Thriving – Not Surviving – in Today’s Healthcare Environment
Editor’s note: This article was written by guest blogger Anthony Cirillo, FACHE, ABC, a healthcare marketing and experience management expert and expert guide in assisted living for about.com. For more information about the author, please see our About page.
“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity;
an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” — Winston Churchill
The healthcare system no doubt is in a lot of difficulty. Double-digit decreases to payments. The CLASS Act threatened. Nurses leaving or intending to leave the profession. Major distrust of providers.
There is a lot of complaining going on and probably justified. But I imagine among the non-complainers is a group of savvy businesses that are thinking of how to thrive in these circumstances, not just survive.
Let me give you an example. Several years ago, a local hospital system here in Charlotte tasked its directors to act as if their only payer was Medicare. For hospitals that is better than Medicaid but not as good as private insurance. But realizing what the market was going to do, they prepared and are now a more efficient and profitable organization.
Skilled nursing homes recognized this when they started to shift to a rehabilitation focus and better Medicare rates. Well those rates are being threatened but they are still better than Medicaid.
Switching to a “thrive mentality” takes an organizational shift in culture to include encouraging innovation and (using a much overused word) empowering employees to do the right things.
But there is something to a positive attitude. In my keynote, The Meaning of Life, I talk about many of the seniors that I have come to know over the years and their secret to a quality life. And since most of my stories are based on nursing and assisted living residents, they are in circumstances that most of the public would automatically conclude that they have no life and are waiting for death. Here is what I learned along the way about attitude:
- Your attitude reflects on you and you, yes you, have your own personal brand, full of attributes that define you.
- Email me at Cirillo@4wardfast.com and I will send you the brand attribute test. Take it to see what you regard as your most important attributes. Then ask others what they think. Often the attributes we see are not what others see and what others see is more important. It tells us how to shape ourselves for success.
- Consider these things as you spring clean your attitude:
- Procrastination = deterioration: if something is nagging at you, find out what it is and deal with it.
- Beware of all or nothing terms – “It’s always”, “I never”. They trigger negative thoughts.
- Do you expect the best or prepare for the worst? You know the right answer for a positive attitude.
- Stop beating yourself up for not being good enough. Stop being your own worst critic.
- When recalling the past, do you remember the good or the bad? Allow the good inside.
- Do you give up or never start things because you are not perfect? No one is perfect and never will be. Don’t let that stand in your way.
- Do you motivate yourself with your wants or avoiding your fears? You will never stretch yourself if motivated by fear.
- When you think of others, do you think bad thoughts or good ones? Wish the best for everyone. It will come back to you.
- Trust in your ability to change.
- Don’t live in the past but learn from it.
- Can you enjoy leisure without feeling guilty?
- How do you handle criticism – with anger, rejection, or with open arms and appreciation?
- Take the time to appreciate your accomplishments. Yes, pat yourself on the back.
- In a typical day, do you look for miracles or obstacles?
Healthcare needs a time out. Few organizations are stepping back to review their core mission, vision, values, and how they need to execute them in a new environment. Should you start on this journey, look at everything that you uncover as an opportunity.
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MacKenzie Kimball
MacKenzie Kimball is a Managing Editor in HCPro's long-term care division. She is the editor of the monthly newsletter PPS Alert for Long-Term Care and the MDS 3.0 Update e-newsletter.
MacKenzie has written 321 posts.
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Comments
Thanks for the post, This was exactly what I needed to see.Good list, keep up the good work
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Assisted Living
Thanks for the post – firm believer in positive attracts positive!
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