Becker's Hospital Review

24 24 CEO/STRATEGY Kansas Hospital Drops Policy That Bars Employees From Talking to Legislators By Alia Paavola L arned (Kan.) State Hospital dropped a policy that would have barred staff at the state-run hospital from speaking to lawmakers without prior authorization, according to The Garden City Telegram. The policy was first outlined in a Nov. 15 memo to staff. It stated speaking with media or legislators without first obtaining permission from Angela de Rocha, the director of communications at the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, would be a violation. Lawmakers from both parties, the state workers union and staff at Larned hospital have publicly objected to the policy, arguing it vio- lates the state's whistleblower law and establishes a culture of secrecy. An updated version of the agency's policy was distributed to Larned employees Nov. 30, which no longer includes any references to speaking with lawmakers. n 3 Reasons Why This Executive Hired a Millennial to Help Keep a Learning Mindset By Leo Vartorella J ohn Barrows led his sales training business successfully with only the help of his COO, but he knew he would need to take proactive steps to ensure his business would continue to grow and succeed in the future, he wrote in an op-ed for the Harvard Business Review. Mr. Barrows hired a 24-year-old director of execution and evolution not only to help him stay on top of industry trends but also to help alter his mindset. Here are three reasons why this generation X executive hired a mil- lennial advisor. 1. Keeping up with technology can often be difficult for older execu- tives, but millennial workers are not playing catch up. Instead, they are evolving with technology and staying ahead of trends. Mr. Barrows found his company was able to keep ahead of the technology curve by listening carefully to millennial advice. 2. Though it is never intentional, leaders can often date themselves quite easily. However, younger workers keep leaders fresh. Rely- ing on outdated anecdotes or methods may have become a habit for many executives who could benefit from the feedback of millennials, even if it is only in regards to jargon and speech. 3. Reverse mentoring helps communication skills and keeps exec- utives in a learning mindset. Leaders can often feel they have learned all there is to know, but relying on a younger employee to keep up with the times can help ensure they never stop growing. n The No. 1 Priority for 2018: 4 Thoughts From the C-Suite By Morgan Haefner F our executives disclosed what issues they're prep- ping for at Becker's Hospital Review's 6th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable in Chicago Nov. 14. e panelists included: • Imran Andrabi, MD, president and CEO of Appleton, Wis.-based edaCare • Karen Teitelbaum, president and CEO of Chica- go-based Sinai Health System • Larry Goldberg, president and CEO of Maywood, Ill.- based Loyola University Health System • Steve Blazejewski, president of global commercial solu- tions at Cardinal Health Here are four quotes from the panelists on their top pri- orities for 2018. 1. "It's about our people … making sure we have the right talent. Making sure we are taking care of the people that are there to provide high-quality care to our community. at's front and center in my mind," Dr. Andrabi said. When asked how to better align hospital staff, Dr. Andra- bi added, "Just because somebody pays somebody's pay- check doesn't mean that you've become aligned, no matter who they are. You can align around a vision, around a higher calling, around what you're trying to accomplish." 2. "e fundamentals have not changed. How we mea- sure things in the future may change, but it's still about market share. It's still about quality. It's still about access service and financial performance," Mr. Goldberg said. "e thing that is keeping me up [at night] is financial performance. How do we collect money?" 3. "We are 60 percent Medicaid, and about another 8 per- cent absolutely no-pay," Ms. Teitelbaum said. "Medicaid expansion was extremely favorable to Sinai Health Sys- tem because of our payer mix. Our uninsured went from about 14 percent to about 7 percent. Seven percent is still a challenge. But now, with all the provisions up in the air, that's a huge issue because we have to keep doing the business we're doing, keep caring for our communities. At the same time, we have to look at alternative scenarios and start preparing for that." 4. "While there are lots of reasons for consolidation, I do think the thing I'm wrestling with right now is: Just because we are bigger, what does it mean to be actually better?" Mr. Blazejewski said. "What does the collection of these capabilities do for us, whether we're providers or manufactures or distributors or some combination thereof ? And figuring these things out in this very dy- namic environment is going to require a certain kind of adaptability, a new set of partnerships." n

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