‘Game Changers’ at Nicklaus Children’s Health System
Abstract
Nicklaus Children’s Health System faced numerous challenges, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, including a shortage of paediatric specialists, workforce burnout and increasing demand for services. In response, the hospital launched the Game Changers programme in 2022, a transformative initiative designed to improve employee engagement, enhance organisational collaboration and reduce costs. Rooted in the Kahn Model of Employee Engagement, the programme promotes meaningfulness, safety and availability among employees, which has contributed to its success. The Game Changers programme involves 100-day ‘workouts’ aimed at addressing crucial issues such as waste reduction, quality improvement and revenue growth, resulting in a financial impact of over US$37m across six workouts. Beyond financial gains, the programme has fostered greater collaboration, developed leadership skills and created a sustainable culture of continuous improvement. The programme’s success highlights the importance of cross-departmental teamwork, senior leadership support and the creation of a positive, engaging environment to drive organisational change. As Nicklaus Children’s continues to evolve the programme, it serves as a model for other healthcare organisations seeking to enhance employee engagement and operational efficiency. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks. com/business/.
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Author's Biography
Dawn Javersack , MBA, serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Nicklaus Children’s Health System, South Florida’s only healthcare system exclusively for children and the parent organisation of Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, a nationally recognised non-profit paediatric specialty hospital based in Miami, Florida. In this role, Dawn provides executive-level oversight of the financial planning, operations and performance of the health system and its entities, including Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Nicklaus Children’s Pediatric Specialists (the system’s physician group practice), an ambulatory surgery centre and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Foundation (the organisation’s 501c3 fundraising arm). Dawn has more than 25 years of experience in non-profit finance leadership at both adult and paediatric healthcare systems. She is a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association and a graduate of West Virginia University.
Shannon Odell , MSN, RN, FACHE, NE-BC, RNC-OB, serves as the System Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer for Nicklaus Children’s Health System in Miami, Florida. In her role, Shannon oversees the nursing workforce, operations and strategic vision for the American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet-designated, 325-bed, acute care hospital, as well as across a network of outpatient centres and affiliations. She is focussed on ensuring that patients receive the highest quality of coordinated care throughout their patient journey. Shannon has more than 30 years of experience in nursing practice and leadership, with a focus on paediatric, neonatal and obstetric nursing. As a professional nurse and healthcare executive, Shannon has focussed her career in nursing leadership on creating and sustaining a culture that fosters nursing excellence, exemplary clinical practice, nursing scholarship, professionalism and lifelong learning. Shannon received her undergraduate degree in nursing from Bemidji State University, Bemidji, Minnesota, and graduate degree in nursing from Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia. She is a fellow with the American College of Healthcare Executives, certified as a nurse executive with the American Nurses Credentialing Center and the American Organization for Nursing Leadership and holds a board certification from the National Certification Corporation in Inpatient Obstetrics.
Citation
Javersack, Dawn and Odell, Shannon (2025, December 1). ‘Game Changers’ at Nicklaus Children’s Health System. In the Management in Healthcare: A Peer-Reviewed Journal, Volume 10, Issue 2. https://doi.org/10.69554/IWOR1468.
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