Managing change within the healthcare environment

In the healthcare environment, there are many catalysts for change, including federal and state regulations, increased utilization, patients' expectations, competition, declining reimbursement and the technologist shortage. Regardless of what organization you work in, change creates pressure internally. This is especially true of organizations that have not had to deal with much change. The three most common responses are: 1) senior managers tend to isolate themselves from the effects of change on staff members; 2) middle managers tend to feel squeezed between the need to implement change and the need to support staff members; and 3) employees tend to feel attacked and betrayed by change. The following five steps will help you work with your staff as you introduce and implement change: prepare your employees, plan thoroughly, develop a transitional line of authority, stay flexible during implementation, and encourage self-management, acknowledging those who helped make the change work. When change is implemented, it is important to understand that people will move through four stages of reaction: denial, resistance, exploration and commitment. As a general rule, individuals will go through all four stages, but the speed at which they move through them will be different. Managers need to assist employees who get stuck in certain stages. To implement change as successfully as possible, follow these four steps: communicate about change, deal with resistance, increase team involvement, and use visionary leadership.