HERO is an acronym for Health System Employees Reaching Out. The HERO Program is designed to get Health System employees involved in community health and wellness promotion through a wide range of volunteer activities organized by employee HERO team captains. HERO team captains self-identify, then recruit other employees to volunteer at their HERO team events. Any employee may become HERO team captain or volunteer at HERO team events. Family members of employees are also invited to volunteer with their loved ones. Any volunteer activity that enhances community health and wellness may receive HERO designation from The University of Kansas Health System. Since 2009, HERO teams have positively impacted the health and wellness of community members locally, regionally, and abroad. While HERO team captains and team members do not receive any compensation for their volunteerism, the dramatic increase in employee volunteerism through the HERO Program is a testament to our employees' commitment to generating well-being for people and their communities.
The HERO Program is comprised of a Program Coordinator, HERO team captains, and employee volunteers. HERO Program Committee Leaders: Gigi Siers, Assistant Director, Professional Engagement, HERO committee member and team captain, Brian Buckner, Clinical Projects Coordinator, HERO committee member and team captain, Robert Spaniol, Director, HIPAA Commitment, HERO committee member and team captain, and Jaclyn Johnson, Manager, Public, and Events Relations.
At The University of Kansas Health System, we recognize the important role we play in caring for the health and wellness of individuals well beyond the walls of our hospitals and clinics. Our HERO team members improve health, wellness, and foster hope in the community through volunteer activities which promote safe sex, address food scarcity and basic hygiene needs, repair homes, support military veterans and fallen soldiers, perform health screenings, prepare kits for those hit by disaster, collect and distribute items to the homeless, provide First Aid services at local events, perform bicycle helmet fittings, along with many, many other volunteer activities. Although employee volunteers live and work in the Missouri/Kansas area, their impact is sometimes felt globally. One example of the program's international footprint occurred in 2013 when a HERO team provided humanitarian aid to typhoon victims in the Philippines.
The HERO Program was established in 2009. Since the program's inception, 170 Health System employees identified community needs that depend on volunteer support. Those 170 employees made the decision to leverage the power of employee volunteerism at The University of Kansas Health System by becoming a HERO team captain. The team captains partnered with various community organizations to arrange volunteer events. The captains then recruited other employees to volunteer with them. Since 2009, the 170 HERO team captains have had 5,975 volunteers participate in 268 different HERO team events.
Since 2009, HERO teams have volunteered at sites in Missouri, Kansas, and abroad. A sampling of work locations includes: Christmas in October, RESTART Shelter, KC Medicine Cabinet, City Union Mission, Joplin disaster relief, Special Olympics, Girl Scout Camp, Boy Scout Jubilee, JayDoc Clinic, Kauffman Stadium, Friendship Inn, Crosslines Community Kitchen, MLM Food Pantry, Harvesters, All Star Fanfest, SAFEHOME, Giving the Basics, Convoy of Hope, Headstrong for Jake, Burn Camp, Midwest Balloon Fest, Habitat for Humanity, A Chance for Children, Heart-to-Heart , Medical Missions, Ronald McDonald House, USDA Burn Safety, Head for the Cure, Rose Brooks, Abby's Purple Bag, Hope Lodge, Healthy Hawks, Gordon Parks School, HOPE Ministries, Socks of Love, Healthy Living KC, Seize the Day, Pumpkin Palooza, KC Rescue Mission, MLM Store and Food Pantry, KCK Fire Department, Wreaths Across America, Bethel Neighborhood Center, Grand Avenue Temple, Unleashed Rescue, KC Care Clinic, Franciscan Mission, Free to Breathe, Prep KC, Adopt-a-Family, City Union Mission, Avenue of Life, Happy Bottoms, Jersey Creek Trail Clean-up, Skate with Bob, Tour de BBQ, Seize the Day, KC Pridefest, fund raising for charitable organizations, and 39 health-centric 5Ks, fun runs and walks.
Since any employee can form a HERO team or volunteer at a HERO team event, both clinical and non-clinical staff from across the organization are members of HERO Program teams. Sometimes an intact group from a specific location forms a HERO team; other HERO teams are formed with volunteers from various departments, disciplines, or locations.
An example of an intact group working together would be nurses at the Health System's Westwood Cancer Center who frequently form HERO teams to serve meals at Hope House which provides temporary lodging for cancer patients and their families during their cancer treatments.
Most HERO teams, however, are not formed from an intact group so team members may not know each other, nor work at the same location, or even be familiar with the type of work one another does for the organization. Whether familiar or not, HERO team volunteers work together, standing shoulder to shoulder, to fulfill a community need.
Access to HERO team news and volunteer opportunities are made available to all staff on our intranet as are patient satisfaction scores.
The University of Kansas Health System does have HERO Program metrics. Annual metrics include the number of HERO team events, the total number of volunteers, and volunteer hours. Year over year, the numbers have increased along with an increase in HERO team size per event. Early HERO program events involved a handful of volunteers, over time, many HERO teams have up to 150 team members which increases each HERO teams' capacity to serve the community. One HERO team in 2018 was made up of 136 volunteers who laid wreaths on the graves of fallen soldiers at Leavenworth National Cemetery on Wreaths Across America Day, December 15th.
In celebration of our 20th Anniversary Year as a Hospital Authority, the organizational goal is to have at least 4,000 volunteers participate in HERO team events throughout the year.
Our founder, Dr. Simeon Bell, once said, "this shall be a place where the people of Kansas and areas surrounding may enjoy the best medical care available anywhere." HERO teams extend Dr. Bell's vision through community service and volunteerism. Need in the community is great and resources are often limited. HERO teams affect many quality, safety, and experiential metrics indirectly. For example, HERO teams at Giving the Basics pack basic hygiene items for distribution at 176 local schools, shelters, and police stations because SNAP benefits do not cover the cost of basic hygiene items like toilet paper, feminine products, adult briefs, soaps, shampoos, deodorant, dental care items, and razors. The items are free and individuals can take whatever is needed. We know getting free hygiene products changes lives and improves health. One mother reports that receiving free toilet paper from Giving the Basics meant she did not have to use dirty clothes to clean her children. One teen, whose family could not afford deodorant, finally felt confident enough to raise his hand in class once he had access to free deodorant thanks to volunteerism at Giving the Basics. The volunteers also heard from a woman whose mother was wearing adult briefs for 24 hours, sometimes beyond. The woman's mother had been treated in our Medical ICU for urosepsis which was attributed to a urinary tract infection (UTI) related to her inability to change the briefs more frequently. The woman now has an adequate supply of briefs which reduces her chances of developing another UTI from soiled briefs. HERO team volunteers put free hygiene items into the hands of those in need which improves health and enhances the quality of life. Similarly, other HERO team volunteers fit bike helmets at elementary schools to reduce the risk of pediatric head trauma and install smoke detectors in area homes to enhance the residents' safety. The list of indirect impact on important measures goes on and on. In addition to improving community health and wellness, having employee volunteers work in the community builds relationships between community members and our employees.
Our main campus is in an urban area with a diverse population. Community members learn about us and we learn about them. Employees often see current or former patients while volunteering at food pantries, holiday stores, or homeless shelters. Understanding poverty, food scarcity, and other social determinants of health change how we deliver healthcare. An emergency room nurse stated that her food pantry volunteerism helped her understand the lived experience of a hungry, homeless patient being told they could not eat until after a procedure is quite different than the lived experience of a well-nourished patient having to wait to eat. Her ability to understand and empathize increased through volunteerism.
The University of Kansas Health Systems has a multi-faceted approach to supporting the HERO Program and fueling employee volunteers with a sense of pride, accomplishment, and teamwork. Tactics include:
HERO team volunteers receive a branded HERO t-shirt.
HERO team members who are military veterans receive a specially branded HERO t-shirt with an American flag on the sleeve.
Certificates of recognition and certificates of participation are given to volunteers.
Annual volunteer recognition at Health System leadership meetings.
Executive presence at HERO events.
Nursing career ladder points awarded for volunteerism at HERO team events.
Event photos are posted on the internet, social media, and in the Corporate newsletter.
Health insurance "wellness points" are available for HERO team volunteers. Wellness points are used to obtain value pricing on the Health System's Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance plans. HERO team volunteers may use the wellness points if they do not achieve all biometric benchmarks.
The overall patient experience has dramatically improved during the period the HERO Program has been in place, reflecting increased collaboration and job satisfaction obtained by those participating. Using the Large Hospital Compare Group and the HCAHPS Overall Hospital Rating, the percent top box from 07/09 through 06/10 was 72.6%/78th percentile. During the most current reporting period from 07/18 through 06/19, the percent top box overall rating is 82.2%/94th percentile.
The patient evaluation of teamwork, as measured by the survey question "how well the team worked together to provide care," has also improved significantly during the period the HERO program has been in place. Using the Large Hospital Compare Group and the standard Press-Ganey teamwork question, the mean score from 07/09 through 06/10 was 90.4/71st percentile. During the most current reporting period from 07/18 through 06/19, the mean score is 93.3/87th percentile.
Each HERO team event fills health and wellness needs in the community through volunteer activities. The diverse nature of the volunteer events means community health and safety are impacted in different ways. For example, there have been 20 HERO team events at Metro Lutheran Ministry's 2nd Saturday Food Pantry over the past three years. This food pantry distributes a variety of fresh produce to families living in the inner city where fresh produce is hard to find and often not affordable. A total of 150 clients can visit the MLM 2nd Saturday Food Pantry each time it is open, so HERO team members distributed fresh produce to 3,000 food pantry visitors over the 20 HERO volunteer events at MLM.
Last year, on October 20th, HERO team volunteers spent the day repairing 20 homes in the neighborhood surrounding our main campus. The volunteers painted entire homes, repaired unsafe steps, installed handrails, repaired plumbing, installed windows among other activities. One of the homes repaired had not had working sinks for over a year. Another home, owned by a Korean War hero, had front steps too unsafe to use. He was finally able to safely get in and out of his home after HERO team volunteers repaired the steps and installed a new handrail. Hospital employees have also helped the Kansas City, KS Fire Department prepare for a mass casualty at a Mass Decontamination Simulation HERO event. Firefighters used fire hoses on volunteers to "decontaminate" them during the simulation. The firefighters learned important mass decontamination lessons through volunteers' willingness to go to any length to ensure community safety. Each HERO event enhances safety in the community.
Two important process measures are the number of employees serving as team captains and the number of HERO team events.
Process measure #1: HERO team captains
Since 2009, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of employees who have stepped forward to be HERO team captains. During the first year of the HERO Program, 4 employees identified community needs and made the decision to become a HERO team captains. In 2018, 48 employees served as team captains which represents an 1100% increase. The number of HERO team captains in the first 6 months of CY 2019 indicates we will set a record this year. During the first six months of 2019, 39 team captains have formed HERO teams. This increase puts the program on pace to achieve an 1850% increase in the number of team captains since the program's first year. The dramatic increase in team captains directly impacts the number of HERO team events that engage employee volunteers for community benefit which is another important process measure.
Process measure #2: HERO team events
In 2009, there were 4 HERO events benefitting:
Christmas in October
Cohn's and Colitis Walk
Girl Scout Day Camp
Headstrong for Jake
In 2018, there were 97 HERO events benefitting:
Hope Lodge
Special Olympics
Harvesters
Stop the Bleed
Transplant Legacy Walk
Ronald McDonald House
Abundant Life Church
Cystic Fibrosis Great Strides
Bethel Neighborhood Center
MLM Food Pantry
MLM Christmas Store
Wreaths Across America
AIDS Foundation
Giving the Basics
KC Pridefest
Gardner Public Schools
Gift of Life
Junior League of KC
Rose Brooks Domestic Violence Shelter
Ross Foundation
Christmas in October
Happy Bottoms
Crossing 4 Mercy
Charity Beyond Borders
To-date in CY2019, there have been 46 HERO events benefitting:
MLM Food Pantry
Gordon Parks Elementary
City Union Mission
Harvesters
KC Medicine Cabinet
Come to Play! Gay Softball World Series
KC Pridefest
Project Lazarus
Giving the Basics
KC Rescue Mission
Rose Brooks Domestic Violence Shelter
Bethel Neighborhood Center Adopt-a-Family
MLM Adopt-a-Family
Gordon Parks Elementary
Special Olympics
Heart-to-Heart International
Avenue of Life
Happy Bottoms
Children's Miracle Network
AIDS Foundation
Leavenworth National Cemetery
Crosslines Kitchen
Volunteer hours in the community is a critical outcome measure for the HERO Program. While some HERO team events, such as home repairs can last 8 hours, and the annual KC Pridefest First Aid Station HERO team is staffed for 23 hours over the 3-day festival, typical HERO team events are 2.5 hours in length. Over the decade since 2009, 6,144 volunteers have spent at least 15,360 hours donating their time, talent and effort to improve the health and wellness of the community. Currently, the estimated national value of each volunteer hour is $25.43 which assigns an estimated dollar value of $393,676 to our HERO teams' community work. The human impact on both volunteers and the direct recipients of the volunteer work is priceless.
Employee engagement is vital to our organization. The increase in the annual number of volunteers at HERO events is a measure of engagement and satisfaction with the HERO Program. There were 151 volunteers at the 2009 HERO team events and 2,433 volunteers at the 2018 HERO team events which represents a 1511% increase in volunteers at HERO events.
In FY 2020, The University of Kansas Health System has budgeted $11,000 to support the HERO Program. The budgeted funds provide branded HERO t-shirts to volunteers.
The HERO Program is supported by volunteers working to improve community health and wellness. There is no cost to our patients.
By 2018, there was a 1511% increase in the number of volunteers at HERO team events and an 1100% increase in the number of unique team captains. Many of those captains organize multiple HERO team events each year. Similarly, many employees volunteer at multiple events throughout the year. Employees often bring their entire families to volunteer together. The one most striking reflection of engagement is the speed with which volunteer spots fill up once the HERO team event is posted online. Frequently, large volunteer teams are formed within an hour.
One of the goals of the HERO program is to foster collaboration and teamwork across the organization. In 2008, the first year we administered the Morehead (now Press-Ganey Employee Engagement Survey), our rating on the question "different workgroups work well together" had a mean score of 3.64 with 3,071 employees responding. In 2018, the mean score for that question reached 3.73 with 7,037 responses.
Research has shown that volunteering leads to lower rates of depression by increasing social interaction and building support systems based on common interests. In addition to affecting mood, data analysis from the Longitudinal Study of Aging found that individuals who volunteer have lower mortality rates than non-volunteers, even when controlling for age, gender, and state of health. The HERO Program provides a vehicle for employees to positively impact their overall health while connecting with co-workers and making a difference in the community. In short, volunteerism connects employees from different roles, teams, departments, and skill levels. HERO team events offer employees the chance to share experiences together and interact on a deeper level, resulting in stronger relationships when they return to work. At a City Union Mission HERO event earlier this year, a cardiothoracic surgeon who works at the main campus was working side by side with a social worker from the Marillac campus and a Westwood Cancer Center project coordinator. The three had never met before, yet quickly bonded over the tasks associated with making and serving a meal to hungry shelter clients. We believe that the social relationships intrinsic to volunteer work are critical to individual, team, and community well-being.
When HERO teams are formed to execute a volunteer event in the community one thing is crystal clear: the volunteers stand stronger and serve better by working together. The impact our volunteers make in the community is miraculous and truly demonstrates that HERO teams are greater than the sum of its parts.
The HERO Program engages employees in meaningful volunteer work they do not HAVE to do, but rather work they WANT to do. The program taps into our employees' passion to make a difference – the very reason they pursued employment or a career in health care! Employee commitment to volunteerism has truly become a hallmark of our organization.
The structure of the HERO Program allows employees the freedom to create volunteer activities of their choice. One frequent HERO team captain is passionate about feeding hungry. She has organized over 30 HERO team events at area food pantries, community kitchens, and the Harvesters distribution center. Another frequent HERO team captain has an intense drive to improve the living conditions of those in our neighborhood so he assembles a small army of volunteers each year to repair homes at the Christmas in October HERO event. Another employee has a desire to clean up area rivers and streams so that is where he shares his time and talent.
The HERO Program also allows employee volunteers to participate in HERO team activities that appeal to them. The diversity of HERO team activities throughout the year literally provides volunteer opportunities for employees of all ages and skill levels. Children, spouses, partners, and friends can volunteer alongside their loved ones. Relationships are both built and strengthened at HERO team events.
We believe there is no greater exercise for the heart than reaching out to lift someone up. Our HERO team members reach out to improve community members' lives while not "on the clock". They freely share their time, talent, and expertise in the community. In the words of Winston Churchill, "You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give." HERO team members make a living by caring for the sick within our walls; they continue to fill up their lives by improving the community's health and wellness outside of our walls through volunteerism.