Tamra E. Merryman, RN, MSN, FACHE, and Sandy Rader, RN, MSN

Tami Merryman is Chief Quality Officer for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). The mission of the Center for Quality Improvement and Innovation is to partner with hospital leadership to change care delivery systems in support of the UPMC vision of creating the health system of the future.

She has her BSN and MSN from University of Pittsburgh. Ms. Merryman has studied the Toyota Production System, Lean Manufacturing and other business improvement applications to healthcare. A nationally known speaker, Ms. Merryman has been published in several articles.

Sandy Rader has been with the UPMC Health System for the past 7 years, and was appointed Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at UPMC Shadyside approximately two years ago. In this leadership role, she provides the oversight for quality improvement initiatives, focusing on patient and family centered care through the IHI Robert Wood Johnson TCAB project.

She served as the Director of Inpatient and Outpatient Nursing Services at UPMC Horizon for 5 years and then as the Director of Inpatient Nursing Services at UPMC Shadyside. Prior to joining UPMC, Sandy served as the team leader for Inpatient Services and Community Health Initiatives in a community based hospital in Warsaw, Indiana. She holds a Diploma in Nursing from Jameson Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, a Bachelor’s Degree from Purdue University and a Masters of Science Degree in Administration from Notre Dame.

“We implemented to address increasing patient complexity and a result length of stay. It also put our patient centeredness goals for the hospital front and center.” Tami Merryman

“There were many lessons learned, but the greatest one was the impact of involving key stakeholders. Two obvious stakeholders were the PCCs and secondly, the physicians. Initially, the PCCs were skeptical. They were a group that did not embrace change well. Their view of the work did not indicate that a change was needed. Bringing them together and then forging through the pilot stage was critical. They were informed and involved. Their buy-in was not immediate, but certainly worth the wait. I recall a conversation with three of them in the months that followed the change. They thanked me for the difference we made in their work and their quality of life. They were able to be more effective and still garner an additional hour saved at the end of their work day. It was truly a remarkable accomplishment.

The second indication of success was experienced at a Quality Board Meeting when, unsolicited, a member of our medical staff commented on the new model and what a difference it was making in his own practice. It was at that point that, in my mind, success was declared. It is not unusual now for physicians to call me when their unit-based PCC may be reassigned for one reason or another. A clear indication that both parties are engaged which translates to improved communication and patient care. We now make sure we let physicians know when their unit-based/specialty PCC will change. We ask them for feedback and their continued support.” Sandy Rader