Elizabeth Gilbert embraces Rogers' culture of continuous improvement
04/18/18 06:00:pm
Elizabeth originally worked at Rogers from 1997 to 2001 and served as the manager of the Herrington Recovery Center and then the Residential Eating Disorder Program. When the opportunity to run an outpatient practice for two physicians came up, she took it. During her years away, Rogers went through explosive change—transforming from a hospital in Oconomowoc and West Allis, to the more than dozen locations we have now, with more on the horizon. Elizabeth continued to keep up with Rogers and was excited by its growth and transformation. She believes that if you’re not changing, you’re not growing, which is in perfect alignment with the strategy and vision for Rogers.
“I always knew that if or when I left my former employer that Rogers would be the first place I turned.” Elizabeth says. “I had kept up on some of the changes through the years but the degree of professional, clinical and technical advancement that had occurred since the early 2000s was amazing.”
In addition to her regular duties as chief operating officer, Elizabeth is also the executive sponsor for the Inpatient Value Stream, meaning that Elizabeth and Rogers–West Allis are in charge of hosting events that “contribute to improving the standard work for many areas of inpatient services,” she says. According to Elizabeth, the most exciting thing she’s worked on recently is Managing for Daily Improvement, MDI.
“MDI involves creating new standard work for leaders and line staff to be connected to and understand the effect their day-to-day workflow has on the quality of care we provide for our patients and families,” Elizabeth says. “I believe it will contribute to a more engaged and empowered work experience at all levels. The biggest benefit is the goal of creating a culture of continuous improvement where we don’t let perfect get in the way of better.”
Looking back, one memory in particular stands out for Elizabeth. “Back in the day we used to have an annual celebration, I think around Christmastime,” she says. “It was a talent show of sorts. I still have visions of a member of ET flying through the gymnasium on a rope extended from the ceiling.”
Elizabeth says that anyone who successfully guesses who it was and emails her the name (Elizabeth.Gilbert@rogershospital.org) will be put in a drawing for a Starbucks gift card.
Getting to know Elizabeth
Growing up, Elizabeth was a potter’s apprentice and played hockey on a community youth league in high school. Her team made it to the Michigan Class C state championship but they lost in double overtime. Though she no longer plays, Elizabeth enjoys attending her 10-year-old nephew’s hockey games and cheering for him and his team, which she says “feeds her spirit!”
