The most-asked question we have received is “What will the color of our scrubs be?”
Rest assured, the transition team is on it. According to Lisa Smithgall, vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer of Holston Valley Medical Center, a new policy is being designed with our patients and team members in mind.
Smithgall has been asked by Ballad Health leadership to lead our efforts to develop a new policy. Her background as a nurse, and her experience in both Mountain States Health Alliance and Wellmont Health System give her a unique perspective on what is important to our team members and patients.
Both Mountain States Health Alliance and Wellmont Health System currently have color-coded uniforms for team members in specific roles and/or departments. “We do want to have consistency throughout Ballad Health,” Smithgall explained. “This consistency will reduce anxiety of patients, improve patient safety and make sure it is as easy as possible for our patients to identify whom the different members of the care team are.”
So what are the new colors? “We want our team members who wear these colors to participate in the decision,” Smithgall said.
Because nursing comprises the largest team member group, they will choose first. A survey with options will be distributed to nursing staff on Feb. 2, with the new color selected by Feb. 15. “Implementation of the new uniforms for nursing will go into effect late summer/early fall,” she said.
Surveys will then be sent to other clinical team members according to department size, from largest to smallest, in those areas requiring color-coded uniforms who are identified to change. These departments will switch colors in late summer/early fall as well.
Some Mountain States and Wellmont clinical roles and departments have been identified as already wearing matching color-coded uniforms at both health systems. “In these cases, no changes – or minimal changes – are expected,” Smithgall said.
Until the changes are implemented, team members may wear their existing uniforms, she said, noting that a plan is being finalized to assist team members who must make new purchases.
“We recognize this is a big change,” Smithgall said. “We have put a lot of thought into this and are involving as many people as possible in the process.”
She said she has worked closely with Melanie Stanton, chief nursing executive of Mountain States, as well as other nursing leaders for initial input.
“This new policy will help us provide even better patient-centered care,” Smithgall said.