Better Work Performance Among Engaged Employees Within VA Medical Centers

A recent study revealed that engaged employees within the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) medical centers had higher patient satisfaction, better call center performance, and lower turnover among registered nurses. 

“Simply put, engaged employees are better employees,” authors from the Partnership for Public Service and the Boston Consulting Group wrote. “While the link between employee engagement and business outcomes in the private sector has been well documented, there is considerably less analysis of how employee engagement affects agency performance in the federal government.” 

To better understand how employee engagement impacts outcomes in health care, a group of researchers analyzed nearly 150 medical centers, data from the 2016, 2017, and 2018 “Best Places to Work in the Federal Government” engagement scores, and the Veterans Health Administration’s Strategic Analytics for Improvement and Learning scorecards. The team also used a statistical technique, known as Ordinary Least Squares regression, to be able to test the relationship between employee engagement and a host of VA medical center performance measures.  

According to the study’s findings, “A one-point increase in the Best Places to Work employee engagement score is associated with, on average, a roughly half-point increase in patient satisfaction with the medical center overall, and a quarter-point increase in satisfaction with a center’s primary and specialty care providers.”  

Further findings of the analysis revealed that call center employees perform their jobs with a higher level of skill when they are placed at a medical center that has higher employee engagement. Finally, the rate of turnover among registered nurses was found to decrease as employee engagement at VA medical centers improved. 

“This finding is important as VA faces a critical need to recruit and retain nurses,” explained the study. “According to a recent analysis conducted by Stateline, a publication of the Pew Charitable Trusts, nearly 40,000 of the 335,000 positions in the Veterans Health Administration are unfilled—with medical positions accounting for most of the vacancies.” 

The authors of the study concluded that the overall findings of the analysis revealed that employee engagement drives patient experience and the ability to retain mission-critical talent.

Authors of the Boston Consulting Group stated, “The results of our analysis conclusively reveal that employee engagement drives patient experience and the ability to retain mission-critical talent.”

“These findings are representative of our commitment to creating positive work environments for employees, which I believe develops a more holistic experience for our veterans,” VA Secretary Robert Wilkie expressed in a statement. “I am extremely pleased with our medical center leadership teams as they are integral to our continued mission of improving and transforming VA health care.”—Julie Gould