Tag Archives: leadership

When is enough enough?

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We are all asking when is it enough? Parents of young children are struggling with how to talk to their children, how to keep them safe. The mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde are the latest horrific examples of gun violence and hate in this country.

I have been struggling to find the right words. There are none. Yes, thoughts and prayers for all the victims, their families, and communities are needed. May they find the strength to carry on in the very difficult days ahead. But what’s needed in this country is action and policy change, not just more thoughts and prayers.

I read two pieces that have helped me to express what I’m feeling.

Michael Dowling, President and CEO of Northwell Health, is a progressive voice amongst healthcare executives. He doesn’t shy away from taking a stand on difficult issues and very clearly names gun violence as a public health issue. Under his leadership, Northwell established The Gun Violence Prevention Learning Collaborative for Health Systems and Hospitals, a grassroots initiative that gives healthcare professionals the space to have open dialogue about the impact of gun violence, share best practices and collectively take action. This piece in Becker’s Hospital Review describes his call to action – “Michael Dowling: ‘Every single US hospital leader should be screaming about what an abomination this is’”.

Arika Lycan posted on LinkedIn a piece that frames not just the murder of innocent elementary school children but all the ways that our rights are under attack – “Who is going to do something about this?!” I am, You are, We are.” Arika is a consistent voice for social justice. I am grateful to be collaborating with them and the entire CHIME Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee to continue to educate and raise awareness with our health IT colleagues.

We can’t let Buffalo and Uvalde move out of the news cycle and be forgotten. We need to speak up, show up, donate our time and money, and vote for candidates at all levels of government who support our values. The 2022 mid-term elections are consequential. Know what candidates stand for and vote your values. And consider volunteering some of your time to do phone / text banks for critical House and Senate races in other states.

I admit that I don’t have anything truly new to say today. I have written numerous posts after similar events rocked us to the core, and I have said it all before. So, I’m sharing my “Hate has no place” post again. If you don’t want to read it again or even for the first time – here’s my bottom-line message:

We must speak up for love and justice every chance we can. We must challenge those who hate and divide us as a people. And we must vote for the kind of leaders that we are willing to trust the future of our children and grandchildren to. Please join me.

Hate has no place (written August, 2019)

The most recent horrific mass shootings are not due to video games, the Internet, nor mental illness. There are more guns in the United States than people. Let that sink in.

Hate speech, racism, and white supremacy exist and are tolerated by some of our elected leaders who are supposed to keep us all safe. Let that sink in.

This is not who we want to be as a country. It is time for responsible, moral leaders to act. Continue reading →

Health IT conference season via podcast

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I didn’t attend either of the two big March in-person health IT industry events – ViVE (CHIME+HLTH) and HIMSS22. But I’ve heard a lot of positives about both events from colleagues. Just seeing people in person after two years was a highlight for many. I admit, I miss the in-person connections as well! And I do look forward to attending the CHIME Fall Forum this year celebrating CHIME’s 30th anniversary.

Like my blog post in November after the CHIME Fall Forum, I’m going to point you to what I consider one of the best resources to hear what health IT leaders from provider organizations and vendors had to say about the conferences and what’s on their mind these days.

Bill Russell has continued his Today in Health IT podcast series he calls “Interviews in Action” – interviewing 50 health IT leaders at ViVE and HIMSS22.  Each interview is no more than 10-15 minutes long. After having family in town visiting this week, I’m behind on my daily dog walk podcast listening but I’ve heard almost all the ones that had been dropped through last week. That includes these CIOs among others: Michael Pfeffer at Stanford Medicine, Cara Babachicos at South Shore Health, Cletis Earle at Penn State Health, Andrew Rosenberg at Michigan Medicine, Nassar Nizami at Jefferson Health, Andy Crowder at Atrium Health, and Jamie Nelson at Hospital for Special Surgery. While there are common themes such as staffing and talent, clinician burnout, and cybersecurity, you will also learn about the top focus areas for each organization. You can hear from these CIOs and many other IT leaders and vendors on the Newsroom channel.

Whether you attended these events or not, you’ll find the interviews insightful. And if you are looking for more ways to learn and keep current, check out the other new channels that Bill and his team at This Week in Health IT launched as of January – Academy, Community, and Conference which includes both keynotes and solution showcase podcasts.

You may also want to check out the podcast series from CHIME, HealthsystemCIO.com, and CIO Podcast by Healthcare IT Today.

Happy listening!

Related Posts:

#InternationalPodcastDay

More podcast recommendations – going beyond HIT

 

 

 

Mentoring, role models and sometimes a little nudge

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What a pleasant surprise to be tagged in a LinkedIn post by my daughter as she shared with her network some great professional news. She just completed her Leadership & Management Certificate Program at Wharton online. I’m super proud of her! She tagged me to thank me for the “nudge”.

I remember well our “nudge” conversation back in August. I remember it more as a conversation where she asked for advice on how best to pursue her education given her current work and how her career is evolving. She has been at the same company for the past 8 years and been promoted several times – she is now Sr. Manager, Executive Communications and Administration, partnering with the CEO and executive leadership team. I would call it more of an ask for advice and get ideas/encouragement conversation.

Her discipline and persistence to get started and finish it in just 6 months is impressive – all while working full-time and as a mother of two young children. It reminds me of when I decided to get my MBA many years ago when she and her sister were young and I had a full-time management job.

I’ve talked about my two daughters in previous posts. I try to be a role model for them professionally.  I’ve given them advice as their careers have advanced and am proud to see their accomplishments. They both have a passion for their work and have received awards for leadership and innovation. As I counsel people early in their career – find your passion, be open to the possibilities, and never stop learning.

Many women describe their mothers and grandmothers as inspiring role models. Today would be my mother’s birthday. She died just shy of her 68th birthday after a short battle with cancer. She was only 42 when my father died, leaving her to raise four young children on her own. My mother was a role model for me – a strong and independent woman. Continue reading →

Interim leaders may be one answer to the “great resignation”

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Over the past 6 years, I’ve been fortunate to serve four different healthcare providers as an interim leader – three as CIO, one as CTO. While there have been common themes, each has had its unique challenges. I’ve learned firsthand how interim leaders provide an important bridge during leadership transitions and can make a significant impact on an organization in a short time.

I encourage you to check out my recent StarBridge Advisors blog post – “Talent shortage? Great resignation? Interim leaders can help”. In this new post I share some of my own experiences as an interim and what organizations expect when they look outside for an interim leader.

Related Posts:

Interim Management – Providing a Bridge During Transition

When an interim CIO makes sense

Stepping into an interim leadership role

#BreakTheBias

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That’s the theme of International Women’s Day (IWD) 2022 celebrated today, March 8. It is one to remember not just today but every day. Two weeks ago, as Black History Month came to an end, I wrote a post titled “2022 of the 1950s?” about systemic racism. March is Women’s History Month and when I see the assault on women’s rights in many states, I could ask that same question again.

While women have made great progress since I was growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, coming of age during the women’s movement shaped me both personally and professionally. I remember when International Women’s Day was something most people knew nothing about. Now it is more prominently highlighted in the media. You may have seen some “strike the pose” posts on social media in recent days and wondered what that was about. But International Women’s Day is not just a celebration of women, it is a focus on the historical and current struggles of women for true equality and a call to all of us to forge a gender equal world.

Themes in recent years have been:

#ChooseToChallenge – reminding us that we are responsible for our own thoughts and actions and that we can all choose to call out gender bias and inequality.

#EachforEqual – emphasizing the need to bring together people of all gender, age, ethnicity, race, religion, and country to embrace the values and actions needed to create a gender equal world.

What does this year’s theme #BreakTheBias focus on? From the IWD website:

“Imagine a gender equal world.

A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.

A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.

A world where difference is valued and celebrated.

Together we can forge women’s equality.

Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.”

What can you do? Continue reading →

Ukraine, what can you do?

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Posting pictures of sunflowers and the colors of the Ukrainian flag are all signs of support. And yes, the free world and the autocrats need to see that support. But there is more you and I can do. Here are two resources to check out:

Call to Action: How the Health Community can Help Efforts in Ukraine is on March 3, 11AM ET sponsored by HLTH – you can register here. Description of the webinar:

As healthcare professionals, we can help via coordinated effort with Ukrainian Ministry of Health and state enterprise Medical Procurement of Ukraine. By now, Ukraine used all of its available medical supplies; deliveries to the country situated in the middle of Europe are severely disrupted.

We are hosting the webinar on Thursday, March 3rd during which our panelists will be able to provide clear instructions of what supplies are needed and how to ship them to Ukraine, as well as answer any of your questions. You will hear from:

Moderator:
– Anna Levchuk –  Member Of The Supervisory Board, Member Of The Supervisory Board,
State Enterprise Medical Procurement of Ukraine
Speakers:
– Arsen Zhumadilov – CEO of Medical Procurement of Ukraine
– Graham Stewart – Head of Supply Chain Delivery at Department of Health and Social Care, UK
– Kateryna Babkina – an award-winning Ukrainian poet and a refugee who drove from shelled Kyiv to Poland with one-year-old in tow

Please join the webinar to learn how you can help. Share this information with your colleagues in patient access, social responsibility, and sales departments.

From the Global Citizen, “22 Meaningful Ways You Can Help Ukraine” by Khanyi Mlaba and Tess Lowery on February 24th.

The article opens with this statement, “While many of us might feel helpless when confronted with geopolitical machinations of this scale, we’ve rounded up some ways you can help the people of Ukraine right now.” It includes ways to donate, take action, and stay informed.

Babies being born in subways that have become shelters. NICU babies being cared for in a hospital shelter. Innocent people including young children being killed and wounded. These are difficult images to watch. But it is happening. The strength and resilience of the Ukrainian people is inspiring. As global citizens, the fight for democracy and freedom is one we all must support.

 

Considering a coach in 2022?

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It’s a new year. Time to reflect. Time to set new goals for yourself. If you have ever used a coach or considered doing so, you know the value of investing in yourself. I have provided leadership coaching and career coaching for many health IT leaders in recent years – all at different stages of their professional development and career. Over the years, I’ve written on the value of coaching and professional development. Here is a short list of posts worth revisiting:

When to use a career coach

Investing in you, the value of a coach

Confidence matters as much as competence

Being valued, doing meaningful work

Welcoming feedback

Note – I am taking a short break from writing new posts in January. With all the blog posts I’ve written over the past 7 plus years, I’m using this break to share some of my “classics”. Thank you for being a subscriber – I hope you will encourage your colleagues to subscribe in the coming year.

Leadership revisited

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It’s a new year. Time to reflect and look ahead. Whether you are a leader or an aspiring leader, there is always room to develop your own leadership skills and find ways to help others develop. Over the years, I’ve often written on leadership. Here is a short list of posts worth revisiting:

10 Tips for next generation leaders

7 Ways to develop the next generation of leaders

Leading through a crisis

What we should expect of leaders

Inspiring and developing new leaders – learning from the best

Lead by example

Leader as conductor

Note – I am taking a short break from writing new posts in January. With all the blog posts I’ve written over the past 7 plus years, I’m using this break to share some of my “classics”. Thank you for being a subscriber – I hope you will encourage your colleagues to subscribe in the coming year.

Towards a more civil society

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Healthcare is a people business. I’ve worked with many hospital CEOs and executives in my career. Leaders lead in everything they say and do. Hospital CEOs lead their organization and are considered leaders in their community. Some are considered national leaders as well. Leaders are “always on”.

There may be little behind the scenes moments when you get a glimpse of their personality. But there are many more public moments when you see how they lead and inspire. And for some, there are those moments where they publicly weigh in on societal issues others want to ignore. I saw one of those examples last week.

Michael Dowling is President & CEO of Northwell Health, the largest healthcare provider in New York caring for over 2 million people annually. He is one of the most respected and influential healthcare leaders in our industry. He is not afraid to tell it like it is and take a public stand on issues such as gun violence and immigration. His recent article, “A Call for Civility and Decency”, published in Becker’s Hospital Review on December 30, 2021, is no exception. He describes how the “internet has become a toxic stew of political hostility”. He talks about how the discord is a challenge to our democracy and quotes Abraham Lincoln who said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand”.

He outlines in detail his thoughts on basic steps we can all take to start the healing our country needs:

  • Respect others point of view
  • Choose your words carefully
  • Show empathy
  • Respect diversity
  • Be willing to compromise

In closing he says, “As we turn the calendar to 2022, let’s use it as an opportunity to tone down the rhetoric, reopen dialogue with each other and mend wounds caused by the worst pandemic of our lifetime and years of racial, ethnic and political divide that have worn away at the fabric of our society. It all starts with civility and decency. If we all embrace that behavior, we’ll enjoy a much happier new year.”

Last week I wrote about the importance of taking care of yourself during these challenging times paying attention to both your physical and mental health. This week as we begin a new year, let’s heed the advice of Michael Dowling and commit to work towards greater civility with one another.

End of year thoughts and advice for 2022

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We are entering the third year of this pandemic. Vaccines have been available for over a year – a turning point we anxiously waited for as 2020 came to an end. But 2021 was not the turnaround year we had hoped for. Over 840,000 people have lost their lives in our country since the start of the pandemic – the majority of people who died of COVID since this summer were not vaccinated. Anti-vaxxers proudly proclaim their resistance and misinformation continues to spread. Our health system and healthcare workers are under incredible strain. Hospital leaders are pleading with their communities to get vaccinated and boosted.

It is hard to be optimistic at times.

Those who can continue to work remotely. Kids are in classrooms and used to wearing masks with parents and grandparents viewing school holiday concerts over Zoom. Families cautiously gathered over the holidays or changed plans at the last moment.

We crave normalcy and getting out in the world to do the things we enjoy – spending time with family and friends. live music, sports events, travel and more.

We tend to look ahead to the new year with hopes and dreams of a better year. We ask ourselves how can things get worse? We make resolutions.

David Muntz, my StarBridge Advisors colleague, recently wrote a blog post, “12 Steps to Prepare for 2022 – Big Challenges – Bigger Opportunities” that was far more than just a professional health IT perspective and advice. As this year comes to an end, I leave you with a few excerpts from his steps 1 and 12: Continue reading →