In this season of Outside the Patient’s Door, our guests shared how they’re tackling the ever-changing healthcare demands. The season was full of great ideas, stories, and advice, so before we close this chapter, we want to reflect on our guests' wisdom. We’ll revisit three key themes that emerged throughout the season: serving the community, incorporating positivity, and improving performance.
From cardiologist to professional musician to DEI advocate, Dr. Cleveland Francis’ experience runs the gamut. Throughout his career, he’s experienced the highs and lows of both the music industry and the medical field. In this episode, he shares his story of running a successful multicultural cardiology practice for over four decades – with a quick stint as a professional musician. Dr. Francis sheds light on the importance of patient personalization, combating racism and bias in healthcare, and the power of building trust and empathy with patients. He also discusses his own struggles and how a record contract saved him from the stress of medicine. Press play to hear Dr. Francis’ insights and learn how Inova Health System is leading the way in addressing social and racial issues in healthcare.
Good healthcare is all about caring for people holistically. It involves connecting with patients and engaging their support systems to optimize both physical and emotional outcomes. In this conversation, Neil Thornbury, CEO of T.J. Regional Health, shares the importance of relationships in all areas of healthcare – between patients and providers, patients and their loved ones, and between fellow team members. Neil also unpacks the lessons he learned from the pandemic, shares what factors influence employee engagement, and discusses the role of technology in healthcare.
Establishing a clear mission for your staff is key to providing safe patient care. When your team knows what they need to accomplish and feels empowered to do so, high quality care will naturally follow. In this conversation, Mark Boucot, President and CEO of Garrett Regional Medical Center and Potomac Valley Hospital, shares how he’s hardwired safety into his team’s operations. Under his leadership, they’ve become a Top 20 Hospital as recognized by the National Rural Health Association. As you listen, you’ll learn how to create a culture of safety for both staff and patients by implementing programs like peer support, frontline staff councils, and employee recognition.
The pandemic highlighted the importance of mental health, especially in children and adolescents. Many wrestled with anxiety and depression during lockdowns, and the struggle continued even after we returned to a sense of normalcy. In this conversation, Dr. Patricia Hillis-Clark, Executive Director at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, discusses how the pandemic affected the mental health of young people and what healthcare leaders can do to equip patients and families to achieve positive outcomes. She shares the challenges in the mental healthcare system, the unique stressors facing children today, and the importance of involving families in mental health.
In this season of Outside the Patient’s Door, we’re exploring innovative solutions to challenges healthcare leaders are facing today. We’ve touched on a variety of topics so far, from the importance of psychological safety to engaging your community. We’ve been lucky to sit down with top healthcare leaders who have graciously shared their insights with us. In addition to the conversations you’ve been hearing, we also asked our guests to share the most important thing leaders can tackle for their organizations and the future of healthcare. In this episode, we’re sharing their answers.
The happiness of your staff matters. It impacts their quality of life, and it also affects your patients’ outcomes and the effectiveness of your organization. Jordan Voigt, President of Genesis Medical Center - Davenport, is a firm believer in the power of investing in your team’s happiness. Since taking on his current role, he’s prioritized training to equip his staff with a shared vision, common language, and tools for handling challenges. As you’ll hear, the results of this commitment to happiness speak for themselves.
Healthcare systems can be a powerful force for good in their communities, and the impact has the potential to reach far beyond physical health. When operated intentionally, local hospitals can provide economic stimulation, resources for social and emotional wellbeing, and steady jobs. Helen Johnson, President of Sparrow Eaton Hospital, explains how her team has contributed to the flourishing of their community. She shares the creative strategies her healthcare system has used to meet the unique needs of its town. Through Helen’s story, you’ll see the ripple effect of leaders who put their communities first.
If you could provide improved patient outcomes while lowering your costs and increasing staff morale, you’d do it in a heartbeat, right? David Rahija, President of NorthShore Skokie Hospital, found that centralizing specialties in your healthcare system can be a win-win-win. It allows your care teams to develop confidence and expertise, you to incur lower costs, and your patients to receive better care. In this conversation, David discusses how to decide whether to centralize care. He also addresses how to approach accountability according to your system’s structure, and how to leverage the benefits of both centralized and decentralized care within a single healthcare system.
In high-stakes environments, it’s easy to focus on what can go wrong. Our natural instinct is to prevent harm, but dwelling on risks takes our attention away from what really matters in healthcare—relationships with our patients. Jennifer Krippner, Chief Experience Officer at the Institute for Healthcare Excellence, explains that human-centered care begins with relationships. If we’re constantly scanning our environments for signs of danger, we’ll miss opportunities to develop relationships and create a positive experience for our patients. In this conversation, Jennifer discusses the connection between positivity and human-centered care and shares practices for hardwiring positivity into your workday.
Creating a psychologically safe environment for your staff has a direct impact on patient safety and outcomes. When team members feel mentally and emotionally safe, they express their ideas and concerns without fear. They feel empowered to speak up to prevent critical errors at the bedside and share fresh perspectives in team meetings. In this conversation, Kyle Kellum, CEO of Cherry County Hospital, shares how he’s developed a psychologically safe environment for his team and the effects it’s had on patient care.
In this season of Outside the Patient’s Door, our guests shared how they’re tackling the ever-changing demands of healthcare. Each conversation was full of great ideas, stories, and advice, so before we close this chapter, we want to reflect on the wisdom theyshared. We’re revisiting three key themes that emerged throughout the season: effectively executing your strategy, caring for the community, and going above and beyond for patients.
Attracting staff in today’s talent market requires thinking outside the box. Throughout this season, we asked our guests how they’re getting creative to find the team members they need. In this episode, we’re sharing their answers to help you attract and retain great staff.
Transforming a healthcare system is no small task, but it’s a worthwhile journey. Dr. Christopher O’Connor, President of Inova Heart and Vascular Institute, saw this firsthand when he began leading in a new environment. Affecting change requires alignment on mission and vision, releasing control for the greater good, and – above all – time. His past success helped him cast a compelling vision for his new team. With the support of his staff, he shifted the culture, adjusted hospital governance, and implemented a leadership academy. Gradually, he saw his small community hospital transform into a leader in cardiovascular care.
If you want to be a leader whose vision withstands waves of change, you’ll need one critical skill — adaptability. Brian Lawrence witnessed this firsthand when he became the CEO of Coffeyville Regional Medical Center in 2019, right before the world turned upside down. Joining the team with a fresh set of eyes, Brian was ready to execute a new strategic plan. And then, everything changed. In this conversation, Brian shares how his plans pivoted in response to the pandemic, how he adjusted his leadership style, and how he saw his team shine as they care for patients. As you listen, you’ll learn how to set goals that remain relevant through unpredictable circumstances, how to support your team in a demanding time, and how to bend without breaking.
Healthcare requires sensitivity and intentionality, but some hospitals go above and beyond caring for their patients. Dr. Jian Zhang is the CEO of Chinese Hospital in San Francisco, where patients are provided with culturally-informed care, including multilingual staff and food from their native culture. In our conversation, Dr. Zhang shares how her team accommodates the needs of their patients and how they brought care to the community in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Zhang is living proof that preparation, education, and collaboration are some of a leader’s most powerful tools. Through her story, you’ll learn how to stay calm and recognize opportunities in the face of crisis.
If you treat people like a process, they feel it. There's no shortage of hospitals or businesses that have a great facility and the right processes in place, but if you don’t treat employees like human beings, all of that is worthless. In this episode, James Cox, CEO of Arkansas Continued Care Hospital, shares some of the ways he and his team have obtained operational excellence and maintained a healthy company culture. With vulnerability as the foundation, James and his team have an organization that welcomes feedback, innovation, and change.
Rio Grande Hospital in Del Norte, Colorado serves a population of 10,000 people in the wintertime, but in the summer, that number increases threefold to a beautifully diverse mix. Beyond the need to make sure they’re serving patients well is the need for prioritizing inclusivity and breaking down barriers so everyone has equal access to care. Language is a large contributer to those barriers, but even fear of prejudice is something that has to be addressed. In this episode, CEO Arlene Harms shares a story about what inclusion has meant for her hospital and how it has changed her perspective as a whole. Along the way, you’ll also learn about their plans for building healthier spaces for healing, no matter where patients come from.
No one wants to be readmitted to the hospital - not the patients and not the nurses and doctors who take care of them. Despite those wishes, approximately one in five patients are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge. What are the steps hospitals need to take to reduce this number effectively? In this episode, Dr. David Berger, CEO of University Hospital at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, shares why a hospital should work to reduce readmissions and how University Hospital has engaged the support of the community to help them achieve this goal.
Innovation is critical for any business, but in healthcare, it really matters. The first step toward making people’s lives better starts with understanding how they behave. No matter who you are or what business you're in, understanding behavioral health is crucial, and it’s up to innovation and creative problem-solving to ensure we’re serving patients well. In this episode, Dr. Nilda Perez, a Behavioral Health Expert, and Scott Cormier, VP of Emergency Management, EC, and Safety at Medxcel, discuss ways they inspire innovation in their own organizations. You’ll learn how creativity doesn’t always mean complicated projects and that sometimes it’s the small things that make the biggest difference.
Your budget should be a reflection of your organization's business strategy, not the other way around. In this episode, Dr. Imran Andrabi, President and CEO at ThedaCare, and Dan Scher, Vice President of Strategic Planning and Sustainability at Medxcel, share why you must first identify the needs of your employees, patients, and community before determining a budget. Listen in to hear how this approach has allowed ThedaCare, to see long-term rewards.
One of the biggest tensions when it comes to hospital management is balancing patient care with profitability. This issue became even more acute during the COVID crisis, but it turns out the people at Claiborne Memorial Hospital have had wild success in creating a more people-centered approach. In this episode, their CEO, Tina Hayes, and Jennefer Pursifull, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Medxcel, explore some of the creative ways Tina has been able to engage employees and create a thriving hospital culture. You’ll learn how going the extra mile has helped maintain profits and hear specific ways she and her team are changing healthcare for the better.
When it comes to female representation in healthcare, we’re still making strides, and everyone has their part to play. Helen Johnson, President of Sparrow Eaton Hospital in Charlotte, Michigan, and Sara Barker, VP of Corporate Support Services at Medxcel, are two outstanding female leaders who understand feeling out of place in their fields and bearing the brunt of unfair stereotypes. In this episode, they share some of their favorite stories of how they’re improving the community around them and why they’re passionate about lifting up other women.
We’re launching Season 3 of Medxcel’s Outside the Patient’s Door, where we explore innovative solutions to challenges healthcare leaders face today through interviews with leading experts. This season, we’re talking strategy, leadership, community, inclusion, and so much more. You can listen above or anywhere you get your podcasts.
In the second season of Outside the Patient’s Door, we talked with some of healthcare’s top leaders and explored innovative solutions to challenges they’re facing today. We touched on many topics, from goal-setting to strategies for taking care of your team. But in each episode, our guests shared how they’re tackling the ever-changing demands of healthcare. Each conversation was full of great ideas, stories, and advice, so we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the wisdom our guests shared with us, one clip at a time. Listen in as we share some of the most impactful insights.
Healthcare requires a special type of intentionality that is unique from other industries. In this episode, we’re diving into a topic that arguably calls for even more attention: children’s healthcare. With us to share their perspectives is Todd Suntrapak, President and CEO of Valley Children’s Healthcare, and Mike Wood, VP of Planning, Design, and Construction at Medxcel. In this conversation, you’ll learn why we need to take a truly patient-centric approach to care and experience design. We’ll dive into practical steps for doing this at your organization and share subtle, yet critical, considerations you may have overlooked.
Most companies carefully craft their core values, only to have them remain words on a page and nothing more. But when patients are your business, living out core values is critical to success. For Nick Marsico, CEO of Magruder Hospital, and Carla Shade, Area Vice President at Medxcel, living out those values not only gives patients a better experience, but also encourages compassion and empathy amongst team members. In our conversation, Nick and Carla break down the positive effects of leaders holding their team accountable to high standards, how to have difficult conversations, and ways to embed your core values into the daily work of your organization.
When your job is to care for others, you can easily forget to care for yourself. After the past couple of years, healthcare workers have experienced profound mental health challenges. They’ve worked harder and witnessed more suffering than ever before. Tom Flanagan, CEO of the Center for Cognitive Disorders for the National HealthCare Corporation, and Jennefer Pursifull, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Medxcel, join us for this episode to discuss how to prioritize mental health for yourself and your team. In this conversation, you’ll learn how to recognize when your team needs help, and how to cope with stress in a healthy way.
If we’ve learned anything over the past couple of years, it’s that we need community. Those who were isolated from their community during the pandemic felt the pain of its absence, and now that we’re able to reunite, we remember just how much community adds to our lives. Pamela Dunley, President and CEO of Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, and Maureen Larkins, Vice President of Client Services at Medxcel, join us for this episode to discuss the important role hospitals play in our communities. In this conversation, you’ll learn the importance of building trust, how to reach vulnerable populations, and why hospitals need to be active in their communities in the first place.
In the midst of any crisis, leadership can make all the difference. The COVID-19 pandemic presented healthcare leaders with challenges they had no plan for and forced them to completely reevaluate their approach. In this episode, experts Matt Troup, President and CEO of Conway Regional Health Systems, and Michael Burgett, Area Vice President of Medxcel, join to discuss how the pandemic affected their leadership. As you listen, you’ll learn the importance of going back to basics and why looking for unconventional solutions can have a massive impact on your organization, your patients, and your people.
Compassion is a critical part of patient care–and in today’s conversation, you’ll learn that its ripple effect extends far beyond the patient experience. In this episode, Eric Waller, Vice President of Field Support Services at Medxcel, and Anthony Mazzarelli, CEO of Cooper University Healthcare discuss the effects of compassion in patient care. Eric shares incredible stories of compassion he’s seen first-hand in his role, and Anthony comes with a scientific approach to compassion and its effects on both patient and staff experiences.
When dealing with an emergency situation, the greatest strength in an organization is a well-developed plan. To discuss best practices for developing emergency management plans are experts Alan Vierling, a former hospital president, and Scott Cormier, the Vice President of Emergency Management, Environment of Care, and Safety at Medxcel. Alan and Scott’s words of wisdom are to keep things simple. In this episode, they break the planning process down into manageable steps with tips on prioritizing and identifying who is essential to get on board. The age of the thick emergency management binder is over - it’s time for simple plans that work.
Before breaking ground on your new healthcare building, you need some concrete advice. To guide you through the do’s and don’ts of hospital construction are experts Jacqueline Costley-Reviel, the CEO of Allen Parish Hospital, and Mike Wood, the VP of Planning, Design and Construction at Medxcel. From obtaining the necessary capital build to determining where to put the entrance, Jackie and Mike’s advice will help you avoid disasters and maximize your patient’s experience while your campus is covered in dirt. They also discuss construction trends and must-have technology to help you get ahead of the field. Listen in to discover how to successfully build your next healthcare facility on this episode of Outside the Patient’s Door.
Ensuring healthcare facilities secure necessary tools is a complex process. Add in challenges caused by the pandemic, and now teams find themselves struggling to prepare for the next supply shortage. In this episode, Andy Hamilton, the Executive Director at MultiCare Health System, and Jason Scheidler, the Chief Financial Officer at Medxcel take a deep dive on how they ensure their employees have the equipment they need. The common just-in-time healthcare supply chain strategy will likely not be used moving forward. So, how does your organization need to adjust? Listen to learn as Andy and Jason share critical strategies, including identifying offshore versus onshore manufacturers and closely observing political changes, to provide their teams with enough foresight to grasp necessary supplies during the pandemic.
What’s the essential ingredient for building a strong, cohesive team? Andy Cochrane, Chief Hospital Officer at North Memorial Health, and J.D. Duigou, Chief Information Officer at Medxcel, joined Outside the Patient’s Door to discuss the importance of trust in an organization. In this episode, J.D. and Andy share their tactics for crafting successful trust-building strategies, how to manage trust when it’s broken, and what happens to an organization when you don’t address the issue. The risk of not doing so? Your team is more guarded, less apt to share ideas, and filled with uncertainty. Fortunately, they also identify red flags for lack of trust so you can gauge how well your team is performing.
Women in healthcare leadership are paving pathways for future female leaders. But, how did they make it to the top? For the first episode of Season 2, the CEO of Clinch Memorial Hospital, Angela Ammons, and Medxcel’s VP of Client Services, Maureen Larkins, discuss how they navigated their circumstances to rise in the ranks and the wisdom they gained through the process. As passionate leaders, they share how they've maximized their influence to lift up fellow women in the workforce. Listen to hear how their resilience led them through the tough moments and how you can apply their philosophies to your career.
We’re launching Season 2 of Medxcel’s Outside the Patient’s Door, an original podcast that explores innovative solutions to challenges healthcare leaders are facing today through interviews with leading experts. With healthcare leaders solving unprecedented problems faster than ever before, Season 2 is diving deeper into many topics, unveiling cutting-edge ideas, strategies, and technology around the people and processes in healthcare. From episode to episode, our guests guide you towards how to tackle ever-changing demands and health challenges often riddled with misconceptions. If you’re a healthcare professional, gain exclusive access to healthcare thought leaders because it’s time to connect, learn, and improve so we can make the impossible possible. Together.
Through in-depth conversations over the last eleven episodes, we discovered how healthcare’s top innovators are tackling the complex problems leaders are facing today. For our season one wrap-up, we’re revisiting the great ideas we uncovered — one soundbite at a time. From decreasing employee burnout to sustainability, this season went behind the science. Our guests revealed how facilities are run with one goal in mind: humans first. Discover how to overcome the leading challenges in healthcare on this episode of Outside the Patient’s Door.
In an environment where burnout is prevalent, how do we ensure healthcare workers feel appreciated and engaged? Experts Jennefer Pursifull, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Medxcel, and Dr. Bonnie Clipper, Chief Clinical Officer at Wambi, join to discuss successful strategies for integrating appreciation into your culture. We often overlook the emotional and monetary value of developing programs for employees to show gratitude to each other. Jennefer and Bonnie confirm that without them, you’ll have higher rates of burnout, lower rates of retention, and even worse patient outcomes. In this episode, they share how to craft simple, yet impactful, programs to ensure employees feel valued. Discover how to improve employee burnout on this episode of Outside the Patient’s Door.
We know empowering employees is critical. But, how do you place trust in others when wrong decisions can make the difference between the life or death of a patient? Michael Burgett, an Area Vice President at Medxcel, and Maureen Fagan, the Chief Nursing Executive at the University of Miami Hospitals and Clinics Health System, join to discuss their successful strategies. What is Michael and Maureen’s secret to success? Creating a safe environment for people to fail. Without it, Michael and Maureen recognize that more decisions would fall on their shoulders. Discover how to effectively empower your teams on this episode of Outside the Patient’s Door.
Although the pandemic required all organizations to reimagine their operations, urban and rural healthcare facilities experienced different challenges. Joining me to discuss these differences are Rex Brown, the President and CEO of Hillsboro Area Hospital, and Matt Keahey, the National Vice President of Operations at Medxcel. Rex discusses how his team anxiously prepared and waited for COVID-19 to arrive at their rural facility. Matt shares how his urban locations adjusted immediately for the first wave of COVID-19 patients. They both acknowledge the heroic actions all teams exhibited through many challenges. Discover how rural and urban healthcare facilities pivoted to protect their patients on this episode of Outside the Patient’s Door.
Partner and community engagement is something we value highly at Medxcel. To recognize and encourage engagement excellence in our hospital facilities, we created the S.E.E. (Sites of Engaged Excellence) Awards. Organizations must have high marks in four key areas to receive this award: elements of engagement/service, communication, overall relationship, and healthy associate-customer engagement. Joining us to share their experiences with award-winning sites and shed light on building excellence are Area Vice Presidents, Chris Soop, Michael Burgett, Eric Waller, and Damian Skelton. Discover how the S.E.E. Awards help ensure a positive customer experience and boost associate engagement in this episode of Outside the Patient’s Door.
As we recognize the effects of climate change on community health, what role do healthcare systems play in protecting the environment? Joining us to discuss the topic is industry expert Dan Scher, the Vice President of Strategic Planning and Sustainability at Medxcel. Dan discusses how healthcare facilities are innovating to meet sustainability standards and improve community health. He recognizes that improving sustainability practices can seem overwhelming, so he shares many ways to make impactful changes in your organization. Discover better sustainability practices in this episode of Outside the Patient’s Door.
Mentorship is often an overlooked area in career growth, yet we can all think of advice that changed our path. So, how do you develop valuable mentorship for all stages in your career? Two industry experts address this topic: Steve Long, the President and CEO of Hancock Regional Hospital, and Maureen Larkins, the Vice President of Client Services at Medxcel. Steve and Maureen share how they’ve built their dream teams for various areas in their lives. As experienced leaders and mentors, they advise on what characteristics to look for in mentors and mentees, how to successfully initiate those conversations, and how to develop authentic relationships through mentorship. Discover how to find and develop valuable mentorship in all stages in your career in this episode of Outside the Patient’s Door.
Employees were met with diverse challenges during the pandemic. It split most hospitals into two groups: employees battling the front lines and employees supporting remotely. With fear, uncertainty, and anxiety everywhere, how do you keep your employees engaged to push through tough work when you’re also engulfed in the same unease? To address this topic are two industry experts, Jennefer Pursifull, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Medxcel and Cassandra Crowe-Jackson, Chief Experience Officer at Sharp HealthCare. Jennefer and Cassandra knew the best way to ensure people felt supported was to meet the employees where they were. Even with that mantra guiding them, successfully engaging thousands of employees in varying circumstances was still no simple task. Jennefer and Cassandra share specific examples of how they boosted engagement survey responses even during the toughest moments. Discover how to engage employees during challenging times in this episode of Outside the Patient’s Door.
Creating an environment where employees feel pride in their work is challenging, especially when leaders and employees are busy completing their own tasks. However, the demanding circumstances of the pandemic proved it is an essential foundation to unite employees when they’re asked to go above and beyond. To address this topic are two industry experts, Brian Helleland, the Chief Executive of St. Jude Medical Center, and Chris Soop, Area Vice President at Medxcel. Brian and Chris share how they created processes within their everyday operations for employees to be reminded of the value of their work. If you are wondering about the ROI of creating a healthy culture, Brian and Chris also share specific examples of how developing their employees resulted in tangible success for their organization and patients. Discover the power of developing pride of ownership and workmanship in this episode of Outside the Patient’s Door.
Emergency management departments make extraordinary situations seem like everyday challenges. However, the past year was beyond anything they could have planned for with the COVID-19 pandemic. To discuss healthcare technology innovation, we are joined by experts Lisa Romano, Chief Nursing Officer at CipherHealth, and Scott Cormier, Vice President Emergency Management, EC, and Safety at Medxcel. Lisa and Scott share how their emergency management plans excelled during the COVID-19 pandemic and what situations challenged their teams in unpredictable ways. How we perform healthcare has changed forever due to the pandemic, and they share how they will apply what they learned to their future preparation plans. Discover the future of emergency management in this episode of Outside the Patient’s Door.
We now live in a digital-first age accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The constraints brought on by the pandemic forced the healthcare industry to innovate quicker than ever before. Specifically, in its adoption of new technology. To discuss the topic of healthcare technology innovation, we are joined by experts Josh Sol, Administrative Director of Innovation and Ambulatory Clinical systems at Houston Methodist, and Mike Wood, VP of Planning, Design, and Construction at Medxcel. Josh and Michael share how the pandemic pushed technology to evolve five to ten years faster than originally expected. Rather than slowing down their operations, they sprinted forward to assist their stressed healthcare partners in the field. Their astonishing technological innovations are noticeably created with the patient and healthcare system in mind. Discover the future of patient care and experience on this episode of Outside the Patient’s Door.
Healthcare facilities are facing a problem that, if unresolved, will negatively impact the level of patient care, drive costs even higher, and perhaps even result in loss of life: a shortage of skilled healthcare workers. We go in-depth with Matt Keahey, VP of Operations, and Patricia Sirmon, VP of HR, on how they collaborate at Medxcel to develop and engage skilled healthcare employees. The team shares how they are changing the narrative about vocational programs by educating students early in their career search. Also, Matt and Patricia take a deep dive into succession planning, especially how it applies to building training programs for future skill requirements, and how they are innovatively recruiting and maintaining employees at Medxcel. Discover what it takes to fill your future talent pipeline and ensure your employees are ready for the next stage on this episode of Outside the Patient’s Door.
Outside the Patient’s Door is an original podcast that explores innovative solutions to complex problems healthcare leaders are facing today.