The CNO Scorecard: A Tool and Process for Ensuring Focus on the Right Metrics

At the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics (UWHC), the use of scorecards dates back at least 2 decades. Beginning with the display of data that were manually created in a flat table, scorecards gained momentum as a tool to gauge performance, stimulate improvement work, and to ensure the adherence to regulatory requirements. Over the years, UWHC advanced to using an electronic software program for scorecards and found that this provided many benefits. First, the electronic scorecard was populated with data once per month for the previous month. For UWHC, all data are entered by the 22nd of the month for the previous month's data. This eliminates the need for managers/directors to review data at multiple times throughout the month—they can wait and do it once, after receiving the automated message in their inbox that the scorecard is ready for review that month.