UTAH CHAPTER CLMA

2001 STRATEGIC PLAN

The Utah Chapter of the Clinical Laboratory Management Association will be the Intermountain West area leader and catalyst in achieving excellence in healthcare management and quality laboratory services as a positive force for a healthier America.

The Utah Chapter of the Clinical Laboratory Management Association is a professional association dedicated to excellence in laboratory services; enhancing professional managerial and leadership skills; promoting efficient, productive, and high-quality operations; and to advocate on behalf of quality patient care and the membership.

The Chapter values individual excellence in the pursuit of team goals. The leadership shall promote and engage in a process whereby individual thoughts and actions can be joined together so that we achieve more as a team than as individuals.

We will continuously promote, advocate, and support high-quality laboratory services. We will support our membership and the entire laboratory community in providing accurate, appropriate, efficient, timely, and cost-effective services. In doing so, we will be a powerful force for a healthier America.

We will foster the personal growth of our members so that we can achieve the highest potential for ourselves and the Chapter. We will provide opportunities for growth and nurture a passion for learning. In doing so, we will develop and energize ourselves and the Chapter.

We will establish an environment where differences are honored, understood, and recognized as adding enrichment to ourselves and our Chapter. While each individual is unique, all will be enabled to contribute, grow, and advance. We will seek our opportunities to value all individuals regardless of background, profession, age, religion, gender, race, or culture.

We believe education and learning are keys that open the gateway to discovery and knowledge. They are entrusted to us to be used in our own lifelong journey and, at the same time, to be shared with our associates and those who follow us.

We are mindful that caring may well be the most significant part of healthcare. Thus, we will continuously strive to balance the technology we employ in the service of others with a concern for their dignity and well-being as individuals. We similarly acknowledge that maintaining an environment of trust and support among those joined with us in providing that care is part of that charge.

The Utah Chapter values proactive leadership regardless of origin or source that creates positive change that is supported by stakeholders and policymakers in the delivery of clinical laboratory services. The Utah Chapter will establish its leadership role by selecting key initiatives based on its strategic plan, demonstrating insight and expertise, and using a consensus process to develop its positions.

We will forcefully advocate for equitable access to all healthcare services so that every individual in our society has the opportunity to receive the care necessary to promote and maintain their health.

We value high ethical standards for our industries that encompass professionalism, respect for persons, economic accountability, scientific integrity, and social responsibility.

We value commitment to our professions by actively participating in the programs, protocols and decisions determined by the local CLMA Chapter as well as the national organization We value a personal, lifelong commitment to maintaining competence in self and to advocating for continuous education for all laboratorians.

We value personal and professional behavior that demonstrates respect for:

• the dignity and rights of patients
• patient confidentiality
• fellow professionals and other workers

We value appropriate financial management techniques to ensure balance between the ongoing conflict of reducing costs and improving quality. Annual financial reports will be provided to the national office of CLMA and posted to our chapter web site for review by all interested members.

We value adherence to the principles of scientific values including critical thinking, objectivity, peer review, standards of scholarly inquiry, and of experimental evidence as they apply to laboratory medicine.

We value people. As such, we recognize our responsibility to address environmental and safety issues involved in laboratory operations and to look beyond the laboratory as we contribute to societal decisions about healthcare and the distribution of healthcare resources.

1. Strengths

1. National organization

1. Can help shape policy if we actively participate
2. Address local concerns on a national level
3. Legislation and policy lobby

1. Our chapter members

1. Managers and decision makers
2. First hand knowledge of current priorities
3. Commitment to clinical laboratories and management

1. Diversification of our membership

1. Laboratories (both hospital and reference)
2. Industry
3. Education
4. Healthcare professionals

1. Our communication network consisting of email and web site
2. Our members who serve on CLMA national committees and task forces

1. Weaknesses

1. Focused leadership experience in few members
2. Represent few disciplines of the clinical laboratory
3. Limited interaction with other medical organizations
4. Our voice in government is weak in comparison with other healthcare related professional organizations
5. Our board membership does not include enough members from rural labs (so we understand their unique needs)

1. Opportunities

1. Medical care is in a state of change

1. Policy is in the formation stage and can be molded
2. We can have a disproportionate influence on the state and national level by being proactive.

1. Other laboratory related professional organizations want to be cooperative
2. Our members are receptive to new ideas - inertia for action is low
3. Opportunity for cooperation between industry, education and clinical laboratory practice has never been better - it just needs a driver
4. Technology provides us tools to effect change in ways previously impossible

1. Better, more accurate test results with less labor and material costs
2. Better communications
3. Greater access to information

1. Share with the public who we are and what we do.

1. Threats

1. If we are not proactive, the medical industry may dictate to us the direction of clinical laboratory medicine
2. Once policy is set, change will be much more difficult
3. Legislation could negatively affect both quality and efficiency of clinical laboratory medicine
4. Unless we address present weaknesses in the delivery of clinical laboratory medicine, someone else will who might not share our values
5. Reimbursement issues that affect laboratory revenue could create more drastic changes in the clinical laboratory than those created by DRGs and APCs
6. Technology - Point of care testing, new instrumentation, computer systems, etc, which will reduce demand for skilled laboratorians, laboratory managers, and medical technologists.
7. The personnel shortage

1. Development and diversification of membership including recruitment of members from traditional and non-traditional job categories, and individuals from diverse backgrounds.
2. Improve the quality of chapter service to its members through the introduction of new products and services resulting in growth.
3. Information gathering and sharing to serve the needs of the volunteer leadership, membership, and other local healthcare professionals.
4. Training of individuals at all levels of the organization in leadership skills and in CLMA's role in the laboratory and healthcare community.
5. Development of consensus, advocacy, and when necessary, lobbying.
6. Be a leader in web based technology.

1. Leadership

1. Strategic relationships

1. Develop relationships with other clinical systems leadership organizations such as the radiology management leadership group in Utah.
2. Explore the value of opportunities with medical professional healthcare organizations such as: Utah Hospital and Medical Association, POL organizations, etc.

1. Succession planning

1. Increase involvement of the membership in committee assignments
2. Provide support for active board members to attend the national meeting.
3. Provide leadership training opportunities for board members or committee chairs, i.e. funding for attendance at Council of Chapter Presidents meetings.

1. Strategic planning

1. Review strategic plan annually and update as needed.
2. Include a measurement and reporting system for objective completion. We will set yearly strategic goals for the chapter and measure our success against those goals.

1. Conferences & Meetings

1. Annual Spring Seminar

1. Increase attendance
2. Start the planning process in December
3. Planning process to be led by the President-elect
4. Design agenda to meet needs of the CLMA membership using the annual survey
5. Increase vendor support.

1. Fall Meeting

1. Start the planning process in May
2. Planning process to be led by the President-elect
3. Invite CLMA members from surrounding states (i.e. Las Vegas to increase attendance).
4. Invite non-members to increase attendance.

1. Membership

1. Schedule approximately six membership meetings per year, four Power Breakfasts in addition to the two conferences

1. Teleconferences will be available as membership needs arise.

1. Education and Training

1. Leadership skills training for CLMA members and leaders
2. Management skills training for CLMA members & leaders
3. Design education programs based on the results of annual membership surveys. Give the members the programs that they ask for.
4. Online education
5. Video and audio of meetings

1. Membership and Member Services

1. Offer education credits when, and if, the membership requires them
2. Recruit broad base membership (i.e. pursue non-members attending meetings and contact individuals whose memberships have lapsed)
3. Membership retention: 95% renewal rate

1. Communications

1. Newsletter

1. Input from membership
2. Publish quarterly

1. Electronic communication

1. Web site
2. E-mail
3. Fax

1. Personal contact from a board member at least once each year

1. Continue with a Healthcare Policy committee
2. Monitor legislation that would impact laboratories
3. Insure that our chapter has members on the CLMA Healthcare grassroots committee.
4. Advocate relevant issues
5. Lobby Medicare carrier to get one of our members on the LMRP panel

1. Leadership -All board members will participate in a leadership retreat after being installed to the board.
2. Planning - The President will plan the next year and present a calendar to the board no later than June of each year.
3. Finances - We will have an audit of the finances in May of each year.
4. Education - The chapter will continue to have education meetings the same number and frequency as in the past. A new goal for this year is to organize a "Supervisor Training Academy" targeted at all new and aspiring managers and supervisors.
5. Networking – We will publish a directory of contact information, including email addresses for all members. We also will create an online community for the chapter.
6. Communication – online voting and surveys of membership.
7. Collaboration – continue with Partners into the Future program.
8. Health care policy – place a member on the local Medicare LMRP oversight committee.