Direct Line from Max Buetow for 5/3/2024

May 3, 2024

Feedback, and inspiration, from a day of rounding with our teams

I talk a lot about rounding, which is an important expectation of all of our leaders – to be out meeting with our colleagues and seeking feedback. Rounding is a chance to see our culture up close. It’s where you see how our strategic decisions are affecting people’s daily work and their careers.

This week, I joined Dr. Tim Jones, executive vice president and president of CoxHealth Medical Group, to round in clinics in Wheeler Heart and Vascular Center and Hulston Cancer Center.

We had made an aggressive schedule to reach nearly all of the clinics, and early in the day, we knew we had over committed! We had 30-minute timeslots for each department, but when good conversation is flowing, 30 minutes simply isn’t enough.

I appreciate the engagement, dialogue and connectivity with our teams. Dr. Jones and I wanted to make the most of every moment talking with our colleagues, so we didn’t rush away from any conversation just to stay on schedule. In a way, this is another example of blooming where you’re planted — taking advantage of the opportunity in front of you and not worrying as much about the next step.

At each of the clinics, there was a common theme: colleagues tell us they love their co-workers, and their manager.

I know I talk a lot about the power of our people, but the top motivators in their work are their colleagues, their managers and the patients we serve. Those priorities are consistent, and hearing them repeatedly makes the culture of our organization clear.

We used this opportunity to field test some feedback I’d received at a recent Senior Cabinet meeting about the need to improve our phone system. We took that information and followed up on it with this broader audience. Across the clinics we visited, teams mentioned phone issues as one of their major stumbling blocks.

This is one of the ways that rounding helps leaders keep their fingers on the pulse of the organization. While we can’t fix the phone systems tomorrow, I definitely have an understanding of the strategic importance of making investments in those systems. And Dr. Jones and I can work with leaders to address the concerns.

I was also pleasantly surprised to meet many colleagues Wednesday who are benefitting from one of our strategic decisions – specifically, our investment in development and career pathways.

We met so many people who have gone through the medical assistant program we created with Ozarks Technical Community College. Whether they were from the first cohort or new grads, they all were excited about their careers, and inspired for their next steps.

They appreciated the way CoxHealth invested in them through the program. The MA apprenticeship ignited their imagination and their confidence in what they can professionally achieve. They took a chance on themselves, and CoxHealth made an investment. Now, they want to grow with us and pursue the next steps of their careers. Talk about the perfect candidates to help us kick off The Alliance for Healthcare Education!

I want to be an organization that instills confidence in people to do more and grow continuously. CoxHealth will give you every opportunity to succeed, and I couldn’t be prouder that we have a vehicle in The Alliance that can make that a reality.

As MAs talked with us about wanting to pursue nursing, I was able to tell them that over the next two years they will see a tremendous opportunity through The Alliance to pursue that career, and we will walk alongside you every step of the way.

As they talked, it became clear that our teams are fired up for their futures! I am glad that the MA program reinvigorated people’s ability to say “I can do that!”

I hope all of the colleagues we met will go on to pursue long careers at CoxHealth. And I know that group will push us as leaders to make sure we are fulfilling our end of the bargain by providing opportunities. We have mutual accountability to one another, and that is powerful.

I was energized by those conversations, and I had a set of great ideas and feedback in my notebook. By the end of the day, we had made it to about half of the clinics we had set out to visit.

Dr. Jones reminded me that it is common for the best physicians to run behind in their schedule, because they take every opportunity to make sure the person in front of them is seen and heard.

That is definitely the case with rounding. We want to learn the most we can from each experience, and we are eager to give our full attention to our colleagues. We will be rescheduling with those we didn’t get to Wednesday, and they all know that when we visit, they will have our full attention.

I am already looking forward to the next rounding day!

Springfield Prayer Breakfast rallies us around community and faith

I had an especially rewarding start to my Thursday morning as I attended the Springfield Prayer Breakfast – a local Council of Churches of the Ozarks event that is part of the National Day of Prayer.

CoxHealth was proud to be a sponsor, helping cover costs and sponsor attendance for those who serve our community through non-profit work and in vital ways behind the scenes.

Everyone in attendance sees the world differently, but we are drawn together by a love of God and of community. Faith and prayer can be a strong rallying point, and I love living in a place that can pack this room with people who love and support our community.

Annual Diaper Drive success

We have wrapped up our Annual Diaper Drive for families across the Ozarks. Through employee and community donations, we were able to collect more than 24,000 diapers in our 11th annual drive!

I love seeing the generosity of our communities and teams. I am proud that CoxHealth is able to give back to our friends and family throughout the region. Check out CoxHealth’s Facebook page for photos of our teams during the drive!

Welcoming the newest Ozarkers: my dad and brother

On a personal note, last weekend was a significant milestone for me: I got to help my father and my brother move to our community.

They each independently decided they wanted to live in Springfield. Last Saturday, I drove to Denver, and then drove back Sunday with a full truck and trailer to help them move.

I was in eighth grade the last time we all lived in the same city. Now, my father will work on remodeling his “last house” here (if he can resist taking on another project!), and my brother will make Springfield the home base for his international mission work. We’ve been blessed to have my mom living in southwest Missouri for the last 12 years, and now my sister in New York is the only remaining holdout!

It is amazing to welcome my dad and brother to this community, and to see our region through their lens. They both wanted to move here for the people – they can’t stop commenting on how friendly everyone is!

It is incredible to share this wonderful place we call home. Family is among the richest blessings God bestows on us, and I feel richly blessed.

Voice of the patient

Adapted from patient feedback at Cox Barton County: “Although all staff were very good, Jacie, a nurse aide, was exceptional.”

Thank you for all you do,

Max