Delvecchio S. Finley, FACHE, will serve as president and CEO effective February 21, 2021.
Atrium Health has named a new CEO for Atrium Health Navicent, the health system announced Thursday.
Delvecchio S. Finley, FACHE, will serve as president and CEO effective February 21, 2021, where he will lead Atrium Health Navicent's integration with Atrium Health, while also helming the hospital's efforts through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Atrium and Navicent Health finalized a merger in 2019, whereby the latter company became Atrium Health Navicent, a hub for the health system which serves central and southern Georgia communities.
"Delivering on our mission has never been more important than during these unprecedented times, and I am excited about the fresh perspective and depth of experience Mr. Finley is bringing to our team," Eugene A. Woods, president and CEO of Atrium, said in a statement. "As a nationally recognized leader in the healthcare field with a passion for caring for underserved, vulnerable populations and for rural communities, we are looking forward to him joining us as we continue to improve health, elevate hope and advance healing – for all."
Finley will report directly to Woods and will work with the local Board of Directors for Atrium Health Navicent.
Finley most recently served as CEO of Alameda Health System in California. Before that he served as CEO of Los Angeles County/Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
"I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to join and lead Atrium Health Navicent and further its traditions of providing high-quality care for the community, while being part of Atrium Health, one of the nation’s leading health systems," Finley said in a statement. "With Atrium Health Navicent being a safety-net health system for central and south Georgia, I look forward to advancing its many accomplishments and collaborating with partners throughout the community in the future. The ‘for all’ mission and approach to compassionate care resonates deeply with me, and I cannot wait to get started."
The Allina Health CEO shares insights about her professional journey and how she strives to "change healthcare for the better."
Dr. Penny Wheeler has served in healthcare for more than 40 years, first as a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist and then rising to the C-suite.
She currently serves as the CEO of Allina Health, a 12-hospital nonprofit health system based in Minneapolis that has operations in both Minnesota and Wisconsin. Prior to leading the system, Wheeler served as chief clinical officer for Allina and also worked as a physician at Women's Health Consultants in Minneapolis.
In addition to her leadership positions, Wheeler also had the unique experience of acting as an obstetrician in an episode of "Unsolved Mysteries."
Delivering care has been a key aspect of Wheeler's life since she was a child, with the core of her interest in healthcare. "I was always one of those kids who wanted to be there and help [those ailing]. … That service to others was something that my parents certainly embedded in me," Wheeler says. "What I learned from them is … that's what leadership's about: [taking] practical steps [and] idealism. Some of my biggest mentors have been the patients that I've been fortunate to be associated with, who taught me about broader needs that existed, and broader experiences, than I had in my personal life.”
When Wheeler got older, she says she realized that "when you combine science with human understanding, you come into healthcare." In the 10th grade, she decided she wanted to be a doctor.
Wheeler has an undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota and a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School.
Changing healthcare for the better
Wheeler's first experience in healthcare leadership came when she was elected president of the medical staff of Abbott Northwestern Hospital, which is part of the Allina Health network.
"I first got attracted to [healthcare leadership] when I was elected medical staff president, and then I got kind of radicalized around quality improvement with Don Berwick and [the Institute for Healthcare Improvement] being part of my transformation," she says.
Wheeler’s career path continued on the leadership track after that, even though she loved being a physician.
"An obstetrician/gynecologist is a wonderful profession because you get to be in primary care, you get to be in the operating room, and you get to be part of incredible moments with the delivery of a child,” she says. “It's a range of that, to telling somebody in the most compassionate way possible that they have a cancer diagnosis. Being a physician is a great gift and when people ask me if I miss practicing, I say, ‘Every day.’ You see the people in front of you, and you hopefully can make a difference in their life every day."
The more she got involved in leadership, the more she says she asked, "How [can] we change healthcare for the better?"
After being elected medical staff president, she was elevated to Allina Health’s board of directors and chaired the Allina Health Quality Committee.
"From there, I became chief clinical officer for the whole health system, and then became CEO six years ago," Wheeler says.
"I always tell people I'm an ‘accidental CEO’ because I never planned it. I was happy and felt honored to be a physician and a healer," she says. "Even through all the challenges, and we're in a storm of one right now, I feel fortunate to be in the role."
Wheeler says she's been "fortunate" in her climb to the C-suite, adding that she has been supported along the way and didn’t encounter “significant obstacles.” Although there were some [challenges] she noticed over time, Wheeler says she didn't let them negatively impact her.
"I was the first physician to lead the organization and the first woman to lead the organization, so that was a bit of a first, but I cannot say that I faced a lot of, at least, visible barriers,” Wheeler says. “I'm sure there have been some, but I feel like I've been fortunate to be in this position."
The power of ‘thin skin’ and caring
As a leader, Wheeler says she focuses on relationships, particularly with those she serves, and the empathy needed to lead.
"One of the things that I always say about leadership is that you just can never, ever forget who you serve and why," she says. "I might write a book in the future, and it will be about the power of having thin skin, because if you're deeply impacted and affected by things that are going around in the lives of those you're trying to serve, and you're trying to understand them as deeply as possible, then you make the best choices as possible as a leader.”
Wheeler says that in addition to cultivating relationships, one of her favorite things about being a leader is supporting others who want to be leaders themselves.
"In a leadership position, you get to hold those relationships, see how to unleash others to develop, and support them in their development," she says. "Learning from others and supporting others as they grow and become leaders in their own right … that's probably the favorite thing, because it's all about relationships at the end of the day."
The culture of Allina Health revolves around caring, Wheeler says, with a goal to surround patients with all the help needed to “make you feel loved."
"I'm proud of bringing love into the conversation. Love along with expertise is a powerful combination, [and] that's what our care teams do,” she says.
Additionally, Allina Health has a strong focus on serving underserved patient populations, according to Wheeler, but she notes that the system has “got more work to do."
The organization is continuing to embrace the transformation of healthcare and promote care equity.
"We are trying as an organization, and as we partner with other payers in the market, so that we can change the business model of healthcare and get paid for what matters most to the people we serve," Wheeler says. “[We're] going to focus on the best outcomes, the best experience, the best access, the best equity principles and the affordability."
Located in Minneapolis, a city that was the epicenter for significant civil unrest during the summer following the killing of George Floyd, Allina experienced a “wake-up call” along with the rest of the community, according to Wheeler.
Going forward, the organization will focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion in four key roles.
As a provider: "We serve others, so how can we make sure that our care is equitably placed?"
As an employer: "How do we make sure we attract a leadership team that reflects the community and that we keep and have a fertilized soil here where people feel included and respected, not in spite of their differences but because of them?"
As an investor: Allina will focus on purchasing "services [from] minority-owned businesses and minority-managed investment portfolios who value equity and diversity."
As a community member: The system will partner with the community to “understand their needs and support them."
Making the jump into the C-suite
Wheeler's advice for those in the workforce who want to further their career is to follow their passions.
"Do your best possible job in the job that you're in and that aligns with your passions," Wheeler says. “If you find something that you're passionate about and you do your best job there, I think the rest takes care of itself, frankly."
The other key advice is something a mentor once told her, which is to keep perspective.
"When you're in roles like this, there are a lot of things that are aimed at you. A lot of arrows that come your way. And what [my mentor] said was, ‘Those arrows, some of them will miss and land on the ground. Don't pick them up and stab them into yourself,’" Wheeler says. "In other words: focus on the things that are important rather than things that seem urgent but, in the grand scheme of things, aren't as important to the changes you're trying to make in healthcare to improve lives."
In this monthly segment, HealthLeaders features women healthcare leaders who share their career experiences, accomplishments, and leadership styles.
A report released by Manatt Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Nemours Children’s Health System details how organizations can launch a Children's Health and Wellness Fund.
According to the brief, addressing SDOH needs for children and their families is critical in light of “the strong evidence that investments in the earliest years can have a potent impact on children’s development and their ability to thrive and grow to be healthier adults."
The report details the "pathway" in which organizations can implement a Children's Health and Wellness Fund.
Additionally, the report covers how organizations can launch a fund, and how to address the following issues:
The overall framework for the fund and the activities it supports.
Fund responsibilities and mechanisms for oversight.
Potential sources of funding.
Program accountability and evaluation.
"Critically, all these decisions require leadership from and close collaboration with the community to be served and a consistent and focused attention on promoting equity," Cindy Mann and Mandy Ferguson, coauthors of the report, wrote. "The development of a Children’s Health and Wellness offers an important opportunity at a critical moment in time to bring together stakeholders— including states, cities, health systems, and community residents—to shape, sustainably finance, and deliver a whole child approach to supporting children and their families."
This report was released over a month after another Manatt study found that many states are implementing or considering putting prescription drug affordability commission in place to reduce drug spending.
Jeb Dunkelberger will be responsible for overseeing the management and expansion of the health plan.
California-based health system Sutter Health, and Aetna, a CVS Health company, announced the appointment of a new CEO of the joint venture Sutter Health | Aetna on Wednesday.
Jeb Dunkelberger will lead the company by overseeing the management of the jointly owned healthcare company, and by helping expand the company and welcome new members into the plan. According to a press release, he will also be responsible for "building upon the joint venture's innovative model, increasing access points to high-quality care."
Currently, Sutter Health | Aetna provides member and patient services to employers in Northern California in the form of "an integrated health plan and care management solution.”
"Jeb has an extensive depth and breadth of experience in the health care sector, and a proven record of success developing innovative partnerships among providers, payers, and health management," Kristen Miranda, vice president of Aetna West/South Central Territory, said in a statement. “His skills align with our joint venture model, and will no doubt strengthen our efforts to provide quality, affordable health care plans to Northern Californians."
Dunkelberger has prior experience leading national sales and strategy for two Silicon Valley companies: Notable Health and Cricket Health.
"We are excited for Jeb to lead Sutter Health | Aetna into the next phase of innovation and growth as more employers see the value the joint venture can bring to them and their workforce in terms of affordability and access to high-quality care," Phil Jackson, CEO of Health Plan Partnerships and Products at Sutter Health and a member of the joint venture's board of directors, said in a statement.
In collaboration with CancerCare, the Northeast Business Group on Health has released a guide which shares the challenges that cancer survivors may face and how employers can support them.
Northeast Business Group on Health (NEBGH) released a new guide for employers on cancer survivorship Wednesday morning.
The free guide was created in collaboration with CancerCare to offer employers' HR departments "practical guidance on creating a workplace that supports people living with cancer and is productive for all."
The guide covers challenges that cancer survivors may face and how employers can support them. It also includes information on support organizations, employment laws and agencies, and recommendation checklists for employers.
According to the guide, employers can help employees with the following survivorship challenges:
Physical health
Mental and social health
Wellness and healthy lifestyle
Family and friends
Finances
Work
According to a NEBGH press release, nearly four in 10 Americans will be diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lifetime.
"With a growing number of cancer survivors in the workforce, employers need to better understand and be equipped to help support them, given the challenges these employees may face," Candice Sherman, CEO of NEBGH, said in a statement. "Some people are unable to work due to treatment or the effects of treatment, but many are able to continue to work or to return to work after some period. In fact, most cancer survivors are eager to work because it provides a coping mechanism, enables a sense of purpose and motivation, boosts self-confidence, fosters social support and aids in financial stability."
While cancer is on the rise, cancer survivorship has also increased, according to the organization. By 2040, survivorship will increase over 50% compared to 2019.
"There are encouraging statistics that show an increase in the number of people surviving with cancer but they often don’t reveal how survivors are faring physically, mentally, socially or economically," Patricia Goldsmith, CEO of CancerCare, said in the press release. "Employers can play a key role in this experience. With more survivors active in the workforce today and in the future, the challenges and opportunities posed by cancer survivorship are important to understand and support."
The nonprofit health system operates 10 hospitals and MedStar Health Urgent Care, which serves patients through 14 urgent care centers across Maryland and Washington D.C.
The acquisition will bring an additional 19 urgent care centers to the network, which will operate under the MedStar Urgent Care brand.
"Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic our urgent care clinics and their providers have played an integral role in serving the needs of patients who have sought testing and treatment for the virus," Elizabeth Delasobera, MD, medical director, MedStar Health Urgent Care, director of Primary Care Sports Medicine in the D.C. Region, said in the press release. "The addition of 19 urgent care locations will help thousands more patients across the state of Maryland connect with coordinated treatment and follow-up care with MedStar Health specialists."
The clinics will include HeadFirst which serves sports injury and concussion care. The acquisition will also add "approximately 300 associates" to the network.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for both our patients and our employees to be a part of the MedStar Health network, which has an exceptional reputation in our community," Robert G. Graw, Jr., M.D, CEO of Righttime, added in the press release. "We look forward to joining the experienced MedStar Health team and building on our mission to expand and simplify access to trusted medical care for people of all ages in our region."
Over the next year, MedStar Health and Righttime Medical Care will fully integrate their patients, associates, and providers.
This isn't the first partnership MedStar has announced this year. In September, the health system announced a collaborative partnership with Maryland's CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield to offer value-based care to the communities it serves.
The eHealth survey also found over two-thirds of ACA plan enrollees find the coverage cost is too expensive.
Results from an eHealthsurvey released Tuesday found that a majority of Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollees think the current ACA law should be revised.
Almost two-thirds of enrollees expressed concern with the current law. Among respondents who think there is room for improvement are 64% of those receiving federal subsidies and 66% of those not receiving federal subsidies.
Over two-thirds of enrollees find the coverage cost is too expensive, with nearly 70% saying their monthly premiums are not affordable. Among respondents who think there is room for improvement are 44% of premium subsidy recipients and 77% of those not receiving premium subsidies.
Over 400 ACA individual and family health insurance plan enrollees who purchased plans through eHealth voluntarily took part in the survey between November 13 and 16, during the ACA open enrollment period for 2021 plan coverage.
The survey also asked participants questions about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including their thoughts on vaccines, mandatory mask rules, and non-standard treatments.
Almost 60% of respondents said they are "very" or "somewhat" comfortable receiving a COVID vaccine this winter, while 41% said they are "very" or "somewhat" uncomfortable.
When it came to voting in the 2020 presidential election, 14% of respondents said the pandemic was the biggest issue, while 32% said the pandemic was "their second or third top issue when voting this year."
Over 40% of respondents said they would want the option to use "experimental or unproven treatments" if they contracted the coronavirus, while 26% said they would not.
More than four-in-five respondents said they support mask mandates if it is difficult to social distance while in public, and 19% said they do not support mask mandates.
Thirty-seven percent of respondents think the restrictions where they live are not strong enough, 16% think they are too severe, and 40% believe the restrictions are "just about right."
Nearly three-in-five respondents said they are now more concerned about the coronavirus while 6% said they are less concerned.
According to an analysis from McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org released in August, women only make up 30% of the healthcare C-suite, while accounting for 66% of entry-level healthcare roles.
To break through the glass ceiling to the C-suite, women must support each other.
"As we work with people, we need to show positivity, which seems, at times, in short supply. We need to make sure that we recognize people for their work, even if it’s in simple ways," CEO of Marshfield Clinic Health System Dr. Susan Turney said.
Leaders in the C-suite should sponsor and mentor those serving below them.
"There’s a difference between mentorship and sponsorship. Mentoring is coaching, telling people what you think, and giving them advice. But what you really need if you want to advance is a sponsor. …[Y]our sponsor is the person who’s making sure there’s a crack in the door, and when the door opens, that you're ready and well positioned," Chief Strategy Officer of Henry Ford Health System Carladenise Edwards said.
Women looking to advance their careers should focus on building rapport and accept appropriate opportunities.
"When you look at a cross-section of a group, women tend to work hard because they are put at a disadvantage in many ways. …But in the process, I would suggest they don’t miss out on external relationships, influence, [and] branding," Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Information and Digital Officer for CommonSpirit Health Suja Chandrasekaran said.
"To make sure that what you do as a leader, and what you do as a good community member, there’s a certain amount of that “yes” you do need to do but .... you need to balance that. So, while I’m saying 'say yes,' I’m also saying 'be discerning about what you say yes to,' " President of City of Hope Orange County Annette Walker said.
And organizations should assist women in their workforce with their disproportionate load through programs and resources.
"We offer an Emerging Leader program designed for team members who are interested in progressing their careers. … In addition, we offer an Advanced Leader Program designed for mid-level leaders and physicians who show potential to be the next top-level strategic leaders in the organization," CFO of Orlando Health Orlando Regional Medical Center Patricia Plair said.
Brian Gragnolati shares how the health system is handling COVID cases through a combination of predictive modeling, in-hospital and at-home care models, and playbooks created from their learnings so far.
As of Thursday, the United States had over 4.4 million active COVID-19 cases, according to Worldometer, putting the domestic total at over 11.8 million total COVID cases. Six months prior, there were just over 1.5 million total cases.
Similar to the nation’s upward trajectory in cases, New Jersey currently has over 89,000 active COVID cases, putting the state's total at over 295,000 cases.
Atlantic Health System, a nonprofit health system based in the Garden State, is handling this coronavirus surge through a combination of predictive modeling, in-hospital and at-home care models, and playbooks created from their learnings so far.
CEO Brian Gragnolati recently spoke with HealthLeaders about how they're grappling with the latest challenges arising from the pandemic, and what other health systems can learn from their efforts heading into the winter.
This transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.
HealthLeaders:What are some learnings that you and Atlantic Health System have held onto since the onset of the pandemic?
Brian Gragnolati: Everything. We were in the epicenter in the spring [phase] of this pandemic. At our peak, we had over 900 patients in our hospitals. We had stood up hospital-at-home programs and had another 150 patients there. We also opened another facility where we had on average 50 patients. So, taking care of 14,000 COVID patients, and at our peak, we were taking care of the equivalent of about 1,100 inpatient [cases].
Today, we're at 110 patients in our hospitals and another 30 in our at-home program. The numbers are quite different for us than they were back then but the good news is that we were able, over the period from May through September, to bring our teams together, codify our learning through that process, and create playbooks that are in use today as we're seeing our levels of activity increase again.
At one of our hospitals, we took a lot of the learnings on the innovation that was done by our biomedical engineers and our nursing teams to create a unit that is dedicated to COVID patients. It's a 30-bed unit at one of our hospitals, and it stays empty until we have COVID activity, which we do now.
Consequently, we're seeing a lot lower ICU usage, mortality rates are lower, we're seeing patients can get in and get out of the hospital setting more quickly with supportive care around them. And so, we're enthusiastic about what we've learned and how we're applying it. And we see it each day and all of our clinical sites.
HL:As COVID cases increase around the country, what steps has Atlantic Health System taken to prepare for this second wave?
Gragnolati: We do a lot of modeling to try to understand where our activity levels are going to be, and we did that in the spring because we got a pretty comprehensive data set of claims and clinical information. We modeled the flu migration, and we put it on top of some of the other models that the federal government and the state were using, and we were able to predict more accurately in our market circumstance where we were going to peak and what we expected.
We're using that modeling again. One of the things that we've learned in this process is that we do not expect to hit that level of volume that we had in New Jersey during this current course of the pandemic. We say that for several reasons.
Governor [Phil Murphy] has been aggressive in taking the steps needed to try to get people to wear masks, to socially distance, to wash their hands, and to use common sense when they're trying to go on with their lives. At the same time, he's worked hard to reopen the economy and make sure that in a healthcare setting, people don't have to put off care, that they can re-engage and get that care done that they need to prevent more difficult things from happening.
In New Jersey, we've had a lot of this in place, and I think that that has helped us in this current outbreak. When I look at our activity over the last month, we're going up maybe 7% a day with the level of admissions that we have. Back in the spring in March, we were doubling every two or three days. So, the interventions that the state continues with are important.
The side effect of [these policies] is that this could also curb a flu season. When we're looking at our modeling … we're not seeing the flu in the same way that we saw in previous years. We hope that this message of getting a flu vaccine, wearing masks, and washing your hands will have a complementary impact on keeping the normal flu season down.
It was scary in March and April, and into May. We saw numbers that would have overwhelmed the healthcare system and ultimately threaded that needle.
Hospitals are safe, and even during the COVID pandemic back in the spring, we were still caring for patients who needed urgent or emergent care, and we did quite well with that.
What happens now, as we've worked through the summer, is we built that level of activity back up and patients have returned to the healthcare environment to get their needed care. Some areas have still not caught up yet, like the emergency department, [and] that's a national thing. Generally, surgeries have come back, and we continue to deliver a lot of babies.
What we've been able to do in our playbooks, whereas during the spring we had to on-the-fly create more ICU capacity, is have a plan on how to do that. We have trigger points on when we open certain areas for care, and how we went through that.
HL: What medical innovations are in place to care for those who get sick during this current surge?
Gragnolati: When this novel virus presented itself, we didn't know exactly how to care for these patients. What we had to do was treat the patients in ways that we treated other patients with similar problems and we had to do it aggressively.
We used the ICU a lot. We also used ventilators a lot because we felt that the lungs needed to be given a rest. It turns out that that earlier use of ventilators is not as effective as using things like proning patients, putting them on their belly, and giving them high concentrations of oxygen. That practice pattern was one of the early changes that were made and continue today. So, you're seeing fewer patients going on ventilators, which means you don't have all of the complications associated with long-term ventilator use.
The other thing that's happened over this period is that the drug industry continued to innovate. While there have been several candidate drugs that are being worked on as antivirals, the real innovation has come from how do we use other drugs that either were already here in place for other things or have been developed to deal with particular phases of the virus in certain types of patients.
We did have some promising news this week to vaccine candidates. The Pfizer vaccine, as Dr. [Anthony] Fauci said, is promising. I've had an opportunity to sit on the Professional Advisory Council here in New Jersey and we're working on the vaccine plan that was submitted to the federal government a few weeks ago.
The vaccine is not something that's going to impact our country or our world overnight. People are wary about taking a vaccine, and this vaccine in particular, because of a lot of political rhetoric around it has shaken the confidence of a lot of people.
The most important thing that's still a problem for us is testing because we will need a convenient test for the next couple of years at least, not unlike a pregnancy test. If we're going to completely reopen the economy, it's not just vaccines being available, it's got to be vaccines that are deployed and used. If we can continue to innovate around testing, that's going to allow us to move forward as a country.
HL: What advice do you have for hospitals and health systems that are experiencing an increase in COVID cases?
Gragnolati: The most important thing that you need to do is you need to have an all organization effort. This is all-hands-on-deck, particularly when you see the dramatic increases that we saw in the spring, and that many communities are seeing right now.
You need to trust your team, because the innovations and the things that got us through this were expert clinicians using their best judgment and ability to network with others, to try to figure out how to navigate this.
[And] don't underestimate the emotional impact on your team members. This concept of social distancing and isolation is a different way of practicing medicine. It has an emotional consequence on our team members. One of the most important things that we did early on, and continue to do, is to provide support for our team members because this is unlike anything that they've ever done.
We're used to taking care of sick people, but you can't compartmentalize this virus, because it's not just the work you're doing, it's in your communities, it's maybe in your home, and it's going to change your life. I don't know about you, but my Thanksgiving plans a different this year than they ever have been, and that's an emotional issue. It's one that we need to help our team members work through.
The roundtable panelists detail how they will take their learnings from the pandemic to strengthen their leadership skills and healthcare organizations.
The COVID-19 pandemic created challenges that forced executives to scrutinize the current healthcare system and imagine what the future holds for the hospitals and health systems they serve.
Executives working toward the healthcare system of the future are taking their learnings from the pandemic and strengthening their leadership skills through transparency and emotional intelligence.
"Essentially, it comes down to emotional intelligence. Many of us work with incredibly talented people, but I see the distinction of a leader being his or her ability to understand and read the situation, or the culture, and then act accordingly. … It's the softer skills that differentiate many operators or administrators from true leaders, and the ability to remain calm during the storm. I was struck by people who wanted to see the human side of the leader [and] wanting to see that we do care," said President and CEO of Bronson Healthcare Bill Manns, MHSA.
They are also taking more financial risks and are open to adopting new care models.
"We need to broaden the horizons geographically and temporally to take risk, because if you're a governor, if you're an insurance exec, if you're a risk-bearing entity, by this point you’ve had smart people tell you that an investment up front in somebody’s health is going to reduce cost down the line. The issue is, are you going to capture those savings or not?" President and CEO of Cancer Treatment Centers of America Pat Basu, MD, MBA, said.
In addition, they are more proactive in disaster planning and rethinking their supply chain operations.
"We are reevaluating all of our par levels and not looking at it in terms of how much are we saving, only to end up paying three or four times more for a supply that we don’t have when an event like this happens in the future," CEO of Adult Hospital Market for LCMC Health Bill Masterton said.
Leaders are also addressing diversity and inclusion, racism, and equity by listening and creating programs for their communities and workforce.
"Recent events have challenged us to be much more introspective and intentional. We decided to create a plan, but the plan must be preceded by listening and understanding. We want to do meaningful things that will have an impact on the engagement of our employees, and channel that engagement toward our vision of zero harm, perfecting the patient experience, and improving the health status of the patients and communities we serve," President and CEO of Children's Mercy Kansas City Paul Kempinski, MS, FACHE, said.