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Written by: Gary Boyd, MPH
 At the Southern Mono Healthcare District we have adopted the Studer leadership model. One of the key “must haves” in this program is “Rounding for Outcomes” in which a leader spends regular time rounding in various departments, talking with staff, and addressing problems on the spot. I have been rounding for about a year and a half but found something was missing. By spending only a few minutes I was just not connecting with staff and physicians as mush as I would like. So, I tried something different, spending a whole day in a department once a month and I’ll have to say, I’m loving it!
Since last September, I’ve worked in a number of departments, including Surgery, Purchasing, the Family Medicine Clinic, Medical Imaging, the Emergency Department/Ambulance, Physical Therapy, and the Orthopedic Clinic. I have only a few rules when I’m doing my “all day” rounds. First, my Administrative Assistance cannot contact me unless it’s an emergency, I dress similar to that of the staff, the department dictates my schedule for the day, I spend the majority of the day with the staff and not the management team, and I listen more than I talk. I’ve found that working side by side with staff, and patients, gives me the best insight into how the departments really operate, reveals some of the barriers to providing good care, and allows me to connect with staff that I might not otherwise be able to reach out to.
My first day was in Surgery. Mind you, I haven’t worked in Surgery directly for years, so I was a bit anxious about going to this department and, as I put on my scrubs, was trying to find an excuse to bail. But, as I pensively shuffled out of the locker room a nurse was there to greet me. She had my day laid out for me and within a few minutes I found myself in OR#1 with a hand surgeon explaining everything he was doing. Soon the anesthesiologist was doing the same thing, and then I was helping the Rad Tech get the C-arm in place. I was in on at least 5 cases that day, helped move patients, and did whatever I could do to help within my scope of competency. Then I spent a couple hours in Central Supply learning how to clean instruments and track prosthetic inventory. Finally, the nurses in Recovery wanted me to review their new clinical computer system that had just gone live. Needless to say, we made some changes to the system after listening to their concerns about its impact on their work day.
Medical Imaging was awesome. I should explain that I started my career in healthcare as a Radiologic Technologist and maintain my credentials. We started with a department meeting so I could participate and talk about the strategic direction of the organization. Then it was off to work. I helped with portables and emergency department patients. The most fun I had was learning how to operate our relatively new CT scanner (and yes I do have my certification up to date and posted in the department). The last CT scanner I operated myself was a single slice scanner that took forever to do a head scan. After a couple of hours, under the watchful eye of a technologist, I could set up and scan a few simple studies. You should have seen the face on a local resident who knows I’m the CEO as I was getting her set up for a scan. She looked me directly in the eye and asked “why are you doing this”? I explained what I was doing, pointed out the technologist in the control room, and made assurances of being in good hands. I am sure the conversation at the dinner table that night included who did her scan and what I was doing in the Medical Imaging department. And that’s great.
Though every department has been a great experience, I have to admit that I had the most rewarding day working in the Emergency Department. I went on three runs to the ski mountain to pick up skiers/boarders who had suffered injuries from falls. Fortunately, no one was hurt badly and I had a chance to chat with them during the 15 minute ride to the hospital. I quickly picked up on the flow in the ED as volume picked up in the afternoon and was able to really help out. I brought patients back from the waiting room, helped get them settled in their gurneys, transported patients to the MI department where I of course helped with their studies, and even helped get a patient ready for their flight to a tertiary hospital. When I went back the next day to thank the staff for allowing me to work beside them, they were happy to see me, gave me kudos for being hands on, and invited me back anytime. I left the department feeling 10 feet tall.
I get more out of this than anyone could possibly imagine and I could go on forever with stories, but I don’t have enough inches in this column. I worked side by side with the previous CEO who has “retired” to his love of patient care as a Physical Therapist, helped get an elderly man with a repaired broken hip – from skiing – get back on his feet (I visited him a couple of times to say hello before he was discharged), discovered a storeroom worker who has the best customer service etiquette I’ve seen in a long time, and on and on. At least a dozen times I’ve seen a patient or visitor eye my nametag and their face tells the story, “What’s he doing here”? To a person I always get a favorable response, I usually hear we have a great staff including great physicians, and if they don’t ask at some point I’ll explain what I’m doing. I tell everyone I work with, and anyone who will listen, that this is the best day of the month for me at work and I wouldn’t give it up for the world. I get so much out of the day and it allows me to do what I was trained to do, get involved in patient care. That’s why I got into healthcare and this helps bring it full circle for me.
There is a “there” there for the departments that host me – I haven’t even commented on the anxiety it must cause some of the staff having the CEO working side by side with them. They get to know me as a person, have my ear for the day, and I can help get those nagging problems fixed, often in the same day. A good example was when area codes were changed in our community and one of the clinics couldn’t get the numbers programmed into their fax machines. We had that fixed within a couple hours; having the boss on the line can help cut through red tape.
The last note on the subject is that over the winter the new show “Undercover Boss” debuted. My wife recorded it and had me watch the first episode. I was blown away, they stole my idea ;-)
About the Author:
Gary Boyd is the Chief Executive Officer of Mammoth Hospital, Southern Mono Healthcare District, in Mammoth Lakes, California, since April 2008. Boyd has been involved in health care for over three decades and began his career in healthcare as a Radiologic Technologist working his way up to a Director position. Before moving to Mammoth, Boyd was employed as the Senior Vice President of Clinical and Support Services, John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, California. His job included overseeing hospital operations for the hospital division of John Muir Medical Center for the Walnut Creek campus and the Concord campus. Boyd also served as the Chief Operations Officer for Brentwood Medical Center. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of San Francisco and a master’s degree from San Diego State University and has continued to be active in AHRA maintaining his certification as a Radiologic Technologist.
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