CNO Statement

2019 was a big year for nursing at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. We grew as a team and saw some great outcomes as they relate to employee engagement, patient experience and quality.

A few initiatives that helped us transcend our employee engagement and nurse retention are our Enhanced Nurse Educator Model and newly designed Shared Governance Model.

The Enhanced Nurse Educator Model helps provide professional development opportunities at the point of care delivery, while our newly designed Shared Governance Model gained momentum and is stronger than the previous year.

With so many active committees and dedicated staff, we are hearing the voice of the nurse and I believe that is why we are seeing true, positive patient outcomes.

Although I have only been with UH Cleveland Medical Center for a short period of time, I am truly impressed by your dedication to our patients and their families in the communities we serve.

I am also impressed with the resiliency and commitment of our nursing staff within the community, within the hospitals, and within the ambulatory care centers.

2020 will bring new opportunities and additional successes.

In 2019, our Shared Governance Model created a vision that resonated with the nursing staff at UH Cleveland Medical Center — “UH Nurses Empower Advocate Innovate to Achieve Excellence in Human Caring.” With this foundation, we will continue to focus our efforts and dedication on the care delivery model and improving the community we serve.

Every day, I see how our nurses are empowered to work autonomously and provide the best care possible for our patients. I see how innovative you are in the care delivery model and how you advocate for our patients and their families. I have witnessed the pride in your voices when talking about how you want to provide the best care for our patients. I have heard about the tremendous amount of teamwork and collaboration that is occurring to deliver top-notch care.

As we move forward, you will hear about these themes: Nurse Wellness & EMR Optimization, Building the Future Workforce, Innovation & Nurse Research, and Patient Experience and Quality. These themes are represented in our Nursing Strategic Plan and will be the foundation of everything that we do at UH Cleveland Medical Center.

Together, all 3,150 nurses at UH Cleveland Medical Center have a great opportunity as we move forward into 2020 with a shared vision and mission.

I look to 2020 with anticipation, eager to see continued progress as we optimize the Nursing Strategic Plan, Mission and Vision.

As we work through the Magnet re-designation process, I look forward to leading us into a culture of empowerment and inclusiveness for all nurses at UH Cleveland Medical Center. I appreciate your commitment to our patients and the nursing profession.

As the CNO of UH Cleveland Medical Center, I am proud of all that you accomplished in 2019 and I am truly looking forward to all that we will accomplish in 2020 as we focus on engagement, wellness, patient experience, quality, recruitment, retention and the communities we serve.

It is my privilege to work with you and serve as your chief nursing officer.

Respectfully,
Jason M. Pirtz
MBA, BSN, RN
Chief Nursing Officer