By Michael J. Zappa, MD, FACEP
Attaining most any goal or dream requires us to do something different, which goes against the natural human tendency to stay in our comfort zone. Transformation has to start with change, but we resist change until the pain of staying the same exceeds the pain of change…..yes PAIN is the catalyst and friend of transformation.
Understanding the difference between change and transformation is important.
Read MoreBy Dr. Michael J. Zappa
Over 145 million patients come to US Emergency Departments every year; it takes over 167,000 emergency nurses to provide compassionate care to these patients: whether a child with a fever or a senior struggling to breathe, they are America’s frontline for care.
Many people outside of emergency medicine may not realize that our nation’s EDs provide an accurate and unfiltered view of society. This slice of reality shows humanity at its best and worst. In addition to the joy of saving a life, the occasional thank you and smile that an ED nurse will receive, they may be yelled at, unappreciated, subjected to unpleasant comments, and even assaulted…. by people they are just trying to help.
Yet, 24/7, 365 days per year - days, nights, weekends, holidays, sunny days, stormy days, natural disasters— these dedicated professionals put their personal needs and those of their families aside and dedicate themselves to caring for all types of strangers.
As an emergency physician, I can personally affirm that I could not do my job without them: they are my right hand (and my left), my eyes, my ears, my conscience, and sometimes even my kinder, gentler voice!
Read MoreBy Dr. Michael J. Zappa
Too much of a good thing can sometimes be a problem; there is a risk that caring too much can result in burnout. Even a profession that is literally and figuratively built on it, as is healthcare, there is not immunity to an overdose of caring.
You might be thinking: “What healthcare leader would ever tell a member of their team to care less?” Self-reflect and visualize your peers and the people you are leading. Do any of these characteristics seem familiar?
Constantly worries about what people think
Always feels obligated to fix things
Has a hard time letting things go
Starts the day with a list of worries
Ends the day with a list of worries
Stresses about staff turnover
Stresses about staff happiness
I’m sure you can identify with some of these tendencies personally or amongst your team. The answer is not to stop caring about patients, staffing, getting through your “to do” list, or about being liked; the answer is to care just the right amount! Think of care as sugar; in the words of Mary Poppins it takes “Just a spoonful of sugar…!”
Read MoreBy Dr. Michael J. Zappa
A mentor of mine is often quoted: "Hope is not a strategy!" Indeed, there is a world of difference between hoping things will improve and implementing a well thought out plan. However, nothing can ever change or improve unless we can imagine it as such. Once it is imagined, there must be some belief or "hope" that this vision can be realized. Now that's where strategy comes in, making the vision a reality.
As leaders, we must start by inspiring hope, not by asking for the action plan. When your team believes they can make a difference, they will. It is very obvious in healthcare: patients would never come to us without the hope that we can make them better. Hope is not just for our patients, it is for every member of our team.
Read MoreBy Dr. Michael J. Zappa
On April 4th, I had the privilege of participating in a panel discussion with Dennis Jolley, Vi-Anne Antrum, and Alan Lieber centering around the challenge of being a comprehensive hospital system vs one that is specialty focused. Alexis Reynolds did a wonderful job moderating a very thought provoking discussion.
It is no surprise that there is not a simple direct answer; the most accurate answer is it depends. It depends on your location, your competition, your resources, and degree of integration.
Read MoreEnhancing our own leadership development along with the novice and advanced leaders on our teams is mission critical in healthcare today. The environment that we are challenged to be successful in is very harsh — increasing the cost of technology and pharmaceuticals, the ever increasing cost of labor, on top of declining reimbursement.
The formula for success appears simple enough, but the challenge (as always) is the execution. Clearly, educating leaders and enhancing their skills will yield great outcomes; yet the material that must be mastered is not intuitive, and the skills must be practiced over and over to be mastered.
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