So You Want to Be A CEO: Part Eleven

This is the eleventh year since I first came through one of the six front doors at Windber Medical Center. There were several things that I vowed to do when I arrived. The first physical change that I wanted was to actually create a way to get to one of those sets of front doors. It hasn't happened. It's ten years later and still no steps.

My second plan was to put in electric doors. No electric doors.

Oh yeah, and I wanted to move the cafeteria to an area where people in wheel chairs could actually go to eat. I know, novel idea for a hospital. That hasn't happened either.

Due to budget and resource allocation considerations, these projects have been cut at least ten times. Disappointment becomes part of life, but you can't focus on what hasn't been done because it will make you crazy.

On the other hand, we have built over $20 M worth of buildings all around the campus.

Throughout the past decade, every one of these improvements have come at a cost to someone. Sometimes, very tough politics.

Through all of this, however, our board has remained extremely supportive at all times. They have remained squarely behind us.

We have grown from 250 or so employees to nearly 550, and, although our accomplishments as a medical center and research institute have been regularly recognized, life does continue to be challenging. The steps are still not done. Our grants, due last July, have still not been released, and that makes every day an adventure, but we will push forward.

One of my teachers once told me that the Great Barrier Reef, the largest collection of living organisms in the world, is a unique phenomena.  On the bay side where things are calm, everything is dead, but on the ocean side where the waves smash against it, life prevails, positive stress seems to be the answer to survival.

Good will prevail. We will survive. We will succeed. We will get those steps in, create a handicapped accessible cafeteria and install electric doors, and that's just the beginning. Just you wait and see.

Let the good times roll.

Comments

[Chazz]

Thanks for the reminder to keep our eyes focused forward, and on what has been accomplished instead of agonizing over lost opportunities, and where we've been. That's why the windshield is so big and the rear view mirror so small.

[Chris]

Electric doors would be nice, but I guess they do cost... probably less than a building, but that's not why I'm commenting. Something that would not be costly would be a little more effort by whomever is in charge of the maintenance of the sidewalks and curb areas in the circle of the hospital. I had the pleasure of taking a discharged patient whom just had OP foot surgery to the circle on the day of our incredible ice and snow storm. Of course the weather was inclement all day, but how difficult would it have been for a person to be assigned to keep the area clear of ice, snow and slush for the day of OP surgery. It's not like we have this kind of weather everyday. The ramp was "shoveled" to no more than a narrow path. The wheelchair was wider than the shoveled area. The curb was all ice, snow and watery slush. I could not get the wheelchair even close to the curb. I assisted the patient while she hobbled on one foot with crutches through the hazardous ice to her awaiting ride. It was not nice. Did I mention that all the while, we both were getting saturated with the cold wet freezing rain? You said that everything is about the patient. I'm sure this patient did not appreciate this. Can we do better?