UPMC/University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Need:

UPMC/University of Pittsburgh Medical Center consistently has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report magazine among the country's "best of the best" health care providers. UPMC includes more than 20 hospitals, 400 doctor's offices, 65 rehabilitation centers, and 20 retirement and long-term care facilities spread throughout 29 Pennsylvania counties. It employs more than 5,000 physicians and more than 37,000 employees. Despite its lofty reputation, HR managers perceived the institution was at a leadership crossroads. High turnover, promoting people without formal leadership training, and an unclear connection to bottom-line goals prompted UPMC to rethink its approach to developing next-generation leaders.

Solution:

DDI conducted a need analysis across UPMC's 20 hospitals to pinpoint specific leadership development opportunities. The results convinced senior HR managers that they could positively impact the organization's culture, retention, and the bottom-line contributions by which UPMC measures success-patient satisfaction, revenue growth, etc. Conducting senior leader overview sessions to attain buy-in and direct support was essential for the initiative's success. Next, DDI designed a competency-based curriculum of high-impact leadership development courses for UPMC's 4,000 leaders. Following a top-down approach, DDI first trained director-level leaders, who then nominated next-level leaders to follow them through training, and so forth. Thirty DDI-certified UPMC trainers adapted course delivery to meet the unique requirements of each facility.

Results:

By September 2003, more than 750 UPMC leaders had completed training, and had personal development plans in place holding them (and their managers) accountable for development. UPMC is reporting positive results at the organizational level, estimating the improved leadership effectiveness has produced a human capital return on investment of more than 360 percent. Employee turnover, meanwhile, has decreased 2 percent, with additional reductions anticipated as the program is fully implemented.