our patient satisfaction surveys. Maybe you got it right away, but, me, I am not that smart. At the time, though, I didn't want to think about any of that. The first reason I could come

Focusing on service makes the job better. It makes people feel proud about their work. It makes for a much more positive work environment. And that's what we need in healthcare.

We were one baby away from the ribs!” lamented one nurse. And then, finally, June was THE month! They started June 30th with 98 deliveries. By 6:00 p.m., they brought three more babies into

in service if its employees don't feel pride for what they are doing. Organizations that sustain excellence in service

man named Matt Hale. He owned several executive search firms that specialized in accounting, data management, and

“Liz, we want to make your exit from the organization as graceful as possible. So, unless there is a dramatic change in service, we're going to transition you out over the next 90 days.” Two days later he moved the director of Ambulatory Care and the hospital's golden boy, Don Dean, into my office. He was the hospital's superstar. You know the

discussing. She's asking him to abide by a commonly accepted practice that has been in place for a long time. She feels completely justified in enforcing the behavior so there is no unpleasantness associated with confronting Joe about it. So, cost is pretty easy, accountability-wise. Quality is another no-brainer. Most leaders are so comfortable

bug us, we can't ever have a good day. We get as much negativity in our departments as we are willing to accept. And I believe that in healthcare, from top to bottom, we are far too accepting of negativity in the workplace. I don't think it is okay for some staff members to come into work every day in a bad mood just because the work is hard. After

Holy Cross, I was asked to speak at our hospital's department head meeting. The ED had gotten into the 90th percentile