Walter Reed Case Notes
From a structural/organizational perspective, was the merger of WRNMC & Bethesda successful? Why or why not?For New job job descriptions and positions (aligned)New and altered chains of command (consistent)Consistent/shared environment (same location & environment)Consistent reward and punishment systemsBoth army and navy personnel involved in mergerCentral cafeteriaNew/changed name for bothAgainstCan tell who is army and who is navy“Behesda still a navy hospital and Fort Belvoir still army hospital”Separate entrances for each serviceColor coded parkingArmy kept camouflage and Navy their outfits (inconsistent uniform which made the divide even more obvious)Name change and maintaining Bethesda campus forced more separation and created winners and losers**Artifacts/structure has partially mergedFrom an organizational culture perspective, was the merger of the army medical and navy medical cultures successful? Why or why not?ForBethesda’s Naval commander was bought in to jointness, tried to foster a climate of acceptance, tried to offer psychological safety and reduce anxiety (leadership)
AgainstNo consistent set of beliefs and valuesArmy has maintained culture and navy theirs (kept their operating beliefs/values- i.e. Bethesda still as a navy hospital- runs like a ship)People felt like the cultures of Army and Navy were layered on top of each other- i.e. they are both there and exist but aren’t integrated and don’t work together (two radio frequencies competing) Sense of panic, no sense of what is going on, what the results would beFear of losing identityAssuming the answer to the second question was negative. Provide a detailed plan to merge the two cultures. Make sure you address the correct levels to be targeted. Use any one or any combination of change leadership models as a framework for your plan. Identify positions rather than actual individuals.Identify participants for change efforts, depending on level and issue.Level & IssueIssueParticipantsGovernmentDesire to decrease military  medical footprint by implementing jointness & collaborationPresident, congress, DoD, SoDHeads of Military servicesMaintain service identity and distinctivenessSecretary of Navy, Army, Air ForceChiefs of Military servicesMaintain service identity and distinctivenessChief of Naval Operations, Chief of Staff of the Army, Chief of Staff of the Air ForceSurgeon generalsMaintain quality medical services for patients; Navy/Army/Air Force Surgeon GeneralsHeads of hospitalsmaintain their reputation of excellence; retain patient loyaltyNavy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Army Medical Command, Air Force Medical CommandTreatment facilitiesMaintain their loyalty to their hospital, maintain their jobs, keep doing what they are comfortable with (keep own distinctive culture and way of operating)Doctors, nurses, other employees