Implementing Quality First Successfully

Name:		Frances Thomas
Title:		Administrator
Organization:		The German Home
Location:		Lawrence, MA
Phone:		978-682-5593
E-mail:		ghome374@aol.com

What was the "spark" that got your organization involved in AAHSA Quality First? Listening to James Orlikoff's speech, "Engage Your Board", at AAHSA's 2004 Annual Meeting in Nashville.

Describe the process of getting your Board's support for Quality First.
I presented our mission statement to them and asked the three questions that James suggested. I then asked what the future plan was for the German Home and what our accountability was to our residents, staff, and community at large. It was then that the Board suggested that we form a committee and come-up with a strategic plan for the home.

Have you reviewed the information on the Quality First Web site?
Yes, the information that was helpful to us was what to look for when seeking new Board members. It gave a great suggestion of the kind of mix of people that we should consider to be part of the Board.

Does your organization have a Quality First leader ... an individual or committee?
Yes, our Administrator is the Quality First leader, but we also use our planning committee.

Is this a special Quality First Committee, or did it exist previously?
We knew that we needed to improve our services to the residents, staff and community. We started the talks before we knew about Quality First, but when we learned about Quality First, we realized that the 10 Elements of Quality served as a great framework for change. It helped us with a base line to start the process of change.

What has been the role of Quality First in your organization?
We are just starting the process. We're small, only 31-beds, so we know it will take some time.

Has your organization completed the Quality First Self-Study?
No, we are in the process. We know it will take some time.

Has your organization developed an action plan to focus on improvements in one or more of the Quality First Elements of Quality?
Yes, concerning the following elements:

• Governance and Accountability: we are looking to increase the size of the Board and improve financial resources for the future, both of which we've begun doing
• Community Involvement: we are going to network more within the local and State communities. We have already joined other organizations at these levels. Our new networking initiative has led us to community resources that have brought us over $50,000 in grants. And this would not have been possible if our board had not shifted its outlook from day-to-day operations to governance and strategy.
• Human Resources Development: we are encouraging residents and staff to work together by serving on a safety committee and implementing an employee recognition program, and we've made great changes on safety issues, and increased our employee benefits.

Has Quality First been beneficial to your organization in earning public trust?
Yes, members of the community know we want to help, and we are honest about the work that we do. We have been part of the community for over 100 years and have always been willing to help all people in need. We get calls weekly from people who know of the services that we provide, asking if we could help them or guide them in the right direction.

What has been the most beneficial aspect of Quality First for your organization?
The framework of the 10 Elements helped us look at the services we could strengthen within our home. Our board shifted from being mostly focused on day-to-day operations to being focused on governance and strategy. The Quality First Covenant gave us a service plan to succeed.

What has been the most challenging aspect of Quality First for your organization?
It has been teaching our staff about leadership and acceptability for Quality First.

Have you budgeted staff or financial resources to your Quality First efforts, or are the time/costs integrated into your other work?
The Board recently increased the budget for education and staff appreciation.

Looking ahead a year, what do you see as the biggest opportunity for your organization with respect to Quality First?
We will be more knowledgeable of our community's needs and have the skills to improve a great and thriving community.

Members have voiced several reasons for not signing the Quality First Covenant, including: We already run a quality organization; we don't want to expose ourselves to greater liability; we can't afford it; we're too busy. What would you say to encourage these members to sign the Quality First Covenant?
I would say, if you would like to make a living community a home, consider Quality First. If you already run a quality organization, make it better. We are all busy and feel we have no time. But if we don't take the time to consider who we are and how we do it, we will miss an opportunity for greatness in the work we provide.


March 14, 2005