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Command Center

Command Center

New CEO takes helm of McKee Medical Center

You are taking the helm of McKee Medical Center at a challenging time in health care. What do you see as the biggest challenge both fiscally and medically in the year ahead? I believe you will see all hospitals in Northern Colorado emphasize physician relations in 2010. Recruiting and retaining a quality medical staff is paramount. We have recruited many new physicians, including several heart specialists with the CardioVascular Institute of North Colorado, to provide services at McKee.

It is critical to have a medical staff that supports the hospital and provides the capacity to meet community needs. In addition, we will explore ways to work with our Banner Health sister facilities throughout Northern Colorado to better meet the health-care needs of residents here.

Other challenges will be to keep up with emerging technology and to recruit physicians who are trained to use that technology. Fiscally, the challenge will be to manage the continued decrease of reimbursement from federal programs and ultimately the uncertainty with health-care reform.

Q: Competition for patients' dollars has heated up in Northern Colorado during the past two years with the opening of MCR and blurring of community boundaries. Loveland clinics have opened in Fort Collins, and Fort Collins clinics have opened in Loveland, and then there's Greeley clinics coming to Larimer County. How has the increased competition affected McKee's bottom line?

A: Competition tends to make us all better, and McKee continues to be at an excellent level for competition. We focus on our five priorities: employee engagement, patient experience, quality, physician friendly and finances.

When we meet our targets for each priority, we provide high-quality safe care in an environment where physicians and staff love to work. Our employees are engaged, so we do well with retention and ultimately overall efficiency in the delivery of care. Our patient experience is world class; patients love McKee.We achieve every quality indicator and provide a safe, high-quality level of care. We continue to work on being the place of choice for physicians to practice, and ultimately, this leads to financial success. So competition has helped us to become an even better organization in every regard.

Q: You have been working as associate administrator for North Colorado Medical Center and are now running your own hospital. Please describe your management style.

A: Leadership is about developing relationships. I have a great respect for conflict, and I manage it through these relationships.

Leadership is also about trust and making decisions in everyone's best interest. I also keep it simple — I am able to drive outcomes through ensuring accountability and responsibility. I lead with vision, passion, inspiration and empowerment.

Q: McKee recently instituted iCare Intensive Care, which used technology to interact with Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa, Ariz. Please explain how iCare works.

A: The eICU technology is part of Banner Health's iCare Intensive Care program. In the program, specially trained clinical staff back up physicians, nurses and other caregivers at the bedside and help monitor ICU patient information 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

These specially trained staff members work from a command center at Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa, Ariz., and connect with the individual facilities electronically. At McKee, they will assist in observing six ICU patient beds.

Q: You've worked in many different areas of the hospital. Aside from CEO, which role did you find most fulfilling?

A: Working as an occupational therapist. The whole premise for quality health care is working at the bedside with patients. That is where the difference for the patient experience begins.

Q: How much (in dollars and percents) does McKee provide in free or charitable care? How has that changed in the past two years?

A: In 2008, McKee provided approximately $15 million in charitable care and approximately $20 million in 2009. The write-off for charitable care in 2009 was approximately 6.5 percent of total revenue. This does not include write-offs for governmental payors, private insurance companies or bad debt.

Q: What do you see as the biggest public health threat in Northern Colorado?

A: H1N1 and seasonal influenza. While the peak for cases of H1N1 seems to have passed, some experts have predicted a high number of cases for seasonal influenza.

Q: Tell our readers one thing most people don't know about you?

A: I love to organic garden.

Q: What do you do to relax and unwind after a long day at work?

A: Take my dogs for a long walk and enjoy the outdoors.

Q: If you could have coffee with anyone in the world who would it be and why?

A: Ghandi — I would ask for tips on how to view the work from simplicity and peace.

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