AHA podcast describes how health system solicits front-line staff ideas 

In an American Hospital Association podcast, a Durham, N.C.-based Duke Health leader discusses how Duke established a frontline liaison network between leadership and staff to facilitate an exchange of ideas for advancing care. A leader convenes a one-hour, monthly call, where she listens to frontline staff ideas. The exchange has led to nurses and other frontline staff conducting social needs screening, connecting patients with critical community resources and improving their patients’ experience. The leader says giving frontline staff the agency to create processes to refer patients to services has improved retention because front-line staff are mission-oriented and want to improve care. Hospitals interested in setting up similar networks should listen to their staff and appoint a leader who is empowered to implement suggestions, she says.