A Professional Recognition Program

By Michelle M. Wall, RT(R), MS, CRA

Healthcare leaders are continually challenged to address employee satisfaction in an ever-increasing competitive environment. Meeting the wants and needs of our employees is not an easy task, and organizations that succeed do so at least in part by means of comprehensive programs. One such program is the Professional Recognition Program (PRP), which was developed at Mercy Health – Cincinnati.

The PRP is a structured system designed to provide career advancement for ancillary employees who are in the clinical setting, providing direct patient care. It is used to recognize professional excellence and differentiates levels of ancillary expertise and contribution at the bedside. PRP is designed to enhance, recognize, and reward professional excellence; retain clinical employees in clinical positions; enhance employee satisfaction; and enhance care by recognizing and utilizing ancillary expertise in the care of patients. Historically, Mercy Health offered PRP to nursing staff, but recently this program was updated and adapted to include ancillary staff, such as imaging, respiratory, laboratory, etc. PRP is a comprehensive, staff led program that has many benefits for employees and the organization. The first group of ancillary staff enrolled in PRP July 2016.

On Wednesday, July 12 at 10:00 AM, I will be discussing Mercy Health’s Professional Recognition Program in my session, “Ancillary Professional Recognition Program” at the 2017 AHRA Annual Meeting.  Please join me to hear how we transitioned the program from nursing to ancillary staff, learn about our efforts to communicate and roll out the program to ancillary staff, hear what we discovered during our first year, and learn the particulars of the program (eligibility and completion requirements, etc.). I will also make completed PRP binders available for viewing.

Michelle M. Wall, RT(R), MS, CRA is the regional lead of imaging services at Mercy Health – Cincinnati and director of imaging at Mercy Health – Fairfield Hospital. She can be reached at mmwall@mercy.com.