Page 4 - March 2020 Ulupono

Child Development Center engagement scores up 22 percent
By Todd Reese, Director of Human Performance
Adventist Health Castle owns and operates an infant/toddler Child Development Center that is adjacent to the main campus building. The program helps provide dependable childcare for hospital associates, medical staff and the community. On any given day, the Center is taking care of between 36 to 40 keiki from six weeks to 36 months of age.
Celia Waihee has been the director of the Castle Child Development Center since it opened, helping to establish it more than 31 years ago. “We’ve cared for infants of our associates who are now bringing their children to us. It is really so gratifying to see it come full circle,” she says.
The majority of her team of caregivers has been working at the Center for more than 10 years, and over those years they have become a family. Waihee says when a new caregiver begins, one of the more seasoned caregivers takes them under their wing.
“Because of our schedules, it is not easy
to have staff meetings, but we write encouraging notes or bring pastries and goodies to share with each other. These small gestures really help build camaraderie. It reminds us that we depend on one another, and we try to encourage each other throughout the day.”
The caregivers’ schedules also make it difficult to attend the monthly Hui, or informational meetings with Administration, at the hospital. But Waihee posts President Kathy Raethel’s Friday Reports, as well as the Monday Huddle and “CMC Everyone” emails on the staff bulletin board, to bridge any information gaps and keep the staff connected and informed of hospital news and activities.
This past year, the Child Development Center has seen an amazing 22% increase in engagement, putting them over the 90th percentile. Waihee believes it is because of the effort over the past two years to make rounding on a monthly basis a priority.
At her monthly rounding with each of her associates, in addition to talking about work-related matters, Waihee also picks one or two of the Gallup questions to discuss. She says often the questions discussed are those for which her department may have received lower scores. These discussions center on working together to make any necessary changes or improvements. Sometimes it means clarifying or going over a question her caregivers may find unclear.
“Most importantly, rounding gives each person a voice. It’s easy when you are taking care of keiki all day to put your needs aside. But I want my caregivers to know that they are heard, appreciated and cared for.”
Celia Waihee (center) pictured here with loving caregivers (from left) Malie Kamana, Jamie Ota, Carrie Molina and Carrie-lee Iaea.
4 | ULUPONO - MARCH 2020