Let's just say mistakes were made......

It was a great Christmas holiday with my family this year.  There in front of me were all of the things I love – my kids, my husband, my parents, and mom’s famous hand decorated sugar cookies…..to say I “indulged” may be a bit of an understatement.    Sugar cookies are like a gateway drug.  They lead to fudge which leads to chocolate chip pecan pie and so on until I am like a desperate junkie looking for an IV drip of sugar.   So, when I hoped on the scale (for the first time in 2 weeks) I realized the inevitable……Let’s just say mistakes were made this holiday season.   

No worries, I know what it takes to lose – I have gone through the process before.  It’s simple  and only sort of about the ”what and how” – it’s mostly about the focus.  Paying attention and being aware of what goes in my mouth then monitoring with a scale. 

Isn’t that the truth with all improvement projects.  Haven’t most hospitals been through a number of processes improvements that have gotten them back on the straight and narrow.  Which makes me always wonder – do they really need a consultants?  I was recently in a hospital that had a “No Pass Zone” which simply means if the call light above the door is on – go in.    I have seen others like “KISS” and “Hello My name is “ the list could go on.  These aren’t bad things – it’s always good to look at things differently.   And don’t get me wrong consultants often know a very niche technology or methodology or have walked through programs so many times that their value is they are a lot like weight watchers – tell you what you already know but encouraging you to implement and holding you accountable for the implementation. 

I know this is funny coming from a consultant, but I am a business owner who is always evaluating what is needed in the market.    What the market has told me – don’t tell me what to do – give me the tools so I can do what I already know how to do.  So, in 2012 our goal is to remove the complexity of the “niche” for the hospital and put the tool in their hand that allows them to stay accountable (or to get back on the wagon).   

Our latest addition which releases in January is On-Call Fall™ a new module for Aperum™.  We are automating something that was once our service.   On-Call Fall™ was born out of a manual process we would do for a hospital to clearly document the Root Cause Analysis for each incident at the hospital.  It immediately draws a very clear picture of the activity on the unit, patient room, and caregivers assigned patients.  In an easy to use and understand way.  Our initial feedback from a Quality Director “This used to take me days and now can be done in minutes”     

All of this to say – there are sugar cookies on everyone’s path.  Most of the time we know how to fix it but it takes time and energy.  If the scale is not readily available the morning after the holiday season then how will we know we have fallen off the wagon.  

As for me and my 5 extra pounds – it’s time to get focused so I can be down to my end of KC Slimdown weight by HIMSS.