Iowa Specialty Hospital

Notes from Steve

February 15, 2021

Mid February for me is the worst time of the year.  It’s funky in a bad way.  I wrote last week* about my concerns of restarting bad habits in vulnerable times.  My bad habit is and was eating in times of boredom, stress, and angst.  For me, weight and the negativity surrounding it has always been a factor in my life.  My reasons for getting bariatric surgery six and a half years ago had to do with being on a path to really bad health - when I see myself slipping, it brings back a lot of scary feelings.  Fortunately, I’m still somewhat cognizant of too much weight gain and will modify and change my habits (and I exercise a lot), but the worry is still there. 

I talked about accountability last week.  Reviving bad habits and non-compliance with good habits is so easy to do.  We must be “on” at all times, and we must be aware at all times.  At Iowa Specialty Hospitals and Clinics this year a lot of our focus is to be that great and fantastic place where everyone wants to get their healthcare.  With everything that has happened in the last year, our bar of “awesomeness” has slipped.  Our patients are pointing out our service failures and frankly, it’s concerning.  Are we practicing our standards of behavior always?  It’s easy to slip.

Years ago I was told to stop using the phrase “sense of urgency”.  In the book Leading Change by John Kotter, he writes that organizations that want to improve must have a sense of urgency.  Personally, my sense of urgency is my health.  I want to have the best health possible.  For Iowa Specialty Hospitals and Clinics - our sense of urgency is continued success. The reason people come here for care is that we are awesome from a service and quality perspective.  Patients get great care here … but if that slips, it becomes harder and harder for them to justify driving to rural facilities in north central Iowa for their healthcare.  

What I tried to convey in last week’s article was that it’s about accountability.  Whether personal or organizational, if we don’t consciously do the things we need to do to be successful, we won’t be.

*sorry to those who I offended with the pic
 

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