Where Opinions Matter

Sometimes, if you ask someone if their opinions matter, you’ll receive a resounding “no,” at least when it comes to their job. Chances are that wouldn’t be a response you’d receive from a VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System (VASNHCS) employee. The reason? The annual VA All Employee Survey (AES). 

As with the rest of VA, VASNHCS values a healthy organization, where employees are engaged and satisfied while delivering the world-class care Veterans deserve. The AES is an annual, voluntary and confidential survey sent to all VA employees. It’s a tool for employees to provide feedback to leadership on key areas such as job satisfaction, workplace perceptions and employee engagement. Survey results help leaders and managers make the changes needed to improve both the employee and Veteran experience. 

A few weeks before the launch of the 2021 AES, which ran June 7-28, then VASNHCS Acting Director Dr. Amy Sanguinetti sent a letter to all staff members, encouraging them to participate. “When I complete a survey, I always ask myself what is going to come of this? It is my intent that the results of the 2021 AES will further identify and drive our efforts to develop and enhance the VASNHCS work environment, truly making us the Employer of Choice.” Dr. Sanguinetti then laid down a marker. “Our AES participation rate goal for this year is 75%. We can do it!” 

Hoping to meet the marker laid down by the director, Heather Lupkey, VASNHCS Chief of Education Service and the AES coordinator, made use of a highly valued asset to encourage survey participation in a message to all employees, “Your participation gives you a chance to win a parking spot from one of our executive team leadership members.” And with that, the survey opened. 

So, what comes of all those opinions about job satisfaction, workplace perceptions, employee engagement, etc.? They’re compiled and sorted according to each service in the health care system, then made available for managers and leaders to discuss with their teams, who then identify one improvement project they agree is the most important to address. After that, an AES champion steps in to lead each team through their improvement project. 

Amber Wright is a newly hired Service Specialist in the VASNHCS Community Affairs Service, but she’s not new to VASNHCS. Prior to her arrival in Community Affairs, Amber worked in the Pathology and Laboratory Service where she had her first opportunity to participate in the AES. Based upon that year’s survey results, her team decided their improvement project would focus on coworker relationships. “One of the biggest improvement processes we used was the True Colors Class (a model for understanding yourself and others based on your personality temperament),” explains Amber. “We all come from different backgrounds and lifestyles and with that class it was nice to learn my coworkers work language.” 

Amber says by learning her colleagues work language, the team’s interpersonal dynamics improved. She can draw a straight line from the AES to better team dynamics that resulted in improved service, all to the benefit of the team and Veterans.  

VASNHCS Executive Director Kevin Amick says the results of the annual AES affords the organization “a wonderful opportunity for all members of the VASNHCS team to help shape the future of this health care system.” Mr. Amick adds that by participating in the AES, employees “directly contribute to improvements in the work environment and the delivery of care by and to our nation’s most treasured assets – our health care heroes and our Veterans.”  

For Amber and the many others who have taken part in the AES process, that’s exactly how it’s supposed to work. And work it does.