Simple is Better.

Dear Colleagues,

One day, you may arrive at work and find that every system you engage and support service you require works seamlessly, efficiently, and without delay or interruption, freeing you to dedicate your time and considerable talents to the goals that first drew you to your profession. We acknowledge that the medical center is not at that place today; few institutions are. But we are committed to moving ever closer to that ideal through a new initiative called Simple is Better.

Last week, we shared our action plan to address feedback received from the CUIMC Well-Being Survey and announced Simple is Better as the first in a series of programs designed to improve our shared well-being in the workplace.

No initiative emerging from the Well-Being Initiative has generated greater enthusiasm in early discussions with leadership and selected staff members than Simple is Better. This comes as no surprise. Work environments are happiest and employee well-being improves when individuals feel supported in using their talents to their maximum effect, unencumbered by daily workplace nuisances. Nowhere is this reality felt more powerfully than in a mission-driven institution like ours. You have come here to care for patients, teach our students, discover new scientific knowledge, and contribute to society’s betterment locally and globally. Diversions from our core missions are unwelcome and over time weigh negatively on job satisfaction.

The key to the success of this effort is that we hear from you with specific ideas and requests for changes that will simplify and improve your work life. This is very much a crowdsourcing campaign, and we urge you to use the form found here, cuimc.columbia.edu/simple, to suggest projects that can be implemented at the departmental, school, or institutional level. The form is also available in hard copy and other languages upon request; please email well-being@cumc.columbia.edu.

Dr. Timothy Crimmins, chief medical information officer; Jonathan Touson, associate vice dean for organization strategy & development; and Jennifer Williamson, associate vice dean for research policy & science strategy, are leading this initiative. They, along with CUIMC leadership, are eager to hear your ideas, no matter how large, small, or out of the box. All ideas will be considered, and, over time, targeted solutions will be developed and implemented wherever feasible. We will be following up this communication by identifying the first round of projects undertaken, and we will report on progress made toward eliminating identified obstacles to your success.

Joining together in this process, we can optimize the use of resources, improve well-being, and advance our mission. I look forward to continuing this journey with you.

All my best,

Katrina Armstrong, MD
Dean of the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Executive Vice President for Health and Biomedical Sciences, Columbia University