How a shift in care delivery changed one health system's mission, vision and values

Guest post by Barry Ronan, president and CEO of Western Maryland Health System in Cumberland, Maryland

It is interesting to see how our mission, vision and core values at Western Maryland Health System have been applied over the last few years as we transitioned to our value-based care delivery model. As we transitioned from volume to value, we felt that it was essential to re-examine our mission statement, our vision statement and our values.

As we embraced the Triple Aim of healthcare reform, our board decided to bring our mission statement more in line with our new commitment to value-based care delivery. It was changed from "superior care for all we serve" to "we are dedicated to providing patient-centered care and improving the health and well-being of people in the communities we serve." The board felt that our previous mission statement focused more on care delivery within the hospital while the new mission statement introduced a much-needed community health perspective.

Our vision statement was also adjusted to reflect the change in care delivery that depends on establishing partnerships in advancing the health and well-being of those we serve now and into the future. Many of our previous competitors are now our partners in this care delivery shift, and we are continually seeking new partners to best deliver care in the most appropriate setting.

Read the full commentary at Hospital Impact