Endocrinology gets focused

Earlier this month, members of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism paused their regular work on a weekday. Their work on that rainy Friday afternoon on the third floor of the Iowa Memorial Union was to check their progress and to make sure that they were moving in the right direction as a team.

After a catered lunch, the team members were welcomed by Division Director Ayotunde Dokun, MD, PhD, FACE, and Division Administrator Collin Just, MBA. After Just detailed how the afternoon would be structured, Dokun led the members through the last year of successes within the division, areas of remarkable growth, achievements won through dedication and teamwork, and some noteworthy individuals to thank, particularly Laura Bibby and Stacey Mumm, the division coordinator and endocrinology fellowship coordinator, respectively. Dokun also shared the results of a recent institution-wide survey to gauge employee satisfaction, noting areas of opportunity as well as their strengths.

Armed with that data along with the results of an internal pre-retreat survey, and with the aid of experienced focus group organizers, the divisions members then split off into five different small-groups (i.e., research faculty, APPs, clinical faculty, etc.). Each group followed by a facilitator to take notes. The main room was sectioned off with privacy curtains for some groups, while others relocated to other parts of the IMU. Each group was tasked with having an open discussion about what is going well in their working lives and what they feel could be improved and with specifics.

Following this meeting, the facilitators delivered a report of the results to division leadership. Just reported that some of the responses he and Dokun received from the group included praise for the division’s “strong commitment, collaboration, and meaningful progress in communication.” Everyone indicated pride in increasing patient access and staffing over the last year. He also said the group tackled “persistent questions,” particularly those about how to reduce administrative burden, improve scheduling and onboarding, and ease constraints on resources. Just said that he and Dokun were pleased by the responses and the division’s “high capability and willingness” to use their strong fundamentals to “sustain progress and improve retention and satisfaction.”