Direct Line from Max Buetow for 9/16/22

Sept. 16, 2022

Preparing our strategic plan

After months of effort, we are near the completion of CoxHealth’s strategic plan, which will guide our priorities for the next several years.

It is an exciting time for our organization, and for me as someone who is addicted to progress.

A multidisciplinary team developed the plan with the expert guidance of Amanda Hedgpeth, the executive in charge of strategic planning, and Scott Rogers, our system director of strategy and innovation.

It is a true gift as a CEO to be able to work alongside a group of people to cast a vision, and then have talented people like Amanda and Scott lay out the pathway from point A to point B. That is what they have helped us do with this process.

Amanda and Scott not only see the big picture, they are able to translate that picture into process-related action. They have artfully engaged their peers and gotten everyone to the table to have ownership of our final plan.

We had more than 70 individuals contributing, from physicians, to board members, to the management team. In the end, we settled on 14 initiatives we will be rolling out in the coming months. It feels good to have everyone look at our current situation and see the same opportunities.

“I am proud of how the executive team has devoted significant time to this plan, and how they are committed to listening to our patients, customers and employees in all strategic activities,” Amanda says. “I am excited that this sets a very clear vision for where we are going, and it defines the success we hope to achieve together for our community.”

The plan lays out a vision for where we will be in five years, and it establishes five new pillars that will guide our work:

• Customer experience
• Team experience
• Modern care model
• Operational excellence and efficiency
• Growth and resiliency

We worked with consultants from Deloitte, who were able to pressure test and help us to see angles we might have missed. They encouraged us to become fully customer centric and ensure that we are asking for the customer’s perspective with every decision we make. It’s an approach known as human-centered design, and we plan to lead change management with a human-centered design moving forward.

“Having a plan that is supported by industry trends and insights from external experts was important to validate that we are directionally on the right path,” Scott says. “Deloitte added insight into things we did not have on our radar. I think the real value, however, is the creation of a foundational process that we can repeat as needed as we continue on our strategic journey.”

When we say customer centric, that is a deliberate change in nomenclature. It goes beyond our patients and includes every person who interacts with our system. It could mean customers in business-to-business relationships, or through our billing process.

Any time our customers talk to one of our people, I hear phenomenal feedback. That said, sometimes our processes and technology do not function at the same level as our people. If we can perfect our technology and processes, they will help our people shine in those moments.

We will also focus on improving standardization. We need to focus on the simple things we do over and over. As I have mentioned before, we will correct the daily issues that are the “pebbles in people’s shoes.” We want to focus on those things we do a thousand times throughout the health system. If we make those things easy, that will create a better experience for both our internal and external customers.

After all of the work that our teams have invested, I am so proud of where we have arrived with this process. The plan will be up for final approval in October.

We are going to take bold shots at making improvements. I know we will have epic wins – and maybe some epic fails – and that is evidence that we are creating enough good ideas to keep us on the cutting edge. We are going to be bold and decisive, and I am excited to get started on CoxHealth’s next phase.

Systemwide five-star celebrations

This week, we enjoyed spending time together with our teams celebrating the five-star ratings earned by Cox Medical Center Branson and Cox Monett.

It was so fun to get together face to face and share a laugh and a handshake with our colleagues. Earning a five-star rating from CMS requires significant commitment and effort, and I am grateful for all the camaraderie as we celebrated across our system.

Visit CoxHealth’s Facebook page to see the fun and food trucks that happened this week! I am extremely proud of dedication of all our teams.

Free trial membership week for CoxHealth Fitness Centers

If you want to finish your fitness year strong, our CoxHealth Fitness Centers are inviting all of us to sign up for a free trial week in September. This offer applies to all locations. The seven-day trial offers access to the facilities and classes, as well as a chance to meet with a trainer. You can call your location of choice to get started:

• The Meyer Center and Cox North: 417-269-3282
• Republic: 417-269-2428
• Branson: 417-348-0060

Voice of the Patient

Adapted from patient feedback from Cox Branson Emergency Department: “CoxHealth went beyond the scope. Someone from the facility called to check in with me. They even made an appointment with my doctor even though we live out of town.”

Thank you for all you do,

Max