September 2013

At Coors Healthcare Solutions, we understand what it takes to be an effective leader.  Not only is our only team comprised of top leaders, our firm also specializes in recruiting industry healthcare leaders.  A successful leader will always be organized, experienced, and, of course, a strong communicator.

A leader must be able to lead their team through times of success, as well as through great challenges.  A company is only as strong as their leader, and, good or bad, all actions of the company are a reflection of its leader

If you had a penny for every time you heard the words healthcare reform, you’d have…well, you’d have too many pennies to count.  The word reform, by definition, denotes a positive change and is synonymous with improvement.  In spite of this, however, and in spite of potentially beneficial changes, healthcare reform brings with it a whole new set of challenges, especially when it comes to recruiting and retaining employees in hospitals.  These challenges are partially due to the new accountable and value-based care payment models.

Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), come 2014, when the bill goes into effect, there will be 10s of millions of newly insured individuals.  This influx of people will undoubtedly have an effect on the healthcare industry and will mandate an increase in healthcare personnel.  One of the challenges facing hospitals is going to be finding individuals to fill these spots, and, as it is, hiring and retaining employees can be a difficult process!

When traveling to other countries unlike your own, you know how important it is to study and understand their cultures ; in many cases, committing a cultural faux pas will be met with contempt and offense. For instance, it is illegal to chew gum in Singapore, so, after enjoying one of Singapore’s many signature dishes, opt for the mint instead. When shaking hands in Fiji, be prepared to hold hands with your new acquaintance for the entire duration of your conversation, and whatever you do, do not insult the king of Thailand, even in jest, unless you want to spend some serious time behind bars!

When traveling to different countries, adapting to their cultures and customs is expected, but what happens when you experience cultural barriers within your own country?

This is an issue that’s been affecting the world of healthcare for years because, when it comes to healthcare, cause, treatment, and even the definition of a “doctor” varies from culture to culture. In Vietnamese culture, for example, it is believed that hot and cold poles control bodily functions and that health is achieved when these poles are at harmony. And when making decisions with the family of an Asian/Pacific Islander patient, oftentimes, the oldest male is considered to be the spokesperson. And then, of course, within each culture, there are subcultures to understand, each of which might contain fundamental cultural differences.

We all have a calling.

Ours as Hospital and Health System leaders is to take care of people and to make the delivery of care in our organizations better than when we found it. We work hard to create high quality outcomes and strong financial bottom lines! Right? Wrong! Too many hospitals are realizing that these two concepts are at competing odds with each other.

If you don’t believe me, just jump in your car and go visit five of your colleagues. Be fair about it, and divide your visits up to visit your colleague in a rural setting (ideally a sole community provider, even better if they are community owned), visit your colleague in an urban market who is competing with 1-3 competitors, and lastly, visit your colleague in an inner city hospital (ideally one who runs the regional trauma center). Each struggle to make the quality and the financial outcomes work; they just do it differently, based on ownership, access to capital, and payor mix. The truth is reimbursement is tight, and getting tighter, which means Capital is getting harder to get, and quality is beholden to competency of caregivers and technology, all of which cost money.