Strategic Enablers

Successful implementation of the 2025 strategy will require alignment with the following strategic enablers.

These foundational enablers are critical to realizing the goals of the strategic plan efficiently and effectively. Enterprisewide commitment to integrating the 2025 strategic tactics throughout these core support areas is essential to achieving success.

Digital health and transformative analytics

A nurse enters a patient's health information into a computerized system.
A single electronic health record spans all care locations for each patient.

In response to a changing health care landscape, UK HealthCare is pursuing a ubiquitous digital ecosystem as fundamental to the health system’s ability to realize its full potential. Strategies include digital transformation to a single patient record across the continuum. This single record must be inclusive of all modalities and support telehealth, communication networks, patient engagement and care outcomes.

Data and analytics platforms must become more mature for high-quality data use in support of a data-driven culture and the leveraging of advanced capabilities. This digital transformation must connect the community through data exchange across care transitions. IT service management must be embraced as an operating framework supporting the ever-changing competency growth of the workforce. Finally, we must provide a cyber resilient environment that can protect, detect, respond and recover from any threat landscape.

Brand and marketing strategy

A video shoot for UK HealthCare's brand campaign recreates an operating room setting.
Production of a brand campaign video.

Brand Strategy works closely with key leaders throughout the enterprise to strategically tell consumers the UK HealthCare story through advertising campaigns, web presence and optimization, social media, multimedia, community engagement and publications.

Our dedicated team of market development and integrated marketing specialists use high-quality market research data to target audiences at every step along their healthcare consumer journey. We raise consumer awareness and understanding of the UK HealthCare brand; enhance our reputation locally, regionally and nationally; build loyalty among those who have experienced our care; and make sure consumers and referrers view UK HealthCare as their provider of choice when expert care is needed.

As protectors of the UK HealthCare brand, we enforce rigorous guidelines to safeguard our logos, visual and verbal identity so we can effectively bring The Power of Advanced Medicine to life.

Philanthropy

Dr. Newman attends a philanthropic event.
Key strategic enablers include philanthropic support.

Excellent health care and medical institutions rely on philanthropy to provide the margin of excellence, especially in times when reimbursements are stretched to their limit. 

As we embrace new technologies, implement new models of health care delivery, and confront new challenges to meet the growing needs of our patients, philanthropic support is essential to our success.

The Office of Philanthropy works with internal partners to identify strategic priorities and connect them with benefactors who share an affinity for our mission, including: grateful patients and families, alumni, parents, faculty and staff, and other members of the community.

Donor support fuels enterprise growth and helps UK HealthCare and the College of Medicine educate growing numbers of tomorrow’s healers, expand medical knowledge, and invest in technology, staff, programs and space, all in pursuit of our mission: to create a healthier Kentucky.

Communications and engagement

Dr. Maher Baz talks with a staff member.
Physician and staff engagement is key to delivering on our plan.

High physician and staff engagement is fundamental in providing exceptional care to our patients and their families. Research has long shown that employee engagement is highly correlated with patient satisfaction and experience. It stands to reason, highly engaged employees understand the organization’s mission and service expectations. They have had a role in articulating the organization’s values, and because the values reflect the people, they live them.

Communication is tightly integrated with engagement. If communication at any level is poor or lacking, one may expect a comparable a decline in engagement as well. The two go hand in hand, which is why they are often considered together at UK HealthCare. Expectations for leader rounding, coupled with the tools to support manager to team communication, are an example of how closely the two areas must work together.

Communication must continue to be a priority in order to ensure our UK HealthCare community has the information and tools needed to facilitate engagement. A strong structure supporting continuous, multidirectional communication throughout the entire health system is required. If executed well, we ensure alignment with our strategy, high levels of engagement impacting patient-family experience, collaboration across areas, and all activities promoting the impact our vision asks of us.

Financial and operational forecasting, capital planning

Continued focus on long-range planning is essential to ensure we have the resources needed to achieve our vision. Sustained funding that is aligned to our objectives allows us the flexibility to adjust quickly to market conditions and challenges.

Facilities planning

Overhead view of A.B. Chandler Hospital, Lexington, Kentucky.In today’s competitive market, it is important to make certain that patients receive care in appropriate, state-of-the-art settings. Coordinating facilities planning and financial allocation to facilities maintenance with our efforts in strategic growth is key to achieving our 2025 vision and ensuring we see the right patient at the right time and in the right setting.

Human resources

Three UK HealthCare employees.
Support from employee engagement and human resources is key.

Human capital is the foundation of our enterprise, requiring innovative talent management and retention strategies throughout the employment lifecycle. Staff physician and APP recruitment and engagement initiatives are critical to maintaining a workforce that will live our values and help UK HealthCare achieve its mission.