|
CEO
Chats
JCHA HEALTHLINE-NEWS, November 2008
Back to JCHA Homepage
The role of executives
at all levels in contemporary healthcare can be difficult. CEOs of merit
are able to be highly productive (clinically, financially, and
organizationally) in today's complex, confusing, and competitive
environment.
Following are answers
to questions presented to the Chief Executive Officers of Emory Johns
Creek Hospital, Gwinnett Medical Center (Duluth) and Northside Hospital
Forsyth. Their candor is appreciated, as is their commitment to providing
quality healthcare to those who enter their doors.
What are some of the
challenges in healthcare administration today?
Lea Bay, Gwinnett
Medical Center-Duluth (LB)
LB:
In an industry that is
experiencing increasing regulatory requirements while at the same time
facing decreasing reimbursement, meeting the needs of rapidly growing
communities is one of our greatest challenges. As our population grows,
so does the demand for services and the need to increase capacity at our
facilities. New medical technologies and treatments provide for better
patient experiences and improved outcomes. But healthcare is not only a
scientific and social issue; it’s an economic issue as well.
Skip Putnam, Northside
Hospital Forsyth-Cumming (SP)
Patients always come
first, no matter what the challenges. Finding that perfect balance between
the needs of staff, physicians and patients is an opportunity we all
face. We are constantly finding ways to get everybody to work together to
ensure quality patient care. The Hospital is a 24/7, 365 days a year
business that our community depends on.
John Quinlivan, Emory
Johns Creek-Johns Creek (JQ)
As a new hospital, one
of our first challenges is to create an awareness of the scope of our
services and our location. One of the key challenges for healthcare
administrators, industry-wide, is to find effective means of supporting
staff in a highly competitive employee market while taking advantage of
the ever changing technology.
Ensuring the highest
quality of healthcare has never been more important or more top of mind
than it is today. I am committed to providing quality care while engaging
our staff in the process. As the CEO, I must respond to the challenges
that our growth brings and be sure we maintain a very high level of
performance.
What are some of the
skills needed to succeed in the healthcare CEO arena?
LB:
The healthcare leader should be a strategic thinker who is financially
astute, flexible and responsive. Diplomacy skills are a plus. At the
core of our success at Gwinnett Medical Center - Duluth is a great team of
employees and physicians. My role is to ensure that they have the tools
and environment they need to provide the best care to our patients.
SP:
Healthcare CEOs come from a wide background. They must all be able to
communicate effectively and understand the issues. Knowledge of finances,
technology and organizations alone are not sufficient to succeed. This
knowledge must be coupled with people-skills, communication and the
ability to get everyone to be part of the healthcare delivery continuum.
Every CEO knows that they are running a business that must provide top
flight services to all.
JQ:
Exceptional communication skills are critical. From formal
communications, to meetings, to conversations while rounding through the
hospital, the CEO has to be able to relate positively with the staff. As
a CEO, I am obliged to be sure that the staff has effective leadership
across the organization. That means I have an obligation to make sure the
right people are in the right leadership roles.
Financial crisis impact
on healthcare
While the crisis affects everyone, our CEOs agree the impact on the
delivery of services has not changed. Their hospitals’ commitment to
serving their communities remains unwavering.
How do CEOs deal with
workforce shortages?
LB:
We have a great team, and as a result, our turnover rate is low, and we
have very few open job postings. Our goal is to create an environment
that fosters employee satisfaction and retention. Most people choose to
work in the healthcare industry because they have a desire to make a
difference. As healthcare leaders, if we honor and encourage that desire,
everyone benefits. Our employees enjoy their work, our physicians enjoy
practicing at our hospital and our patients receive the best care.
SP: Fortunately we haven’t experienced any shortages. Employees and
physicians working alongside each other have helped us avoid any
shortages. The Hospital also works with several local educational
institutions to provide training and internships which often lead to
permanent employment for these students.
JQ:
Luckily, this is not an issue for us. We have dedicated recruiters who
work to maintain a pool of suitable candidates. Our leaders maintain very
high standards for the staff they hire, and are trained in targeted
selection to help make sure we hire the right folks. By the time an offer
is extended, several key leaders have interviewed numerous candidates and
been part of the selection process. When you hire the right people, and
are successful in engaging them in the quality process, you can help stem
the shortages.
Where physicians
practice and how they practice is changing. How do you engage physicians?
All three hospitals have personnel assigned to work directly with
physicians and their practice personnel.
The CEOs take a
personal approach to communicating with physicians and are available to
meet with as requested.
LB:
We want our physicians to enjoy practicing at our hospital. Our goal is to
provide them with the best possible experience, so we must be efficient,
effective and pleasant. Efficiency includes being responsive to their
needs. We engage physicians by involving them in all aspects of our
operations.
SP:
The medical staff is the backbone of any hospital. The Hospital must
provide them with easy and efficient tools to help complete their patient
care; including a safe environment and highly trained and skillful
personnel focused
on quality care to assist them.
JQ:
While we do have staff dedicated to physician relationships, our entire
leadership team is called upon to engage our physicians. We develop
relationships with our medical staff here in the hospital, but also in
their offices and throughout the community. We routinely invite our
physicians to participate in community events, seminars, and public
relations activities. We understand our physicians have a choice in where
they practice medicine. We have to be able to show value in their
association with us. We offer a wide range of networking activities,
continuing education opportunities through Emory, and business training
for their staff.
What is the most
effective strategy you have used to recruit and retain your staff in the
past two years?
LB:
I
think the most effective strategy has been involving our employees and
physicians in creating and nurturing a culture that we all believe in. We
want to be a facility where our patients are well cared for and where
physicians and employees enjoy working. Our most effective strategy is to
have a potential member of our medical staff talk to existing members of
our medical staff unplanned and unscripted.
SP:
Communication. Making sure everyone in administration and throughout the
hospital talk and address issues as needed. The Hospital has a “walk in
your shoes” program where management rotates through job activities in
different departments every other month to help understand issues and
identify barriers to patient care.
JQ:
Our most effective strategy has been to become a great place to work. By
making sure we have the right leaders in the right positions, and then
nurturing those leaders with leadership development, we lay the foundation
for a great work environment. We make sure that any of our staff with
supervisory responsibilities have the training and tools they need to
improve their leadership skills. We have been very intentional about
engaging staff at all levels at the core mission and values of our
organization. In addition to regular forums where we invite
conversations between any staff member and me, we construct other programs
and processes that include our entire staff’s input, participation and
engagement. Ultimately, we know that good employees will be attracted to
work at Emory Johns Creek when they are empowered, engaged and part of the
process that brings about our collective success.
What do you predict
will be the top two challenges facing your hospital in the next five
years?
LB:
Dealing with decreasing reimbursement and increasing regulatory
requirements will continue to be a challenge. An opportunity we have is
to align our hospital with our physicians to explore collaborative
relationships.
SP:
Keeping up with and deciding on the right technology for the Hospital and
ensuring that the hospital stay “experience” for each patient is a
positive one.
JQ:
The first challenge will be to stay in step with the services our
population will require as it ages. Second, we will have to make sure
that Emory Johns Creek is the hospital where physicians and healthcare
staff prefer to practice medicine.
What are your thoughts
on publishing outcome data as a way toward identifying best practices and
benchmarking qualities (transparency).
LB:
Transparency can be helpful. Letting the community know how hospitals,
physicians and staff perform is important. As healthcare providers, it
challenges us to do the best we can to meet everyone’s expectations.
SP:
Transparency is good – it is important to understand the data. Fair
comparisons are valuable and can give the patient all the necessary info
to make a good decision. The data has to be concise and easy to evaluate
and understand.
JQ:
Publishing outcomes help us build a sense of trust with the people we
serve.
How do you
differentiate the care in this hospital from others?
LB:
A hospital is just bricks and mortar – it may be beautiful and comfortable
and have the latest and greatest technology, but the physicians and staff
make the difference. Our patients expect to receive the best clinical
care – and we provide it. What really makes a difference is the
compassion that comes with that care. Sometimes it’s the little things
that have the greatest impact. For example, did the person who delivered
your meal smile and make eye contact? Our goal is to go the extra mile to
ensure that the patients we are privileged to serve have the best possible
experience.
SP: The Hospital works continuously on the development of our current
management team, a succession plan for management and leadership, and
growth and diversity of the Medical Staff. We focus on building safety and
quality into all aspects of our hospital.
JQ:
We have a tremendous advantage in that we have a great team of outstanding
people—physicians, nurses, and support staff--who share common values and
are committed to our mission of providing extraordinary care with
unparalleled compassion to every patient, everyday. An added advantage
is our connection with Emory. This gives our community physicians access
to cutting edge research and technology and an ability to participate in
the medical education process. The result is a unique situation which has
proven tremendously successful in enabling us to delivering
state-of-the-art care in an exceptionally compassionate manner.
What are the leadership
skills necessary for success?
LB:
One of the most important leadership skills for success is to surround
yourself with a talented team – and channel their ideas. Listen to them,
be inspired by them and you will reap many rewards!
SP:
The abilities to listen attentively and communicate effectively. Remain
committed to keeping the patient’s needs at the forefront while being able
to deal with all demands realistically and effectively. One must be
empathetic and understanding of each patient’s needs.
JQ:
Attentiveness, responsiveness, honesty, integrity, engagement and passion.
Back to JCHA Homepage |
