Orientation Team Supports Virtual Orientation for UVA Health's New Hires

“Where would you put 78 of your closest friends if they couldn’t join you at the Education Resource Center on Mondays?” UVA Health’s Patient Experience Officer Bush Bell posed this question to the Orientation Team on March 9, the last day the team conducted face-to-face UVA Health Orientation.

Though the team – Corinne Clasbey, EJ Lomax, Jody Knowles, Rachel Parsley, and April Torres – had been alerted of a possible switch to virtual orientation prior to that conversation, they jumped into action the following day to prepare. The plan included the use of the Health System Orientation Online computer-based learning module, finalized “just in time” by Instructional Designer Francis Duncan, as part of health system orientation online.

Working from home, the team pulled together HR partners and drafted communication, new processes, and new plans, with Talent Support, Recruitment, Benefits, Medical Center, School of Medicine, University Physicians Group, Patient Experience Office, Nursing Professional Development Specialists, Epic, Revenue Cycle, Parking & Transportation, and the ID Badge Office.

Then, on Monday, some 70 new hires from the Medical Center, School of Medicine, and University Physicians Group were greeted by their managers and their teams or were given specific instructions to work from home. By Wednesday, more than 40 new hires had completed the online orientation module, despite the two-week completion deadline.

The Orientation Team plans to continue to deliver asynchronous virtual orientation into the foreseeable future. This is an unusual time, and the Orientation Team is grateful to collaborate with the many other teams to continue welcoming our newest hires to UVA Health.