A Message from the CEO - November '22

I woke up to snow this morning.  Basically, winter for me has started.  My first inclination is true hibernation - to crawl into a cave (or bed) somewhere and emerge afresh and anew in March (preferably losing weight in the process) but, alas I’m not a bear.  So, I will get up, plaster a smile on my face and grit my teeth while slipping and sliding all over the place.  (“Walk like a duck - walk like a duck - walk like a duck,” I tell myself as I shuffle along.)

People talk to me about going south for the winter when I retire.  “Oh, it’s so beautiful and warm and we don’t have snow” -- I get this and am completely jealous, but I wonder if that is for me.  I ask because I think snow and cold force me to overly appreciate non-cold weather (anything north of 50 degrees).  I’m the type of person who needs the extremes to fully appreciate.  There is this guy on TikTok who highlights his mother’s horrible attempts at cooking.  She makes the worst food.  Because of this, this kid will probably be a foodie and appreciate all types of great foods because he has experienced the worst.  True appreciation is a beautiful thing. 

We are going through a judged recognition process at Iowa Specialty Hospitals & Clinics currently.  We are being looked at and monitored and graded on our ability to show that we have systems in place that ensure quality.  We’ve worked hard on improving the way we do things and we feel that we have systems in place that can be replicated throughout rural healthcare.  We want to be the example - the benchmark for all others to follow.  I feel we are at the top of our game.  (However, my feelings don’t make it so … just because I feel I have the million-dollar lottery ticket doesn’t mean I do.) 

To be truly great, you need to know what it takes and what it feels and looks like when you have an opportunity to be better.  And then to be truly great you need to accept, with grace, the constructive criticism.  It’s nice to be aware but a blessing to practice humility and become better.

Winter, tough times, bad food.  To rise above the negativity and know that the snow won’t last forever, that criticisms are opportunities to become better, and that the food may be gross but it probably won’t kill you … all of this is “perspective.”