Q&A: Parkland's Incoming Interim CEO on Problem Solving

Q. How do you prepare for a job like this?
A. My preparation is 35 years of experience working at a number of hospitals in a number of states. I've been involved at multiple levels up and down the line, including CEO and COO. It's having seen things before and knowing what works and what doesn't.

Problems are solved by smart people who listen to one another, jointly make decisions, and then move forward. What you do to prepare is talk to people, listen to people, and work together as a team to deal with the tasks at hand. You pull from your experiences as well as the experiences of others.

Q. In your opinion, what is the root cause of Parkland's problems?
A. I have to say that I really haven't been there. I am at the facility today and I attended a few board meetings yesterday but I can't give a qualified answer right now. I didn't go through an interview process that included spending time in the hospital.