Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/674245
40 EXECUTIVE NOTES Worth the Weight: What 3 Hospital CEOs Gained From Losing By Erin Marshall W hen you envision a CEO or leader, what do you imagine? According to a recent article in e Wall Street Journal, many Americans picture one thing: strength. Researchers at the Univer- sity of California's Berkeley and Santa Barbara campuses, the University of Portland (Ore.) and Stillwater-based Oklahoma State Universi- ty found "both men and women associate the appearance of physical strength with leadership qualities and higher status, at least in men." But even for executives who are not mus- cle-bound, fitness remains important. A study from the Center for Creative Leadership, a Greensboro, N.C.-based nonprofit, found executives with larger waistlines and higher body-mass-index readings "tend to be per- ceived as less effective in the workplace, both in performance and interpersonal relation- ships," according to a 2013 article in e Wall Street Journal. e findings of these studies especially ring true in the world of healthcare. "ere's an exam- ple to be set for people in healthcare organiza- tions," says Larry Kaiser, MD, CEO of Philadel- phia-based Temple University Health System, senior executive vice president for health affairs and dean of Temple University School of Medi- cine. "People who lead organizations should be demonstrating health if they can." ree hospital and health system executives talked to Becker's Hospital Review about their fitness routines, successful weight loss efforts and the effects both have on their leadership. "Not for people who do not maintain good health" roughout his career in healthcare adminis- tration, John "Jack" Lynch III, CEO of Bryn Mawr, Pa.-based Main Line Health, slowly put on more pounds than he wanted. Although his weight fluctuated over the years, he kept returning to unhealthy eating habits. By 55, he'd hit 205 pounds — and he'd had enough. He didn't like his appearance and had high blood pressure and prediabetes. What's more, he wondered about the professional repercussions. "An overweight CEO talking about how to improve the wellness of a com- munity is not credible," he says. So he significantly changed his habits. Mr. Lynch visited a physician, began walking for 30 minutes each evening and adhered to a diet. Although everything he ate was home cooked, he resisted carbohydrates, sugar and the desire to snack between meals. He used technology — like a Smart Lid water bottle, a Fitbit and the MapMyWalk app — to track his fitness process. e result? "Why would I ever let that happen again?" Mr. Lynch asks himself. He's lowered his insulin levels from 104 to 94. In 90 days, his blood pressure dropped from 145/75 to 110/60. Between July and November of last year, Mr. Lynch lost 45 pounds, and he con- tinues to maintain his healthy habits today. But the battle isn't over. Being a CEO is a de- manding, high-pressure and high-profile job, according to Mr. Lynch. "ese jobs are not for people who do not maintain good health," he says. While preserving good health is tax- ing, his position also enables him to have a built-in accountability group: his employees. "e reinforcement I've had from employees is almost like a drug," he says. "I have 10,000 people holding me accountable." "Sam's program" Sam Kaufman, CEO of Las Vegas-based Des- ert Springs Hospital Medical Center, also has an accountability group. But it encompass- es more than just his hospital's employees — it includes the citizens of Las Vegas. Mr. Kaufman, who's been featured in commer- cials and on television, has candidly discussed his weight loss journey with the public. "I've talked to hundreds of people — physicians, physicians' family members and physicians' patients — on the issues I had or didn't have," Mr. Kaufman says. "Everyone in the Las Vegas community has my cell phone number." In late April 2013, Mr. Kaufman had weight loss surgery at his own hospital. Since then, he has served as an advocate not only for Desert Springs' Center for Surgical Weight Loss, but for bariatric surgery in general. Despite trying a myriad of weight loss diets and programs, Mr. Kaufman struggled with his weight for years. As time went by, this dilemma evolved into more serious clinical issues, including sleep apnea, prediabetes, painful joints and cholesterol problems. He worried about how his weight would affect his future with his wife and four sons. In 2013, he took the plunge and decided to go through with the surgery. Since then, his life has changed drastically. "I've been able to lose between 125 and 130 pounds," he says. Suddenly, his physical ailments disappeared. "I have a lot more energy and my outlook is different," he says. is fall, he'll become CEO of Henderson (Nev.) Hospital, which he claims he wouldn't have the energy to do had he not undergone bariatric surgery. "It truly is a life-saving procedure," he says. Surgeons at the Center for Surgical Weight Loss at Desert Springs Hospital Medical Center perform 60 to 65 surgeries each month, and they've completed nearly 10,000 in sum. By being open about his own person- al struggle and the benefits of investing in the surgery, Mr. Kaufman has influenced nu- merous individuals to consider surgery. "In the healthcare community, people say, 'at's Sam's program,'" Mr. Kaufman says. "I'm not the doctor, but I feel in some way I've had a hand in shaping the health of people in the Las Vegas community." As it is for Mr. Lynch, it's been challenging for Mr. Kaufman to keep up his healthy hab- its. "e surgery is a tool. You have to change your lifestyle," he says. Making better diet and food choices have helped Mr. Kaufman keep the weight off, and he's been working to exer- cise on a more consistent basis. Fitness first For Dr. Kaiser from Temple University Health System, exercising is a way of life. Although healthy eating is essential to him, it's consis- tent exercise that's imperative to his lifestyle. Nearly every day, he wakes up at 5:00 a.m. to exercise for an hour, either using a treadmill or a stationary bike. But once a week, he re- vamps his exercise routine with something different: X-Force. X-Force "uses a series of machines that ac- tually provide 40 percent more force on the relaxation, or negative, phase," according to Dr. Kaiser. e exercise, which is done with a physical trainer, is so arduous that it can only be done once or twice a week to give one's muscles adequate time to recover. How can someone who's already so busy squeeze in time to work out? He blocks time specifically for his exercise regimen in his schedule. "You need to be in good shape to be your best at all times," Dr. Kaiser says. "At a healthcare organization, one would like to think you'd set that example, that health and wellness are important."