For the 11th consecutive year, several organizations are partnering to promote a statewide healthcare seminar focusing on workforce quality in various types of healthcare entities.

Titled The Unconscious Barriers to Workforce Quality, the seminar will take place from 8:45 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Tuesday, June 18 at the Embassy Suites in Little Rock.

This unique collaboration includes the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care, the Arkansas Hospital Association, the Arkansas Health Care Association, American Data Network, Community Health Centers of Arkansas, the Governor’s Quality Award Program and the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce.

“This seminar has developed an excellent reputation for being a valuable professional development opportunity to study a topic that is relevant to all types of healthcare providers,” said Ray Hanley, president and chief executive officer of Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care. “Past topics focused on organizational excellence, patient-centered care, and improving key performance metrics have demonstrated practical applications of best practices across the industry. AFMC is a proud supporter of this annual event.”

“We understand that partnerships like ours aren’t the norm across the country,” said Elisa White, vice president and general counsel at the Arkansas Hospital Association.  “But the partnership only makes sense, and as such, has our continued commitment.”

The Governor’s Quality Award Program is responsible for planning the seminar under the guidance of the partners.  Managed by the Arkansas Institute for Performance Excellence, the Governor’s Quality Award Program uses the Baldrige Excellence Framework as the foundation for efforts in advancing performance excellence. The Governor’s Quality Award Program administers all aspects of the state-level award program aligned with the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, which is the highest award given to any business by the federal government. The program benefits Arkansas organizations through training, assessment and recognition and is applicable to all industries.

“We’re dedicated to helping our hospitals improve at every point along the quality continuum.  The Governor’s Quality Award program is rigorous but enlightening, opening up countless conversations about how to improve in-house processes.  Hospitals that participate gain immensely from the effort, whether or not an award is earned,” White said.

Presenting The Most Essential Component to a High Performing Workforce, featured speaker Hugh Brown, Chief Executive Officer of St. David’s Georgetown Hospital near Austin, Texas, will share tactical strategies to drive teamwork and engagement. St. David’s HealthCare received a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2014.

Other topics and speakers are:

“How the Governor’s Quality Award Process Engages Your Workforce: Examples from a 2018 Award Recipient” – presented by Steven Webb, President and CEO, Unity Health.

“Supporting Your Workforce and Improving Patient Outcomes through Trauma-Informed Care Practices” – presented by Nicola (Nikki) Edge, PhD, Professor/Associate Director, Research and Evaluation Division/Department of Family and Preventive Medicine/University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

“How to Build and Sustain a Culture of Excellence” – presented by Jimmy K. Duncan, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, Chief People Officer, Arkansas Children’s.

“Impairment in the Workplace: See Something? Say Something! Do Something!” – presented by Tonya S. Gierke, JD, BSN, RN, Arkansas State Board of Nursing (ASBN)/Assistant Director Arkansas Nurses Alternative to Discipline Program (ArNAP).

The cost of the seminar is $50 per person and includes lunch. The registration deadline is June 14.

To register for the seminar, click https://www.arkansasstatechamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/GQAHealthcareSeminar2019RegistrationFlyer_Interactive.pdf

For more information, contact Trish Villines, Executive Director of the Arkansas Institute for Performance Excellence/Governor’s Quality Award Program at 501-372-2222 or tvillines@arkansasstatechamber.com.

Don’t miss the 60th Annual Washington Fly-In & Congressional Dinner, which will be held May 8-10.

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson will be joining us.

Events will include a Chiefs of Staff Reception May 8, U.S. Chamber Briefings, a Senate Delegation Forum and a House Delegation Forum May 9, the Congressional Dinner & Reception May 9, and a Leadership Breakfast May 10.

We would like to thank and recognize the following sponsors:

Gold – Nabholz Construction Services

Silver – Citizens Bank, Cox Communications, Entergy Arkansas and McKee Foods Corporation.

Bronze – Aerojet Rocketdyne, AEP-SWEPCO, ARcare, AT&T Arkansas, Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, Galley Support Innovations, Southwest Power Pool and Walmart.

To register or for sponsorship information, click https://www.arkansasstatechamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/WashingtonDCFlyIn2019_RegistrationAndSponsorshipBrochure_InteractiveForm.pdf

If your company or organization would like to help sponsor the Washington Fly-In & Congressional Dinner, please contact Bill Watson at bwatson@arkansasstatechamber.com or 501-802-1740.

Trish Villines, MPA has been named Executive Director of the Arkansas Institute for Performance Excellence (AIPE), an affiliated organization of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas which administers the Governor’s Quality Award Program.

Villines replaces longtime AIPE Executive Director Sue Weatter who recently retired.

Villines previously served as the Title III Grant Director at North Arkansas College in Harrison, where she was responsible for managing special projects, board relations, government relations, special grant writing, and strategic planning at the request of the College president. She also worked closely with the development of a local Industrial Alliance facilitated by North Arkansas College, which brought together 10 area manufacturers and public and private partners.

Villines has also been an Arkansas Baldrige Examiner since 2013 and in 2015 served as North Arkansas College’s committee co-chair for the State-level Baldridge Application writing team, which earned the Governor’s Quality Award for the College that year. She has since served the AIPE as a trainer for applicants and examiners in relation to the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence and in 2018 served as a national Baldrige Examiner representing the State Chamber and AIPE.

Villines earned a bachelor of arts degree in journalism from the University of Arkansas and a masters of public administration degree from Arkansas State University.

By Tina Dale, Talk Business & Politics

Fort Smith business leaders heard Friday morning (Dec. 7) that the four Ts —- teachers, taxes, transportation and transformation — will be the main focus when the Arkansas General Assembly begins its new session in January, according to Randy Zook, president and CEO of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Industries of Arkansas.

Zook was the guest speaker at the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce First Friday breakfast at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.

“As far as the economy goes, things are very healthy,” Zook told the gathering. “We have 3.5% unemployment statewide. … That’s the good news. It’s going to be a successful session.”

On the flip side, Arkansas’ workforce is declining with a steady number of people retiring, Zook said.

In order to replenish that workforce, Arkansas needs to recruit more people to the state by making it more compelling and attractive to business and workers, he added.

“Teachers’ pay is a lay-down. It’s just something we’ve got to do. (Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s) goal is to raise the minimum starting salary for K-12 teachers in Arkansas to $36,000 a year. It’s at about ($31,000) now. It’s a pretty dramatic increase. It will give us the highest starting pay for teachers in the touch-state region. That’s a big deal. It’s expensive obviously, but it’s going to be phased in over several years,” Zook said.

Taxes are more challenging, according to Zook, who said that when the state starts to reduce taxes it can have a short-term effect of reducing revenue in an already tight budget.

“His (the governor’s) goal is to reduce the highest marginal tax rate from the current 6.9% down to something with a five, hopefully, at least 5.9, but again over several years,” Zook said. “We are a high tax state at this point. We have the highest marginal tax rate on income tax in the touch-state region. So we are out of step. We are not competitive.”

Zook then moved on to transportation and highway funding, noting that while no one wants to see higher taxes at the gas pumps, something has to happen in order to pay for the 16,000 miles of state highways in Arkansas.

“We have one of the largest highway systems in the country. We have more state highway mileage than the State of California does,” Zook said. “Here we are, the State of Arkansas, with only 3 million people trying to maintain and support more than 16,000 miles of state highways. It’s bloody costly.”

Zook said the highway department is expected to ask for $475 million of additional highway money in order to take care of the state’s highway needs.

“Here’s the catch: Every time the highway department get 70 cents from taxes by law, the cities get 15 cents and the counties get 15 cents. So to get the highway department $475 million dollars, we’re going to have to raise something crowding $600 million in additional taxes,” Zook said.

The final step in the “four T’s” Zook discussed Friday was transformation, which will be a reorganization of state government.

The governor has 42 direct reports from state agencies and boards that answer to him. He wants to shrink that number to 15 direct reports.

“If he were to spend just one hour a week with each one, that’s a full-time job,” Zook said. “That’s just ridiculous.”

Zook said the idea would be to carve those direct reports to the governor down to about 15 with a lot of agencies being “shuffled around.”

“There are enormous opportunities to reduce operation costs on many of these state agencies,” he said. “It’s time. It’s overdue. He’s got a great team helping him put that together. It’s going to take a lot of legislation, as you can imagine, to change.”

The 92nd Arkansas General Assembly begins on Monday, January 14, 2019.

Recognition is the first thing that comes to mind, but for those that understand the process it’s about improving organizational performance.  Preparing an application itself can be used as a system of accountability for continual improvement.  It involves work (you don’t just fill out a form), but the rewards are a thorough assessment of priorities, goals and results…making sure everyone is on the same page.

Applications are being accepted for 2019 Governor’s Quality Challenge Awards until July 1.

Applicants will receive a feedback report with strengths and gaps prepared by examiners, trained professional volunteers from across Arkansas.

Contact Trish Villines at tvillines@arkansasstatechamber.com to apply or for additional information.

To apply, click https://www.arkansas-quality.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/2019-Governors-Quality-Award-Application.pdf.