Valparaiso Native Graduates from Leadership Development Program

Sarah Elder is one of seven members of this year’s Leadership Development Program (LDP) at Cook County Health & Hospitals System (CCHHS). Elder, of who currently lives in the Roscoe Village neighborhood of Chicago, began the LDP in September 2017. The LDP is a signature initiative that serves to continue building the culture at CCHHS, and this is the 9th cohort of CCHHS employees to receive this high-level, intensive training. Elder has worked for CCHHS for 6 years and makes a significant impact on her team every day as a manager of Behavioral Health Integration in Integrated Care.

The LDP concludes in with a self-designed capstone project. Elder’s was titled “Improving Access & Scheduling for MAT at CCHHS.” In the past two years, CCHHS has been rapidly expanding MAT (Medication Assisted Treatment) services in our ACHN clinics for those affected by opiate use disorder. However, some of the nuances of providing MAT mean that patients may have to wait some time before they can access care. Elder understands that the quicker a patient gets an appointment, the better their care outcomes. As CCHHS is positioned to engage and link individuals to MAT services at many vulnerable touch points, such as the ER, inpatient clinics, and the Cook County Jail, Elder knew that it was essential that the scheduling process be continually improved. “That first step to recovery is often filled with barriers and doubts,” she said. “I wanted to ensure getting an appointment was not one of them.”

CCHHS runs two Leadership Development Program sessions each year, with the purpose of developing leaders from within the organization. Participants have workshops during which they have lessons in essential topics such as positive relationship building, quality & safety, managing performance expectations, and leadership during difficult situations. The LDP works on the belief that an excellent patient experience is dependent on the strong teamwork of their healthcare providers. In addition to learning new skills, the program incorporates a lot of discussion around implementing those skills within CCHHS.

Karen Williams, long-time facilitator of the LDP and System Manager for Learning & Development in Human Resources, notes that Cohort IX truly knows how to shine within the program, and that they already displayed critical leadership skills in decision making and discussion within the context of their small group. In the past, the graduation ceremony speaker has been chosen by secret ballot, but Cohort IX decided that the anonymity was unnecessary, and was able to discuss who should speak at the ceremony. “It may seem like a small decision compared to the huge ones that members of Cohort IX will face in the future,” Williams says, “but it’s great to see the group practicing their new leadership skills already. “