Becker's Hospital Review

48 Leadership & Management trained in CRM before I came to OSU. I could have said I've done it before and don't need to do it again, but I went through the training with everyone else. As much as I possibly could, I would go to each of the CRM sessions and lead them off by telling people why it was important, what the expectations were and the difference the training was going to make. It's essential to remember that you always have to bring every effort or project to the level of the patient and their families. Our observed level of expected mortality is one of the lowest in the country. In our case, about 40 percent of patients who would be expected to die because of serious conditions survive and go home to their families. Q: Wexner Medical Center's financial indicators improved over the last several years, even during the recession, the recovery period afterward and during the implementation of the PPACA. How was this possible? Dr. Gabbe: One large part of our strategy was to bring the ambulatory care we provide into the community. We built a series of multidisciplinary care centers around our community in key areas, including The Stefanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Center, which is a specialized ambulatory center for breast cancer patients and our AfterHours clinic for patients with less seri- ous emergency problems. As a result of all of this, our ambulatory visits have nearly doubled. These facilities also helped us identify patients who needed more serious care within our hospitals, which helped increase activity inside the hospital. Because of our focus on quality, safety and patient satisfaction, more patients wanted to come here for their care. Volumes grew. We've also created the Patient Experience Council, which focuses on patient satisfaction, and the Patient Advisory Council, where patients and former patients can give us ad- vice and feedback on their experiences. We did something else that's pretty unusual. We supported about two dozen of our faculty and staff members, including physicians, nurses and adminis- trative leaders, to go to The Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business to earn a master's in business operational excellence. They brought their skills in lean management and process improvement back to our medical center and presented them to our leadership team. We learned a lot from them and they are helping us improve our medical center. Q: How does a practicing physician, executive and professor re- main visible in his community? How do you balance that fourth realm of your life, your civic responsibilities? Dr. Gabbe: Ohio State is a major part of the community in Columbus. In the medical center alone, we have about 17,000 employees and Ohio State has about 100,000 people on campus. We're a land grant university, and part of our mission is to improve the community around us. A good example would be our Partners Achieving Community Transformation, or PACT group, and the work we're doing to improve the neighborhood around our University Hospital East. My wife, Dr. Pat Gabbe, has always been passionate about helping in the com- munity. Together we're working on The Greater Columbus Infant Mortality Task Force, something that is a very important part of our commitment to our community. Personally, I've had diabetes for almost 47 years. We are very active working with families, young adults and children with diabetes in both the Juvenile Research Foundation and the American Diabetes Association. Q: As a practicing physician, what piece of advice would you give to new or upcoming physicians? Dr. Gabbe: I would tell them that it truly is a marathon and not a sprint. This will hopefully be a 30 to 50 year career in healthcare, so enjoy each step along the way. You can't do everything in the first days, weeks, months or even years — remember that. You must maintain your work-life balance. Spend time with your families and do things you enjoy. This is truly important. I would also emphasize that medicine is a very small world. You'll work with people early in your career and maybe again years later. You should maintain friendships and be supportive along the way. Finally, I would tell them what my father always told me: Do good, and don't complain. Q: What important lessons would you want to share with other healthcare leaders? Dr. Gabbe: I would say you must be committed and passionate about the work you're doing. You have to be involved — not just watch from afar or sit in your office. You have to visit with patients and their families, and with doc- tors and nurses in the settings of their care. Go to the meetings where patient care and experience is discussed. You have to be a visible and engaged leader. I've never heard someone tell me, "You just don't understand," because they know I do. Q: What are your plans for the future? Dr. Gabbe: We're starting to receive manuscripts for the seventh edition of our obstetrics textbook, which is the leading textbook in the field. I'll also have more time to work in the Diabetes in Pregnancy clinic, as well as teach. I'll be involved in faculty mentoring, and I'll be spending a lot more time working on the infant mortality task force. I will be an ambassador to hospi- tals in our Ohio State Health Network as well as potential members and new partners. n "I've never heard someone tell me, 'You just don't understand,' because they know I do." Dr. Gabbe and his wife, Patricia Gabbe, MD, participate in Columbus' Pelotonia bike tour.

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