Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/961245
178 THOUGHT LEADERSHIP Corner Office: CHI CEO Kevin Lofton on how race car driving can improve your leadership skills By Leo Vartorella T hough few people can truly prepare for the untold demands that come with be- ing CEO of a major health system, hard work has never scared Kevin Loon. Mr. Lof- ton spent his summers as a young man driving taxicabs in 10-hour shis in New York City and has not shied away from any challenges in the decades since, climbing the leadership ranks at organizations across the country before be- coming president and CEO of Englewood, Co- lo.-based Catholic Health Initiatives in 2003. Mr. Loon's first leadership position was as an administrator at UF Health Jacksonville (Fla.), and he went on to become the hospital's COO. He later served as CEO of Howard University Hospital in Washington D.C., and University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital. Mr. Loon joined CHI in 1998 and served in a number of leadership roles, before becoming president and CEO. Mr. Loon earned a bachelor's de- gree in management from Boston University and a master's degree in health administration from Atlanta-based Georgia State University. Here Mr. Loon answers Becker's seven questions. Editor's note: Responses have been edited lightly for length and style. Question: What's one thing that really piqued your interest in healthcare? Kevin Loon: Aer I graduated college, I was working at Harvard Medical School and that was my introduction to healthcare. e one thing about it that really appealed to me was people helping people stay healthy and recover from injuries and illnesses. People were at the core of the healthcare industry, and I knew I could combine that aim with my business training and education for a career in healthcare. ere's also no way that you can get bored in healthcare — it's constantly changing. Q: What do you enjoy most about Denver? KL: What I enjoy about Denver, and Colorado in general, is the high quality of life. When I first moved here 16 years ago, I was really surprised and delighted at the abundance of sunshine and the multitude of activities that are available here. It really is an outdoor paradise, and the sunshine just begs you to enjoy the all the possibilities. Denver also offers the full array of sports, arts and entertainment. It has all the benefits of a large city while maintaining a distinctly Western feel. Q: If you could eliminate one of the healthcare industry's problems over- night, which would it be? KL: is is the easiest question here. I would eliminate the needless quality and safety out- comes that harm our patients. I want America's healthcare systems to provide perfect care to everyone that comes to us. Our industry strives for perfect care but we still have a long way to go. We still have a lot of providers and hospitals, including some within CHI, that resist adopt- ing proven best practices that eliminate errors and waste. We cannot allow the inertia of peo- ple's habits to get in the way of adopting new innovations that improve care. Related to improving the quality of care is eliminating inequities in care, especially for people of color. Q: What do you consider your great- est talent or skill outside the C-suite? KL: e first thing I think of is my ability to re- late to people of different backgrounds. I grew up in the Bronx on the other side of these glass doors, and I haven't forgotten my roots or for- gotten the struggle most people in this country live with. I'm very proud of my ability to talk and relate with all different types of people. Another talent is my skill and passion for driv- ing. I always look for ways to let the roads chal- lenge me, and to be a good driver you need to be quick and agile. ose skills really carry over into the C-suite. I've driven on test tracks and at performance centers where they help with your driving skills. In Atlanta, I even got the chance drive with professional drivers. Q: How do you revitalize yourself? KL: e greatest joy is for my wife and I to spend time with our grandchildren; we have four ranging in age from one to six years old. Before my first grandchild was born, my col- league told me this will be the best club that you'll ever belong to and he was not joking. Kind of going back to my earlier point about Denver and Colorado really giving you the op- portunity to lead an active lifestyle, my wife loves to hike and I've taken that up with her. Anoth- er passion I have is fly fishing, but bike riding is probably my favorite activity. You can wander around and observe a lot more about your envi- ronment on a bike than in a car. Of course out here you can mountain bike on dirt roads and bluffs and take it all in. Riding a bike is also not as bad on your knees as running. Q: What's one piece of advice you re- member most clearly? KL: is came to me early in my career during an administrative residency down in Corpus Christi, Texas. Early in your career, the ques- tion is always if you can handle what's coming your way. I remember as I was getting ready to head to my first real ED administrator job, the department head who mentored me said, "Kev- in, you know you can handle this stuff, it's just another dog and pony show." Earlier in my career, there were a lot of times — whether it was public speaking or any other high-profile meeting — where I would always remember that phrase and think to myself that I could handle it. As my career has gone on and I've talked to more people, I've gotten the same kind of advice, whether it's about preparation or the concept of lifelong learning. Healthcare's always changing, so just being willing to change and acknowledging the ongoing and continu- ing nature of education to stay abreast and stay ahead of things is essential. Q: What do you consider your great- est achievement at CHI? KL: I'm proud of being able to lead the orga- nization and traverse the multitude of chang- es that have occurred in healthcare delivery during my tenure. But doing all that and con- tinuing to be an organization that stays true to culture and core values and always keeps that in the forefront. at's what I've tried to do, just make sure everyone in the organization knows we not only care about what we're doing, but put equal value on the how. It can't just be what we did, it's if we did it the right way. Something I'm really proud of is the United Against Violence initiative we started in 2008. In every market CHI serves, local ministries have established programs that look to re- duce violence in their communities. Violence is a public health issue and behavioral health issue, and I'm proud to lead an organization that has high-quality health services but has also done a lot of things that have infused a positive focus in the communities. n