Traction Over Transformation: Practical Strategies for Driving Workforce Innovation (W5044)-Traction Over Transformation Presentation

Traction Over Transformation Presentation

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The presentation "Traction Over Transformation: Practical Strategies for Driving Workforce Innovation," delivered to the Georgia Organization of Nurse Leaders in November 2025 by Aya Healthcare leaders Carol Tuttas, PhD, RN, and Arvin Juan, MS, addresses critical gaps in healthcare workforce innovation. It highlights how many studies still rely on pre-pandemic data and outdated solutions, prompting the guiding question: “How are hospitals solving workforce challenges differently today?”<br /><br />Workforce innovation in healthcare is defined as adopting novel ideas, products, services, or care pathways that are usable and desirable, spurred by workforce pressures and technological advances. Staffing wages constitute about 50% of hospital expenses; nursing salaries have risen 26% faster than inflation, underscoring urgency in innovation. Factors driving workforce innovation include AI, alternative care models, financial pressures, and public policy.<br /><br />The presentation cited the Joint Commission’s 2026 National Performance Goals, emphasizing adequate nurse staffing as essential for care quality and safety. It introduced "Loonshots"—two innovation types: P-type (technology-driven, e.g., AI, robotics) and S-type (strategy-driven, e.g., workforce models). Successful innovation requires separating innovation from operations, fostering cross-team synergy, mapping decisions, and fueling effective ideas.<br /><br />A Georgia case study showed Emory Healthcare adopting virtual nursing—combining AI-driven fall risk detection and telehealth—to mitigate staffing shortages and improve patient safety.<br /><br />Aya Healthcare’s mixed-methods research (March-May 2025) involved 53 healthcare leaders across 43 systems, revealing high reported need for workforce innovation and increased innovation since the pandemic. Barriers include budget constraints, competing priorities, and staff resistance. Innovations spanned technology upgrades, predictive analytics, and strategic workforce redesigns like standardized scheduling and career mobility frameworks.<br /><br />Key findings stress that culture, protected time, sponsorship, and workflow redesign are crucial to innovation traction. Strategy alone is insufficient; pairing technology with workflow changes and engaging stakeholders ensures adoption. Practical strategies include establishing a minimum viable pathway with clear sponsors and metrics, and choosing to build, buy, or partner.<br /><br />The presentation concludes by urging health leaders to identify innovative ideas, map essential partners, and gather necessary resources to advance workforce innovation for sustainable impact.

Keywords

workforce innovation

healthcare staffing

nurse staffing

AI in healthcare

virtual nursing

staffing shortages

healthcare workforce challenges

innovation barriers

workflow redesign

strategic workforce models