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Bad things can happen in nursing homes and healthcare organizations at any time. Despite the most stringent rules, regulations, and management, one person or event can tarnish a facility and even spark negative publicity. Moreover, such bad press can devastate a facility and it can take years to recover. That's why it's absolutely critical to be prepared for the media.

Below are five simple methods your organization can implement to better prepare itself when/if the media comes knocking at your door.

• Start with the positive. Even if you're dealing with a negative situation that is being covered by the press, always begin with the positive. For example, if the press is seeking a comment on abuse allegations, you should consider prefacing your response with something like the following: "Our facility provides excellent care and services to more than 100 residents. Our staff includes well-trained, compassionate and professional individuals."

• Refrain from "no comment". Saying statements like, "no comment" should never be a strategy as it leads most people to feel you're hiding something or don't know what is really going on. If you're not prepared to make an official statement, you can still address the media by saying something like, "At this time the incident in question is still under investigation, but I expect that I could comment on the findings sometime this afternoon."

• Put it on paper. Try to have your official comments prepared before speaking. It's also a good idea to prepare a written statement or press release for mass distribution.

• Get involved early. Always address angry patients, residents, and families immediately, as they're often the ones who tip off the press (note: this strategy should be employed regardless of media coverage). Also, inform key personnel of any issues, as the media may not contact or interview the appropriate person.

• Do your research. Clip and save relevant news stories and journal articles—it can help provide the background and context you need if/when confronted with difficult questions. It's also a good idea to organize your press research with labeled files (i.e., bedsores, falls, state averages, etc). When you need information quickly, this type of organization can prove invaluable.

Bottom line: Being prepared for the media is critical for healthcare facilities. By following the tips above, you can protect your company's image and remain in better control of what the public will hear.

Coming next month: Tips and strategies to attract good press.

"The best way to escape from a problem is to solve it."

—Alan Saporta

By the New Year most healthcare managers and administrators have completed performance reviews for their employees. So, with the process fresh in our minds now is a good as time as any to review performance reviews themselves.

Traditional Reviews
Most traditional reviews involve managers taking on a judgmental role, telling employees how their work did or didn't fit the bill. And although traditional reviews are good at sniffing out excellent and very poor employees, they usually don't differentiate well among the vast middle ground.

Due to these problems, new types of reviews are coming into play. Most require that evaluations be done not for raises, promotions, or bonuses, but for growth, development, and communication. These new forms of reviews may help managers, employees, and peers gain a mutual understanding of what is really meant by "good performance."

The best performance reviews ultimately allow managers and employees to communicate and share ideas, opinions, and information. Below are three alternatives that do just this.

Peer Reviews
Peer reviews help employees understand each others' work and allow individuals to express themselves in a non-threatening manner. These reviews often maintain a high level of worker acceptance and involvement, as they tend to be stable, task-relevant, and accurate.

Quick Tip: Peer reviews may work best if all parties know that the reviews will not be used for setting pay, promotion possibilities, or disciplinary actions. That authority is still usually best left for management.

Self-Reviews
Self-reviews are based on the idea that employees are most familiar with their work, and that their involvement is essential. In this type of review, employees rate themselves on a number of criteria, usually with a formal survey form, and suggest improvements. Self-reviews help to clarify individuals' own goals, and expose areas of weakness so they may be worked on.

Quick Tip: People may not see their own deficiencies as managers might, so self-reviews should be used alongside other review methods.

360 Degree Reviews
360 degree reviews combine self ratings and peer reviews. In other words, feedback is sought from every angle. This allows employees to discover how they are seen by others and to see their own skills and style. 360 degree feedback ultimately provides people with a good all-around perspective.

Quick Tip: 360 degree feedback may be given directly to employees, who have the option of discussing them with their managers; or it may be given to the managers for use in a feedback meeting.

It's safe to say that most healthcare facilities would benefit from better communications and management. A good review system could help to improve communications, while helping employees to increase their own effectiveness and to clarify their own jobs and responsibilities. The review methods above could not only increase the performance of the staff, but also help them to work together with common goals and fewer obstacles.

"You make the world a better place by making yourself a better person".
—Scott Sorrell

A report published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society finds that a person's access to healthcare hinges on their understanding of Medicare program benefits. According to the study, a third of Medicare beneficiaries from across the United States who participated in the survey consider themselves as being unfamiliar or very unfamiliar with their program's benefits.
Experts say that beneficiaries' understanding of their health benefits ultimately may affect the quality and outcomes of their care. The lack of understanding reported in the study was widespread across demographic groups, finding blacks, Hispanics, enrollees in Medicare managed care plans, low-income beneficiaries, and less-educated people tend to be less familiar than other groups.

Bottom line: Well-designed educational interventions or policies simplifying Medicare benefit programs could have a significant effect on beneficiaries' abilities to get needed care.

 
"If you are sure you understand everything that is going on, you are hopelessly confused."
—Walter F. Mondale

• Do you ever want to write: "Administer 3 slaps upside the head, BID." In a medical record?
• Have you ever tried to have your coffee administered by IV?
• Do you believe that the hospital gown manufacturers are purposely messing with you by putting a different number of snaps on each side of the sleeves?
• Have you ever wished the call button emitted an electric current?
• Did you ever wish that one of the positions on the electric bed was "eject?"
• Have you ever enjoyed a sick day?
• Have you ever had one of those days when everything went well only to wake up in and realize it was just a dream?
• Have you ever wanted to fake a heart attack to get out of a staff meeting early?

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