By Rodney D. Reider

You know, a true joy as a leader is when everything goes just right.  You receive feedback from the Board supporting your proposal.  A new cardiac surgeon signed the contract, the two-year long vacancy is over, the physician will start in September and the heart team is excited.  The Press Ganey scores just received show an incredibly positive trend worthy of festivity, and you celebrate, gladly, throughout the facility!  

Finally, what is truly gratifying is when an additional voice of the patient is received through a self-motivated public declaration. The former patient shares their immense satisfaction for all to see even without any prompting.  In fact, the patient served demonstrates and appreciates an understanding of what you strive for every day as a leader.  An atmosphere and culture of teamwork and coordination to serve the patient, and it did.  Your team did and does often, but a voluntary public recognition sure helps to reinforce what is right. Furthermore, this incredibly worthwhile communication must be shared with your friends, neighbors, Board Members, every huddle facility-wide and by email to all members of the organization, and any other person in the country of which we can possibly share. 

It is worth celebrating.  It is why we exist - to meet the needs of the patient and our community.  It is our Mission and Belief.  It does not happen by accident.  It is the team focused on the same goal: having the patient in the center of everything we do.  It is taking responsibility to make sure it all works through continual communication and innovative problem solving, together.   How can we make sure this happens each and every time with every patient and community member as they enter our facility?

As leaders, we know and believe this: Our greatest resource in healthcare is the knowledge, imagination, dedication and commitment of our colleagues and team members.  As we try to implement this philosophy within our organization and strive to make it permeate throughout our culture, obstacles remain. It still begins with us.

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