Objectives & Key Results (OKRs) with Dr. Sarah Sydlowski
Oct 12, 2023
auto_awesome
Dr. Sarah Sydlowski, Audiology Director at Cleveland Clinic, discusses using lean methods in audiology to improve practice efficiency. She also explains the improvement model and the use of Objectives & Key Results (OKRs) for organizational alignment and progress tracking. The podcast explores the implementation of OKRs for organizational improvement and provides valuable advice on starting and learning along the way.
Sarah Sadowski and her team at the Cleveland Clinic successfully tripled the size of their hearing implant program by adopting continuous improvement practices and empowering their staff to identify and solve problems.
By applying lean methodology and structured problem-solving, Sarah's team in audiology developed effective solutions to address the challenge of low cochlear implant usage among eligible patients, leading to increased patient numbers and inspiring the adoption of continuous improvement in other programs.
Deep dives
Improving Patient Care with Continuous Improvement
Sarah Sadowski, an audiologist and associate chief improvement officer at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, shares her journey in using continuous improvement to enhance the delivery of care. By applying problem-solving principles, Sarah's team successfully tripled the size of their hearing implant program. The team also addressed the challenge of long wait times by adopting a methodological approach and empowering the entire staff to identify and solve problems. The Cleveland Clinic Improvement Model, consisting of organizational alignment, visual management, problem-solving, and standardization, guides their efforts. OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) serve as a system for setting and communicating priorities, fostering engagement, and improving performance. Sarah emphasizes the importance of focusing on a few key objectives to drive meaningful change and encourages organizations to embrace this method to achieve better outcomes.
The Impact of Continuous Improvement in Audiology
Sarah Sadowski explains how the field of audiology has embraced continuous improvement to address the challenge of low cochlear implant usage among eligible patients. By applying lean methodology and structured problem-solving, Sarah's team developed effective solutions and achieved remarkable results. They overcame the barrier of low patient volumes through a simple yet impactful intervention. By using overhead transparencies on hearing tests, they improved referral rates and successfully increased patient numbers. This experience empowered the team and inspired the adoption of continuous improvement practices in other audiology programs. Sarah highlights the crucial role of behaviors and engagement in driving change, and she encourages other audiology professionals to recognize the potential of this approach in enhancing practice efficiency and patient outcomes.
Empowering Caregivers through OKRs and Continuous Improvement
Sarah Sadowski discusses the key elements of the Cleveland Clinic Improvement Model, the power of OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), and the importance of engagement at all levels of an organization. Sarah emphasizes that everyone, from leaders to frontline caregivers, plays a vital role in driving improvement initiatives. The model focuses on organizational alignment, visual management, problem-solving, and standardization. By cascading objectives and key results from the CEO down to individual contributors, the model ensures that everyone understands the organization's priorities and their direct contribution to achieving them. Sarah highlights the significance of behaviors in driving improvement, emphasizing the need for leaders to use tools effectively and coach their teams to succeed. She also encourages organizations to start the continuous improvement journey, reminding them that progress is achieved by taking small steps, embracing a learning mindset, and continuously evolving their approaches.
Sarah Sydlowski, AuD, PhD, MBA is Audiology Director of the Hearing Implant Program and Associate Chief Improvement Officer at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Sydlowski is Board Certified in Audiology with Specialty Certification in Cochlear Implants. Her clinical and research interests focus on implantable hearing devices, optimization of practice efficiency while maintaining strong outcomes, and development of innovative clinical delivery models. She has earned the Cleveland Clinic Distinguished Educator Certificate and is adjunct faculty at the University of Akron where she teaches the graduate Implantable Technologies course.
Dr. Sydlowski completed her clinical doctorate at the University of Louisville, her externship at Mayo Clinic Arizona, and her PhD at Gallaudet University. Most recently, she completed her executive MBA at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University where she was the recipient of the EMBA Leadership Award.
Dr. Sydlowski has been very active in professional organizations, serving on the American Academy of Audiology Board of Directors as a member-at-large (2015-2018) and currently as Immediate Past President. She is a past president of the Ohio Academy of Audiology and was Co-Chair of the American Cochlear Implant Alliance Program Committee in 2021. She is currently Co-Chair of the Hearing Health Collaborative, a think tank of audiologists, otologists, and patient advocates charged with developing a blueprint for changing the landscape of hearing healthcare. She is also principal investigator of a study focused on integration of tablet-based hearing screeners in primary care and geriatric medicine practices. Together with her physician co-investigators, Dr. Sydlowski aims to quantify the feasibility and impact of prioritizing the identification and management of hearing loss with referring providers.
In her role as Associate Chief Improvement Officer, Dr. Sydlowski works closely with CI specialists across the organization to develop a culture of improvement where every caregiver is capable, expected, and empowered to make improvements every day.
