Investing in Employee Engagement: A Strategic Approach to Imaging Staffing

Jennifer Stephany is the Manager of Radiology Operations at Allegheny Health Network. A highly credentialed imaging professional and Gannon University graduate, she oversees clinical workflows and process improvements. With extensive experience in MRI and diagnostic radiology, she focuses on optimizing healthcare operations and enhancing patient care delivery.

In an exclusive interview with MedTech Outlook, Jennifer Stephany, Manager of Radiology Operations at Allegheny Health Network, discusses how employee engagement, talent development, and culture drive excellence in imaging and patient care.

From Technologist to Leader

I began my career in imaging as an MRI and CT imaging aide while in college, advancing to a diagnostic X-ray technologist after graduation, later specializing in MRI. This hands-on experience, combined with management experience outside of imaging, has helped me become a better leader. Having experienced imaging from both a technologist’s and a manager’s perspective, I believe I can better understand issues and challenges from all angles.

It’s fascinating to reflect on the changes within imaging over the last decade. When my career in imaging began, open positions were scarce. It was highly competitive, and I was grateful for the opportunity I had as an imaging aide to get my foot in the door into an MRI position. But how times have changed! Recently, a colleague suggested, “The only way out of this staffing shortage is to wait for students to graduate.” While this is part of the solution, it isn’t the whole picture. The reality is that we (healthcare as a whole) are critically staffed. Short-term success requires improvement in retention, while long-term stability necessitates effective recruitment.

Planning for the Future: Attracting New Talent

Let’s plan for the future of imaging! How can we appeal to younger people to see healthcare as more than just doctors and nurses? Imaging isn’t often discussed as a career path. We’re changing that! In collaboration with our recruitment team, we are using creative approaches to introduce the idea of imaging as a career to high school and college-aged students.

So now, let’s think about what we can do to attract technologists to our team. To encourage referrals from our existing team and remain competitive, we currently offer sign-on bonuses. We also offer tuition reimbursement programs to attract current students into our hospital and help them grow and establish a career. We utilize social media to showcase our department’s culture, proving that we are the department and environment that technologists want to be part of.

Retaining Our Valued Team: Stopping the ‘Bleed’

Over the past few years, we have made significant improvements in both onboarding and retention. We’ve created working groups to improve the onboarding process. Onboarding into a healthcare role/system can be tedious - rightfully so! Compliance and protecting patients are our priority. But there are improvements to be made: streamlined workflows, opportunities to improve communication, transparency, etc. My famous line to new hires is that I want them to be “comfortable and confident” on their first day.

While we have plans for graduates and applicants, it is crucial to stop the ‘bleed’ at the source by focusing on retaining our current employees - a simultaneous effort of attracting new talent and ensuring existing employees feel valued. This involves everything from market value adjustments to meaningful tokens of appreciation.

The Power of Culture and Employee Engagement

Culture is a challenge - I’m not afraid to say it. In my ten years of healthcare management, five of them were extremely intense, navigating the complexities of the pandemic and post-pandemic periods. During this time of uncertainty and constant change, employees looked to leaders to create the ideal culture. Now, they continue to rely on us to be the driving force for a positive environment. However, realistically, no matter how great we are at being that force, it is up to the team to buy in and influence culture in their work areas.

As an organization, we focus heavily on patient experience. However, as a leader in a clinical setting, I can’t help but focus on employee engagement and experience. It has a significant ripple effect! Satisfied employees lead to happier patients, which means better survey scores. Satisfied employees lead to fewer accidents and mistakes. Satisfied employees don’t burn out and are generally healthier. Satisfied employees create their own positive culture. Satisfied employees create more efficient managers! Managers are then able to spend less time on recruitment, turnover, discipline, and agency, and more time on process improvement. It’s a win-win: happier, more satisfied employees result in better patient care and improved operational efficiency, generating significant cost savings for the organization.

How Do We Do It?

• Balanced strategy: Engagement encompassing recruitment and retention.

• Genuine connection: Create a culture with genuine connections by truly listening to employees, listening to ideas and concerns, and acting on them. Follow-up is essential to build trust.

• Growth: Upskill our team! Give them every opportunity, along with the tools and resources to grow professionally.

My career has shown me that the strength of a team, and the organization, is directly linked to employee engagement. The ripple effect of a genuine, supportive work environment positively impacts every part of operations. By building and leading a culture of genuine engagement, we ensure success for our teams and optimal outcomes for our patients.