Spring 2014 Newsletter [PDF]

New HCE Program page 3

Improving Patient Exp Conf

Marketing Clinic

Council News

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INSIDER

A quarterly publication of Healthcare Executives of Southern California

Spring 2014

Hospital Executive Finds Success From the President’s Desk Paying Forward Dan McLaughlin, FACHE

by Michael Wilson, MHA, FACHE

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here were many who helped Delvecchio Finley, FACHE, on his quick-rise career path. But Harbor-UCLA Medical Center’s 36 year-old chief executive doesn’t measure success in the awards that dot his office or the impressive resume of accomplishments that could be the envy of executives twice his age. He sees his success in the young leaders coming behind him who are emboldened by his story. Finley is the 2014 winner of the ACHE Robert S. Hudgens Memorial award for Young Healthcare Executive of the Year, which recognizes an accomplished industry leader under the age of 40. He and other executive award winners will be honored at the ACHE Congress event this month in Chicago that draws more than 4,000 healthcare leaders from around the globe. “On behalf of HCE, I am so pleased to congratulate Delvecchio on receiving this distinguished honor and I want to thank him for his leadership in the chapter and for inspiring all of us,” said HCE president Dan McLaughlin, FACHE. Delvecchio Finley, FACHE

Finley was appointed to the top position at the 453-bed public hospital and Level 1 trauma center in Torrance in 2011 at age 34. He came onboard as the hospital faced scrutiny from federal regulators and used his skills leading two Bay Area hospitals to turn the hospital around and earn Joint Commission accreditation. Shortly after he took the helm, he instituted “Lean” management principles to increase operational efficiency and funnel more resources into services. “For me, serving people and helping to make sure as many people as possible can get access to high quality and affordable health care has always been an interest of mine,” said Finley, who was raised by a single mother in Atlanta’s public housing. His early interest in pursuing a career in medicine while at Emory University evolved into an interest in the business side of healthcare. Working in the legislative affairs arena continued on page 7

Health Care Executives of Southern California: what a collective of leadership talent! We are 1,400 strong in membership, and geographically we span six counties. As your chapter President for 2014, it is an honor to lead our organization in such a time of dynamic change in the industry. The commitment of your Board of Directors and Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs to drive our education, networking, and credentialing objectives is endlessly inspiring. I trust that you will make it a priority this year to be engaged and active in our events. As I ask you to “be present,” let me address you by professional tenure.... To our seasoned members, thank you for being among our featured speakers. However, it is equally important for you to be part of the audiences. Our younger membership needs to learn from you with simple face-to-face interaction. To our mid-careerists, while it may be a hackneyed phrase, stay the course. You are needed to continue the deployment of these epic changes in healthcare. To our early careerists and developing leaders, you will be inhercontinued on page 11 Spring 2014 INSIDER 1

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INSIDER

This quarterly newsletter is brought to you by the Communications Committee on behalf of Healthcare Executives of Southern California

Chair/Editor

Michael Wilson, MHA, FACHE Publications Lodel Yerro Caplan Social Media

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Jeremy Stacy

Message from Your ACHE Regent of Southern California A couple of weeks ago during my early morning reading of newspapers and selected social media sites, I saw this from the January 10, 2014 Entrepreneur magazine: “Creativity drives innovation and entrepreneurship. It’s the essential skill that leads to new and more efficient solutions to old problems. In theory, creativity is widely praised and desired. But, in reality, creative solutions are often met with pushback, sometimes even open hostility. Why? Because a creative idea is usually a novel one, which means it’s inherently more risky than the tried-and-true alternative.” What does this have to do with healthcare? Why does it matter for healthcare leaders and executives? Because (as we all know) the “tried-and-true” foundation of our industry – our care models, payment models, business models, strategic models, our organizational, partnership, leadership, and staffing models, everything – is undergoing a titanic shift. Healthcare is changing, has been changing, and needs to change a whole lot more if we as the leaders of this decade intend to leave a legacy of true reform that the ACA intended. In front of us is the unprecedented opportunity to rethink the way America delivers healthcare. And to do that, to really make healthcare better for our communities – the families, people, and children we are here to serve – I believe that more creativity, more creative skills/ capabilities, and more open-ness to creative thinking and solutions (informed by a solid fact base and tested back to reality) are part of our recipe for success today, tomorrow, and as we lean into the future. Interestingly, both ACHE and your local chapter, Health Care Executives of Southern California (HCE), provide resources, programs, and avenues for different and creative solutions to support you as healthcare leaders. While there are many, I would like to highlight two: As has been the tradition for many years, thousands of members will gather in Chicago on March 24-27 for the annual ACHE Congress. This year’s theme is “Where Knowledge, Ideas, and Solutions Connect.” Indeed, Congress will challenge our thinking, introduce different perspectives, and provide solutions that might be tried back in your organizations for improvement, growth, and development. I hope you’ll plan to join us in Chicago. For more information and to register, go to www.ache.org. Also, once again this year, HCE will host a Southern California members (and guests) dinner on Monday evening, March 24, in Chicago. Look for an e-mail invitation from HCE, or call 805 / 650-1243 for more information. For more than two years, several HCE board members, the HCE Early Careerists Council, and our partners at the Hospital Association of Southern California (HASC) have been creating something new for our members. The idea is to provide a program that brings unique member value for two constituency groups of both HCE and HASC: 1) CEOs and other C-Suite leaders who want to advance the professional development of high-potential young professionals on their teams, and 2) Early Careerists who desire an expanded knowledge of healthcare policies and the application of tried-and-true, as well as new, different, and creative practices that can be applied to the challenges they face as leaders and managers in their organizations. The program started as a pilot in 2012 – initially supported by an ACHE Innovation Grant – and was named the Leaders in Policy and Practice Series (LIPPS). The pilot program received rave reviews from its Early Careerist participants, spurring the decision to evolve the program further. It is, therefore, exciting to announce the launch of the newly re-packaged program “PathWays: Healthcare Policy In Action.” Offered collaboratively by HCE and HASC, the inaugural PathWays five-part series will launch in April and run through June 2014. The series is limited to only 40 Early Careerist participants, each of whom is to be nominated by a CEO or C-Suite sponsor. HCE and HASC are now accepting nominations, with the expectation that at least 20 Early Careerists will be registered by the end of February and all 40 by mid-March. CEOs and continued on page 10

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HCE Launches “State of Healthcare” by Tom Dougherty, FACHE & Vanessa Alvarez

The “State of Healthcare” is an exciting new education series from HCE featuring interstate dialogues on regional differences in healthcare. How does it work? Attend a local event with one of our regional health care executives and interact in real-time with a major healthcare leader from another state through video conferencing. Two executives, two states, one location! On February 4th, HCE held its inaugural “State of Healthcare” event at the headquarters of COPE Health Solutions in downtown Los Angeles.

The dialogue took place between Allen Miller, COPE CEO, and David C. Salsberry, Executive Vice President and CFO of JPS. The discussion centered on the differences between the California and Texas 1115 waiver. The Texas 1115 Healthcare Transformation waiver, supplemental payment funding, managed care savings, and negotiated funding will go into two statewide pools now worth $29 billion (all funds) over five years compared with about $10 billion in federal Medicaid matching funds available to California over a five-year period to expand coverage to low-income uninsured adults and preserve and improve the County-based safety-net. Texas opted for a system that embraces a public-private partnership. In California, the 1115 Waiver is driven by the public hospital system. The California 1115 Waiver includes Medi-Cal expansion, the Texas waiver does not. The Texas funding will be distributed to hospitals and other providers to support the following objectives: (1) an uncompensated care (UC) pool to reimburse for uncompensated care costs as reported in the annual waiver application/UC cost report; and (2) a Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) pool to incentivize hospitals and other providers to transform their service delivery practices to improve quality, health status, patient experience, coordination, and cost-effectiveness. JPS, under the Texas waiver, serves as the anchor entity for their region that has a $1.1 billion regional allocation for healthcare spending over five years, funneling federal money to authorized delivery system improvement projects at JPS and healthcare providers, public and private, in a nine-county region.

COPE Health Solutions is a leading health care consulting firm that partners with hospitals, physician groups, health plans, clinics and other health care organizations to help them achieve visionary, marketrelevant health care solutions. COPE is a thought leader in the areas of clinical integration, care coordination, and workforce planning and development. They position their clients to best leverage and navigate the opportunities and challenges posed by the rapidly changing health care environment.

“What makes the Texas waiver unique is the regional partnerships,” Salsberry said. “It requires financial integration and shared learning. The government is incentivizing us to work together and we have seen Region 10’s performing providers embrace collaboration in a very positive way.” HCE has posted handouts from the event on our website at www. hce-socal.org. The handouts provide slides from the presentation and sample project under the waiver. Look for the next State of Healthcare event!

COPE partnered on this event with one of their clients, John Peter Smith (JPS) Health Network of Fort Worth, Texas. JPS is the safety net system of Tarrant County Texas and has a budget of over $650 million. The JPS Network includes a 537-bed teaching hospital, 30 primary clinics and specialty health centers, 19 school-based health centers, and the County’s only psychiatric emergency center and Level 1 trauma center. JPS also serves as the site to one of the country’s largest family practice residency programs. Spring 2014 INSIDER 3

Patient Experience Conference Draws Hundreds by Michael Wilson, MHA, FACHE & Lodel Yerro Caplan

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ver 250 healthcare executives turned out for the “Improving the Patient Experience” event held at Good Samaritan Hospital in downtown Los Angeles on March 7. The event was made possible by generous sponsorships from AirWatch, American Career College, Contemporary Forums, COPE Health Solutions, Grand Canyon University, MedAssets, Good Samaritan Hospital and Connor Christiansen. As health systems align with new imperatives under the ACA, patient experience and retention has become a hot industry topic. Health professionals are eager to learn the insider secrets to building high successful patient and family-centered models of care. The successful approaches of the hotel and entertainment industries, like the Ritz Carlton and Disney Resorts, are taking hold in healthcare as systems transform to meet higher quality at less cost and create a positive experience that will bring patients back. Keynote speaker David T. Feinberg, MD, MBA, president of UCLA Health System, told attendees about UCLA’s quest to become a patient-centered health system. Feinberg said UCLA’s efforts included both large initiatives and small touches, like doing rounds and giving patients his personal cell number to call 24 hours a day. In one memorable moment, he recounted that a parking garage attendant noticed a patient crying in her car. Instead of letting her leave, he helped her to a room where she could rest and staff brought her soup. Even the valets, he said, buy into UCLA’s patient-focused culture. Participants then broke out for “deep dive” sessions on one of three topics: “Creating a Culture of Service,” “Patient Engagement Technology,” or “Physician Alignment” to further discuss best practices. In the Culture of Service session, Suzanne Richards, CEO, Victor Valley Global Medical Center, shared that she hires talent who have the people skills to deal with those who could be at the most vulnerable stage of their lives. In one form or another, all speakers shared that soft skills such as compassion, being happy, and the genuine 4 INSIDER Spring 2014

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1) Keynote Speaker David Feinberg, MD, MBA. 2) Integrating Patient Centered Care panel: Alice Gunderson, Libby Hoy, Helen McFie, PharmD, FABC, and Julia Slininger, RN, BS, CPHQ. 3) Physician Alignment: Lola Osawe, MHA , CMPE (facilitator); David Wren, MHA, FACHE; Ghazala Sharieff, MD, MBA; Harry Bowles, MD; Nasim Afsar-manesh, MD, SFHM. 4) Revinventing Customer Service in Healthcare: Incoming Regent California - Southern Kathie Lencioni, FACHE; Tim Smith, MPH, FACHE; Kathy Hutchens; Lynn Skoczelas, BSN, MBA. 5) Patient Engagement Technology: Alicia Jansen, Megan Sanchez, MSHI, MSITL, and Nina Robinson; 6) Creating a Culture of Service speakers: Cyrus Rafe, MBA (far left), Diana Christiansen (middle). 7) audience.

care for people cannot be taught -- they are innate characteristics that make a special person, employee/talent, or leader. Lola Osawe, MHA, the facilitator for the session on Physician Alignment, put together a panel of physicians from hospital systems such as UCLA, Scripps, and Huntington Memorial to talk about the importance of physician alignment in organizations. She shared three takeaways from her session: 1) Physician leadership is vital, especially mentoring and training new physicians; 2) Patient-centered

care will be most effective if there is a good flow in physician-patient communication; and 3) Multi-generational physician teams are important to stabilize operations. And Megan Chavez, MSHI, MSITL, one of the facilitators of the session on Patient Engagement Technology, shared three actionable strategies that organizations can apply now: 1) Create a shared vision and ownership between clinical, IT, marketing and operacontinued next page

The Importance of Patient Engagement

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by Corrie Massey Director, 20th Street Surgery Center

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1) Co-Chairs Diana Christiansen & Alice Berci. 2) Diana Christiansen with HCE President Dan McLaughlin, FACHE, and HCE Program Councils At Large Chair Mark Maramba, MHA; 3) Event volunteers relax after a successful conference.

tions; 2) Identify how technology can help bridge the gap between time, distance, and care of patients; and 3) Understand the value of technology in patient engagement. During one of the face-to-face credit sessions, executives from Sharp Health System in San Diego provided attendees with cold towelettes infused with peppermint and cucumber to wash their hands or face. The towels are just one example of the types of techniques they use across their system to enhance the patient experience. Even housekeeping staff is scripted to make their time with the patient a positive one. “This event underscores that when you deliver exceptional educational programming, people will come and that’s the value HCE provides to members,” said HCE president Dan McLaughlin. “We’re already planning for next year’s event.” Playing off a Hollywood Oscar celebration theme where the patient is the “star” and healthcare workers are the supporting cast, the event featured a red carpet, gourmet fare, and high-end touches. There was even a photo booth where attendees could grab friends and colleagues to take a memento photo. Event Co-Chair Diana Christiansen, who runs her own business helping organizations navigate transformational change (The Atticus Group), said planning took over a year to line up the sponsors and speakers. “It’s all about the experience,” says Christiansen. “If you’re a patient, the small touches make a big difference. In the same way, when you attend a function you remember the details and the small touches that made it memorable, and that’s what we strived to give everyone.” Event photos and video highlights are on the HCE website and social media platforms. Visit www.hce-socal.org for more.

s our careers as leaders in health care have evolved, so have the expectations placed on us by our patients. The days of blindly trusting healthcare providers have given way to increased patient involvement. This is a result of improved access to health information combined with a new uncertainty in the healthcare payer system. Patients used to call their doctor’s office, make an appointment, and wait to be seen to speak with their healthcare providers face-to-face about their health concerns. Now, numerous websites with health information offer instantaneous access to symptom checklists and potential home remedies. Even providers have begun to embrace this change by offering patient portals for emailing their physicians directly, setting appointments, and tracking their medical history through personal electronic health records and mobile phone apps. This rapid-response approach to medicine has changed the culture in which patients expect to receive their care. They are more involved in their health care decisions and expect to be warmly invited to participate actively in those processes. This can be challenging for some long-time providers who are used to dispensing their knowledge with little questioning from the recipients of their care. However, patient satisfaction is now a major factor in healthcare reimbursement and accessibility certainly plays a part in that assessment. In addition, the Affordable Care Act has shaken every aspect of the established health care delivery system. Providers are worried about reimbursements and becoming phased out as stand-alone health care entities. Patients are concerned about keeping their doctors and hospitals with whom they have forged trusting relationships over time. The political wrangling of the ACA have resulted in mistrust on both sides of the complicated issue and placed politics squarely in the middle of effective health care delivery. As leaders, I believe we are remiss to ignore the elephant in the room when interacting with our patients. The truth is that the future of our current system is uncertain for everyone involved in it. Conveying the message to our patients that we will continue to provide the best care to them and their families is of utmost priority in attempting to soothe anxieties related to changes in health care we are all experiencing. As leaders, our organizations have the ability to improve patient outcomes by extending the hand of engagement to them in their care and providing a culture of inclusion and solidarity in facing health care changes. If we become too discouraged with the uncertainty and changes we face, we must remind ourselves of the overarching reason we became involved in health care – to have a positive effect on patient’s lives. Spring 2014 INSIDER 5

Marketing Clinic Marketing in the Age of the Affordable by John Seroka Care Act

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ow healthcare providers market themselves in the age of the Affordable Care Act must change…it’s no longer business as usual. The law is driving a change in how healthcare providers must view their purpose and adjust, moving from volume-based business decisions to value-based. Your ability to build a marketable brand that stands for achieving the best outcomes at the lowest price will be important in addition to other differentiators to endear your target audience to your organization. Therefore, branddriven marketing is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity to be competitive. Target audiences, both internal and external, must ultimately understand why your existence in the market place is important to them. This understanding has the added benefit of giving your staff and employees a sense of real purpose when they arrive at work which is great for team building. This change in thinking must start in the Csuite and cannot be resolved by hastily pumping out new messaging through the internal marketing machine to give the appearance of value without having the infrastructure or foundation to prove it. In other words, your

organization can’t play “catch up” to the marketing messages, rather the marketing messages must follow your organizational brand. Here are 9 steps to consider implementing to adapt to the new environment:

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Determine your brand perception within your target audience right now. It’s critical for healthcare providers to understand how they’re perceived by the community/target audience both externally and internally. To do so requires the execution of a brand audit.

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Concurrent to executing a brand audit, conduct a SWOT analysis. A traditional SWOT takes into account your organizational Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Be sure to think about these through the lens of current trends as they relate to ACA.

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Determine what you want success to “look like.” There are many ways to evaluate success…19 to be exact. For healthcare providers, some metrics you may consider include: • Awareness

A brand audit will determine the following…

• Uniqueness

• How well your uniqueness as a healthcare provider is understood in the competitive environment

• Preference

• How well your vision is understood • How well your primary strengths are understood • Whether your target audience would recommend you and why

• Credibility • New patient acquisition • Loyalty The level or quality of the value that you provide will be the driving force of all the above.

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Discover your meaningful differentiators. Coming to grips with key differentiators that set your organization apart is not

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Marketing continued from previous page only highly thought-provoking, but a necessary task that can be a lot of fun if you have a great facilitator of the process. This process is not something the CEO or marketing department can take on in isolation. Rather it must include input from heads of key departments. Given the number of departments that could exist, scheduling challenges associated with job responsibilities and more, it may not be possible to include everyone, so you may need to isolate involvement to just a few. A good facilitator of the process, a brand development expert, will assist your selection criteria.

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Develop your new brand essence statement and tagline as a result of step 4. Your brand essence statement should encompass your primary differentiators, or unique “selling” points in a way that’s simple and easy to understand. And remember, if you say it, you must be able to prove it. For example, if you were to say that you provide “the premier patient-centered environment, exceeding expectations,” then where’s the proof? For example, do you have video or written testimonials from patients or physician referrers that website visitors can view? If not, it’s just more filler copy. As for your tagline, it should be a strong statement in support of the core meaning of your organization as determined through your discovery session in step 4.

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Validate. How do you know that your new brand essence and tagline have what it takes to sway your target audience to consider you? Likewise, how do you know they will resonate with your internal audience? Validation of these items is a step many times overlooked. Too many just assume that they hit the mark after all this hard work. Your work requires validation. Check with referral sources and others connected with your organization or in the community to get their reactions to your new positioning to validate how you plan to position your organization going forward.

don’t provide actionable information as opposed to superficial slogantype campaigns. Putting together the right messages, delivered in the right quantity through the right vehicles goes back to understanding the profile of your audience and how they get information. Optimizing your messages and delivery channels will be the key.

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Measure how well you’re doing! If you’re going to be successful, you must plan to measure what you’re doing and track progress. Without measurement and constant reinforcement, things can go off-track as a misalignment between what you’re communicating and the patient experience can cause marketplace confusion, setting you right back to “square one.” So, to be sure you’re fulfilling the promise, use surveys to determine how you’re perceived after you’ve had your new brand in place for a reasonable length of time…maybe at the 18 month mark. Have you been able to increase your volume while maintaining exceptional value? Does a new level or awareness or quality of awareness exist? There are many things you can look at to determine the ROI of your efforts, so measuring your success according to pre-determined metrics like those in step 3 is essential. True brand-driven marketing is no longer a luxury, rather it’s about your survival and staying relevant. Click here to download the white paper “Branding in the Healthcare Industry” if you wish to learn more about the importance of a brand and the starting point to developing a sustainable brand. About the author: John Seroka is a Principal and Brand Consultant with Seroka, a Brand Development and Strategic Communications firm that specializes in the healthcare industry. He can be reached at [email protected] or you may connect with him on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/johnseroka/ or Google Plus.

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Roll out your new brand internally. Once the validation process is complete, roll out your new brand internally…get everyone on board and excited about it. Develop what we at Seroka call “momentum groups” headed by specific individuals in various departments. These individuals need to make sure their respective areas fulfill your brand promise in all ways…not only in how they do their jobs but also the technology they use to fulfill their jobs and smoothly deliver upon the promise.

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Develop your marketing communications strategy. This strategy should include both internal and external components. An internal component, for example, could be a newsletter among other tactics with the goal of keeping all connected within the organization on point. External components would include your website, advertising, media relations, social media and much more…all communicating clear, consistent messages that reinforce your new brand. When developing the components of the strategy, remember that consumers are being paralyzed by information overload right now related to ACA. For any number of reasons, emotions and frustrations are running high. They will have little time or tolerance for those that

Finley continued from page 1 where he was involved in public policy and advocacy work in academic and medical research also shaped his career trajectory and led him to pursue a graduate degree in Public Policy from Duke University. Finley has his work cut out for him as the CEO of HarborUCLA, which along with other County-run health facilities, are undergoing transformation with a focus on system integration, high quality, and innovation to become a provider of choice for the County’s newly insured. For more information on Delvecchio and the ACHE Executives awards, visit www.ache.org. Spring 2014 INSIDER 7

Committee News Academic Affairs The 2014 HCE College Bowl, sponsored by MDS Consulting, will be held at California State University, Northridge on Friday, April 25 in their Orange Grove Bistro University Center. Seven teams from local area Masters programs are expected to participate in this case study format competition. If interested in helping to organize this event or to help plan the proposed 2015 statewide competition, please contact Dimitrios Alexiou at [email protected].

In February, the Council proudly closed the inaugural cohort of BridgeRoads. Thanks to the 12 mentors and 16 proteges who made this innovative program a success. Congratulations to the following Founding Proteges: Diego Bluvol, Maham Chaudry, Vasco Leon Kidd, John Evans, Rebeca Gaab, Mark Koechling, Alvin Kwong, Stephen Lange, Sarah Lloyd-Kolkin, Richard Munassi, John Nhieu, Ebi Omofoma, Kati Quinn, Claudia Soria, and Lauren Weistein.

The Council is also grateful to the Founding Mentors who contributed their time and shared their knowledge with their proteges: Early Careerists, get ready for some ter- Brent Cope, CEO, Silverlake Medical Cenrific learning in unique settings with HCE’s ter; Tom Dougherty, FACHE, President/ acclaimed “Learning from Experience” CEO, Healthcare Innovators and HCE Imevents with industry movers and shakers. mediate Past President; Stephanie GuasStay tuned for an upcoming session with tella, Executive Director, Business DevelopDr. Elaine Batchelor, head of the nonprofit ment &Physician Relations, Long Beach opening the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Medical Center; Mike Hartmam Hospital in South Los Angeles later this year. FACHE, COO, College Medical Center Long Beach; Kim King, MBA, FACHE, Founder/President, Strategy Advantage and current ACHE Regent Southern California; Josh Luke, PhD, FACHE, Vice President Post-Acute Services, Torrance Memorial The Early Careerists Council has exciting Medical Center; George Mack, FACHE, programs planned this year! Vice President, Payer & Provider Relations, Hospital Association of Southern CaliforHCE’s newest nia; current HCE President Dan McLaugheducational pro- lin, FACHE, Vice President Professional gram for Early Services, Good Samaritan Hospital; Jorge Careerists, Pathways, will launch on April 8! Orozco, MS, PT, CEO, Rancho Los AmiIt is a collaborative project with the Hospital gos Rehabilitation Center; Ben Ovando, Association of Southern California (HASC) MBA, FACHE, Vice President Operations, and HCE, will launch on April 8! This 5-se- Rancho Los Amigos Rehabilitation Cenries educational program that is designed ter; Liz Shelor, MPH, Principal, The North to provide participants a comprehensive Highland Company; and Jim West, CEO, review of healthcare policy. Academic and PIH Health. industry experts like Dylan Roby, Director of UCLA’s Health Economics and EvaluaSome pairings have decided to take their tion Research Program; Jim Barber, CEO, mentoring relationship beyond the 6-month Hospital Association of Southern California; program and Don Crane, President & CEO, California Association of Physician Groups are on Cohort 2 will begin in June. And new this the slate of presenters. Program participants year, BridgeRoads will expand to serve those must be nominated and sponsored by a C- members in Orange County. suite officer of their organization in order to participate in the program. For more information, please contact the Early Careerists Council at earlycareerists@ hce-socal.org. Stay tuned!

C-Suite

Early Careerists


L.A. County The LA Programs Council kicked off the year with a bang for its sold out “Meet the 2014 HCE Board/Networking Social” on February 11 at Good Samaritan Hospital downtown. Jim Barber, President and CEO of HASC, gave the insider’s view of the major trends and issues facing the industry in the next three years. Congratulations to Chair Kat Caminiti and Vice-Chair Vishaka Singla for putting on a spectacular event with great food, networking, and opportunities for members to get involved. The Council has great education programs planned for 2014 on quality improvement, reimbursement, trends in healthcare, transparency and data reporting, and readmissions and skilled nursing. The Council is also planning two networking events and a job fair for the new MLK Hospital. Stay tuned for details.

Students The HCE Students Council is hosting a program called “Health Care Administrative Fellowships: The Inside Scoop” on Wednesday, April 9th from 6:00 - 8:30 pm at UCLA (650 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, Meeting Room: CHS 33-105). Are you interested in applying for a postgraduate health care administrative fellowship and want to know more information? Are you set on applying and want to strengthen your application by making yourself stand out amongst the many applicants? Come join us for this Students Council event and network with the current and former fellows from Kaiser Permanente, Dignity Health, City of Hope, Sutter Health, VA Great Los Angeles, UCLA, and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles! The fellows will share their experiences with you, answer your questions, and tell you how they’ve achieved their success. Look out for more information and the opportunity to register soon!

Young Careerists, Get Ready to be Used! by Valithia Head Director of Business Development & Grant Funding, Dignity Health

When early careerists enter the workplace, they are eager to prove their worth. They struggle to land the perfect internship and “get a foot in the door.” Long hours and taking on any assignment can make one feel trapped rather than inspired. As a young professional, I’ve been there. And I’ve chosen to turn those obstacles into a source of motivation to build a successful career. Although the word typically carries a negative connotation, understanding the value of being “used” has helped me set goals. In fact, just like athletes, turning hardship into motivation can give young health care professionals the tenacity they need to conquer challenges and career ups and downs. Yes, some employers might place a high expectation of hard work and long hours on young careerists and not always acknowledge their abilities. Or they might assume you can’t offer much because of your lack of experience. Whatever work environment you encounter, here are some tools to stay focused on your success:

NFLHE Partners with HCE on LA Caucus by Victor Pena, MBA

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n mid-2013, the National Forum for Latino Healthcare Executives (NFLHE) and Healthcare Executives of Southern California (HCE) partnered to develop the Los Angeles Caucus. The primary focus of this caucus is to generate greater Latino representation in healthcare management within various healthcare organizations in Los Angeles County. The steering committee of this group is tasked with focusing efforts on local support of Latinos currently serving as or planning to become healthcare management leaders. The shortage of Latino representation in healthcare management roles is well documented, and the NFLHE/HCE LA Caucus is hoping to better support the healthcare needs of the Latino community by raising awareness that healthcare organizations should better reflect their community in terms of their leadership. NFLHE is committed to the growth and development of Latino healthcare leaders, and the NFLHE/HCE LA Caucus will act as a catalyst for our local Latino leaders to support one another and create an environment where the representation of Latino healthcare leaders is fostered. The partnership between HCE and NFLHE is a natural fit because of HCE’s commitment to the development and support of its members. This year, the steering committee will develop programs and events where members of both organizations can collaborate and discuss the needs for better representation for Latino healthcare leaders. For more information, contact Vice Chair Rolando Gomez by phone at 323.361.4934 or email [email protected].

Become Goal Centric! Feeling “used” may arise from a lack of acknowledgement of your skills. Work harder, set goals, meet them, and communicate them. Become indispensible. Find a source of energy to drive professional excellence if you feel defeated. Celebrate Yourself! When others fail to acknowledge your contributions, always remember to vote for yourself! Ensuring your achievements are documented as resume bullets can help to elevate your career. Build a Foundation of Results! Using and honing your skills is crucial to marketing yourself for career elevation. Use your challenges to gain the strength to birth your dreams. Although feeling “used” may be unpleasant, use the experience to showcase your ability to perform. Performance, is what creates a career of gold!

Rolando Gomez, MBA Manager, Government & Public Policy Chidren’s Hospital Los Angeles

Victor Pena, MBA Director, Healthcare Corporate Initiatives American Cancer Society

Vanessa Alvarez Asst. VP Marketing & External Affairs COPE Health Solutions

Danielle Robey Director, Business Development RightSourcing - Workforce Management

Joselin Escobar Director, Office of Strategic Management Olive View-UCLA Medical Center

ADVISOR - HCE Board Member Ellen Zaman, FACHE Director, Community Affairs Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Not pictured: Maria B. Gonzales, MPH Senior Associate, Consulting & Implementation Kaiser Permanente Elizabeth Navarro Contract Analyst Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital (PIH)

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Regent’s Message continued from page 2

HCE to Offer BOG Study Series for C-Suite by Michael Wilson, MHA, FACHE

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his Spring HCE will offer a special 1-day prep course for the Board of Governors (BOG) exam designed just for “C-Suite” executives. The BOG exam is one of the qualifying steps to become Board Certified in Health Care Management by the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and earn the esteemed FACHE credential. For the past three years HCE has offered a highly successful BOG review course over a 10 week period on Saturday mornings. The sessions are taught by experts in the field and each session is dedicated to one of the 10 areas covered on the exam. Leaders of HCE’s FACHE Advancement Committee say the study program works very well for early and mid-level careerists, but senior executives often can’t make that time commitment. “Board certification is a measure of excellence and commitment,” says HCE president Dan McLaughlin, FACHE, who took

the study series a few years ago. “It also can be a time consuming process, especially preparing for the Board of Governor’s exam, which is why we created this one-day format.” The concentrated course will be limited to senior executives. The curriculum will cover all aspects of the exam and include reviews, practice tests, and discussions. The course will be held on a weekday and cost is to be determined. The C-Suite program will be the only study series offered by HCE this Spring. The regular 10-week series will resume in the Fall. Membership in ACHE and completion of the FACHE application is a prerequisite to take the exam. Keep an eye out for more information by email.

executive, we encourage you to participate, to give the gift of professional development to a deserving Early Careerist in your organization (or otherwise), and to support our combined HCE and HASC efforts to pass along policy in action to our next generation of leaders. If you want to sponsor an Early Careerist, please contact Victor Pena, Co-Vice Chair of the HCE Early Careerists Council, at [email protected]. For the past five years, it has been my privilege to serve as an HCE Board Member, as the HCE President-Elect in 2010, HCE President in 2011 and 2012, and interim ACHE Regent for Southern California in 2013. Throughout these years, it has been exciting to be able to innovate and create with other devoted members to advance value and activity across the HCE Chapter. This year and in future years I encourage all of us – in our professional positions, as students, and as members of ACHE and HCE – to push forward, to think twice before we push back on new and novel ideas, and to continue to creatively lead and leave a legacy for ACHE, HCE, and for the people in our healthcare communities. Cheers to 2014 and my very best regards to you,

Kim Athmann King, MBA, FACHE ACHE Regent - Southern California

HCE Awarded Innovation Grant for Professional Development and Career Advancement HCE is one of five chapters across the country to receive an ACHE Chapter Innovation Grant. The program, currently under development, will offer additional professional development services for chapter members that utilizes a range of ACHE resources according to Chair-at-Large Ellen Zaman, FACHE. “ As the healthcare industry continues to change, professional advancement and career pathways will also shift for our members,” says Zaman. The HCE Chapter Innovation Program will offer resources to Chapter members including students, early careerists, senior level careerists and those in career transition. Watch for upcoming programs. To get involved in the Chapter Innovation Grant Committee, email Ellen Zaman at [email protected].


President’s Message continued from page 1 iting a new and complex system of care. You’ve chosen a worthy profession. Grab tight the reins of your career and pursue with confidence the leadership positions where you can make a lasting contribution. Our chapter launched the year with six successful programs, each filled with great attendance, strong energy, and the promise for growing member engagement. To date we’ve had two “Meet the Board & Networking” events (Orange and Los Angeles Counties); a program on diversity co-produced by Women in Health Administration; the “State of Healthcare,” a new program exploring differences in health care delivery between California and other states; an intimate “Learning from Experience” program from Kaiser leadership; and a most successful full-day event entitled “Improving The Patient Experience.” I extend my thanks to our Board, our Chairs and Vice Chairs, and the many speakers and volunteers that have made these events a grand success. Our 2014 programming will continue to be strong, but is only pertinent if it is meeting the needs of our membership. Please be thorough when evaluating programs and provide suggestions for the future. Don’t be shy. Direct ideas to our lead support staff Tamara Dilbeck at [email protected]. A few reminders: 1) ACHE’s annual meeting, known as Congress, is happening in Chicago at the end of this month. (See Kim King’s letter herein for details.). All members should try to make this event at least every two years. It’s not too late to sign up. 2) Become Board-Certified! If there were ever a time when the FACHE credential can make a difference in your career, I believe it is now. It’s a personal journey and HCE is here to assist you on your quest. Stay tuned for study group activities for the Board of Governors exam. 3) As healthcare leaders, I encourage you to set an example by living a healthy lifestyle and by personally supporting healthcare causes. Check out our “Healthy Networking” programs if you need some inspiration.

HCE Developing Thought Leadership Series by Michael Wilson, MHA, FACHE

In another step to provide value to chapter members and shape the course of health reform, HCE is developing a new education series to cultivate thought leadership around changes to healthcare delivery under the Affordable Care Act, ICD-10 implementation, the HITECH Act, shifts in the reimbursement systems, and other market dynamics. The series, open to HCE members as well as non-members, will aim to groom future leaders, create new opportunities for collaboration and innovation, and expand membership by appealing to sectors not traditionally well represented in the chapter. Given the scope of issues, the series will target the full spectrum of experience, from early to senior careerists. “All sectors of healthcare are being affected in this new era of reform, not just hospitals,” says HCE’s immediate past president Tom Dougherty, who is developing the program. “There is real opportunity to reach out to our colleagues from all health care sectors, from payers to provider groups to post-acute, to begin tackling these challenges the entire industry is facing. HCE doesn’t have the answers, but we have the connections and the insight to help get to those answers.” Dougherty said HCE will work with local sister organizations (HFMA, HIMSS, WHA, universities, etc.) and other trade associations to build participation for the highly interactive sessions in areas of collaborative care, innovations and co-opetition. The topics will be broad and encompass the entire spectrum of healthcare reflecting the collaboration that is required to re-engineer the healthcare delivery system. The topics will include “coordination of care” and “lowering the overall cost of care.” Teams of early careerists, students, and more seasoned health care professionals will participate in case studies that will culminate with presentations to the series participants. The series will cast light on opportunities and how sectors need to reinvent themselves. Participants will learn which career paths have the brightest future and which are likely to sunset as health reform matures. HCE will post white paper executive summaries of the insights gained from the series to its website to add additional value to potential members and as a strategy to grow membership.

For the cause we press on, Dan McLaughlin, FACHE Spring 2014 INSIDER 11

Calendar of Events This Calendar of Events is subject to change. Please visit hce-socal.org/events/upcoming/ for current information.

❏❏ April 6

Inland Empire Program 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm Loma Linda University “Thought Leadership Series” John Seroka & Tom Dougherty

❏❏ April 7

Orange County Program 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm Concordia University Networking Event

❏❏ April 9

❏❏ April 24

Orange County Program 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club Networking Event

❏❏ April 25

BridgeRoads Program Los Angeles - Meet & Greet 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm Location: TBD Mentors and prospective Proteges Meet & Greet. By invitation only. Application deadline is May 15. For more info, visit http://hce-socal.org/ early-careerists/bridge-roads/

Orange County Program 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm UC Irvine Networking/Educational event

❏❏ April 25

Student’s Council Program 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm UCLA “Administrative Fellowship 101”

College Bowl 8:00am to 3:00pm Cal State University, Northridge

❏❏ April 23

Joint Council Event Time: TBD Location: TBD Student Council/Early Careerists Young Professionals Joint event

Ventura County/Santa Barbara Program Time: TBD Location: TBD Education program. Details to follow.

❏❏ April 23

Inter-organization Joint Event 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm. City Club, Los Angeles Joint Event HCE/USC/HFMA “Beyond Reform: From Value to Value”

INSIDER

❏❏ May 7

❏❏ May 8

Learning From Experience 11:30am to 1:00 pm Hemit Medical Center Joel Bergenfeld, FACHE, CEO Hemet/Menifee Medical Center CEO Tour/Open Forum

Healthcare Executives of Southern California 466 Foothill Boulevard, # 252 La Canada, CA 91011


❏❏ May 9

LA County Program 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm Location TBD Quality and Its Impact on Reimbursement

❏❏ May 22

❏❏ June 18

BridgeRoads Program Orange County- Meet & Greet 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm Location: TBD Mentors and prospective Proteges Meet & Greet. By invitation only. Application deadline is June 4. For more info, visit http://hce-socal.org/ early-careerists/bridge-roads/

❏❏ June 26

Ventura County Program Time: TBD Los Robles Medical Center David Sayen, CMS Regional Administrator