Newsletter

On this page you’ll find links to back issues of The Interim Report. This is our monthly e-newsletter in which I share some general management reflections on issues facing healthcare executives. I will offer updates on significant trends and perspectives in managing executive talent at your organizations. In addition, I offer some inspirational quotes, industry facts and, always, some shameless self-promotion about my company.

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Please enjoy.



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07/15/2008	Transparency in Healthcare: The Drive Toward Quality Data Consumers Can Use
	Simply put, transparency means making information available to consumers that previously was not available to them. This may include prices for common health care services with a specific physician, as well as clinical quality and efficiency information on physicians. Transparency also means the opportunity to change public perception of your institution, and ultimately, the quality of care it delivers. We'll share with you why that is.
06/04/2008	Understanding the Difference Between Strategy and Tactics
	Good leaders know that the journey toward a specific objective is often fraught with changing conditions that threaten to blow an organization off course. And, good leaders also know that achieving organizational objectives demands that they clearly understand the difference between strategy and tactics. Strategy and tactics comprise two parts of a greater whole that, when leveraged appropriately, work in concert to achieve success.
05/06/2008	Today's Nurses: Making a Difference ... Every Day
	The American Nurses Association has chosen the tag line, "Nurses: Making a Difference Every Day," to mark this year's celebration of National Nurses Week (beginning May 6 and ending appropriately on the birthday of Florence Nightingale, May 12). All of this, however, leads me to the serious problem of nurses leaving the profession and what healthcare executives can do, if anything to stop the bleeding.
04/10/2008	Big Picture, Micro Focus: An Interview with Javon Bea of Mercy Health System
	Mercy Health System, headquartered in Janesville, Wisconsin, is ranked 16th in the Top 100 Integrated Healthcare Networks by Verispan and Modern Healthcare Magazine. Led by CEO extraordinaire Javon Bea since 1989, Mercy transformed itself from a struggling, single-location hospital into a vertically integrated not-for-profit health system. It now runs more than 64 facilities in 24 communities, and serves one million patients per year. Here’s how he did it.
03/19/2008	Harnessing the Power of Behavorial Interviewing
	Ever wish you could determine a job applicant's ability to make sound decisions, cope with stress, or deal with difficult personalities ... before you hired him or her? If so, behavioral interviewing techniques could be the next best thing to a crystal ball in improving your hiring process.
02/05/2008	Your New Secret Weapon: Executive Coaches
	Executive coaches bring years of experience to the table, are passionate about their areas of expertise, and have the time to help clients focus on objectives and set goals. Could someone on your management team benefit from using an executive coach?
01/08/2008	All Stressed Out & Nowhere to Go
	It’s no secret that executive positions in today’s healthcare institutions come with great stress. Here are some quick, practical tips to help you get it under control.
12/04/2007	Life in the Balance
	Technology has blurred the once distinct line that separated working from not working. As a result, *work is never* left behind**. Keeping a good work-life balance is essential to remain effective on the job…and to remain mentally and physically healthy. Here are some techniques for keeping your work life in perspective.
11/06/2007	The Art of Inspiring Others
	Make some time before the end of the year to get to know your employees better. Doing so will begin to build the necessary framework for them to trust you, and in turn, trust themselves to take risks, set lofty goals and undertake the impossible.
10/02/2007	Making Others More Powerful
	The best managers empower their employees. They encourage their people to use discretion when faced with obstacles, challenges and opportunities. In my experience, empowered employees are happiest, more productive and far more engaged. Instead of relying on constant direction and supervision, powerful employees develop and expand their problem-solving abilities, and learn to rely on their experience, skills and innate talents.
09/14/2007	When Bad Things Happen to Good Hospitals
	Sooner or later, bad stuff happens. A critical member of your executive team might depart unexpectedly, leaving a significant void. Or, you might discover that a trusted employee stole $1.3 million (as was the unfortunate situation recently at Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center in New Hampshire). Unfortunately, the question is not "if" trouble will occur, but rather "when." Knowing in advance what steps to take when things go wrong, and in what order, can ease the pain when bad things happen to good hospitals.
08/07/2007	Workplace Etiquette: It Still Matters ... A Lot!
	Healthcare organizations are quite concerned with improving the quality of care that patients and family members receive, and measuring the results of their efforts. That's ultimately targeted at the bottom line, but it's also the right thing to do. When given a choice, patients will go where they are treated best. The same holds true for employees - they will also choose the more caring and supportive employer every time.
07/10/2007	Ethics in Healthcare: Not Just For Everyone Else
	Many people become skeptical when they hear CEOs talk about ethics. Some assume that business and ethics don't mix - that a strong bottom line is all that counts. Others believe that CEOs should address ethics only during a crisis, and only then as damage control. Times are changing. Communication is key when it comes to ensuring that your institution's ethics and core values are taken seriously, and that as a senior leader, you believe that business and ethics must always co-exist.
06/07/2007	Meetings: A Little Planning (& Follow-Up) Goes a Long Way
	On the "enjoyment Richter scale," meetings equate to dentist visits and getting strip searched in airport security. But you can take a number of steps to make meetings more productive and efficient. Being prepared with a thoughtful and precise agenda, focusing on results, holding firm to 'rules of engagement', and tracking follow-through will make your meetings far more valuable, and perhaps even more enjoyable, for everyone involved.
05/03/2007	Feedback on Feedback
	Feedback can be a valuable management tool through all layers of an organization. It can be a great retention tool, as well as a good way to shape employees' attitudes and behaviors. By regularly letting employees know how they are performing, managers demonstrate they are actively interested in employees' development.
04/03/2007	Nurse Managers: Their Success Is Your Success
	No job in your hospital is quite as important as that of the nurse manager. But the establishment of a group of competent and effective nurse managers in your organization doesn’t happen by accident. It takes a commitment to an ongoing process for selecting, training, and motivating them.
03/07/2007	Employee Retention: Lessons From a Master
	Those of us in the healthcare industry can learn much from Chef Ming’s success running the popular restaurant Blue Ginger. The secret to a low turnover rate begins with recruiting the best people possible and is followed by solid retention tactics, such as fostering professional development, giving positive feedback, and respecting and rewarding employees.
02/10/2007	Diversity: More than Just Politically Correct
	Diversity comes from the word diverse, an adjective meaning unlike. Take a look around your own executive team – is there very much unlike amongst you?
01/25/2007	Succession Planning Success: Growing From Within
	Succession planning is essential to an institution’s success. Savvy organizations understand that putting a thoughtful plan in place, that might include several tiers of management, can serve many purposes.
12/26/2006	Healthcare Management: Seven Resolutions for ‘07
	Seven resolutions for ‘07 that can put you and your organization on a great path for the New Year.
12/08/2006	Avoid Three Common Hiring Mistakes
	A look at three unnecessary mistakes often made by healthcare executives when hiring for senior positions.