At ProCARE, we strive to create and empower caring cultures in healthcare through technology, conversations, and advocacy. Our CARE Culture initiative embodies this concept and practice and, we feel, is a driving factor in the future success of healthcare in its entirety.

The CARE Culture is rooted in the belief that happy people inspire superior outcomes. The goal: to reverse the imminent decline of the healthcare industry by eliminating burnout and staffing shortages – while maintaining and/or improving patient outcomes – through a focus on overall employee well-being.

What is The CARE Culture

The CARE Culture is the cultivation of an organizational culture that values team members and prioritizes employee well-being. Implementing the CARE Culture elevates provider satisfaction and engagement, eases retention and recruitment challenges, optimizes productivity and ultimately improves patient outcomes. 

Just as the ‘CARE’ in ProCARE is an acronym for Compensation Automation Rules Engine, the ‘CARE’ in CARE Culture is modeled after the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership and stands for:

1. Change the Status Quo
2. Act as a Team
3. Restore Purpose
4. Embrace Technology

We’re dedicated to empowering the next generation of leadership and maintain that adopting the CARE Culture calls for every individual to demonstrate the behaviors of effective leaders, modeling the way for transformation and excellence.

Implementing A Caring Culture

There are countless ways in which the CARE culture can be practiced and implemented. For example, at ProCARE our platform is designed to institute a caring culture from the perspective of how providers are valued, motivated and rewarded.

What are the strategies we use to reach these goals and achieve success? A combination of the following:

• Motivating providers with competitive pay & transparent, trackable incentive programs
• Equipping providers with a dependable team & competent and involved leadership 
• Providing and encourage ample time off
• Offering wellness programs or stipends to care for mental and physical health
• Extending opportunities for continued education
• Providing opportunities to collaborate/socialize with colleagues outside of work
• Creating an inclusive environment that acknowledges and respects differences
• Providing representation and advocacy for each employed provider within the organization

Outcomes of Creating A Caring Culture

A caring culture is important for improving the quality of care and enhancing the well-being of residents. Studies show that creating a culture of caring in healthcare organizations can improve patient experience, increase employee satisfaction and promote better outcomes.¹

Key elements of a care culture include empathy, communication, and teamwork.

A Caring Culture Creates a Safer Environment

In addition to inspiring superior outcomes, emphasizing a caring culture in a hospital setting is positively associated with patient safety, and can lead to better patient outcomes². 

The promotion of patient safety culture can best be conceptualized as an intervention rooted in principles of leadership, teamwork, and behavior change, rather than a specific process, team, or technology.³ 

A Caring Culture and Patient Outcomes

In addition to the outcomes in hospital settings, studies examining the concept of a care culture in long-term care settings have also found that a care culture is important for improving the quality of care and enhancing the well-being of residents⁴. 

The Positive Impacts are Evident

Overall, these studies highlight the importance of creating a care culture in healthcare organizations. Furthermore, they provide specific evidence of the positive impact that such a culture can have on patient outcomes, employee satisfaction, and the quality of care provided.

Download the CARE Culture manifesto to learn more.

Sources:

1. Lammers, V. M., Diefenbach, M. A., & Mesfin, E. B. (2019). Creating a culture of care: A transformative approach to improving patient experience. Journal of Healthcare Management, 64(1), 8-14.
2. Kim, J., & Kim, W. (2018). The influence of a care culture on patient safety in a hospital setting. Journal of Patient Safety, 14(1), e1-e6.
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4710092/ 
4. Williams, L. M., Rycroft-Malone, J., Burton, C. R., & Edwards, S. (2019). Creating a culture of care: A knowledge synthesis of the care culture concept in long-term care. BMC Geriatrics, 19(1), 1-14.