The Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences has commenced work on its third strategic plan, which will provide a roadmap for the department’s growth and activities over the next 3-5 years.

This new strategic plan builds on momentum gained through the 2013-2017 plan, yet is “more concise and focused” than its predecessor, says Deb Smith, MBA, administrator for academic affairs. “The process will define not only our goals and how we plan to achieve them, but also those things that are not high priority.  Strategic planning is about considering our choices, then committing to the things we most want to achieve over the next few years.”

The process began in the spring with a series of seven SWOT sessions: facilitated by RLA alumni, the sessions asked a cross-section of Emory Radiology faculty, staff, and trainees to identify the department’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). Sessions took place across Emory Radiology’s five primary locations (Clifton Campus, Midtown, Johns Creek, Saint Joseph’s, and Grady) to further ensure broad representation from all levels and locations of the department’s clinical, academic, and research activities.

“It’s a challenge to get input from everyone in a department 1,000 strong, but we absolutely want this plan to come from the bottom up, not the top down,” explains Smith. “We really want to involve people from all corners of the department.”

The results of the SWOT analysis were presented to the Emory Radiology Leadership Team during a daylong retreat in July. The team then deliberated on the findings and drafted four main themes for the plan:

Goal 1.  Our people and culture: enhance the employee experience;

Goal 2. Optimize the service experience and outcomes for our partners in care (includes patients and their families);

Goal 3. Foster a “One Emory Radiology” community for all; and

Goal 4. Drive innovation, translating information into action.

The team also used these results to update the department’s mission and vision statements.

The revised vision statement:

Emory Radiology will be a destination for those who seek excellence and continuous innovation in medical imaging.

The revised mission statement:

The Emory Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences is a community dedicated to the promotion of health, discovery and innovation, and educating the future healthcare workforce. We embrace and celebrate a collaborative culture, adaptive approaches to continuous innovation, and aligned partnerships in patient-centered care.

During the next phase of the process, Emory Radiology faculty and staff will work in teams, one team for each goal, to develop action plans for their specific goal. These plans then will be reviewed by the Leadership Team with further discussion and refinement resulting in a rollout plan to be unveiled by Spring 2018.

Rad Report will feature updates of the process in future issues. Updates also will post on the Emory Radiology Intranet at https://secure.web.emory.edu/radiology/intranet/strategic/index.html.

“We want to keep everyone updated and involved as much as possible throughout the entire process,” says Smith. “This is our plan for our department.”

Contact Deb Smith with questions or ideas regarding the strategic planning process at dasmit3@emory.edu. ■