in healthcare organizations. They can be powerful influencers in numerous areas of healthcare and have an impact on how employees make decisions and interact with patients and their loved ones. Therefore, it’s important for organizations to choose their values carefully. Let’s take a look at the importance of core values in healthcare organizations and what they mean for healthcare professionals and patients.
Core values in healthcare organizations should be put into practice at every opportunity, from managing the practice or surgery center to interacting with patients, their families, and friends.
Core values are the backbone of an organization. They lead an organization’s decisions and impact all team members and patients. When an organization has core values, team members are aligned and work toward the same goal. Core values also shape an organization’s culture and vision while empowering team members to make the best decisions they can on their own.
For example, to empower our team to make the best decisions they can, two of Vision Integrated Partners’ (VIP’s) core values focus on being valuation-driven and “vital few” focused. We make sure to set clear responsibilities and focus on prioritizing and executing decisions where we can make the most impact. After all, if everything is important, then nothing truly is important, so focusing on the most vital issues helps drive our organizational decisions.
The healthcare industry is constantly changing. New technologies emerge, providing opportunities to better serve our patients. Having a strong set of core values can help unify an organization to get through changes.
For example, one of our core values is to be proactive. With this value, we strive to anticipate and identify needs in order to stay ahead of a potential problem. This core value empowers our employees to anticipate our patients’ needs—as well as our organization’s needs—to address any potential problems before they arise.
Core values are the belief system upon which a practice or ambulatory surgery center is built. They guide the management of the practice and influence every team member’s relationship with patients, their families, and friends.
Core values do more than just guide the team’s decisions—they also set the tone for how a practice or surgery center interacts with patients and determines critical decisions. For example, at VIP, we strive to treat each other and our patients with the highest level of courtesy and civility and fully believe in mutual respect. This behavior was further solidified into our VIP way of life upon becoming one of our core values.
Company culture is important in every organization, especially in healthcare practices. It can significantly impact team members’ retention and job satisfaction and ultimately impact the quality of patient care.
Ensuring the right individuals who have a passion for helping others are on the team is critical to patient outcomes. When an employee aligns with values and company culture, that can count for a lot in any organization, especially in the healthcare field.
Having a solid set of core values and an established company culture helps provide a guiding light during the hiring process. It ensures an ideal team fit.
For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many challenges arose in how to adapt to staffing needs. Many individuals decided to stay at home with their children or retired earlier than originally planned, leading to a large demand for staff. However, the demand for staff members was so large that the applicant pool needed to be expanded to those without healthcare experience.
VIP focuses on finding individuals who align with our core values and have a passion for helping others. People development and support is one of our core values, and we know if we have team members who align with our culture and core values, we can help support their growth in our practices and ambulatory surgery centers by providing in-depth training for the role.
Core values in healthcare organizations are critical to empowering team members and ensuring the right people who have a passion for helping others are coming on board. Do you have a passion for helping others and want to join an organization that focuses on patient care while empowering employees? We’re constantly hiring! Take a look at our open positions and apply today.