Creating a table of authorization to empower staff

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Behavior
• Health Systems Administration

Background:

• Empowering frontline managers is crucial for organizational effectiveness.
• Integrated Delivery Systems (IDSs) face challenges in defining roles and responsibilities due to complex structures.
• Lack of clear guidelines hinders staff empowerment and accountability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the challenge of empowering frontline managers within an IDS.
• To develop a tool that clarifies decision-making authority for managers.
• To promote uniform decision-making and improve customer service.

Main Methods:

• Development of the "Table of Authorization for the Commitment or Expenditure of the System's Physical or Financial Resources."
• Implementation of the table at Overlook Hospital, part of Atlantic Health System.
• Defining the scope of independent managerial decision-making.

Main Results:

• The Table of Authorization provides clear guidelines for managerial decision-making.
• It reduces confusion regarding roles and responsibilities.
• It facilitates independent action without requiring senior approval for defined levels of commitment.

Conclusions:

• The Table of Authorization is an effective tool for empowering frontline managers in IDSs.
• It promotes a standardized approach to decision-making across the system.
• It supports improved customer service in a competitive healthcare market.