The Healthcare Experience

We're Moving...

2011-07-11T22:11:00.005-05:00

As many of you know I have accepted a new position bringing my family closer to our extended family. Certainly, change can be exciting and bittersweet. I am joining an exceptional healthcare system. I will also miss my colleagues, friends and the communities we serve in Kansas City.

Yes, we are moving. And with moves, comes life out of boxes for a while. It seems fitting to take this moving time, and move my Blog to a new address as well.

Let me know what you think. Talk to you soon.

New Blog Location: THE Healthcare Experience.

Lessons on What Can be Flushed...

2011-07-07T15:16:00.004-05:00

Never a dull moment in healthcare. This note just received (no, I was not the one who flushed these cloths)...

PLEASE DO NOT FLUSH THESE CLOTHS IN THE TOILET!!!!

THANK YOU

Until Next Time

2011-07-06T11:26:00.001-05:00

The past three plus years have flown by for me and my family. I have really enjoyed serving St. Joseph Medical Center and Carondelet Health. Last week, Bob Bub, our Pharmacy Manager asked what I was most proud of since my arrival. There are many things we are doing really well so it was difficult to just pick one. What stood out was our safety journey. When I arrived in May 2008, we provided great care and we provided safe care. We did not have enough people in every area talking about safety and how we can continue to make our care even safer and better. We started safety huddles, put more focus on safety in our clinical meetings, discussed at staff meetings, increased rounding, enhanced the RCA (root cause analysis) review and the list goes on.

Today, everywhere you go in the hospital, you can speak to your colleagues - associates, volunteers and physicians and they will let you know how they help contribute to safer care for our patients.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Chief Executive. Over the past few years, you have made a tremendous impact on my life. Please stay in touch. Jane Hoyland will have my updated contact information. Jane shared this reflection with me and I read it at our last St. Joseph Medical Center Board meeting:

Some people come into our lives and quickly go.
Some people move our souls to dance.
They awaken us to the understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom.
Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon. They stay in our lives for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same.

It's a small world out there and even smaller in healthcare. Our future is about collaboration as we improve the health of our patients and communities. I look forward to meeting up with you again. Until next time.

Fun at Work...

2011-06-30T16:07:00.007-05:00

I've heard the comments..."there should be no fun in the workplace" and "they call it job for a reason." However, since many of us spend 30%+ of our time at work and another 20-30% of our time sleeping, it is good to find those fun times at work...What's going on in your workplace to make it more enjoyable for you and your colleagues?

I was speaking to Mohsin Soliman, one of our General Surgeons and we started to discuss the excitement and challenges in healthcare. He enjoys surgery, good dialogue, his colleagues and having fun while at work. He let me know he would not want to work in a place that was not enjoyable day in and day out. That would be a "dreaded place to be." This doesn't mean goofing off all day long. It does mean enjoying the time you spend in the workplace and helping to make it enjoyable for you and others.

Forbes had an article reflecting on the benefits of fun in the workplace.

I also enjoyed these 8 tips from Tres Coaching:

1. Put fun first on your list of priorities, and the rest will fall into place.
2. Laugh more. Laughter can be a great medicine for what ails you and your workplace.
3. Be spontaneous with recognition, praise and a simple “thank you”.
4. Schedule fun-based activities with employees, customers and suppliers.
5. Find your inner child. Let others see the humorous side of your personality.
6. Live with the 3E’s – Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
7. Take mental health breaks and/or extended lunches to refresh and re-energize.
8. Keep things in perspective. Your work is a means to an end, not the end!

Regardless of where you are in your career, if you’re not having fun – what’s the point? Life is too short to not enjoy what you are doing, so find a way to put fun back into your work or do something else. The continuing negative trends in business as a result of downsizing, restructuring and the financial markets meltdown have taken a huge toll on the workplace, and the workforce tasked with doing more with less. We need to find ways to reduce stress, improve productivity, and keep our morale and energy levels up.

There are unlimited challenges and exciting times ahead in healthcare. Why not make the best of it and ensure we have some fun while constantly improving the healthcare experience.

Thank you Auxiliary Board Officers and Committee Chairs

2011-06-28T14:47:00.006-05:00

It's always a celebration with our wonderful Auxiliary. Today, we enjoyed the installation of our new Auxiliary President and Board.

Chef - you and your team put a great lunch spread together..."light lunch" it was not!

Thank you to Jeri Grimes, Director and Mary Ann Nagy, Past-President, for your remarkable leadership. I appreciate the work of you and your 2010-2011 Committee Chairs and Executive Officers. Your work made such a difference at St. Joseph Medical Center.

And welcome Shari Boles as our new President. I know you will continue to strengthen our efforts.

Please welcome our new 2011-2012 Committee Chairs:

- Telephone: Etta Hedrick
- Information Desk: Bruce Border
- Hospitality: Janet Morris
- Standing Committee Chairpersons:
- Program: Susan Ruiz
- Publicity: Mary Jameson
- Scholarship & Certification: Becky Hook
- Sewing: Mary Ann Olson
- Spiritual: Gerry Duncan

Executive Officers:

- Treasurer: Lisa Smith
- Corresponding Secretary: Judy Hansen
- Recording Secretary/Historian: Fran Graves
- 3rd Vice President - Strategic Planning: Kaye Martin
- 2nd Vice President - Dues and Membership: Dale Wolf
- 1st Vice President - Ways and Means: Joan Cody
- Past President: Mary Nagy
- President-Elect: Patricia Seiter
- President: Shari Boles

You Say You Want a Revolution...

2011-06-23T21:04:00.007-05:00

The other day we discussed "Change" during one of our leadership meetings. The more I thought about it, we all know change happens all the time. We may not like some of the change but most of us understand it is inevitable (Although I must say I still miss those aluminum foil wrapped Ho-Hos from the 70s). We just need to be clear why we want to change and how we will go about the change to ensure we stay successful in our care delivery and the overall healthcare experience.

Remember the Beatles song, Revolution....

You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it's evolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world

At times it may seem like healthcare is a revolution (a sudden, radical or complete change). Really over the years, it seems more of an evolution with a need to infuse revolution with inclusion (e.g., Lean Six Sigma). Looking at it from this stand-point as opposed to just "change" seems more inviting for all of us to participate. It gives us a chance to take note of where we are, what we could be and how we will get there together.

It's not easy but there are things I don't miss that we could not be without years ago...you guessed it, Interoffice Envelopes. I don't miss them one bit. Sure, my email inbox is more full and people expect quicker response times than the week we were given with interoffice envelopes. However, our world, as complicated as it may be is more responsive since the decline of the interoffice envelope! Clearly I share this tongue in cheek - healthcare will continue to evolve and form partnerships we did not know could ever exist. Do you remember when Steven Spielberg, David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg formed Dreamworks SKG in 1994. That seemed to work out pretty well don't you think. Individually, they were very successful...together they changed their industry beyond what each could do individually. A true "evolution and revolution" in film animation followed.

Think about the amazing impact healthcare providers and suppliers will have on the healthcare experience as they come together over the next 5-10 years. Creating healthier communities by bringing together wellness experts, physicians, nurses, hospital providers, post acute providers, rehabilitation, educators, suppliers, process improvement experts, community members...and other fields we didn't even know would start to impact the healthcare experience. Now, that's an evolution we should all look forward to impacting.

Do You See What I See?

2011-06-17T15:39:00.003-05:00

This morning, I toured our facilities with Larry Rubin (Facilities Management), NuNu Girma (Environmental Services-EVS) and Andrew Stonestreet (EVS). They provided the tour through their eyes. It was great getting their perspective. As Andrew said, it all starts with the first impression through our "Front Doors"...and there are many:

- Our Emergency Department where 50% of our inpatients first arrive;

- The "main entrance" where we welcome the majority of outpatients, visitors and families;

- Our Heart Institute and Womens' Health Center entrance;

- The associate, volunteer and physician parking entrances that help start our day;

- The Community Center utilized by thousands every year;

- Our loading docks and entrances for our many suppliers and vendors....the list goes on.

That first impression is so key and such an instrumental part of our welcome and the pride we have in our organization. We then traveled to other parts of the hospital...the Emergency Department, outpatient areas, inpatient rooms and high traffic hallways.

We all play an important role in keeping our organization a welcoming environment for the thousands we serve in our communities.

Thank you Andrew, Larry and NuNu for sharing the organization through "your eyes."

Lead, Follow and Help Whenever Necessary

2011-06-15T08:05:00.005-05:00

Take a look at Dr. Don Clement's upcoming newsletter article. Dr. Clement serves as the President of our Medical Staff and a truly exceptional leader..

Summertime and the Fourth of July, outdoor BBQs, walking through the neighborhood, soaking up the sunshine. As we look forward to celebrating the anniversary of the founding of this great country on the Fourth, perhaps we should spend some time looking back and consider the one ingredient necessary for this monumental historical accomplishment. Recognizing the importance of fundamental leadership and its principles will help us appreciate how we can employ those same principles every day.

The decision to establish the independence of those thirteen disparate colonies and embark on the creation of this nascent country rested on the leadership of many different individuals. Throughout the countryside and in the many small communities the ability to impart the sense of vision and implement this move towards independence required a concerted effort with leadership at all levels. While that trait was integral to our nation’s foundation it is directly translatable to all of us throughout the workplace, particularly in our Medical Center.

What makes a good leader and who should assume that role? The answers are that everyone has some capability for leading and should want to play a part. Do what’s right, even when there’s pressure to “cut the corners”. Be willing to accept responsibility, share the workload, help others, and set the example for others by how you conduct yourself in your job. It isn’t something that is only limited to those in positions of decision making. Every one of us makes decisions each day on how best to do our assigned tasks. More importantly we must decide that we are willing to share in our concerted effort towards providing the best in health care.

The development of leaders and those necessary skills takes place every day. Physicians and senior executives whether they want to accept this mantle or not, must recognize the need to exhibit leadership traits in their practice and encourage a culture that promotes leadership at all levels. But it extends far beyond those positions. Whether you are a nurse on the floor, working in the lab, transporting patients, cleaning the rooms, balancing the budget, fixing computers, making schedules, teaching students it doesn’t matter. Those in positions of authority at whatever level (who may at times not always set the good leadership example) must be willing to project solid leadership values.

As a retired military officer I recall that I was taught to “Lead, Follow or Get out of the way”. I think we could expand this a bit by advocating that all of us should be willing to “Lead whenever necessary, Follow when appropriate and Help create an environment where there is the expectation of good leadership”.

Today is Going to Be the Best Day Ever

2011-06-14T09:46:00.004-05:00

Last night, I said goodnight to my kids. Skyler had many camp stories. Sydney told me today was "the best day ever" and shared that her camp team won the "spirit stick." Zach was deep into a book and said, "I'm almost done...just a few pages." It was so great to see their excitement. Zach let me know that he loved finishing a book and looked forward to starting the next in the series by Rick Riordon. He told me he is done for the night but can't wait to start his next book. Isn't that part of our journey in healthcare? That constant excitement for what's next...what we could be.

He also pulled a few of the books off his shelf and asked me to start reading them...I let him know that I was not quite ready for them yet!

That spark, that enthusiasm is so contagious. That's part of our world in healthcare, the "contagious" compassion, sincerity and excitement we show in our work with each and every person we serve.

This morning Jenny asked Sydney, are you looking forward to another day at camp. Of course Sydney replied with all sincerity..."today is going to be the best day ever."

Life is Good

2011-06-01T18:49:00.000-05:00

Healthcare delivery changes at a rapid pace. Is this positive or doom and gloom?

Over the past couple of days, I've had discussions with colleagues about several tragedies.

Some of their stories included:

- My home was majorly damaged with the recent hail storms...my insurance will cover the majority of the cost.

- Home prices have dropped all around the country...it may be a good time to buy.

- My trip to Japan was canceled...right after their tsunami - glad my life was spared.

- I lost my brother to a fluke accident...the tragedy has pulled our family together.

- My mom had a stroke last week...she still has her speech.

There was a "silver lining" in everyone's story. Sure they all wished the event did not take place however they shared the positive side given the reality of the situation.

Healthcare is changing at a rapid pace...what a great time to make it work together - we can't do this alone.

Cheryl Sadro, one of my colleagues, said, "I marvel at the opportunities we have...life is good!"

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T09:12:00.004-05:00

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. Last week, Dennis Thompson, from our Spiritual Care Department organized a service in honor of our Veterans. It was really incredible to see how many of our associates and volunteers served our nation - most were dressed in uniform excluding a few who thought their uniform may not fit anymore! Thank you to Jane Hoyland and Jeri Grimes for getting the word out - we had great attendance and everyone was very appreciative of the event.

Happy Memorial Day and thanks to all those who serve and served our country. We remember those who have died for our country.

What an Amazing Picture

2011-05-26T13:53:00.005-05:00

Yes, this is a real photo of the funnel clouds forming over Kansas City yesterday. Past to me by Jenn Leonard. I was told it was taken from atop the Bishop-McCann building.

There is a Funnel Cloud Directly over State Line and 435

2011-05-25T17:57:00.001-05:00

A note I shared with our team today...

St.Joseph Medical Center, right off 435 and State Line Road...that's where we work.

Well, today we knew fully well what we were up against with the Joplin devastation just a few days ago. We tuned to our TV to hear the reporter say: "There is a dark funnel cloud directly over State Line and 435 Highway"...directly over us.

I am so proud of the team effort we showed.. Our patients were safe and families and visitors felt the same. We had several people pull off the road and come to St. Joseph for safety. They were so appreciative of the welcome they received.

Here are a couple comments I received:
From Kathleen Henderson: I just got a hold of my sister, who lives in south Overland Park – all is fine. But she wanted to tell me that when she was watching the news when a reporter in Louisburg, KS made this comment: “On a personal note, my relative was at St. Joseph Medical Center when all this was happening. Those folks at St. Joe did a great job of getting all the patients and visitors to a safe place”

From Lindsay Alexander: I was with Nan going from unit to unit to see what we could help with…all units were fabulous. They all had the patients already in the halls. You could over hear them interacting with the patients, they all did so in a calm and courteous way. They were asking all patients what they needed and providing extra blankets to everyone. Respiratory was spot on too. Facilities was out rounding to ensure curtains were shut etc. Just wanted to let you know that I was proud to see that kind of care and team work.

Our daily work is challenging enough without the mix of a natural disaster. Thank you all for your support, compassion and tremendous teamwork this afternoon. We are a true reflection of our mission.

Pride in Our Work

2011-05-25T08:32:00.002-05:00

Don't you enjoy hearing why people chose their profession?

Ann Ventrillo RN, our Clinical Quality Specialist with Carondelet Home Care Services shared her story with me...

I also started my health care career as a "candy-striper" but in a home for seniors.
Instant love and wanted to "Save the World" (the 60’s)….went on to Nursing at Avila College where I first met the "sisters"….I had wonderful teachers many of whom are still involved with SJMC today! Sister Rosemary Flanigan, Sister Patricia Lorenz and many others.
I did many of my clinicals at the old St Joseph Hospital on Linwood.

I worked at Catholic Charities Home Health which then became Carondelet Home Care 25 years ago….My passion for home care began in the 1970’s and I was with St Joseph Hosp / Carondelet Home Care until we moved to Memphis, TN in the late 90’s.

I was absolutely thrilled when the administrator of Carondelet Home Care called me last October and asked me to come back.

I told her then, that there is no one else in town that could have called and offered me anything to change companies…..

St Joseph is where my heart has always been. Carondelet Home Care is my passion….It is my privilege to serve. I am blessed.

What's your story?

The Healthcare Providers Bearing

2011-05-24T18:52:00.001-05:00

I received a note today describing a conversation that Stephanie Dembicki, our OR Specialty Team Lead, had with her 30 year old son. They discussed the challenges in today's healthcare environment and reflected on conversations they had in their past. Her son gave this some thought and reflected on the term "bearing":

This is what he wrote to his mom:

"Bearing" simply means behaving with decorum and discipline. Additionally, one demonstrates bearing through being composed, tactful, polite, neat in appearance, and carrying out the highest level of professionalism. A person with great bearing is someone who can handle himself or herself calmly while being under extreme pressure. In boot camp, soldiers are taught never to lose their bearing. Rolling one’s eyes or complaining is an example of someone losing their bearing. Bearing is just as important in healthcare as in the military, and for the same reasons – people’s lives are at stake. Bearing is also defined by having the integrity to do the morally right action even when no one is watching, and the integrity that one takes upon oneself in order to responsibly carry out the task at hand. Every action one takes in this job directly or indirectly affects this organization’s ability to accomplish the mission. It is important to remember that we are in the business of saving people’s lives.

Tornado Hits Joplin

2011-05-23T11:29:00.005-05:00

By now most of you have heard about the devastating tornado in Joplin, Missouri. The warnings were coming and it certainly makes you stop and think...are we prepared?

In our hospitals, we go through several emergency preparation drills each years and certainly some real emergencies as well. It seems that you can't practice enough and you wrestle with the balance of the need to practice more and the time needed to practice. I have seen pictures on the Internet and through those sent by people I know down in Joplin. We have two nurse leaders assisting in Joplin, Collette Culver and Barb Swords. There has been a tremendous amount of devastation to the community and St. John's Regional Medical Center.

Times like this make us look at our own systems to determine how are training would have prepared us if this devastation touched home. We will have internal debriefings and additional drills to further prepare our team and community.

Our thoughts are with the medical center's CEO, Gary Pulsipher, their staff and the entire Joplin community.

Celebrating 475 Years

2011-05-20T11:33:00.002-05:00

Today is our Associate Recognition Luncheon. We are celebrating 40 associates and 475 years of service. Congratulations everyone.

Years / Associate
5 Tamara Foster
5 Robyn Freiden
5 Fizeta Halili
5 Cynthia Creek
5 Jill Morsbach
5 Thomas Upton
5 Diane Moser
5 Danielle Iselin
5 Sharon Dessert
5 Kristina Vansandt
5 Beth Laughery
5 Kevin Saugier
5 Kelise Fuselier
5 Amara Shea O'Dell
10 Jerri Keller
10 Kimberly Swaney
10 Regina Brooks
10 Alison Lock
10 Tracy Diaz
10 Duane Nelson
10 Lea Payne
10 Georgia Blackman
10 Lorine Thomas
10 Sara Kreisel
10 Melissa Randolph
10 Leann Scrogham
10 Cheryl Parrett
15 Kathy Lefever
15 Kathleen Carr
15 Vicki Hathaway
15 Donna McLear
15 Kathleen Lahey
20 Jeffrey Lee
20 Pamela Stuart
20 Melinda Frechin
25 Susan Summerour
25 Barbara Burnett
30 Hazel Slater
30 Sheryl Kusgen
30 Gerri Ginsburg

Hey Kids, Look at the Humans

2011-05-19T10:47:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I was running in my neighborhood and came across two deer. They both stopped and looked over at me. I stopped running as well to take in the moment. It took me back to the days when my parents used to say, "kids, look at the horses, deer, cows..." This time it seemed as though one deer said to another, "kid, look at the human!"

I really enjoy those moments that take you back in time to remember when you were a kid, why you did the things you did and what brought you to where you are today. I started out in healthcare as a psychiatric counselor for 5 years. As I explored doctoral programs, I looked into healthcare administration as a "back-up" option. When interviewing with different schools, I was drawn to healthcare administration and thought I could make a bigger difference in this field given my clinical background.

During our recent Safety Huddles, we have started or ended with several people sharing what inspired them to get into healthcare. Vicki Sherwood shared "My grandmother had a stroke when I was a senior in high school. I was vacillating on pursuing nursing or social work. The experience led me to choose nursing. I love helping others."

We also enjoyed similar stories from Erik Christianson and Larry Reimer from Human Resources and Facilities, respectively. Both said, they wanted an occupation where they could work indoors! We all have our own story that inspired us and brought us where are are today.

What inspired you to get into your field?

Standardization with Attention to Outliers

2011-05-16T12:53:00.006-05:00

There's no question that standardization can and will decrease potential harm to our patients. We hear about it through The Institute for Healthcare Improvement, other national forums and locally in each of our hospitals. Certainly, these should be scientifically driven. This morning, during one of our physician led surgical meetings, we discussed generic incision care instructions and further opportunities to standardize. We referenced the current literature and key areas where we need to tailor the instructions to each patient, outside of any standard protocol.

As we reviewed best practices for incision care, someone shared a case they heard about where a post surgical infection took place because the patient allowed his cat to lick his surgical incision. Sure, a drastic outlier however a reason to ensure we tailor instructions accordingly and discuss potential concerns with all patients.

Good Mojo

2011-05-13T12:52:00.002-05:00

How many of you have it too easy in your professional and personal life? Really...that many!

Have you ever heard someone use the term "good mojo" meaning personal magnetism or charm? Here's a few people who embody that spirit.

This afternoon, I ran into (not literally) a couple of my favorite walkers, Dr. and Mrs. Buchli. They are celebrating their 68th wedding anniversary (plus 3 years together before their wedding) and have only been apart for 21 days...they are just crazy about each other and are always by each others' side. You could just feel their commitment and energy towards each other.

A little later, I connected with a friend, Dave Kraft...the guy is always upbeat. Sure we all have good days and bad. However, someone forgot to give Dave the memo. While in a philosophical mode, I asked what he considers a bad day. His response, "I'll let you know when I have one!" Oh, and he was truly sincere.

When you find those people and they are truly sincere, their good energy can flow right through you....make sure you catch it!

Nursing Awards

2011-05-13T12:50:00.004-05:00

This week brought a lot of celebration and reasons to be proud of the way we serve our mission. Here are a few of our associates and physicians who were recognized as going above and beyond through our Nursing Week celebration on Thursday...

Physician of the Year
Winner: Patrick Perkins, MD
Nominees:
David Blick
Timothy Blackburn
Rene Bollier
Robert Bowen
Cosmo Caruso
Neil Erickson
Dan Geha
David Hobley
John Holkins
John Lee
Craig Lundgren
Chris McElhinney
Michael Reilly
Timothy Smith
Shawn Willson

RN Nursing Excellence Award
Winners:
Lacey Brown - Mother/Baby
Stephanie Dembicki - OR
Joyce Kerkove - Endoscopy
Shea O'Dell - Float Pool
Nominees:
Nona Cogdill - 4 West
Collette Culver - House Supervisor
Judy Doehling - OP Oncology
Jean Donaldson - Admissions
Jenna Einhellig - 4 South
Debbie Goodwin - 4 South
Deb Haverkamp - CCU
Pam Hazen - CCU
Paula Ising - ICU
Ashley Kastler - PACU
Brooke Lutz - 4 West
Michelle Meyer - Cath Lab
Shandra Miller - Float Pool
Patty Murphy - 5 North
Candy Quillin - GI Lab/Pain Clinic
Amanda Roland - 4 West
Pam Scovill - CCU
Theresa Thome - CCU
Catherine Tibbs - 4 North
Nancy Walrafen - 4 North
Chelsea Wekenbor - 4 East
Regina Wilson - Emergency
All of the nurses in Interventional Radiology

Rookie of the Year
Winners:
Jordan Callahan - 4 West
Melissa Ramsey - Emergency
Nominees:
Erin Cleary - 4 East
Taylor Coyle - CCU
Sarah Krumsick - 3 West
Chao Li - 4 South
Ashley Libich - 4 East
Jamie Lyle - 5 South
Gina Pusateri - PACU
Amanda Roland - 4 West
Allison Wilkerson - 4 South

PCA/Tech of the Year
Winners:
Sheri Britt - 5 North
Tom Upton - Emergency
Nominees:
John Campbell - Emergency
Delta Eggers - 4 East
Charlotte Fristoe - CCU
Verna Fasl - Pain Clinic
Jodi Kemp - 3 West
Natalie Lane - 5 North
Sherree Lee - 4 North
Amanda McCanles - 3 West
Carrie McGee - 4 West
Rosa Rome - 4 West
Andrea Woods - Endoscopy

Unit Secretary of the Year
Winners:
Stephanie Boresow - 5 North
Godlove Kuklenski - 4 West
Nominees:
Nicole Buzan - 4 West
Julie Chrisman - OR
Pat Collins - Professional Practice
Sharon Dessert - Infection Control
Rae Freas - 4 East
James Hartness - Emergency
Janet Hefner - Emergency
Tammy Linningham - 4 North
Marsha Quinn - CCU
Carolyn Taylor - 4 South

Team of the Year Winner: 4 West
Nominees:
3 West
4 North
4 South
4 East
5 North
Admissions Unit
Case management
Cath Lab
CCU
Emergency
ICU
Interventional Radiology
IV Team
Nursing Resources
PACU
Professional Practice

Interdisciplinary Award of Excellence:
Respiratory Therapy

How Would You Like to See What Your Hospital is Really Like?

2011-05-09T21:23:00.006-05:00

What's your orientation like? Does it meet your needs?

Well, when I started at St. Joseph Medical Center, John Cottitta, Jr, one of our front desk volunteers, asked if I wanted to work with him. He said something like, "young man, how would you like to work with me and see what your hospital is really like?" How could I resist. John showed me the ropes and oriented me to the front desk responsibilities, answering phone calls and visitors' questions. Everyone knew John - he was clearly the "Mayor" of the front desk. Now granted, John thought there was a lot of improvement I needed at the front desk and he never missed an opportunity to provide guidance on my regular day job either.

A couple weeks ago, I included John's volunteer hours from our annual event - he clocked in the most hours with over 18,600 hours over 27 years...the equivalent of almost 9 years of full time work hours - as our volunteer. Recently, John became ill and had to took a leave from his post.

My friend, John, died yesterday just shy of his 87th birthday. We will miss you John. We are so appreciative of your dedication to our mission, the lives you touched and the difference you made.

Let Me Speak to Your Manager

2011-05-08T18:31:00.002-05:00

We live busy lives and humor certainly adds levity to it. I enjoy people with a good sense of humor. Let me be clear that the humor of others needs to be gaged in each situation...

Have you ever been asked, "Who is your direct supervisor? What is your manager's name and number?" I know that can be frustrating and demoralizing on several levels. You get a sense that you were not able to resolve the situation to the other person's satisfaction. They are contacting your manager to get a different decision or outcome than you have provided. To make matters worse, you now have to supply your manager's contact information and give your manager a heads up that the call may be coming their way. Does this apply to our lives outside of work? I think so. Just this weekend, I asked my kids to take care of some things. Their respectful answer, "but mom said..." What did that tell me? They already knew our manager's name and contact information and they already received a different decision than I was requesting!

Happy Mother's Day to our favorite heroes.

Now, back to that person who was unsatisfied with your decision... Would they find the humor if you gave the name and number of "the manager" in your personal life? Probably not! Enjoy the remainder of your weekend.

I'm The One Calling at 3am

2011-05-06T17:23:00.008-05:00

I'm the one who calls you at 3am...

That's what Dr. Tom Millard said when Dr. Bernie Judy reached across to introduce himself during our medical staff golf, tennis and fitness afternoon.

As an ER physician, Dr. Millard has to make those 3am calls to other physicians and knows that no one wants to be woken up! Dr. Judy let him know that he always appreciates his calls as he only gets them when there is a real need.

Yesterday, during our event, it just reinforced the benefit of camaraderie among colleagues. We work together professionally and may really never get a chance to know the each other on a more personal level.

Sure, there are always appropriate professional and personal boundaries and work - getting to know about each others' families and hobbies is certainly okay. In fact, those relationships will further the care we provide and improve the ways we support each other.

And getting to meet the voice at the other end of the phone after several years of talking...priceless.

Above:

Picture of me and Annette Small, our CEO for St. Mary's Medical Center. Over the past couple of weeks, we have been together at many events and gatherings. We are starting to feel like "Flat Stanley" getting pictures together all over the city!

I Just Need Some Mayo

2011-05-04T09:12:00.004-05:00

Could having mayo packets improve the patient experience? Clearly mayo is part of the support cast for a broader meal!

We always strive to create an incredible experience for our patients and families. Many times it comes down to the little things we do.

Yesterday, I saw a man walking around the corridors outside the nursing unit. I asked if I could help him. He looked at my name badge and I could clearly see that he felt the CEO could not help this situation! He then gave it a shot and said that he just needs some mayo packets. He was right, I was going to struggle on this one as I did not have the code to our food galley (per policy, that was ok). I went and found Kellie Israel, one of our Food & Nutrition Associates. When I asked for the code to the galley she politely said that she would get the mayo for me out of the galley (again per policy - great work Kellie).

While I waited with the man, he let me know that the care was great and his wife enjoyed the food. He just needed mayo. He then let me know that his wife was had terminal cancer and he was just trying to spend as much time with her as possible before she dies. And it hit me as I thought about it...he left her side to get the mayo which took him away from his wife. Even if just for a few minutes, I knew and could tell he wanted that time with her.

These are times that I reflect on the ability for all of us to impact the experience for our patients, families and each other for that matter.

When we find ourselves in these situations, we need to continue to mine for ways that we could improve, enhance or just change a process to get the outcomes and experience we expect.

For those of us in healthcare, we each can play a critical role in in supporting each other and supporting our patients & families. All of us have the ability to make the difference in the lives of others and each other. Just those little things that make the difference.

Good Afternoon...

2011-05-02T13:54:00.005-05:00

A note I shared with our team today...

What inspires you? Who inspired you recently?

Today, I received a letter from a family bragging about the care and compassion provided while her husband was here. Specifically she wrote, "my husband had a heart attack and was quickly taken to the Cath Lab where we encountered four fabulous nurses; Kim Bruno, Kim Graham, Christine and Catherine (the PILLOW fluffer). From the minute we arrived they helped to put us at ease with their compassion, professionalism and friendliness. My husband (the typical Macho Man) had never been so scared in his life and they were all able to calm him with understandable explanations about everything that was going on and about what would be happening. They did this with continual cheerfulness and thoughtfulness. We are sure that they do many procedures each day yet they made my husband feel as if his was the most important one they had ever done or will ever do. There was nothing routine. They were caring, cheerful and simply perfect in every way."

Last week, we held our April Associate of the Month reception honoring Pam Hazen, RN on our CCU. One way I would describe Pam would be her welcoming approach. As I round the hospital it is easy to see when areas are very busy. What I do look for is the welcome we provide each other no matter how busy we are through our day. Isn't that the acknowledgment we all enjoy from each other?

This morning, Joseph Jones from Environmental Services greeted me with a simple "Good Morning!" He was truly present when greeting me. As basic as it is, sometimes we lose sight of that simple "Good Morning" or "Good Afternoon." Those statements are actually a blessing and not just an evaluation of the day.

The welcome and greeting we provide each other, our, patients and families is one way that we make St. Joseph Medical Center and Carondelet Health a better place for our patients. This is part of the culture of who we are and the mission we serve. Hospitals can be scary places when you are the one feeling vulnerable. Many times our patients and families have a lot of questions and that calls for us to welcome them even more often.

Thank you for making the consistent effort to welcome each other, our patients and our families.

In addition, during our Safety Huddle, one of our managers noted that there are times when a patient is waiting to get on an elevator but it is full. It was requested that we step off the busy elevator to allow room for the patient and we all agreed. That is just one more thing I love about our culture...our willingness to quickly adjust as needed to better serve our patients, each other and our mission.

Wishing you all a great week.

Do the Sick No Harm

2011-04-30T15:04:00.003-05:00

This afternoon I attended an open house at the Belton Community Center. Specifically, our family was interested in seeing Dave Kraft a good family friend and Strong Man Champion! We were hoping he would just provide a tour. However, he had other things in store for us and had us join him in a conditioning circuit. Between moving tires, using a sledgehammer, shaking oversized ropes and pushing a medal sled across concrete, we were exhausted. Dave made sure we all understood how to safely perform each exercise and watched us prior to getting started with the circuit. There was no question that safety was his number one concern for us.

As always, the same applies in our healthcare system. Thank you Jane Falk, our Executive Director, for passing the following quote to me from Florence Nightingale. She was doing some research in preparation for nurses week and was reviewing quotes by Florence Nightingale, she found the following quote and it struck me as I realized this was stated in 1859....she thought it spoke to our safety journey, that safety is the very first requirement in a Hospital. A journey we continue to follow for over 152 years.

It may seem a strange principle to enunciate as the very first requirement in a Hospital that it should do the sick no harm.

- Florence Nightingale

Pam Hazen, RN - Associate of the Month

2011-04-29T11:25:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to Pam Hazen, RN from the Cardiac Care Unit. Pam is our April Associate of the Month.

Well deserved Pam!

The New C-A-Bs of CPR

2011-04-28T10:16:00.004-05:00

Have you ever seen CPR performed. Were you the one who had to perform it or were you the one just staring helplessly because you had no idea how to help. I do not want to be that guy!

Today, I completed my re-certification in Basic Life Support (BLS). There are a few changes noted. In fact, the American Heart Association made their most drastic changes in 40 years.

According to the AHA, for nearly 40 years, CPR guidelines have trained people to follow these simple A-B-C instructions—tilt the victim's head back to open the airway, then pinch their nose and do a succession of breaths into their mouth, and finally perform chest compressions. But now, the AHA says starting with the C of chest compressions will help oxygen-rich blood circulate throughout the body sooner, which is critical for people who have had a heart attack. With this shift, rescuers and responding emergency personnel should now follow a C-A-B process—begin with chest
compression, then move on to address the airway and breaths. This change
applies to adults, children, and babies, but does not apply to newborns.

During training, we were told if you need to call for help, think about calling a cab or C-A-B! Not necessarily a great example but certainly one easy to remember.

Living in a Fishbowl...Finding Balance

2011-04-26T17:19:00.002-05:00

How do I find balance during my busy schedule....

Healthcare management and healthcare in general involve a lot of time at work (so you want to enjoy what you do). There are times that people just need to get away to handle personal items during the day. This funny story came to me by a healthcare manager (who I'll call Susie) just trying to keep some balance in her life...

Scott-
Funny story…

I was introduced to a gentleman through friends last week (email introduction…wonderful world of cyberspace and dating) and have met him twice for coffee. He is busy with kids/job as am I so it’s tough to find time…so today at 10:45 we were able to meet for a coffee.

First I show up @ Dean and Deluca and some woman is on the ground with one person assisting her…she passed out after giving blood. Made sure she was okay…no hitting of her head, not nauseated, good strong pulse etc…and 911 had been called. Perfect start….might I add she was right in front of the place to order salads and sandwiches!

Next I hear “hi Susie” and it’s your spouse. She was very sweet but I’m sure was wondering “what is Susie doing here at 10:45”. I told her meeting someone for coffee… next I run into one my prn staff, shopping with her baby boy….again, have to explain why the one day I sneak out for an early coffee I’m not AT work….

Next I run into another colleague who was on vacation this week…again…the winking and implication that I’m doing something “illegal”.

What I learned…someone is always there…how far do I have to drive?

Bi-plane Vascular Suite Blessing

2011-04-26T13:29:00.005-05:00

We had a great time last night at our Bi-plane Vascular Suite blessing and opening. This technology helps us advance our efforts with our neuroscience and vascular services. The Bi-plane Vascular Suite will be used to provide the kind of precise anatomy delineation and visualization needed to provide comprehensive Stroke Care. Thank you to all who attended the event and supported this expansion.

A special thanks to the leadership and direction of Dr. David Burkart, Jane Falk and Derek Dinoni. Our first patients were seen today!

Seen above: Dr. Burkart (top left) and the Interventional Radiology Team. Bottom picture: Me and Annette Small, our Chief Executive Officer of St. Mary's Medical Center who joined us for the event.

The Visitor

2011-04-26T09:33:00.003-05:00

This morning I went to visit a friend of mine in another area hospital. I spend thousands of hours each year in a hospital however it is always humbling when I am the visitor or patient. It is then that I take even more notice of the long hallways, signage, the environment, the interaction of staff with each other and with me. These experiences from time to time, are very difficult emotionally. However, they really do help me open my eyes even wider to my own surroundings and the experience we provide to our patients, community and each other.

I am very appreciative of all the work of our healthcare providers. We provide the compassion and care needed during very vulnerable times. We all know this and yet there are days like I had today where it is even more clear.

Visionary Award Winner - April

2011-04-25T11:17:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to the Volunteers & Auxiliary, April's Visionary Award winners. The Volunteer and Auxiliary Services provides thousands of hours in community service and major contributions impacting the medical center's quality outcomes, growth, compliance and safety and patient satisfaction. The Volunteer & Auxilary are led by Jeri Grimes, Director and Mary Ann Nagy, President.

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T16:23:00.003-05:00

Happy Easter!

I enjoyed rounding the hospital this afternoon with my 3 Easter bunnies...my 3 kids. First, I was reminded that the Birthing Center had requested chocolates for this visit. So we started there! Carmen, one of our RNs has requested S'mores for next visit.

My kids had a great time getting around the hospital with me (and giving me tips along the way). As long as they received one candy treat per floor, they stayed energized (we have 5 floors). Twix bars followed by Peanut Butter M&Ms were the crowd favorites this year.

It is always a fresh perspective seeing the eyes of your hospital through your kids. They definitely took advantage of all the handwashing stations throughout the hospital and enjoyed our new floors.

Thank you to all of you who worked this holiday.

Mindy Hamilton - Young Dietician of the Year

2011-04-22T10:00:00.005-05:00

Congratulations to Mindy Hamilton who was selected as Kansas City's Dietetic Association's Young Dietitian of the Year!

I had a chance to see the note informing Mindy of the good news:

Hello Mindy,
I am writing to inform you that you have been selected as this years KCDA's Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year for Missouri. Congratulations! It is quite an honor to be recognized by your peers in such a public way. Your commitment, dedication and talent in the field of Dietetics are an asset to the profession!

Way to go Mindy. We are so proud to have you on our team.

If Boston Marathon Ran Your Hospital...

2011-04-21T10:28:00.014-05:00

It has been a few days since running the Boston Marathon. The fog is starting to clear and I wanted to share my perspective as I try to view the marathon from a patient perspective...

In the hospital, we focus on some basic needs for patients which the StuderGroup names the 3Ps (Pain, Potty and Position) Protocol. Other obvious focus areas on basic needs include nourishment, medical attention and compassion with thousands involved directly and indirectly to provide this support. The same held true at the marathon.

When entering a hospital for surgery, a patient shows up a couple hours in advance, gets prepped for surgery, enters the operating room, goes through surgery and takes a few days to recover.

When entering the Boston Marathon, runners register, show up early to catch the bus to the start, take care of "potty" needs. There are medical tents to help any "pain" needs and you enter into a certain corral based on your qualifying time so you are "positioned" correctly with people similar to your speed in the race. During those 26.2 miles it felt like many of the same hospital basics were covered...bathrooms; medical tents; nourishment stations every mile; millions of "friends and families" providing cheers, compassion and encouragement along the whole route.

Even at the end, the "marathon case managers" get you safely to your belongings, provide more nourishment before you leave and offer last minute medical tents if you need to see the doctor before you leave. Some even leave the marathon in a wheelchair however that is not an ideal way to depart! From there, you are discharged home with a plan to recover over the following days.

If Boston Marathon Ran Your Hospital...you would be proud of them and pleased with your experience.

Thank you to the thousands of volunteers and staff in our hospitals and the Boston Marathon and thank you to the millions of families and friends who support us when we are patients or race participants.

Congratulations to Geoffrey Mutai (pictured above for his marathon record breaking time of 2:03.02 (that's an averag of 4:42/mile)!

Goal Setting

2011-04-19T07:09:00.002-05:00

This morning we are heading back from Boston. Many people are walking around doing the "marathon shuffle." This well known shuffle is seen when walking after a race (very slow walk) and definitely when going up/down stairs. Handrails have never been used more than after a race. Similar to the hospital world, there was a lot of talk about goal setting and how everyone performed relative to their goals. Many debriefing on the race, discussing what they did well and areas for improvement. I see this a lot during patient handoffs when the staff discuss how their patient is doing as the staff come on/off shift. The goal to keep our patients safe starts with understanding the goals of care. In many ways, our life in the hospital is like a marathon - times that we are going fast, times we are struggling and need encouragement and times that we are just thrilled with how things are going. Marathons involve long term planning with short term goals along the way. In hospitals, we are on our feet 8, 10 and 12 hours a day...more than any one on their feet in a marathon.

Small Innovations

2011-04-16T12:00:00.002-05:00

Jenny (my wife) and I just landed in Boston for the marathon on Monday. It was interesting hearing different stories on proven training techniques. All stories having the same theme of discipline, focus and the drive for continuous improvement. It was enjoyable to watch these collaborations among runners and supporters. On a similar improvement note, Jenny let me know that at Hen House, a Kansas City grocery chain, they changed their deli flow after years of the same process. Customers value their time and cost. Hen House values its customers. A simple innovation took place...bringing the scale to the carving machine, the employees weigh the meat/cheese as they are cutting it ensuring minimal waste, less travel time back and forth to the scale and getting customers the exact amount the customer wanted. Driving value to their customers by improving quality and service also helps the company improve employee engagement, safety (less back and forth action), quality (less waste due to unwanted product). These improvements lead to better financial benefits for customers and the company. Small innovations are happening everywhere and make huge cumulative advancements for an organization.

Volunteers Celebrate over 110,000 Hours this Year

2011-04-15T11:26:00.007-05:00

Congratulations to our Volunteers and Auxilary. We celebrated over 110,000 hours this year under the exceptional leadership of our Director, Jeri Grimes and Auxilary President, May Ann Nagy. To put things in perspective, approximately 2,080 hours equals a full time employee.

Take a look at our heroes by the number of hours they have served over the years...

100 hours:

John Aloisio, Arline Arel, John Becker, Barbara Crabtree, Patti Davis, Jim Elleman, Suzanne FitzGerald, Glenda Honeycutt, Jerry Kesler, Robert Lehmann, Dora Muensch, Carrie Muldoon, Mary Murphy, Patricia Pronold, Carmen Rodriguez, Jeanette Sanders-Eagan, Tom Spencer, Ann Turgeon, Marilyn Wilson, Thomas Wilson, Teresa Witherspoon, Hilary Yost.

250 hours:

Hanna Beshe, Cindi Boles, Irene Broyles, Ann Chamblin, Janice Cline, Pat Cunningham, Jean Fecteau, Karen Fitzgerald, Patricia Foley, Rocky Hembree, Mary Lou Hoedl, Mildred Jefferson, Joan Jenkins, Gayle Johnson, Kae Kesler, Frank Lange, Kathy Madsen, Marlene Matthews, Marlene McGuire, Joann Moore ,Virginia Munoz, Patty Nolte, Thomas O’Connor, Dolores Pace, Joyce Pendleton, Martha Phillips, Esther Rudnick, Donna Sigler, Allison Strobach, Ed VanLeeuwen, Thomas Wynne, Karen Ziegler.

500 hours:

Mary Jo Axtell, Anita Basham, Teri Becker, Alice Douglass, Judy Gross, Larry Hodel, Li Jeang, Raymond Kline, Bill Knipp, Karen Major, Agnes Meyers, Bill Mohr, Virginia O’Donnell, Larry Pendleton, Bill Richter, Beth Serrioz, John Slayman, Shirley Voss, Shawna Webb, Barbara Wilkins.

750 hours:

Bunny Cox, Mary Alice Flemington, Edeen Martin, Mary Maskill, Vivian Norris, G.Cayce O’Kelley, John Purcell, Kathie Smith, Peggy Stewart, Elizabeth Villaume, Michael Weinrich, Kathy Wininger, Clarice Yetter.

1,000 hours:

Joseph Baumer, Rosemary Berberick, Millie Capers, Kenneth Corsini, Rita Gromowsky, Patricia Hanrahan, Linda Jennings, Mara Kelley, Jennifer Lynn, Robert Maskill, Donna Murray, John Norris, Mimi Powers, Patricia Seiter, Joyce Solomon, Amanda Thomas, Janie Thomas, Anita Uebelhart.

1,500 hours:

Susie Bolden, Marge Campbell, Myrtle Eisele, Jerry Fladung, Peggy Hembree, Nancy Kalesz, Ronny Lenzy, William McMahon, Clifford Miller, Fred Roberts, Mattie Steinline, Richard Stiles, Beth Taylor, Candy Warinner, Lavere York.

2,000 hours:

Nancy Canent, Dick Goos, Anna Herndon, Porter Hovey, Dorothy Johnston, Ruth Lang, David Long, Katherine Long, Ann Marino, Beverly McCann, Joyce Murphy, Jay Newton, Frank Petersen, Richard Poettgen, Dorothy Stover, Eleanor Swann, Mary Ann Weding, Dale Wolf.

2,500 hours:

Shari Boles, Joan Cody, Fran Graves, Donald Hougland, Helen Madsen, Fred Moeller, Mary Ann Olson, Mimi Sherwood.

3,000 hours:

Richard Deiters, Jr., Eleonora Donahue, Carole Dykes, Elisabeth Kanter, Myra Ladwig, Dorothy Lintz, Dusty Rhodes, Jr., David Stobie, Patricia Walsh.

3,500 hours:

Harriet Bennett, Deborah Dent, Myer Litwack, Annabel McInerney, Bonnie Morgan, Patricia Shannon, Eleanora Volz.

4,000 hours:

Don Bauer, Ellen Durbin, Dorothy Hauser, Sally Jarvis, Kaye Martin, Evelyn Slayman, Thomas Stevens.

4,500 hours:

Bill Akright, Jean Gray, Jerry Harvey, Marcella Morris, Joann Shannon, Lisa Smith.

5,000 hours:

Nancy Ferrett, Bernard Flucke, Sherry Harvey, Jean Mosimann.

5,500 hours:

Bruce Border, Mary Flucke, Robert Moss.

6,000 hours:

Mildred Thompson

6,500 hours:

Ann Clark, Mary Ann Nagy, Virginia Rudisel

7,000 hours:

James Poland, Elizabeth Stewart

7,500 hours:

James McInerney

8,000 hours:

Audrey Dusselier, Tricia Sandidge

8,500 hours:

Marilyn French

9,000 hours:

William Groll, Doris Pecoraro

9,500 hours:

Rebecca Hook, Eileen Krause, Shirley Noonan

10,000 hours:

Eileen Farnen, Jeannine Foley

11,000 hours:

Richard Duncan, Sherel Sands

12,000 hours:

Geraldine Duncan

17,500 hours:

Marietta Hedrick, Russell Watson

18,500 hours:

John Cottitta, Jr.

The Future is in Our Hands

2011-04-14T09:23:00.009-05:00

Last night, President Obama discussed his plan to curb the growth of health care costs.

A few of his proposal points included: "Medicare and Medicaid Savings of $480 Billion by 2023 and At Least an Additional $1 Trillion over the Subsequent Decade, Providing Better Care at Lower Costs:

Building on the Affordable Care Act, the President is proposing additional reforms to Medicare and Medicaid designed to strengthen these critical programs by reducing waste, increasing accountability, promoting efficiency, and improving the quality of care, without shifting the cost of care to our seniors or people with disabilities.

The framework will save $340 billion over ten years and $480 billion by 2023 (including the proposals already included in the President’s Budget). Over the subsequent decade, the President’s proposal will save well over $1 trillion by further bending the cost curve, doubling the savings from the Affordable Care Act.

The President’s framework offers a stark contrast with the House Republican plan that would increase seniors’ health costs by $6,400 annually starting in 2022, raise health insurance premiums for middle-class Americans and small businesses, cut Federal Medicaid spending by one-third by the end of the decade, and increase the number of uninsured by 50 million.

Yes, the Medicare and Medicaid plan calls for saving $480 billion by 2023 - just 12 years away - and another $1 trillion the following decade. If we just estimate that savings across roughly 5,000+ hospitals, it comes to $8M improvement per hospital over the next 12 years for a cumulative savings of $96M/hospital by 2023.

We can do it as a healthcare industry. It will not be easy, however, as we leverage the knowledge we have within and across health systems, we will continue to improve our quality and safety efforts, enhance our patient experiences and reduce costs. How are we mining for ideas formally and informally? Certainly, formal ways need to exist to measure, manage and advance efforts. How are you informally getting those ideas from people closest to our patients? I still enjoy the high students who shared their brainstorming sessions:' - I hate it when... - I wish I could... Then, they prioritize based on the goals of their project and the estimated resources needed. Sounds simple yet it is something we could do even better in healthcare - the mindset of continuously improving even with fewer resources as we have already seen these past 20 years.

So, should the future of healthcare concern us? Of course. Our industry is very challenging and I am very positive about the future because it is in our hands to make the necessary changes needed within the resources provided. So let's continue to work together and learn from each other so we identify even the little things that we could change that will make a big cumulative impact in years out. What's one change you and your organization could make starting next week that would add value to your patients and further the organization's mission?

The Miracle Floor - Teamwork at its Best

2011-04-11T17:23:00.006-05:00

I just have to share...this note was sent to me last week by Stephanie Boresow,Unit Secretary on 5N - Rehab Unit:

I thought you might enjoy reading about one of many times when eight or more departments worked together well to make a successful day happen on 5 North. Hope it's ok that I'm doing so in an email. As the Unit Secretary for 5 North - I get to see when many different people come together to do great things, and for that I'm truly grateful to be working exactly where I am. :)We had three admits yesterday afternoon that ended up all needing to come at once. A great number of people made that happen seamlessly.

First, Paulette Johnson in Environmental Services did four STAT cleans, all on her own, as her co-worker, Yolanda Ross made several trips to get extra materials - when we had to move people around on our floor to accommodate three new patients.

Next, Ginger Taylor (Virginia) performing a newer role today as stand-in Admitting Liaison - made sure all orders were done correctly and completely, contacted all necessary physicians and insurance companies, helped sort out which nurses would take which patients, and just dove in so many times to help any of us who needed it.

Both Shirley Graham and Linda Carmona in Patient Access kept pace with 5 North as we moved patient rooms, asked for pre-admitting status, and then got them all at once (lots of paper work!)

Loretta Lackey in Central Services made sure we had everything we needed from CS as our needs kept changing - she even ran some mepilexdressings to us by hand.

Georgie Agim and Linda West - both 5N RN's - were able to do their usual "magic" in patient care with full patient loads, a shift change, and three new, consecutive admits. The nurses on 5 North are truly amazing, and they were able to give patients the attention they deserve because everybody worked together so well to make it happen.

Sherri Britt, 5N PCA, deserves special mention. One of our three new admits decided she was no longer interested in staying at the hospital. Ginger and Sherri gently talked to the patient who was irate. It was brilliant, helpful, kind and perfectly timed.

Courtney Scanlon, our pharmacist for the day, checked on us all day because she knew we would be receiving several patients at once. The Pharmacy staff that stays on the 5th floor are always so helpful at providing immediate order entry as well as pharmaceutical information.

Finally, we have our three therapy teams who are the jewels of the Rehab floor: Janice Balke, our PT Tech, made sure each new admit had the proper equipment, as she was also keeping up with our current patients for Group therapy today (when even your wife Jenny got to see how busy we all were!)

Both Marta Sanorand and Jacob Neece(PT) took care of several delicate patient situations in their calm, professional manner and still squeezed in their new evals.

Penny Murphy and Juliet Arndt in OT did their own magic for their departments, while Melissa James and Cathy Burns in Speech Therapy worked to figure out how to get more evals done when we were a few Speech therapists short today.

What I hope I've done is show how during a mere five-hour time slot so much cooperation and teamwork truly happens in this hospital and especially on 5North. Our management team of Jeff Lee, Coco Gonzalez, and Jennifer Leonard are always available and right there with us as we work together to get everybody the best care possible. They lead by example, have the respect of their staffs, and jump in to help us all the time. We all work so well together because of decisions they are constantly making.

I was just so proud to work here yesterday. Yesterday was true teamwork at its best. A healthcare multi-disciplinary team is what any of us would want for ourselves and our own families. Several people like to call 5North"the Miracle floor" - and in so many ways, it usually is.

Thanks for your time in reading this Giant ICU. I just believe that when people come together to do great things - it's a crime not to call attention to it. Have a good rest of your week, Scott! (If someone could pass this on to supervisors in CS, Pharmacy, ES, and Inpatient Admitting, I think they'd like to hear how their staff positively affects 5 North too - thanks.)

Extra Extra Read All About It!

2011-04-07T15:36:00.004-05:00

A friend from a competing organization let me know that he enjoys reading information I send out in our physician newsletter. I did not ask how he obtains the newsletter however we live in a small healthcare world. So, in the interest in getting the word out ahead of time, here is my update for our next edition:

"Last week, we had nine Town Hall meetings to accommodate the different shifts and days. It is not always easy for people to break away for a Town Hall or come in on their off time. You have a Voice in our organization and we want to ensure that SJMC is the place where you prefer to practice medicine. One thing is certain; all your efforts are so greatly appreciated. Our work is hard and our patients need us more than ever before. It is our job to keep mining for ways that we can care for those we serve and ensure that our health care system is focused on providing quality care in a compliant, safe, cost effective and service oriented manner.

The following summarizes some of the key themes we discussed: We have seen a lot of great improvements at St. Joseph Medical Center over the past year. One thing is for certain: changes in health care are constant and will continue across the country for years to come. Healthcare Reform will impact St. Joseph Medical Center by approximately $50 million over the next 10 years. It is imperative for us to look at our organizational goals and understand how we contribute to these goals and how we can make the greatest impact.

The Organizational Goals in line with our mission, vision and values include the following.
· Quality Care
· Compliance and Safety
· Market Growth & Operating Effectiveness
· Patient Satisfaction

So how will we support these goals moving forward? This is where we need everyone to understand their role in achieving the organizational goals above and help foster priorities for improvement and innovation.

Other Town Hall updates included:

· We have seen continued growth this year in the following areas: overall admissions, neurosciences, cardiology, women's services, general surgery, orthopedics, rehab unit, endoscopy, inpatient surgery and our outpatient center, South Kansas City Surgery Center.

· Our focus will continue to be 100% private rooms. We are opening 3 North in May with 16 additional Telemetry beds. This will allow us to take one of the units on the 4th floor and convert from 24 beds to 16 private. In all, we will have eight additional beds in our system with 32 of them being private.

· Later this month we will celebrate the opening of our neurointerventional Bi-Plane suite.

· We opened a Cardiac PET scanner last month along with our Cardiac Device Clinic.

· SJMC was approved for an eight-bed Intensive Care Unit with a focus on Neurosciences. This will include a domino of moves - the planning is underway with an expected opening date of July 2012. This addition will allow us to focus on CCU as all Cardiac and convert the remaining semi-private rooms into private.

· Our associate turnover rate did go up a year ago and has been on a downward trend for the last six months with our lowest nursing turnover in years this past February.

· Our inpatient and outpatient satisfaction scores are on the rise since we focused on three questions and three behaviors per area.

· We have implemented Safety Huddles in an effort to reduce any harm or potential harm to patients and those we serve.

· Our last Joint Commission survey was the best we have done in many years. That took all of our efforts and we should be extremely proud.

Thank you for serving our mission and for your continued support of St. Joseph Medical Center and Carondelet Health. This is our health system and we all play a major role in achieving our organization's goals."

Why Don't You Take a Breather...

2011-04-07T10:48:00.006-05:00

This morning I went swimming with a Master's swim group. Swimming is certainly not a strength for me but I do enjoy the challenge and benefits of it. There is so much to focus on in order to stay safe and swim efficiently. Well today, I was passed by a swimmer Blake Cooper, MD. That was not a surprise as I had been told he would be lapping us on a regular basis...or at least he would be lapping me on a regular basis. The pleasant surprise came when he took a break and saw that I swallowed water, started coughing and then began to swim again. He quickly grabbed my shoulder and said, "why don't you take a breather." Now, I really do not know Blake except seeing him during practice. His commitment to safety was impressive. Yes, I almost went on but thought, it probably took him a lot to stop someone he does not know well and no doubt he was looking after my best interest. When I think about our roles in hospitals, it is so critical that we actively look for those safety moments, acknowledge when things are safe so we continue and quickly stop each other when we see a "potentially" unsafe situation. Blake was a true unwavering advocate, a phrase our fearless CNO, Cynde Gamache has coined in the past.

To Meet or Not to Meet

2011-04-06T17:47:00.003-05:00

This morning I met with with Sister Rosemary Flanigan while going from one meeting to the next. She stopped me and said it seems like there are a lot of meetings today. I let her know that there were a lot of meetings and I really enjoy getting around the hospital so much more than just sitting around in meetings. Everyone agrees that we can accomplish so much more when we are out and about the hospital. However, today just must have been one of those days. Sister Rosemary provided great perspective..."one day, a young hospital administrator will come up to you and ask, what do you administrators do all day. And you could say we all went to meetings!." I am pleased to share that we have reduced hundreds of hours of meetings throughout the year. There are still the times to do the balance act and ensure that we meet when we know it will have an effective impact for the organization. Otherwise, I prefer my walking (running) shoes.

Has Anyone Seen the Bladder Scanner?

2011-04-06T17:32:00.009-05:00

We spend a lot of time at work and there are things I really enjoy and things that do start to get to me. One of those things has been the overhead page looking for a bladder scanner. No, it does happen often, but when it does, I often wonder...did the overhead help? Did a group of individuals stop and say, "hey the bladder scanner is missing, let's go hunt for it."

Now in our continuous improvement mindset, we are exploring more effective options for finding what is missing or tracking those items prior to leaving the unit. Funny thing is that I must have mentioned this during one of my Town Halls or while rounding and here is a note I received from Georgia Zeller, one of our ER associates. It just cracked me up... "Scott, I’VE GOT IT!!! I know how you absolutely hate the overhead page for “the unit that has the bladder scanner, please return it to 4 East.” I just heard it again and had a brain storm. We could establish another secret code… code green, code blue, code gray Are you ready??? Code BS (bladder scanner). Visitors wouldn’t have a clue what the page was for, but they might think something worse than bladder scanner. What do you think?? So much for my inspiration this morning. Have a great day, Georgia"

Huddling for Safety

2011-04-05T11:17:00.004-05:00

We have daily safety huddles in our hospitals. Thank you to Lisa Thacker for attending the Missouri Center for Patient Safety Annual Conference and sharing our poster presentation "Huddling for Safety."

Closing the Loop and Fostering Innovation

2011-04-03T20:36:00.010-05:00

Working in healthcare means many people know what you and your organization are up to at all or at least most times. No doubt, we live in a "highly visible environment" and open ourselves up to guidance (sounds much nicer than criticism) on a regular basis. Personally, I really enjoy the fact that my words and actions are looked after - there is no greater perspective than getting a 360 degree feedback on a daily if not weekly basis. Actually, it makes it much easier to course correct and get things back on track. And let's face it designing systems to create and deliver value to your patients and organization is a never ending task.

This past week, I held nine hospital Town Hall meetings to accommodate the different shifts and days. It is not always easy for people to breakaway for a Town Hall or come in on their off time. Tonight, we discussed ways that each of us could impact our organization's goals. These goals are in line with our mission and include:

- Quality Care
- Compliance and Safety

- Patient Satisfaction

- Market Growth and Operating Effectiveness

So how will we continue to advance our efforts? This is where everyone needs to understand their role in achieving the organization's goals and help create the priorities for improvement and innovation. We discussed the importance of "kaizen" or continuous improvement on a daily basis.

The people attending the Town Hall meetings had a lot of great ideas. One thing we could improve upon is how we mine for these ideas and close the loop with those who provided the idea. When we follow-up with those people with the ideas, we foster even more innovation. At SJMC alone, we could implement 4,600 improvements every year if every employee, volunteer and physician brought forward just 2 ideas which we planned for and implemented. They do not have to be big ideas. A lot of them could be kept simple and have a great impact on our goals.

Let me know about the small and large innovations you've created to better your organization.

Coffee or Omelets?

2011-03-31T09:25:00.002-05:00

I just had a chance to talk about my job with the students at Prairie Star Elementary School. They asked where else in the hospital I've work and I let them know I've transported patients, I've worked on the nursing units, I've made omelets and worked in the coffee shop. One student asked if I enjoyed working in the coffee shop more than making omelets - I went the coffee route. Not too many people get upset when you hand over their latte, tea or pastry!

Trust - Inspire - Pride - Engage - Believe

2011-03-30T21:52:00.003-05:00

Throughout the Town Hall meetings, we have discussed key themes and focus for our continued success...

- Trust
- Inspire
- Pride
- Engage
- Believe (thank you for adding this one Kathy Gutteridge - so true!)

Quick story:
Priscilla Smith-Wren...thank you for our conversation today on being inspired and inspiring others. While cleaning patient rooms, Priscilla has been known to sing a song or two. She shared the story on how her singing brings joy to our patients and in turn inspires her.

Fully Engaged

2011-03-30T10:18:00.002-05:00

Enjoy the St. Joseph Medical Center Physician Newsletter update from Dr. Donald Clement, our Chief of Staff and my guest blogger today...

There is no “I” in “team” (or so the saying goes). Never has it been more apparent to me than just this past month as SJMC excelled in the recent visit from The Joint Commission. We accomplished a great deal with our success in The Joint Commission review. This achievement is no small feat and would not be accomplished without the required necessary teamwork.

When I look around the hospital, I’m continually impressed by this very teamwork I see on a daily basis. As many of you know, I get to spend much of each day in the GI Endoscopy lab. What a great group! For over 16 years I’ve witnessed firsthand what can be accomplished when everyone is willing to pitch in and help get the job done. The staff is always looking out for the patient and striving to make the experience for not only the patients but the other staff both enjoyable and safe. I’ve also had the privilege of recently spending more time than I’d like (just kidding, Tara!) with the super folks in the outpatient Rehab Unit. These are superbly trained individuals that the surgeon can rely on. He or she can do a wonderful job with the operative repair but needs these enthusiastic professionals to affect a good clinical outcome.

Take the time to look around and appreciate your other team members in whatever area you work. Don’t ever forget that your expression of that appreciation to each of the other team members within this organization is recognized and welcomed. Imagine our therapeutic potential when we are all working together and fully engaged as members of the Health Care Team. So while there may be no “I” in “team” I believe you’ll agree that “teamwork” spells “success.”

Thank you Dr. Clement. Your leadership and support is absolutely appreciated.

Town Hall Updates

2011-03-29T23:13:00.002-05:00

Our Town Hall meetings went well today. Great discussion with additional sessions planned this week. I'll share some summary points once we are done. Thank you all who were able to attend and participate in the discussion. A special thanks to Nan Whalen and Jenn Leonard for making the 6a, 4p and 10p sessions today. See you at 6a Wednesday for out next Town Hall.

Resilience

2011-03-28T13:32:00.004-05:00

During our Safety Huddle this morning, I asked for safety stories and inspirational stories from the weekend. Well, after a nasty weather weekend with another snowfall, many heads looked down. I mean frankly this snow is really getting to a lot of us and we just want it to end already. Just when we think we have seen the last of it...boom...it hits us again. Just Schwakopf spoke up and surprised all of us with...."The Snow inspired me." She went on to say that she thought the snowfall was beautiful and could see the flowers blooming. Even though it snowed once again, she spoke of seeing the positive in the snowfall and the importance of Resilience. Her words really hit me.

When I look at the ongoing changes in healthcare and at our hospital, the need to be resilient certainly is needed. We can not look at things and expect them to be exactly the same next week, next month or next year. We need to speak openly about the direction of the organization, our priorities and each of our roles in helping the organization today and into the future. Change is ongoing and it should be as opposed to waiting for things to build up and then finding yourself in a position to make drastic changes all at once. Isn't it like that in our personal lives as well?

Thank you for your words this morning, Judy. Resilience provides continued hope and encourages each of us to stay engaged or get re-engaged. It builds a greater sense of trust, pride and inspiration.

So keep that in mind the next snowfall when you expect to see Spring!

The Matrix

2011-03-25T16:14:00.007-05:00

Healthcare organizations are very complicated and there is a need for people to rely on each other in the best interest of the organization. Many organizations have a matrixed structure. I discussed this with David Ireland, the CEO of our Cardondelet Heart Institute and Ron Slepitzka, President of Avila University. Ron, a former football player shared an analogy about a football player running up the middle of the field towards - if certain players do not go into motion to block and allow the player to move through, it will be nearly an impossible task to magically run "through" thousands of pounds (of players).

David discussed the benefit of always having a lead person on a project or initiative with others supporting the lead. This project lead is not based on an organizational hierarchy. It goes back to a discussion I had a few weeks ago on co-creator vs. dependent and when each of us need to play a particular role.

The other key element is for the teams to know and understand the organization's priorities. Therefore, if I take the lead on a project and need support from 5 others, we all need to understand where my project falls on the priority list.

Think of an airline. There is a lead Pilot on each flight. The Air Traffic controllers and many others support the Pilot's effort to take off, fly and land safely. However, the Pilot needs to know what order they are in priority so the expectations are clear by all. And they usually let us know by telling us, "Folks, as you could see we have been waiting on the runway for some time now. Looks like we are 5th for take-off with an estimated 10 minute wait."

The matrix environment we have in many healthcare organizations encourages us to collaborate, leverage our knowledge, work together and communicate clearly with others impacted or involved. This pertains to communicating our organization's goals, key leaders on projects or over departments and prioritization of these goals.

Zen Den

2011-03-25T08:26:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, I had breakfast with Jacob Schreiber, a colleague of mine and local community leader. We discussed our organizations, priorities and challenges. He inquired about the stress of the job. It's interesting to think about stressful jobs. In healthcare we make decisions everyday that could impact many lives - it could be surgical decisions, clinical decisions on the nursing floors, decisions on how we will treat one another, financial decisions and the list goes on...

Our jobs in healthcare and all of our organizations for that matter probably are stressful in many ways. My thought is that you should not be stressed everyday though. That would be a terrible way to come to work and certainly would make you ineffective.

Jenny (my wife) and I were talking about this last night. She mentioned having more "zen" or relaxation space at work. So I looked up zen in the office on Google and found a company, Ballantyne that has a "Zen Den". I think it is a great idea. As Ballantyne sees it, managing workplace stress has never been more important than it is in today’s economic climate. The Zen Den aims to help tenants find the balance with a room in which they can relax, reflect and rejuvenate. The room has been created to provide a soothing environment with soft lighting, comfy seating and even a water feature. “We’re constantly looking for ways to improve the work lives of our clients,” says Amanda Schüss, general manager of Ballantyne Business Centers. “The Zen Den provides a place for them to escape their e-mail and ringing phones and sit and relax for a few peaceful moments.”

Last year, we updated and renovated our healing garden outside. We do have space next to our cafeteria for a Zen Den concept.

I would like your thoughts...let me know what you think could make this a respite at work even if just for a few minutes a day.

Relationship Based Management

2011-03-24T10:30:00.009-05:00

This morning I was walking around the hospital and stopped to speak with Michelle Meyer, our Manager for SJMC Carondelet Heart Institute (includes cath lab, EP lab, CV Prep and Recovery, EKG and Echo). Michelle is truly one of our exceptional leaders keeping the best interests of our patients, her team and the organization at heart. One of the things she shared with me has been the focus and balance on being an "advocate" for her team while ensuring the she manages the key aspects of her business (e.g., patient outcomes, safety, service, financial).

I really liked that balanced approach - advocating for her team and the organization. So I Googled Relationship Based Management just to see what I would find. The Centre for Innovation in Management described Relationship Based Management well. Although it is listed as a new philosophy, I think it has been an approach around for years with more recent acknowledgment of the long term benefits. They state:

While a new relationship-oriented management philosophy is evolving, command-and-control management still holds sway in the majority of our corporations. The CEO and executives see themselves as serving the interests and perspectives of all of the company's key stakeholders, not just investors. Management as a whole is focused on building strategically important relationships with stakeholders inside and outside the organization. The primary role of managers, rather than commanding and controlling corporate resources, is preserving and extending the relationships upon which the corporation depends.

Relationship-based management takes an integrated, long-term, company-wide approach to identifying and building relationships with strategically important stakeholders. Efforts are focused on creating opportunities for mutual benefit rather than buffering or protecting the company from the demands of stakeholders. Relationship building is directly linked to corporate values and business strategy.

Strong relationships can stimulate innovation, increase flexibility, reduce costs, and allow companies to respond quickly to changing customer requirements. A good reputation, based on sound relationships with customers and communities, means that companies can attract and keep the best employees. Enhanced loyalty and support from employees, customers, investors, and business partners translates into bottom line profits and long-term growth Relationships and the bottom line.

In the healthcare world, that means doing the right things for our patients in harmony with all our providers and key support areas. Thanks to Michelle and our other leaders for role modeling Relationship Based Management.

Bi-Plane Suite Status

2011-03-23T11:30:00.002-05:00

Take a look at Larry Reimer, our Facilities Manager, as he checks on things in our Neurointerventional Bi-Plane Suite set to open in a few weeks. Thank you to Jane Falk, Larry Rubin, our Facilities Team and our construction crew for their incredible work. The Blessing is set for April 25th.

Bi-plane angiography is an advanced x-ray system taking exceptional anatomical images used to diagnose and treat arteriovenous malformation (AVM) and aneurysms, as well as other vascular abnormalities. It is differentiated from traditional angiography by providing images from two different angles at the same time, significantly reducing procedure time, as well as risk to the patient.

We Define "Healthcare Athletes"

2011-03-22T21:06:00.006-05:00

I was approached today and asked if it was true that I had everyone move into a Yoga Tree Pose during our Safety Huddle.

Well, first let me explain the definitions of "healthcare" and athlete."

"Healthcare": The prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the preservation of mental and physical well-being through the services offered by the medical and allied health professions.

"Athlete": a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina

In so many ways we are truly athletes in healthcare or Healthcare Athletes. If you look at the definitions of "healthcare" and "athlete" above, isn't this what we do in healthcare. If we exchange some of the wording, it could read...A person who is trained or skilled in providing direct or indirect treatment and management of illness and the preservation of mental and physical well-being. This person requires clinical and technical training, physical strength, compassion, agility and stamina.

Sure, maybe I'm pushing it a bit, but am I that far off? I see the commitment, focus, training, compassion and endurance to go day after day providing care and support to those we serve.

So yes, today, during our Safety Huddle, I noticed our energy level was a little low this morning. The Tree pose helps with energy and balance - just what was needed to start our day. So, with caution, I asked everyone to slowly to move into the Yoga Tree Pose...no one fell so our days without employee injury continue!

As healthcare athletes, we need to stay active, manage our stress levels, eat well, stay disciplined on continuous improvement and stay focused on our own emotional and spiritual needs. Why? So we stay healthy and help others.

We take on a lot so I do think it is a fair assessment to think of ourselves as "Healthcare Athletes"...tennis anyone?

The National Quality Strategy

2011-03-21T20:58:00.003-05:00

On Monday, I spent the day in Dallas with my High Reliability Steering Committee (HRSC) co-chair, Dr. Charlie H., and several of my Ascension Health colleagues. We discussed the progress we've made on the HRSC and reported on the data we've collected and safety alerts for the system. In particular, how can we do a better job in each of these areas to make them more effective and meaningful. There is so much we are doing and so much more we are trying to to to improve quality and safety throughout our system. The ongoing challenge includes finding key ways to engage and roll-our to 117,000 associates in addition to our many thousands of physicians, volunteers, patients and families. One quote I enjoyed by Dr. David P., "Don't let perfect be the enemy of good. Err on the side of safety." We know that our intention is good and we know there is much work that needs to be done. We also need to be mindful to take on what we can within the resources we have at the time.

After our discussion, I was encouraged to read the release on Monday from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the National Strategy for Quality Improvement in Health Care (National Quality Strategy). In many ways, we've said some of the same things in a different way - improve the health of your community by delivering high quality care in a cost effective manner.

According to the release, the strategy was called for under the Affordable Care Act and is the first effort to create national aims and priorities to guide local, state, and national efforts to improve the quality of health care in the United States.

The National Quality Strategy will promote quality health care that is focused on the needs of patients, families, and communities. At the same time, the strategy is designed to move the system to work better for doctors and other health care providers – reducing their administrative burdens and helping them collaborate to improve care. The strategy presents three aims for the health care system:

Better Care: Improve the overall quality, by making health care more patient-centered, reliable, accessible, and safe.
Healthy People and Communities: Improve the health of the U.S. population by supporting proven interventions to address behavioral, social, and environmental determinants of health in addition to delivering higher-quality care.

Affordable Care: Reduce the cost of quality health care for individuals, families, employers, and government.

To help achieve these aims, the strategy also establishes six priorities, to help focus efforts by public and private partners. Those priorities are:

Making care safer by reducing harm caused in the delivery of care.
Ensuring that care engages each person and family as partners.
Ensuring that each person and family are engaged as partners in their care.
Promoting the most effective prevention and treatment practices for the leading causes of mortality, starting with cardiovascular disease.
Working with communities to promote wide use of best practices to enable healthy living.
Making quality care more affordable for individuals, families, employers, and governments by developing and spreading new health care delivery models.

The National Quality Strategy is just one piece of a broader effort by the Obama Administration to improve the quality of health care, and will serve as a tool to better coordinate quality initiatives between public and private partners. For example, the Affordable Care Act established a new Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation that will test innovative care and service delivery models. These new models are being tested to determine if they will improve the quality of care and reduce program expenditures for Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Many of us already have things in place to address many if not all of these areas. What are your thoughts on the release? How will it change things in your organization?

Who Left the Oil Cap off?

2011-03-20T18:40:00.004-05:00

This past week, I had the chance to present, via Skype, to the Healthcare Management class with Brown Mackie College in Phoenix, Arizona. We discussed the national health policies and the impact of healthcare reform on hospitals and the communities served. We also discussed the core role of ensuring quality and safety to our patients.

As we talked about what it means to be a highly reliable organization, I enjoyed the example one of the students made regarding an oil change company. The oil cap was left off at the end of service and oil started spilling all over when she drove away. How could this have negatively impacted her? Others in the area? Who would have been responsible if she or others were hurt? What additional information would you need to know?

The main take away points:

- Improving quality is a journey

- Understand an organization's focus and priority with their quality and safety initiatives

- Understand your role in contributing to the improved quality and safety in your personal and professional lives

Back to the oil change...any thoughts on my questions?

Pinched!

2011-03-17T09:16:00.002-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day. Yes, I forgot to wear green however 3 West's Krystal and Regina found and pinched me!

Relationship-Based Care Unit

2011-03-16T21:23:00.003-05:00

We are getting excited about the upcoming opening of our 16 Bed Relationship-Based Care Unit. Nan W., our Director of Nursing provides a preview update in this video.

What a Day to Celebrate

2011-03-15T17:10:00.004-05:00

What a day of celebration...

We did well on our TJC survey, a reflection of our collective efforts.

We celebrated our Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet Health with a Prayer Service this afternoon, commemorating 175 years in the United States and 145 years in Kansas City.

And...we celebrated 490 years, yes 490 years of service during our monthly employee recognition luncheon. The lunch is for all associates reaching every 5 year mark.

Check out our employees and number of years with our organization - we have five 30 year heroes:

Five Years:
- Carol Morgan
- Holly Skelton
- David Clark
- Lane Anderson
- Silvia Henriquez
- Yolanda Ross
- Amber Stalcup

Ten Years:
- James Hartness
- Amanda Hocker
- Elena Desiatkin
- David Reece
- Kathleen Mulcahy
- Lartagnan McKinzy
- Cathy Ford
- Beth Preuett
- Harpreet Singh
- Denise Lipschuetz
- Jeanette Cole
- Debbie Maranto

Fifteen Years:
- Jerry Lormis
- Phyllis Morris
- Rosaline Munoz
- Teresa Pettet
- Linda West

Twenty Years:
- Bernadette Sears
- Phillip Lytle
- Lisa Thacker

Twenty Five Years:
- Martha Cochran
- Wanderer Palma

Thirty Years:
- Vinson Liffick
- Spencer Lance
- Doris Bergman
- Margaret Elliott
- Joyce Kempf

Please join me in congratulating everyone. What a great day to celebrate.

Patient Experience on the Rise

2011-03-15T16:57:00.005-05:00

According to GALLUP, the optimal patient experience, what all all customers and patients want is the fulfillment of four psychological elements:

Confidence reflects the belief that patients can always trust the hospital to deliver on its promises.
Integrity reflects the belief that the hospital always treats patients fairly and will satisfactorily resolve any problems that might occur.
Pride reflects the degree to which a patient feels good about using the hospital and about how using the hospital reflects on them.
Passion reflects the belief that the hospital is irreplaceable and an integral part of patients' lives.

The patient experience is not only what all hospital strive to improve, it may also impact the way we get paid in the future through Value Based Purchasing. Cynde G. and Deb O., our Chief Nursing Officers of St. Joseph Medical Center and Mary's Medical Center worked with Ginger B., our VP of Strategy & Business Development to re-focus our efforts with the patient experience. They recommended that each department stay focused on three patient experience priorities and stick with them for at least 6 months or longer to allow for greater impact. The results have been very positive in both hospitals.

Congratulations to the following departments at SJMC that are already meeting stretch goals for the year (our fiscal year ends in June) - I know your great efforts will continue:

- Cath Lab

- CT Scan

- GI Lab

- MRI

- Outpatient Surgery

We have realized improvements in many areas:

Department change in net promoter scores from Quarter 2 to Quarter 3:

- Inpatient Overall +2.2

- Mother Baby +7.5

- 2 North +8.3

- 4 North +10.4

- 4 South +8.2

- 4 West +28.9...this is amazing!

- Outpatient Overall +0.9

- CT Scan +6.2

- MRI +9.6

- Ultrasound +2.4

- ER +2.4

- Outpatient Surgery +5.7

I look forward to hearing some of the initiatives with patient and customer experience in your organization.

TJC - Day 2 Wrap-up

2011-03-15T14:56:00.004-05:00

A Note Shared with our Team:

We just finished meeting with our TJC Life Safety Survey. I am pleased to share that we did very well as a hospital and it certainly is reflective of your compassion, leadership and commitment to St. Joseph Medical Center and Carondelet Health. Our final report should be back from TJC over the next couple of weeks.

This certainly is reason to celebrate and we will plan a celebration hospital-wide in the coming weeks. A special thank you to Larry R., VP, Facilities Management, Rachelle B., Regional Director of Quality & Process Improvement and their respective teams. You led us through this ongoing journey and your many extra hours are greatly appreciated.

Thank you again for your leadership, serving our mission and centering your work on the patients we serve.

"Beyond the horizon of time is a changed world, very different from today’s world. Some people see beyond that horizon and into the future. They believe that dreams can become reality. They open our eyes and lift our spirits. They build trust and strengthen our relationships. They stand firm against the wind of resistance and give us the courage to continue the quest. We call these people leaders (Kouzes and Posner, Public Policy & Practice, 1995)."

TJC Life Safety Survey Day 1

2011-03-14T17:45:00.004-05:00

Just an update following day one of our Joint Commission Life Safety Survey. The following went out to our team:

Once again, we should be proud...our Life Safety Survey went well today - this is the first of two days. Our surveyor was very complimentary of our team. We shared some follow-up items at our wrap-up meeting today. Please speak with your manager for the details.

After our wrap-up tomorrow, I will send out a note to all. Thank you again for your commitment to the safe care we provide each and every day.

Lessons from a Polar Bear

2011-03-13T17:26:00.003-05:00

This afternoon my kids and took part in the Martin City St. Patrick's Day parade. My family was asked to ride on the Zoo Tram handing out stickers and waving to the crowd. It was great watching one of the volunteers as he tried to set-up the inflatable Polar Bear. First, he actually went inside and a portable machine blew it up. When he started straining his back, he stepped out of the bear and held it in place as it was a major showcase for the parade. I was so impressed to hear him say that he was a volunteer with the zoo and hoped to shape the experience of visitors. And today, he wanted to shape the experience of those watching the parade.

This reminded me of the role every volunteer, associate and physician plays in hospitals. We all play a role in shaping the experience of our patients. This is evaluated through HCAHPS (pronounced “H-caps”), also known as the CAHPS® Hospital Survey. It is a survey instrument and data collection methodology for measuring patients’ perceptions of their hospital experience.

And back at the parade...I noticed that the larger your wave and louder your cheers, the better the parade experience was for the spectators. Enjoy celebrating St. Patrick's Day this week.

Ok Team, Let's Get Serious

2011-03-12T16:48:00.005-06:00

Yesterday I was having a catch with my daughters. We were trying to see how many consecutive times we could catch the ball - of course I dropped the ball most often. Skyler spoke up and said, "Ok team, let's get serious." That pep talk alone worked for Sydney. I was still the issue. Then Sydney took the coaching to the next level. She asked us to come together, close our eyes and see ourselves catching the ball with two hands, for 18 times (17 was our prior record). Providing imagery and vision at an early age. I was impressed and back in the game...we made it to 25 catches.

Teams are so critical for furthering our efforts in healthcare. We have the daily opportunity and obligation to watch after one other and coach/guide each other as needed as we further our mission and vision. We have all experienced both the good and bad traits of teams. Certainly, the teams that gel and support each others' efforts, usually make the greatest gains over time.

I enjoyed the following 7 traits of high performance teams from Cynthia Clay, the President/CEO of NetSpeed Leadership:

1. Shared Purpose and Direction

On a high-performing team, everyone on the team is committed to the team's purpose. They know exactly what that purpose is because the team leader keeps them focused by constantly communicating that purpose in team meetings and regular updates. The team leader helps each individual team member meet his or new own needs while serving the overall purpose of the team.

2. Motivating Goals

The team leader ensures that everyone on the team has clearly defined goals and targets. In some organizations, the strategic goals and departmental objectives are determined by senior management. In that case, the team leader makes sure that these goals are clearly discussed. Team members should understand how their jobs support the achievement of the defined goals, and, if possible, have the opportunity to develop individual goals and action plans that spell out how they will contribute to the success of the organization.

3. Commitment to Individual and Team Roles

On a Total Team, team members have clearly defined expectations but they also understand how each of their roles is linked to every other role. Team leaders ensure that team members are cross-trained in other responsibilities so that everyone can back each other up when needed. The team leader makes sure that individual job responsibilities are fulfilled, but, at the same time, works to help the individuals develop a common language, processes and approaches that allow them to function as a team.

4. Multi-Directional Communication

On the best teams, team members solve problems, communicate with each other, and keep the team leader updated on current challenges or emerging issues. On low-performing teams, communication is one-way (from team leader to team members) or two-way (between the team leader and individuals). Skilled leaders focus on developing multi-directional communication, avoiding the trap of communicating with individual members of the team.

5. Authority to Decide or Act

No doubt about it, new teams may have to earn this authority by demonstrating that they understand the team's purpose, processes and priorities. However, effective team leaders work toward pushing authority for the team's outcomes to the team members. Team members know how and when to get approval for decisions and, in the best of cases, are charged with making on-the-spot decisions when a customer is facing them. On low-performing teams, team members have to constantly get approval before taking action, significantly reducing their effectiveness and negatively affecting their sense of engagement on the team.

6. Reliance on Diverse Talents

Savvy team leaders pay attention to helping team members understand their unique strengths, talents, and weaknesses. No individual team member can be good at everything. The best team leaders assist everyone to develop an appreciation for individual style differences, natural gifts, and personal experience. Teams are encouraged to use the language of acceptance and appreciation, rather than criticism and judgment. Team leaders consciously hire team members who bring complementary skill sets, unique experience, and diverse perspectives.

7. Mutual Support and Trust

The seventh characteristic may be the most important, and frankly, is probably the most elusive. The team leader can't force a team to be supportive and trusting--it's a natural result of shared responsibility, shared success, and mutual respect. The high-performing team achieves mutual support and trust because they have a history of working together to achieve grand dreams and results. They have met challenges, overcome obstacles, backed each other up in good times and bad. The Total Team has earned each other's trust.

Building a high-performing team is not an easy task. However, if you're a team leader that is up to the challenge, then consciously focus on developing these seven characteristics. Bring them to your next team meeting and ask team members to evaluate them. How do you know whether each of these characteristics is present or absent on your team? What is the team willing to do to develop these seven characteristics? Then ask the individuals on your team to commit to 3 - 5 specific actions they will take in the next 60 days. Revisit these commitments regularly and see what develops.

Ok team, let's get serious!

Deployed - One of Our Own

2011-03-11T19:44:00.008-06:00

We all woke up to hear about the earthquake in Japan. Just devastating.

Tonight I heard from Collette C., RN, one of our exceptional House Supervisors. When Collette is managing our hospital in the evening or weekends, we know we are in safe hands. You may also remember Collette from my blog entry, On Influence and Humility.

You see, others know of Collette's superior skills as well...our National Disaster Medical System where she serves as an Emergency RN. She is on her way to the west coast with the federal disaster team. At this point she may be in California, Hawaii or possibly Japan. It is her first federal deployment. She let me know that she is so proud to be a part of St. Joseph Medical Center.

Well, Collette, we could not be prouder of you for representing our hospital, our healthcare system, our nation, our World.

Be safe. We can't wait to see you back home.

Mission Leaders

2011-03-09T15:47:00.000-06:00

All organizations have missions, typically found in their mission statement. This past week I had a couple people discussing "mission leaders" with me. Interestingly enough, both of them hold executive positions in Mission Services in their organization - Michael S. with Carondelet Health and Laura R. with Ascension Health.

The question companies typically try to answer - How are we different? How do we truly distinguish what we do from companies with similar services? Typically someone goes to a hospital for surgery, an emergency room visit, outpatient procedure, lab, x-rays, etc. It is expected that the quality of care and outcome will be good. So how do we differ and distinguish ourselves? How do we share our mission?

There are times that the "mission leaders" needs to point out or articulate things we already doing to serve our mission. The same holds true as for the things we could do better to serve our mission. Many organizations may not have formal "mission leaders." You should count on your executives to serve this role. And as organizations progress, we need everyone moving and improving their comfort in serving as mission leaders.

I look forward to hearing your stories as a mission leader.

What's the ROI on Collaborating with Competitors?

2011-03-04T08:14:00.007-06:00

What's the ROI (Return on Investment) for competing? How many dollars do we waste on competing? Sure, we all know we live in a competitive world. We do it in our personal lives and certainly do it in the healthcare arena. Could we all get a greater ROI and deliver better care through collaboration?

I was having breakfast with a friend and local hospital competitor and this very discussion came up. There are 23 hospital competitors in the KC region alone. During the breakfast it was evident that we had a good sense of each others strategies and vision for the future. But what is the cost to compete and how much truly brings value back to the "winning" organization? I know of many companies who complete. Some even compete against themselves in a system (and not in a friendly competitive way) - a business philosophy I never understood unless an organization could show they are tuly better overall because of the internal undermining!

Over the next 10 years, hospitals will be hit by $155 Billion. According to a recent article in The NY Times, "For their part, the hospitals agreed to help defray the costs of the legislation by agreeing to contribute $155 billion over 10 years, largely by accepting lower payments under the Medicare program for older Americans."

Well, how are we going to make this happen without doing things much differently than we do today - it will not be a quick fix or just one thing we will do differently. It will involve truly understanding our mission and purpose, assessing our our core business strengths, key strategies and overall priorities. I do think a lot will come from staying focused and disciplined on this assessment and implementation of strategies.

Some markets are doing this better than others and we could certainly learn from them. Check out Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality as one example.

How they Advance the WCHQ Mission:
WCHQ members and stakeholders join together to measure the quality and affordability of healthcare services in Wisconsin. We publicly report these measurement results through our online Performance & Progress Report. We see performance measurement and public reporting as vital, dual mechanisms for promoting greater transparency, improvement, efficiency and equity within healthcare.

Is it naive to think we could work more collaboratively with our competitors, at least on some programs? Is that the future? So many people may shy way from those conversations instead of addressing what really concerns them....you will "steal my business away from me." and if that is the key fear, then put in on the table and address what will happen with the collaboration if that concern becomes a reality.

I look forward to hearing ways you work collaboratively with your competitors.

The Beautiful People

2011-03-03T15:57:00.002-06:00

We had a great time at Talbots where the proceeds went towards our upcoming fundraiser for the St. Joseph Medical Center Breast Center. A great time was had by all. Jane H., my fearless Executive Assistant (shown above with the orange scarf) served as one of the fashion show models for the evening. Oh, and she also took the liberty in naming this blog entry (she made it clear that I was not referenced in the blog title)!

Pictured above:

Me, Jenny (my spouse), Jane (#6) and Jane's mother and daughter.

Music to My Ears

2011-03-03T10:03:00.004-06:00

My job offers such variety on a daily basis.

Last night, I was speaking with one of our Nursing Managers, Sarah C. We were discussing our Organ Donation process. Afterwards, she let me know that she is an Opera Singer - so cool. She is bringing in one of her DVDs for my listening pleasure - I can't wait to hear it.

This morning, I attended the Ethic Committee meeting. There was great discussion on the use of Clinical Ethical consults and ways we could build and improve it's role and relevance in our organization. Michael S., our VP for Mission Integration also discussed how this will fit well within our efforts as a High Reliability Organization - true "music to my ears". During the meeting, I heard guitar playing with a "tenor" sounding alarm going off approximately every 30 seconds.

When I left the Ethics meeting I went next door and found the alarm noise. One of our nursing groups was getting an in-service on its use. I asked Stacey K, one of our other Nurse Managers where they were playing the guitar. She let me know it was coming from next door. So, on my way I went again....and there it was a guitar player sharing his music with one of our support group.

Such great music to my ears all morning long...and it still had not hit 8 a.m.

Hunting for Wabbits

2011-02-28T10:33:00.007-06:00

This past weekend I participated in an Indoor Triathlon. Sandy C., the prior winner of this event for several straight years, stated after taking second place, "these are always humbling events".

Each of us challenging ourselves and one another. All trying to better ourselves - that could mean over a prior race, the accomplishment of finishing, the challenge of going against long time favorites, etc. In a many ways, it felt like we are "Hunting for Wabbits" as they used to say on Bugs Bunny. The constant challenge of wanting more and the desire to be better than yesterday. Needless to say there were a lot of fast rabbits that day...I was just one of the dogs chasing the rabbits.

In our professional world, hospitals are very similar. It is that constant journey of challenging ourselves to do better than the day, the week, the year before. As we follow our mission and key strategies, we have a constant tension and balance among the competing priorities - all while staying true to our core purpose.

It made me think of the following article, Enterprise is Better Than Ease by Jim Rohn.

If we are involved in a project, how hard should we work at it? How much time should we put in?

Our philosophy about activity and our attitude about hard work will affect the quality of our lives. What we decide about the rightful ratio of labor to rest will establish a certain work ethic. That work ethic - our attitude about the amount of labor we are willing to commit to future fortune - will determine how substantial or how meager that fortune turns out to be.

Enterprise is always better than ease. Every time we choose to do less than we could, this error in judgment has an effect on our self-confidence. Repeated every day, we soon find ourselves not only doing less than we should, but also being less than we could. The accumulative effect of this error in judgment can be devastating.

Fortunately, it is easy to reverse the process.

Any day we choose we can develop a new discipline of doing rather than neglecting. Every time we choose action over ease or labor over rest, we develop an increasing level of self-worth, self-respect and self-confidence. In the final analysis, it is how we feel about ourselves that provides the greatest reward from any activity. It is not what we get that makes us valuable, it is what we become in the process of doing that brings value into our lives. It is activity that converts human dreams into human reality, and that conversion from idea into actuality gives us a personal value that can come from no other source.

So feel free to not only engage in enterprise, but also to enjoy it to its fullest along with all the benefits that are soon to come!

TJC Day 4 Wrap-up: Our Patients are in Great Hands

2011-02-25T17:25:00.005-06:00

A note I shared today with our associates, volunteers and medical staff:

Day 4 of our Joint Commission survey has come to an end.

Wow...we did exceptionally well. Kudos to all of our associates, physicians, Board members and volunteers. The surveyors shared that our team should be extremely proud of the work we have done over the past three years. They were very impressed with everyone they met. This is great cause to celebrate and continue to manage to our high standards.

We still have our Life Safety Survey pending. This will also be unannounced. Once that survey is complete, we will know how we did overall.

Again, congratulations on your amazing work. I am so proud and appreciate all that you do to live out our mission. Our patients are in great hands at St. Joseph Medical Center & Carondelet Health.

Rachelle, Susan, Lindsay, Larry, Cynde, Jane and Nan - thank you for your non-stop leadership and guidance leading up to and through this week!

Do We Get To See a Real Heart?

2011-02-25T10:45:00.005-06:00

What an amazing day we had with the 4th graders from Prairie Star Elementary. Due to weather (our 8th snowstorm), Lone Jack Elementary was unable to attend. The kids learned about eating healthy, how we take care of patients, how they can take care of themselves and a crowd favorite...they had a chance to see an animal heart. This was put on by the Carondelet Heart Institute and Kansas City Heart Foundation. Thank you Barb L. and Dr. Eric H. for leading a great event.

Details went out in a press release:

Children Learn about Healthy Hearts at the Carondelet Heart Institute

What’s an echocardiogram? What does my heart sound like through a stethoscope? What is “blood pressure” and what does it mean? Fifty students from Lone Jack Elementary School and 100 students from Prairie Star Elementary will be learning the answers to those questions, and a lot more about heart health during the Kansas City Heart Foundation’s Your Healthy Heart event at the Carondelet Heart Institute at St. Joseph Medical Center on Friday, February 25, 10-11:45 a.m.

The day is the highlight of a week-long program sponsored by the Kansas City Heart Foundation. In the days preceding the field trip, nurses and other health professionals visit the classrooms to teach the students about the anatomy of the heart, risk factors for developing heart disease and how to reduce those risks.

During Your Healthy Heart at St. Joseph, the students will visit eight interactive stations covering topics such as cardiac rehab, pacemakers/stents and blood pressure and EKG checks. Students will also learn how to prepare easy, heart healthy snacks.

“Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States,” says Eric Hockstad, MD, cardiologist and president of the Kansas City Heart Foundation. “By educating children on the importance of heart health we can show them how to develop habits now that will help prevent heart disease later in life. We’ve received a lot of positive feedback from the parents of students who have participated in this program in the past. They tell us that the information their children have brought home has inspired the whole family to take better care of their hearts.”

Thank you to the many volunteers, physicians, nurses, staff, Kansas City Heart Foundation and Prairie Star's Principal Farthing for making today event possible...and a major success.

Check out the great pictures from the event as Seen in the Kansas City Star.

Still Smiling After the Kaizen Event

2011-02-25T10:34:00.007-06:00

Attendees:

Cynde Gamache, Collette Culver, Yolanda Ross, Carolyn Stewart, Abby Kurtz, Angela Dreckmeier, Catherine Gieseke, Denise Camacho, Linda Fleeks, Vikki Hinkle, Donna Sumner, Susan Ward, Lindsay Alexander, Rachelle Babin

Thank you Lean Team...a picture from the Kaizen Event team:
Discharge Room Turnover Process

This team redesigned our process making the it so much smoother as patients flow through our system. The team identified a plan to reduce the bed turnover time by 70%. This helps our ability to place a new patient needing an inpatient bed. Just amazing work.

Thank you to all who participated. This was a huge undertaking.

The Fit Execs and Companies of Kansas City

2011-02-23T21:09:00.012-06:00

It's that time of year again...Ingram's second annual Fittest Execs and Fittest Companies Challenge. The "fittest" individuals, "fittest" teams and "most improved" teams are posted above.

A special acknowledgment to the high scores in each category:

- Dermatology & Skin Care Center

- A. Zahner Co.

- Glen Posladek

- Eileen Mertz

- Scott Strohm

- Joyce Goldstein

And of course, a special shout out to the team members who represented us at St. Joseph Medical Center under Cynde G., our CNO's leadership. This year, the SJMC team placed 9th on overall improvement out of 40 teams. Larry R. and Cynde G. both placed in the Top 10 most improved for their age category...amazing work!

Congratulations to everyone who participated. As a community we can continue to promote health and learn from each other.

Go Lean Team....Graduating Class Celebrates

2011-02-23T18:04:00.005-06:00

Today we had the graduation of our first Lean Six Sigma graduates who all received their Green Belt certification today. Our training was in collaboration with Johnson County Community College - thank you JCCC! The Graduates reporting on 5 projects that will positively impact our quality, safety, patient flow, satisfaction, growth and financial improvement. We will continue to build on our culture of high reliability. Congratulation Graduates:

- Lisa M.
- Jesse A.
- Amy M.
- Jeff K.
- Mindy C.
- Faith P.
- Lee V.
- Jenn L.
- Brad S.
- Andrew B.
- Lori B.
- Barbara B.
- Cynde G.
- Susan W.
- Vikki H.
- Donna S.

Thank you Lindsay, Rachelle, Russ and the JCCC Leadership team. Amazing work by everyone.

TJC Day 2 - Sharing Our Story

2011-02-23T09:23:00.004-06:00

Surveys by any regulatory agency can add stress to the day. I met with our TJC surveyors this morning and they shared observations, recommendations and best practices from yesterday. The common theme - when we share our story, why we provide the care the way we do and how we go about providing it, those are best practices. And the key is not only learning from the surveyors. We keep learning from other departments across the hospital and from other hospitals.

Last week I met with several large health systems to discuss new and "better" practices towards improving the healthy food and drink options in each of our facilities (e.g., "Fryless" Fridays). Even though a few of us are competitors, we found common ground and were able to discuss ways that we could help improve the health of our own workplaces and our communities as a whole.

The Joint Commission survey allows another forum for those shared ideas and practices.

Day One Wrap-up - TJC Survey

2011-02-22T18:13:00.008-06:00

The TJC Survey is going well. We had amazing support throughout the day. During the opening session, I provided a prayer/reflection as this is part of our tradition in Catholic healthcare. Our Sisters put together the "Safety Prayer" that was handed out to our leadership team this past summer. This is a traditional prayer we utilize in our Daily Safety Huddles. I had chills and truly felt lifted off my seat when I started the prayer and everyone, without prompting, joined in with me. It was an amazing feeling of collaboration and support of each other. Lots of great sharing of best practices throughout the day.

Rachelle, Lindsay and Susan - thank you for your leadership. You all were amazing leaders today.

Our team truly represented our mission, values and community well.

Excitement in the Air

2011-02-22T08:04:00.003-06:00

Excitement in The Air - Today marks the start of our TJC Survey. The survey allows us the opportunity to learn where we could improve and showcase our great Programs and Services.

First Time in Years

2011-02-20T19:37:00.007-06:00

I get asked regularly when the change will stop or slow down. We know change is inevitable. Certainly the challenge is changing in a sustainable fashion. How do we talk through the change so we are continuously ready for the potential unknowns?

Just recently, I read of several "first time" events or "first time in --- years:"

- In NFL news back in January, it was the "first time in 10 years" that both conference championships were decided by a touchdown or less

- In Colorado Springs: Commercial real estate values plunge for the "first time in 20 years"

- In Boston, "it was the first time (in 30 years) since 1980 that Boston Marathon qualifying times have changed.

And in North Carolina, the General Assembly reconvened in January with a new Republican leadership - the first Republican-controlled state legislature since 1898..."first time in over 100 years".

In our healthcare world, back in January, McDermott Will & Emory shared:

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a proposed rule that would reward hospitals for providing safe and high quality patient care. The proposed rule, required under Section 3001 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, would provide higher payments to hospitals that perform well on certain quality measures relating to both clinical process and patient experience of care. The head of CMS, Donald Berwick, says the proposed rule would constitute “a huge leap forward in improving the quality and safety of America’s hospitals for both Medicare beneficiaries and all Americans.”

This program, known as the hospital inpatient value-based purchasing program, would apply to Medicare payments under the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) for inpatient stays in more than 3,000 acute care hospitals beginning in FY 2013 and applicable to payments for discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2012. The incentive payments to acute care hospitals would be based either on how well a hospital performs on certain quality measures or, alternatively, how much a hospital’s performance improves on certain quality measures from their performance during a baseline period. The higher a hospital’s performance or improvement during the performance period for a fiscal year, the higher the hospital’s value-based incentive payment for the fiscal year would be.

Without a doubt, things will continue to change. It could be days or many years. The key will be the way we work together towards impacting those changes. Certainly there will be times when we don't get it right and other times where it could not have been smoother. I am always impressed when groups get back together to work through ways it could be better when things don't work out the "planned" way. That is the future I predict - one that encourages constant dialogue on the possibilities with change - both good and bad - and the ways we plan on impacting and influencing our own destinies.

Have any "first time in years" stories you care to share?

Creators & Dependents

2011-02-18T10:48:00.004-06:00

Did you check out the moon this morning. It was really amazing and made me pause to take it in today. Sure, I have seen many full moons. For some reason today it really struck me. I knew I was on the way to a good start of the day.

This morning, I rounded on some patient care units. This is one of the most enjoyable parts of my job. Every day brings new energy. It gives me a chance to stay present and get a sense of what's working well along with top priorities in each area. We really do amazing things in healthcare. I even had the opportunity to see a patient playing a guitar to stay relaxed through his treatment.

As I heard about the work everyone was doing, it reminded me of a dialogue I had with our leadership team. When are we creators/co-creators of our work (taking the lead) and when are we dependent (taking the lead from others).

For me, when I think about this I immediately go to the life at home and the life at work. At work, my natural inclination is creator/co-creator and at home, dependent!

Several months ago I launched Lean Six Sigma training with our Regional Director and Coordinator in the Quality & PI department. There is so much more work that still needs to be done as we become a more highly reliable organization on our journey towards becoming a Patient Safety Organization. This week, I sat in on a Kaizen event led by other executives in our organization with a multidisciplinary group working with them. I sat in and observed feeling present and truly dependent on their work for our success. It was actually an amazing feeling to be dependent on them and knowing the work would progress even better with them as the new "co-creators".

On a lighter note, at home, my spouse is the CEO, COO, CMO, CNO and Chief Safety Officer. Our family is dependent on her to shape and guide our family efforts. Now, please note that I do get to play Accountant in my home - my son is our CIO and daughters serve as dual VPs for Marketing & Fun. The one thing my kids let me keep - the creator of rides and funny stories in the evening.

As we all experience challenges in our organizations and outside of work, what could we learn from each other as creators and dependents?

Care 2 Share: Ongoing Generosity...

2011-02-17T17:25:00.006-06:00

Front row: Millie W., Jan F., Lester S., Kathy F., Margie M.
Second row: Tinna M., Sister Laverne, Sheryl W., Jackie B., Joyce G., Sister Margaret, Lisa T., Carol N.

From our Foundation Office:
As a wrap up to our Care 2 Share Employee Giving campaign, we gathered a random group of longtime foundation donors. Together, this group of employees (along with the total list shown below) - who are holding the year they started giving - have contributed over $165,000.

Not only do these employees exemplify our mission, vision and values, they put it into action with a financial investment in St. Joseph Medical Center. Their donations support our patients and associates. Seventy-five percent of their gifts go back to fellow employees through the CARE Fund and education funds.

Thank you to all our associates who live our mission everyday and help sustain the healthcare ministry of St. Joseph Medical Center.

Combined Group:

Sr. Laverne Aufmuth
Rebecca Askew
Jackie Bailey
Lorraine Bennetts
Peggy Clear
Candy Brown
Dawn Coleman
Valerie Dame
Anita Davis
Sharon Dorsey
Jeanette Fletcher
Jan Foster
Kathy Frost
Kathleen Gee
Joyce Glasser
Kim Goodloe
Sharon Goudeau
Kathleen Gutteridge
Jeff Hibschle
Mary Hubert
Louann Huffman
Annetta Johnson
Joyce Kempf
Cyndi Scott
Pam Scovill
Jon Scribner
Gabrielle Smits
Lester Stevenson
Brad Struemph
Donna Sumner
Lisa Thacker
Lisa Thayer
Barbara Trester
Margaret Vincent
Susan Walker
Nancy Walrafen
Sheryl Willer
Millie Wyatt
Georgia Zeller

Kaizen Event

2011-02-14T13:46:00.002-06:00

Check out Cynde G., (center-sitting) and Donna S. (center-standing) leading our Kaizen event to further improve our process from discharge to room turnover. This is part of a larger LEAN Six Sigma initiative to improve patient flow for patients admitted into the hospital. The group is made up of a multi-disciplinary team with people closest to the work.

Way to go Team. We can't wait for the report out on all your efforts.

Have a process change you are working on in your department? Let's hear about it.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T07:25:00.004-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day. I was surprised to find in the Kansas City Star today that marriage has dwindled to an all time low since tracking it 100 years ago. In addition, the average age for marriage is also at an all time high - 28 for men and 26 for women.

An interesting comparison to healthcare - we are realizing a higher percentages of "marriages" in the form of employment, professional service agreements and co-management arrangements. Similar to marriage, the hope is aligning common values toward a shared vision. And more physicians towards the end of their careers are finding themselves entering these "marriages" with the quick changing environment in reimbursement and pay for performance.

Enjoy your Valentine's Day.

Carondelet Heart Institute - SJMC's February Visionary Winner

2011-02-11T13:48:00.003-06:00

Way to go Carondelet heart Institute (CHI). They are St. Joseph Medical Center's Visionary Award winner for the month of February.

CHI provides exceptional care and has realized tremendous growth this past year. Our patient satisfaction scores are excellent.

CHI is also in the process of expanding and adding new services. A new Cardiac PET (or cardiac positron emission tomography) was just installed along with the start-up of our Device Clinic.

I will keep you posted on the future expansion of the Heart Institute as plans progress.

The team is shown above with David I., CHI's Chief Executive Officer (center), Amy M., Director and Michelle M., Cath Lab Manager, holding the award.

Tradition!

2011-02-08T23:32:00.004-06:00

Through my organization, I participate in a weekly on-line dialogue with several associates and physicians others across our system. This week has been interesting with a discussion on Tradition (in reference to Richard Gaillardetz's book, By What Authority).

Chapter three references four traditions that can be found in our lives - they could certainly be applied to our personal and professional lives:

- The "Literal" sense of Tradition (sense of stability over time that is dominant)

- The sense of Tradition as Development-in-Continuity (aspects of tradition that give evidence of significant growth and development)

- The sense of Tradition as a Reversal of Past Beliefs and Practices (the dramatic discontinuity or reversal of positions)

- The sense of Tradition as Novel (openness of new, not just preservation of the "old")

Are you aware of the traditions you will always follow? Are there traditions you challenge or want to develop? Are there Novel ones that will one day be the Traditions of Reversal?

How do we keep them all in balance when they are in a constant state of movement?

I-C-U baby...I-C-U!

2011-02-02T18:55:00.006-06:00

So many great stories have been floating since our weather challenge the past couple days. I will give more details of the evening over the coming days.

Today, I shared with our team that Johnny, one of our nutrition services associates was at work Wednesday morning after the major storm. I thanked him for being there and he instantly turned to me and said, hey Scott, isn't that why we are all here, I-C-U baby...I-C-U (referring to our Values: Integrity - Compassion - Unity)!

Let me share just a couple of stories that came my way today. Please send your stories so I could share them as well.

_____________________

I didn't have to come to work yesterday but came today to hear how everyone pulled together to make everything work out for everyone. The employees who slept here overnight went so far to say they actually had "fun".

Thanks to all those who so well supported the staff and patients!

Kathy, RN

___________________________

My nurse, walked to work this morning….yep, walked!! She got her car stuck last night on the way home and was stranded until 1am and left her car and walked the rest of the way home. She knew she had to be at work this morning and so she just walked all the way here. She is new to St. Joseph (been here for only a few months) and her level of dedication to the patients and the organization is amazing. She is a hard worker and always a joy to be around. I just wanted you to know that this is another example of how awesome our employees are….I-C-U baby!!

Thanks,

Sarah, RN, MSN, CCRN

____________

So the next time your caught in a major situation with a need for all hands on deck, just remember why we do this: I-C-U baby...I-C-U!

State of Emergency Declared: Living our Values

2011-02-01T20:05:00.009-06:00

Kansas City, Missouri has declared as state of emergency with our worst blizzard in years.

Our Values at St. Joseph Medical Center: Integrity - Compassion - Unity

I will tell you that today is just one of those days that stands out and makes me so proud. Our SJMC Team pulled together to ensure our a smooth day under very trying weather conditions.

Our collective efforts were just amazing. Since 7a the planning started with extended plans to get us through our shifts tomorrow - it was "All Hands on Deck." Everyone lending a hand to keep our patients safe....to keep each other safe. Tonight, we housed over 120 associates, volunteers and physicians who wanted to make sure we stayed safe to provide care and support for today and tomorrow. It's really impressive to see how many spaces were identified as overnight rest/sleep areas!

Days like today, are true tests of our mission and values. Without a doubt, our team rose to the occasion. A special thank you to the incredible associates, volunteers and physicians from St. Joseph Medical Center and Carondelet Health.

Employee Wellness Programs Should be Designed for All

2011-01-31T18:02:00.003-06:00

Thank you John Commins from HealthLeaders Media , January 31, 2011...

The American Hospital Association issued a report this month on the status of wellness programs at the nation’s hospitals. It’s worth reading, even though the findings are less than encouraging.

As my HealthLeaders Media colleague Cheryl Clark notes, the AHA’s report, A Call to Action: Creating a Culture of Health, finds that most healthcare systems in the U.S. offer wellness programs of varying intensity and enthusiasm to their employees. Few, however, measure outcomes and fewer still have engrained healthy behaviors as part of their employees’ culture.
That sounds discouraging, but it shouldn’t be. The wellness movement in the workplace is a relatively new but simple concept: Improving employee health will reduce the growth of healthcare costs, and other ancillary costs, like absenteeism. The problem is not the wellness concept. That’s easy. Tens of millions of people who’ve tried to lose weight, or take up exercise, or quit smoking to improve their health understand the importance and desirability of wellness.

The problem is changing people’s less-than-healthy habits, like poor diet or sedentary lifestyle, learned over decades, and reinforced in everyday life – mostly during the two-thirds of the day that they’re away from work. (That’s why they’re called "habits," after all.) These habits took years to develop and it’s unrealistic to think that people will change their lives in the span of a few weeks or months with a "biggest loser" diet contest or discount rates at the local gym.

John Bluford, CEO of Truman Medical Center which has 4,000 employees in Kansas City, wrote the AHA report, and he was spot on when he told HealthLeaders Media: "This is not the program of the month. It’s a culture," and "You can’t do this for a year and think it’s a done deal."

In addition to the many suggestions that Bluford lists in his report – which you can read in Cheryl’s account -- I would also suggest that a little empathy goes a long way. If you are a hospital executive, not everyone on staff will have the same ability to embrace wellness.
Imagine how a low-wage, manual worker in environmental services at your hospital might view the idea. Maybe that worker has to get up at 4 a.m. every day to take a bus to work, where he’s on his feet all day wrestling with heavy objects. Maybe that worker has a second job to make ends meet, or he’s a single parent with two kids at home. That worker is probably not going to take advantage of your lunchtime Jazzercise class, or spend a couple hours after work running a treadmill.

Bluford talks about how important it is to have top leadership on board, leading your wellness program by example. He is right. However, I would suggest that while any wellness program should be led from the top, it should be designed from the ground up to be accessible for the lowest-paid employees.

Low-wage workers are often the ones who have the most to gain from wellness programs, because studies have shown that health issues like obesity – and all the ancillary problems overweight create -- disproportionately affect lower-wage workers. If you’re going to offer financial incentives for employees to get eat better, or exercise more, it’s unfair not to design programs readily available to everyone on your staff in a practical way.

You want staff to eat better, but do all of your workers have ready access to fresh fruits and vegetables, or even a decent supermarket? You’re offering a rebate to cover a partial cost of a health club, but what good is a rebate if you don’t live near a health club, or if you don’t make enough money to sign up for a health club in the first place?

That $60 a month for a gym membership might not seem like a lot to a hospital executive or clinician, but it can be out of reach for some folks on support staff. Exercise more? It’s hard to take a walk around the block if you live in a crummy neighborhood, or you don’t have sidewalks, or the streets aren’t lighted when you get home from work at night.

None of these problems is insurmountable, of course, and anybody who wants to improve his health has to take most of the initiative on exercise and diet. However, bad habits can be more easily overcome when everyone on staff feels a sense of ownership with the wellness movement.

If you want employees to embrace wellness, talk to them, all of them, including the environmental staff folks working the graveyard shift. Explain what you want to achieve with your wellness program, find out what is important to them, how they’d like to improve their lives, what they’d like to see in the program, and what limitations their lifestyle may impose. You probably won’t resolve all of their problems, but you’ve at least listened to their concerns, and made it clear to them what you’re doing. That’s a good start.

People want to be healthy. How many people enjoy being overweight, or enjoy smoking? If you want your wellness program to work for everyone, design it with everyone in mind.

Mirror

2011-01-31T10:53:00.011-06:00

I just met with our Health Information Management team and they brought up some great questions. Ever since we started our Safety Huddles, we bring up key issues we need to address. In many ways, it can be scary to look ourselves in the mirror and understand what we do well and what we could do better.

How many of us take a good hard look at our lives and assess where we want to be in 1 year, 5 years, 10 years or even next week for that matter. This could refer to our health, financial situation, relationships. What do we look at to understand where we currently stand and what we need to do to meet our futre objectives.

Safety Huddles help us look at ourselves in the mirror and keep each other accountable. It is truly one of my favorite times of the day as I get a real sense of what is happening in our organization:

1. Are we doing what we should be doing?

2. What process issues do we need to address now and/or in the future?

3. What support do we need today to ensure the safest environment?

4. Did we resolve an issue or process that we said we would resolve?

5. What are we doing really well so we could continue to share our great stories?

At times, it is painful to in the mirror and focus on what is working well and what could work better.

As always comes down to what we do with that information.

Should there be a billing code for compassionate care?

2011-01-31T10:48:00.003-06:00

Great post by Paul Levy:

Back in 2009, Dr. Amy Ship gave a moving acceptance speech when she received the annual Compassionate Caregiver Award from the Schwartz Center.The most memorable tag line from the speech was, "There is no billing code for compassion." This resonated with so many of us -- patients and providers -- in part because it set forth the proposition that compassionate care should be an inherent aspect of medical services. The idea that some portion of a doctor's or hospital's payment should be tied to such an essential human value seemed ludicrous. Or is it?

A recent survey conducted by the Schwartz Center, entitled "The state of compassionate care in the United States," indirectly raises the issue. Those patients and doctors surveyed were overwhelmingly in favor of the idea that compassionate care was important to the successful treatment of patients. They agreed, too, that compassionate care makes a difference in how well a patient recovers from illness. Indeed, they believed that good communication and emotional support can make a difference in whether a patient lives or dies.But there was a gap between what patients said was most important to them, in terms of compassionate care, and what they actually experienced during recent hospitalizations. And, looking forward, both patients and doctors are worried that the changes being made in our health care system will make it more difficult for providers to offer compassionate care.Now, if we remove the word "compassionate" from the above discussion and instead insert "safety," "quality," "avoiding hospital acquired infections," or the like, our immediate response would be that we need to change the system of hospital and physician payments to provide financial incentives to change things for the better. Whether we might propose a pay-for-performance approach or some kind of global payment to encourage improvement, the current environment seems very comfortable with using the payment system to nudge behavior in the right direction.So, why not pay for compassion? Surely, we can name those aspects of care that are most closely tied to compassion, and we can likewise document whether they occur.While I will let this debate play out in the comments below, let me start it off by saying that I believe this would be a mistake. So many discrete aspects of medical care are already monetized that is hard to imagine a payment regime that would actually focus sufficient financial attention to motivate a doctor along the spectrum of less-to-more compassion. Beyond that, the idealist in me is offended by the idea of paying someone to, in essence, be more humane. In my view, this is not a matter of remuneration. It is a matter of societal values and a training program and ongoing supervision that imbues practice with those values.

But, let's hear what you have to say. Should there be a billing code for compassionate care?

The Gift of Feedback

2011-01-29T14:45:00.007-06:00

Recently, I reflect more on "Feedback":

I consider "constructive (promoting improvement or development)" feedback a gift. Do you? Many years ago someone told me that their feedback to me was a gift.. Well, I will tell you that it did not feel like the type of gift I enjoy. Until I had a chance to truly reflect on their perspective. Only then did I start to encourage feedback regularly. Now I get gifts on a daily basis (admittedly, there are some days when the gifts are more enjoyable than others)!

Of course, there are some basic key considerations to make feedback constructive:

1. Having the courage to give it.

2. Having the courage to receive it.

3. Having the knowledge to handle feedback in a constructive way and understanding what you will do with the feedback (e.g., showing appreciation, doing nothing or retaliating) - of course that, in turn, provides direct or indirect feedback to the initial person.

Is Feedback working well in your life? Care to share your stories on success and...well, not such successful feedback stories.

The Ultimate Unwavering Advocate

2011-01-28T23:29:00.005-06:00

Last night, I attended our annual Friends of St. Joseph Dinner. Tim H. was exceptional as out Past President and I know that Steve B. will deliver the same effectiveness as our new President.

We had a real treat last night with Cynde G., our Chief Nursing Officer giving her presentation on Unwavering Advocacy. This is my 3rd time seeing it and the impact just keeps getting growing.

She reviewed some key information found in the Silence Kills study:

• 84 percent of physicians have see coworkers taking shortcuts that could be dangerous to patients.

• 88 percent of physicians work with people who show poor clinical judgement.

• Fewer than 10 percent of physicians, nurse and other clinical staff directly confront their

colleagues about their concerns.

The Silence Kills track teaches participants how to break this prevailing culture of silence by applying Crucial Conversations skills to the seven categories of conversations identified in the Silence Kills study:

1. Broken Rules

2. Mistakes

3. Lack of Support

4. Incompetence

5. Poor Teamwork

6. Disrespect

7. Micromanagement

After recognizing the inextricable links between quality of the work environment,

excellent nursing practice, and patient care outcomes, the American Association

of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) identified six essential standards for creating and

sustaining Healthy Work Environments.

The Healthy Work Environments track teaches participants how to apply Crucial Conversations skills to achieve the Healthy Work Environment standards identified by the AACN:

1. Skilled Communication

2. Authentic Leadership

3. Appropriate Staffing

4. True Collaboration

5. Effective Decision Making

6. Meaningful Recognition

Cynde finished with a story on how an Unwavering Advocate positively impacted her family.

She coined the term and we have adopted Unwavering Advocacy into our hospital's vision.

Who are the Unwavering Advocates in your life?

Change Has Been Painful - State of the Union

2011-01-28T16:01:00.004-06:00

Did you get a chance to check out President Obama's State of the Union Address this week?

I always look forward to these speeches just to get a sense of some key messages. When discussing the past, he stated:

"That world has changed. And for many, the change has been painful. I’ve seen it in the shuttered windows of once booming factories, and the vacant storefronts on once busy Main Streets. I’ve heard it in the frustrations of Americans who’ve seen their paychecks dwindle or their jobs disappear – proud men and women who feel like the rules have been changed in the middle of the game. They’re right. The rules have changed. In a single generation, revolutions in technology have transformed the way we live, work and do business. Steel mills that once needed 1,000 workers can now do the same work with 100. Today, just about any company can set up shop, hire workers, and sell their products wherever there’s an Internet connection."

How many of you have seen the same impact in your personal and professional lives?

Then he brought us forward to what we can do, the responsibility we should take:

"And now it’s our turn. We know what it takes to compete for the jobs and industries of our time. We need to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world. We have to make America the best place on Earth to do business. We need to take responsibility for our deficit and reform our government. That’s how our people will prosper. That’s how we’ll win the future. "

The first step in winning the future is encouraging American Innovation. None of us can predict with certainty what the next big industry will be or where the new jobs will come from. Thirty years ago, we couldn’t know that something called the Internet would lead to an economic revolution. What we can do – what Americans do better than anyone else – is spark the creativity and imagination of our people. We’re the nation that put cars in driveways and computers in offices; the nation of Edison and the Wright brothers; of Google and Facebook. In America, innovation doesn’t just change our lives. It is how we make our living."

When I think about the overall impact healthcare reform, value based purchasing and hospital re-admission penalties, it is daunting. When I think about the fact that in my hospital alone, we have 1,300 associates, over 600 physicians and 800 volunteers, I am more than encouraged to know that we can and will make the necessary changes together. As the President stated, the changes are very painful at times. In the long (and short) run, it will be easier if we constantly look at the ways we innovate and do things differently to deliver the service and outcomes we expect as employees and consumers of healthcare.

The challenge of moving an organization in the same direction towards a shared vision and common goals is exciting and trying at the same time. Up for that continued challenge? What parts of our business and personal lives to not have that constant challenge over time. How we adapt and innovate will continue to be vital to our core.

I look forward to your thoughts. Enjoy your weekend.

Teambuilding Lessons We Can Learn from Geese

2011-01-27T14:39:00.004-06:00

Thank you Jennifer M. for sharing this. It is a fun analogy for organizations. Similar to approaches taken by athletes in training as well (e.g., biking, swimming, running).

Fact #1 – As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird following. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds 71 percent greater flying range than if one bird flew alone.

Lesson Learned – People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the strength of one another.

Fact #2 – Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front.

Lesson Learned – If we have as much sense as geese, we will stay in formation with those who are ahead of where we want to go and be willing to accept their help as well as give ours to others.

Fact #3 – When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies at the point position.

Lesson Learned – It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership.

Fact #4 – The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

Lesson Learned – We need to make sure our honking from behind is encouraging, and not
something else.

Fact #5 – When a goose gets sick or wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it is able to fly again, or dies. Then they launch out on their own, with another formation, or they catch up with their flock.

Lesson Learned – If we have as much sense as geese do, we too, will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.

Source:(http://www.teambuildinginc.com/article_geese.htm)

Who are you? (Check all that apply. Then * the one that is most descriptive)
____ A lead goose ____ A backup goose ____ A honker from behind
____ Helper goose ____ Goose in need ____ Goose nurse

Considering your personality and experiences as a group member, which lesson best reflects your current role in the group? Have you learned all these lessons?

In what ways could you take on other roles?

Based on your experiences working with this team, which lesson is most important for the success of the group? Which lessons do the team need to learn?

What Gives Us the Right to Lead?

2011-01-26T13:21:00.004-06:00

Thank you for sharing this excerpt, Sr. Gabe....

An Excerpt from "The Right to Lead" by John Maxwell

WHAT GIVES A MAN OR WOMAN THE RIGHT TO LEAD?
It certainly isn't gained by election or appointment. Having position, title, rank, or degrees doesn't qualify anyone to lead other people. And the ability doesn't come automatically from age or experience, either. No, it would be accurate to say that no one can be given the right to lead. The right to lead can only be earned. And that takes time.

The Kind of Leader Others Want to Follow

The key to becoming an effective leader is not to focus on making other people follow, but on making yourself the kind of person they want to follow. You must become someone others can trust to take them where they want to go. As you prepare yourself to become a better leader, use the following guidelines to help you grow:

1. Let go of your ego.
The truly great leaders are not in leadership for personal gain. They lead in order to serve other people. Perhaps that is why Lawrence D. Bell remarked, "Show me a man who cannot bother to do little things, and I'll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big things."

2. Become a good follower first.
Rare is the effective leader who didn't learn to become a good follower first. That is why a leadership institution such as the United States Military Academy teaches its officers to become effective followers first - and why West Point has produced more leaders than the Harvard Business School.

3. Build positive relationships.
Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. That means it is by nature relational. Today's generation of leaders seem particularly aware of this because title and position mean so little to them. They know intuitively that people go along with people they get along with.

4. Work with excellence.
No one respects and follows mediocrity. Leaders who earn the right to lead give their all to what they do. They bring into play not only their skills and talents, but also great passion and hard work. They perform on the highest level of which they are capable.

5. Rely on discipline, not emotion.
Leadership is often easy during the good times. It's when everything seems to be against you - when you're out of energy, and you don't want to lead - that you earn your place as a leader. During every season of life, leaders face crucial moments when they must choose between gearing up or giving up. To make it through those times, rely on the rock of discipline, not the shifting sand of emotion.

6. Make adding value your goal.
When you look at the leaders whose names are revered long after they have finished leading, you find that they were men and women who helped people to live better lives and reach their potential. That is the highest calling of leadership - and its highest value.

7. Give your power away.
One of the ironies of leadership is that you become a better leader by sharing whatever power you have, not by saving it all for yourself. You're meant to be a river, not a reservoir. If you use your power to empower others, your leadership will extend far beyond your grasp.

In The Right to Lead, you will hear from and read about people who have done these same things and earned the right to lead others. Because of the courage they found and the character they displayed, other people recognized their admirable qualities and felt compelled to follow them. The followers who looked to these leaders learned from them, and so can we. As you explore their worlds and words, remember that it takes time to become worthy of followers. Leadership isn't learned or earned in a moment.~John Maxwell

Value Stories...

2011-01-24T07:50:00.006-06:00

I would like to recognize our SJMC team including staff, physicians, volunteers and "vendor" partners (I am not a big fan of the term vendor as it does not always reflect the true partnership and relationship with an organization). Here are a couple of Value Stories:

From Cherí C., Respiratory Therapy (re: Gary M. with Apria):
During the recent snowstorm, a patient was discharged and scheduled for an immediate delivery of Respiratory Therapy materials. The driver from Apria who received the call for set-up came out in the storm but could not make delivery to the residence because his truck could not make the hill. The driver walked to the residence, made contact with the patient and her daughter, then proceeded to hand carry all of her oxygen tanks and supplies to her house from the truck, which included the large oxygen concentrator machine.

From a grateful patient:
I want you to know how much I appreciate the care I received at St. Joseph Medical Center. I especially want to thank the wonderful woman who called all over the Kansas City area to find a hand surgeon to put my mangled hand back together. She finally reached Dr. Cusick, who came from a dinner party to perform emergency surgery. Please let your entire emergency room staff know how much I and my family appreciate the care I received that evening. I really believe the Lord wanted me to come to St. Joseph because He wanted me to get the best care available.

January Visionary Award

2011-01-21T16:52:00.003-06:00

Congratulations to South Kansas City Surgery Center. They received the Visionary Award for excellence this month. Their recognition is based on the exceptional care, patient satisfaction scores, and growth of the center. Sandy G., Administrator (holding the award) is seen with her team and Dr. Q, one of our surgeons and Board members.

Way to go SKC Surgery!