A simple definition of organizational culture is the collective way we do things. A more complex definition is that culture is a learned set of behaviors and common knowledge shared by most employees.  A culture evolves over time, so we have the power to change our culture to one that is a best “fit” for Texas Tech Physicians of Lubbock based on our mission, goals and so forth.

Think about the many changes at Texas Tech Physicians in recent years—we have unified certain business practices (and expect more in the near future), built pathways for collaboration through our Clinical Operations Performance Improvement Councils, set goals with our Key Performance Indicators, developed strategies and assigned resources. We have opened new clinics, achieved success in patient satisfaction, rolled out electronic health records and put more emphasis on established quality metrics while earning bonus money for doing so.

These things have been done and are being done for one reason—to become one practice and one team, and to capture the full value of this special organization. A laser is merely concentrated light, but it can cut through steel. Working together with a common culture we can become like a laser, focused, strong and on our way to reaching our vision of being a top-tier practice.

A strong unifying culture is critical for several reasons. It increases our patients’ confidence that they will encounter the same standards of excellence in every department. It improves our agility in responding to opportunities that require collaboration between various clinical departments and central departments. It allows us to offer services interdependently as we expect to be required in an accountable care type organization. Finally, the right culture gives us a clear understanding of what is required to succeed, so that every Texas Tech Physicians employee can contribute to his or her full potential.

— Brent Magers, CEO of Texas Tech Physicians