Creating a shared 2030 vision and change map for the merging neonatology departments of Amsterdam UMC

Abstract

The goal of this thesis is to create a shared vision and change strategy for the merging neonatology departments of Amsterdam University Medical Centres (Amsterdam UMC). The Amsterdam UMC currently exists out of the two hospitals VUmc and AMC merging to become one hospital. The neonatology department is one of the first departments that will merge. There will soon be two large changes ahead for the department: (1) employees of both hospitals will work together and (2) the AMC will be renovated to a new center that holds neonatology and obstetrics. 'Sharing the same vision and wanting to achieve a common goal with employees are key elements for successful change' (Gill, 2002). As the current vision of neonatology was not shared amongst all employees and there was a multi-annual plan or road to the vision missing, this was concluded the assignment of this graduation thesis. First, nine future themes were created by combining insights from stakeholder interviews and future foresight. These nine themes were used to create a vision concept that was further improved by cocreation with internal stakeholders of both hospitals. The new vision was then concluded as the new shared department vision in several stakeholder sessions. The new vision states: 'a department with the best care, which is child- and family-centric'. Thereafter it was evaluated with all internal stakeholders (nurses, doctors, management of both hospitals) how the vision is currently being reached in projects and what was ought to be missing. With these insights, a map of current change was created. To enhance this road to reach the vision, a design roadmap (innovation strategy) was created. As one of the largest changes in the vision is the family-centricity, this was used as an innovation vision. Ideas were proposed in three horizons with a different focus, though all to enhance the family-centred services. These are ideas for improvement on employee experience (1), family experience (2) and integration of perinatology (3) to enhance the current road ahead. It provides a focus for the department: what are short-term solutions that need to be focused on now and what are long-term solutions that can be focused on later on in the change process. The short-term solutions have a focus on employee experience to enhance their happiness and satisfaction during a difficult time of change and new way of working in the renovated department. Improved employee experience is expected to have a large positive influence on the family experiences. The longer term solutions improve family experiences with services of value creation towards families. This is important at neonatology, as the emotional state of parents can influence the condition of the premature on short and long term (Civic & Holt, 2000; Manning, 2012). Lastly, the final horizon solutions provide a further integration of perinatology: where nurse roles work from a parent journey perspective and cross silos of neonatology and obstetrics.