Want your hospital to survive? Get creative.

Creativity may be the key to helping hospitals survive healthcare reform, budget cuts, and regulatory changes. But hospitals can’t just say “get creative” and expect leaders to be able to do it; they need to foster that creativity. Connie Jastremski, R.N., vice president of nursing and patient care services at Bassett Healthcare Network in Cooperstown, N.Y., said during a keynote presentation at the Joint Commission's Annual Conference on Quality and Patient Safety in downtown Chicago that her organization has implemented several strategies to get leaders thinking outside of the box. One is to allow leaders to have paid sabbatical days, reports Hospitals & Health Networks Daily. This extra time allows leaders to pursue new ideas with a reduced day-to-day workload. Another strategy is to have leaders participate in patient safety rounds, which has effectively connected senior leadership with front-line staff.