A Message from the CEO - Nov 2025

November is gratitude month, which makes sense.  When I was reminded of this a couple of weeks ago, I thought of a good friend, who is a national speaker, who gave a talk titled, “I’m a Lucky Guy.”  I think of this a lot.  I’m so lucky and fortunate to be friends with so many amazing people in a great state and country, and to work at probably the best (I might be a tiny bit biased) healthcare system (ISH) in the country.  If we are biased in our perspective - let me be biased in a way that makes me smile and radiate with pride.  (I hear of people who can’t accept compliments - “This old coat? It’s nothing but a rag.” “I’m not that nice usually, you just caught me on a good hair day.” Take the compliment.)

I remember talking to my dad once after he turned down the gift of going to an ISU basketball game, and then he complained to me later that he should have gone. I remember thinking that not accepting the gift is denying someone of giving it.  Same with accepting compliments - someone feels good when telling you that you look awesome; allow them to feel good.  Accept their gift.

We’ve been talking about smiling at ISH.  We’re known as being a friendly bunch of folks.  But even if we are having a bad day - we’ll smile and say hi … because it’s what we do. We know that sometimes, the person we are saying hi to - needs the smile.  There’s a big chain grocery store in Iowa that used to always say, “There’s a helpful smile in every aisle.”  We have one of these stores close to where I have a place in downtown Des Moines, and I’ll be darned if I can even find anyone who works there, let alone a smile. 

The world is constantly changing, but hopefully, we will always be in a place where gratitude is practiced (giving and accepting) and smiles are exchanged.  It’s how life should be.