Health Department institutes new employee evaluation system
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on June 16, 2005 1:45 PM
The Wayne County Health Department is taking steps to measure the progress of its employees and services.
Health Director James Roosen told the board Wednesday that a 13-member team of managers and front-line staff has been formed to evaluate personnel and program performance.
He called it the Health Department's "Performance Measurement Initiative, also known as "what gets measured gets done."
All county departments have been requested to establish policies addressing performance expectations for the programs they supervise, he said. A merit-based pay system is also expected to be implemented for county employees.
Roosen said the team will study such areas as how services are provided, tracking the number and flow of patients, and will help make decisions to improve customer service.
The benefits of such a study, he said, include being more accountable for tax dollars received, tracking costs, and being more aware of customer expectations, as well as rewarding employees when justified.
One anticipated outcome of the initiative in addition to patient satisfaction, he said, is increasing the awareness of the Health Department's programs within the community it serves.
"There's no doubt it's going to be a lot of work," he said, "but I think it's going to be worth it, and I'm looking forward to working this year with our quality assurance team."
He said the staff has already done an excellent job of developing performance policies, outlining customer service and program goals.
"I think most of you can appreciate finding out how much bang for the buck you're getting," he told the board.