Indiana Hospital CEOs have a wealth of knowledge about health care and leadership. Each issue of Harmony, we ask one CEO to share some of that knowledge. Click on the name of the CEO to read what they shared with us.
What it Means to Contribute to Friends
Paul Janssen, CEO of Henry County Hospital
Henry County Hospital has a long and successful history of participation in the Friends of Indiana Hospitals Political Action Committee campaigns. We sat down with Henry County Hospital’s President and CEO, Paul Janssen, FACHE, to discuss the value he and his team see in the campaign, how it impacts Henry County’s patients and tips for how to get started on your own campaign. Read more »
The Importance of Leaving Your Door
Open
JoAnn Birdzell, CEO of St. Catherine Hospital
Complex times
in health care must call for complex solutions, right? With tremendous
financial pressure to accomplish more with less, incredible advances in technology and computer systems and overwhelming demands on our time, clearly a
managerial approach as old-fashioned as an “open door” policy would not suffice
in our modern hospitals. In an era where email trumps face-to-face
communication—even for those in adjoining offices—the open door policy seems to
be vanishing.
Read more »
At its Core, Health Care is People Caring for People
Tim Flesch, Retired President of St. Mary's Health System
As
I moved
through college, I never thought of pursuing a career in health care. I
focused
on completing my education and beginning a career in public accounting
with
what was then one of the “Big Eight” accounting firms. The Chicago
office,
where I started, served some recognizable big-name, international
companies, as
well as some large banks and saving and loan institutions. We also
served
health care.
Implementation of Electronic Patient Portals
Tim Putnam, President/CEO of Margaret Mary Health
Personally,
most
of us know of situations where friends or family have been frustrated
by
not knowing their personal health information at some critical time. In
August,
Margaret Mary Health implemented HealthConnect, a web-based patient
portal
system designed to engage patients in their health care through direct
access
to a complete and timely medical record.
Developing a "System"
On
April 1,
2009 I was offered the opportunity to become the CEO of the Community
Health
Network. I don’t think being offered the role on April Fool’s Day was a
coincidence. It provided an ongoing “out” for our board to change its
mind! Read more »
How Health Reform Can Benefit Rural Hospitals
Brad Smith, CEO Rush Memorial Hospital
Some
people fear health care reform; I embrace the overall concept. The concept of
affordable health care coverage for all, and value over volume, is something I
support. Over the course of several years, the health care
industry has been driven into a volume-based delivery system that does not
necessarily translate into value or quality.
Read more »