After-hour rounds help military hospital leaders stay informed, engaged

Leaders at a Texas military hospital have taken leadership rounds to a new level, implementing a schedule that involves being available even after hours, according to Army.mil.

The "reverse cycle leadership rounding" calls for hospital leaders to visit units during weekend and night shifts. The after-hour rounds help executives stay engaged and active within all levels of hospital operations, the article noted.

The model is a natural fit at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio's Fort Sam Houston, where the 24-hour, seven-day-a-week trauma and specialty care mission makes weekend traffic especially heavy, said BAMC Commander Army Col. Evan Renz. During the process, teams including Renz and other senior hospital leaders visit most hospital floors and discuss operations with medical, neonatal and surgical intensive care units.

Leaders, who also conduct daytime rounds, say the schedule helps them know what's happening at the organization, which has more than 8,500 employees, 425 beds and the Defense Department's sole Level 1 trauma center,

"The hospital runs continuously and processes that work during normal weekday operations may not work as well at night or on the weekends," Army Col. Mark Swofford, deputy commanding officer and deputy commander for administration at BAMC, told the publication. "By doing the reverse cycle and weekend rounding, we can get a better understanding of how our decisions will impact the organization over the entire range of operations."

To learn more:
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