Williamson Medical Center

Sharon Gilliam

Sharon Gilliam is an accomplished healthcare professional who currently serves as the Director of Patient Safety and Quality at Williamson Medical Center. With a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from St. Anthony College of Nursing and a Master’s of Science in Nursing from Chamberlain University, Sharon has a diverse background in the healthcare industry, starting as a critical care nurse and then moving into quality full-time in 2015/2016.

Please tell our readers about your experience in the industry.

My career began in critical care and operating room before transitioning to quality full-time in 2015/2016 as a clinical quality specialist at SSM Health in Wisconsin. During my time there, I co-chaired a sepsis committee and successfully improved compliance rates from 14 to 75 percent and reduced time to antibiotic administration from 180 minutes to under 60 minutes. 

“When we encounter crossroads or challenges, we always ask ourselves, "What's best for the patient?" and "What's the ideal state for them?" to adapt and make it happen.”

I also have experience working on readmission reduction and process improvement projects, as well as conducting core measure abstraction. Despite the challenges healthcare has faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, my team is focused on returning to a state of high reliability by encouraging staff to report incidents, resulting in a 30 percent increase in incident reporting. 

What are the challenges prevailing in the industry?

One of the major challenges is the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare practices, which has necessitated changes in approaches to care delivery. As evidence and expected practices continue to evolve, it can be difficult to support teams and ensure patient safety. Another challenge is staffing, as different teams have varying levels of expertise, and smaller facilities may struggle to maintain adequate staffing levels. This can make it challenging to keep patient safety projects and initiatives moving while ensuring patient care remains a top priority. 

At Williamson, patient safety and quality are a top priority, and our leadership team is committed to providing the necessary resources to maintain or improve our patient safety culture. Despite the challenges, it's essential for hospitals to prioritize patient safety and quality amidst the current healthcare landscape and patient population challenges.

What is your leadership strategy for inspiring your team to achieve the goals you set, and how does this translate into successful outcomes for the organization and patients?

Our leadership strategy for inspiring our team towards achieving goals and translating this into successful outcomes for the organization and patients at large is centered around the patient. We believe that when we reset our focus back on the patient, we can inspire the team to work towards a common goal of achieving the best outcomes for the patient. By establishing this common goal and reminding the team of their initial purpose of helping people, we can motivate them to work towards the project or initiative. When we encounter crossroads or challenges, we always ask ourselves, "What's best for the patient?" and "What's the ideal state for them?" to adapt and make it happen. By keeping the patient at the center of our work, we can inspire our team to achieve the goals we set and ultimately achieve successful outcomes for the organization and patients at large.

How do you envision the future of the industry?

I believe there will be a shift towards exploring different staffing models to address the staffing challenges that hospitals are facing. This could mean utilizing unlicensed personnel and LPNs more effectively to reduce the burden on RNsand increase time spent with patients. I am hopeful that increased evidence and research will provide insights into the best models for delivering patient care.

There will be a greater emphasis on optimizing outpatient services to keep patients out of the hospital, where there is inherent risk. This could involve using telehealth and remote monitoring to help patients better manage their conditions and stay in the comfort of their homes. I believe the industry will continue to evolve and adapt to meet the changing needs of patients and healthcare professionals.