Cerner is a health information technologies company that connects people and systems at more than 27,500 contracted provider facilities worldwide. Cerner is also an ACHE Premier Corporate Partner
Q: What was the first month of the pandemic like for you?
A: As early as February, we were tracking trends and discussions across the globe about COVID-19. We were alarmed to learn that the World Health Organization was predicting this pandemic would rival the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, so we watched the data related to cases and deaths closely. As an international company that has associates across the globe, we knew we needed to act quickly to ensure associate and community safety, and business continuity. In partnership with David Nill, MD, Cerner’s CMO, we created a taskforce with professionals from business units across Cerner who possessed the skills and expertise needed to create a plan that focused on associate health and business continuity. The taskforce brought different disciplines together—including HR, legal, facilities planning, staffing—to come up with a strategy to address the upcoming challenges.
The initial questions we asked included what is COVID-19, how is it going to affect business operations, what are the key components of associate safety and how can we protect the communities of the clients we serve? Historically, we were not a virtual workforce—out of approximately 27,000 associates, more than 10,000 were office-based—but the data that was coming out fast and furious made it apparent that we needed to rethink our infrastructure. We worked with our CIO to shift to a virtual workforce by mid-March.
Q: How have you led during the pandemic? What leadership skill(s) did you rely on, and how did you apply it/them?
A: The priority was getting everyone on the same page of what is our mission and what are we trying to accomplish. Quickly, our team focused on protecting the health of our associates and providing business continuity for our clients. That focus kept us grounded when making decisions at a rapid pace. Another leadership skill that proved important was active listening, regardless of hierarchy. Everyone on our taskforce, no matter their title was heard and weighed in when making decisions as a team. We also framed every decision with data and science to remove emotions and other subjective concepts from the equation. Having data to back up our recommendations made obtaining approval from our executive committee much faster.
Overcommunication has also been crucial throughout the pandemic, which meant being transparent and sharing the data that drives our decision-making. For example, current data is indicating Missouri is a hot spot for COVID-19, so we’ve implemented mandatory testing for associates traveling out of Kansas City, Mo. Not only does this align with our goal of protecting the health of our associates and the communities of the clients they serve, but the decision was rooted in data, and the rationale was clearly communicated. Feedback has shown that associates have been grateful for the free testing.
Q: What key (one or two) lessons learned can you share? How will you use them going forward?
A: The pandemic has elevated the importance of recognizing the contributions of others and using humor to keep up morale. This taskforce, like our associates, have been working endless hours, answering nonstop questions and navigating complex decisions, so gratitude and humor have been essential. Before the pandemic, I knew many members of the taskforce only superficially; working so closely together for the last few months, we’ve become a tight-knit group. We’ve supported each other through difficult times and lifted each other up through humor. To recognize my colleagues’ commitment and show my gratitude, I’ve sent fruit baskets, chocolates, notes, anything that can brighten someone’s day. If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s the importance of connecting our heart and soul to what we’re doing.
Q: How did your experience compare with other crisis situations? Did you use lessons learned from it?
A: I’ve been in healthcare for over 40 years, and practiced for much of that time in Florida, which is hurricane alley. Given the area, emergency planning and facilities planning has always been important, but COVID-19 has differed from anything we’ve ever seen before. Nothing compares to our current situation. However, the pandemic has introduced more opportunities to reimagine our future than ever before. One of the huge takeaways from this experience is to be open to opportunities and changes that wouldn’t otherwise be considered without a burning platform because of preconceived biases. For instance, we won’t be going back to “business as usual;” we’ve learned that some positions are far more effective when done virtually. We can reframe our business operations to lower costs and better meet associate needs. And we’re not alone; look at telehealth, in which adoption rates are way up and—when forced to use new technologies—many organizations are realizing that telehealth really works.
Q: What are you focusing on currently regarding COVID? What is most important now?
A: We’re currently working on how to transition from a COVID-era virtual world to the hybrid workforce of the future. We’re working with business leaders across the organization to identify which roles best fit a virtual model, versus a hybrid model of office and virtual, or completely office-based model, when safe. We’re also looking at what type of meetings or in-person events are needed to facilitate opportunities for exchanging ideas and brainstorming, collaborating and making decisions that impact many business units.
Other factors we are considering are what technologies and programs are needed to support associates working virtually. We are developing methods to support managers to oversee a virtual team, including how to support associates with work-life balance.
As we move forward, whatever changes may come, we will continue to focus on clear and frequent communication regarding our workforce strategies. With so much uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, we can increase associate confidence by ensuring we’re consistently communicating what’s going to happen, when, how and why. Ultimately, the COVID-19 pandemic has created an opportunity to learn new ways to support our associates, clients and our communities.