Champions in healthcare: Small shifts that make a big difference

In every organisation, there are tasks and priorities that matter, but don’t quite make it to the top of the to-do list when day to day priorities take up our energy. Infection control, risk management, patient feedback, or policy updates often sit on someone’s mental checklist until a crisis or accreditation cycle brings them back into focus.

One of the simplest and most effective ways to change that? Appoint a champion.

A “champion” doesn’t mean someone doing all the work. It means someone who holds the torch on certain aspects of operations. They lead, coordinate, monitor, and advocate. They become the point person, not the sole person, and that distinction is key.

When done well, nominating champions creates clarity. Suddenly, there’s no confusion about who to ask about cold chain processes or who’s tracking overdue CPR certificates. Instead of being buried in someone’s overflowing inbox, responsibility is shared, and visible.

Champions help transform fragmented compliance efforts into a system of continuous improvement. They make sure things don’t just get done, but get done well. And when team members are trusted with ownership, they tend to rise to the occasion. Being named a champion can be a powerful professional development opportunity, especially for admin and clinical staff who might not otherwise be in leadership roles.

It also builds resilience. When knowledge is distributed across the team, you’re no longer relying on one quality lead or manager to keep every standard in check. If someone takes leave or moves on, the system doesn’t collapse because the system is shared.

Most importantly, champions create momentum. They keep improvement alive in the quieter months between accreditation cycles. They start conversations in meetings. They notice gaps. They bring ideas. In many organisations, they’re the reason a dormant quality framework finally becomes real.

Of course, this model only works if champions are genuinely supported. That means giving them time, authority, and regular check-ins – not just naming someone and moving on. It also means creating space for champions to work collaboratively, learn from each other, and feed insights back to leadership.

At QIP Consulting, we see time and again how organisations with active, supported champions outperform those where quality is siloed or reactive. Whether it’s cultural safety, incident response, infection prevention or document management, champions help bring focus, structure, and drive.

They’re not a silver bullet. But they’re often the first step in turning “we really should…” into “we already are.”

Want to implement a champion model in your team? QIP Consulting can help you define roles, build internal capability, and embed champions into your quality framework. Get in touch to learn how we can help strengthen your team from the inside out.