I was in Washington DC this last week with the Iowa Hospital Association delegation at the American Hospital Association annual conference. If you haven’t been to Washington DC, please try and go sometime - it’s amazing. Lots of history represented - from Arlington Cemetery to memorials to museums … the “story” of the USA is deep and profound, and so often we take for granted the work of those in the past.
In DC, we were discussing the state of post pandemic in hospitals throughout the state and nation. Our group was advocating (obviously) on behalf of Iowa, and we were armed with facts to discuss. One thing in particular that I found interesting was the statewide average operating margin is -4%. So for most Iowa hospitals, the pandemic caused a tremendous fiscal strain. It’s interesting because Iowa Specialty Hospitals & Clinics is growing and our story is different - our margin is positive. What are we doing differently that is allowing for success??
In the Revolutionary War - the patriots of America took an unconventional path to fighting a war and the British took the conventional. The patriots took the road less traveled. I think about the Revolutionary War when we (at Iowa Specialty Hospitals & Clinics) take an unconventional route - a road less traveled. If we fail -- which we have a lot of times -- we step back and honestly look at how we can be better next time. In my limited history knowledge, I remember that the group of patriots were quick to pivot and change course when they came upon an obstacle. The British army marched in colorful uniforms in formation and was an easy target.
The American patriots in the Revolutionary War were a small group of like-minded individuals intent on meeting their goal “at whatever cost”. Likewise, we are a committed team focused on changing the way healthcare is provided in central Iowa. And the battle is ours to win.
