Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1299034
107 107 PRACTICE MANAGEMENT THOUGHT LEADERSHIP he or she may work. We all have roles in our personal and professional life, but there are always times when we are asked to do something that might not "be our job." As I have learned this in all walks of life, it is even more important in healthcare. It doesn't matter what our role is in healthcare — from a physician to nurse to technician to administra- tor — we are called to get out of our comfort zone and normal routine regularly. In addition, many times as physicians and administrators, we are asked to take on different responsibilities. is may not be "our job," but it separates one leader from another who may not be such a leader. Q: What's the most important way clinical leaders can support their team's well-being and resilience during the pandemic? JK: e well-being of our teams is more important now than ever before. With COVID-19 and the ever-changing clinical information, most clinical caregivers and administrations have taken little time off for many months. is is more prevalent now than I have seen in the past. As a leader, we need to insist that our team takes time away, un- plugged. We have coverage, and we should use that now to recharge so we can handle what comes next. Q: Where are the biggest opportunities for patient safety or quality improvements in 2020 and beyond? JK: Although we will continue to focus on hospital-based safety met- rics such as Clostridium difficile rates, sepsis mortality and readmis- sions, the focus is changing to ambulatory-based metrics in my opin- ion. is year, Mercy Health Youngstown continues to focus our key performance indicators on both. However, the ambulatory metrics such as colon cancer screening and mammography rates, reduction in Hemoglobin A1C and blood pressure control will increase in im- portance as we focus on overall wellness and reduction in hospitaliza- tions and outpatient management. n Spectrum Health CEO Tina Freese Decker on accomplishments, history and health equity By Kelly Gooch T ina Freese Decker's nearly two decades of leader- ship at Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Spectrum Health have allowed her to address healthcare challenges such as access and affordability. Now, as president and CEO, she is also helping drive change in health equity. Ms. Freese Decker joined Spectrum Health in 2002 as an administrative fellow. Since then, she has held various leadership roles, including executive vice president and COO. She became president and CEO of the 14-hospital health system in 2018. Ms. Freese Decker earned her master's degrees in health administration and industrial engineering from the Univer- sity of Iowa in Iowa City. Here, she answered Becker's questions for women in healthcare leadership: Editor's note: Responses have been edited lightly for length and clarity. Question: Who had the biggest influence on your deci- sion to go into healthcare? Tina Freese Decker: My parents. They encouraged me to pursue my career aspirations — I just needed to be pas- sionate about it. From a very early age, I had a desire to help others and make an impact for people in the com- munity, and I saw healthcare as being one of the most im- portant careers where you could really deliver that impact. Q: What do you enjoy most about being in the industry? TFD: Healthcare is a complex industry. I enjoy taking on the really tough challenges and bringing together great talent to create, innovate and implement needed change to transform our industry. Q: What is the greatest challenge you face as a female leader? TFD: It's important as a female leader to truly be authentic and have an understanding of one's audience. While it can be a hard needle to thread, I believe it's at the core of what makes us effective. Q: How do you relax outside of the C-suite? TFD: I love to immerse myself in history, so reading history books is a big passion and a great way to unplug. And I love spending time with my family, whether that's taking a walk with our family dog or watching my kids excel at their passions. Q: How do you stay inspired on hard days? TFD: I stay grounded in our mission to improve health, inspire hope and save lives by making personal visits to patients and caregivers in our facilities. Those visits remind me my day is not so hard. Q: What is your daily mantra? TFD: I have two: "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together," and, "Imagine the possibilities." Q: What do you consider your greatest career success? TFD: I am most proud of my accomplishments as a leader at Spectrum Health over the last 18 years, starting out as an administrative fellow, in driving significant and transfor- mational change to address some of our industry's most pressing challenges: access and affordability. I'm also incredibly proud of our system's focus on health equity, including a program that significantly improved mater- nal-infant health. We intensified those efforts this year with internal listening opportunities to help team members heal the pain of systemic racism. We also expanded ini- tiatives and collaborations, including a commitment to re- allocate $100 million over the next 10 years for programs and services to improve health and access among popula- tions impacted by health inequities. n