Direct Line from Max Buetow for 2/9/2024

Feb. 9, 2024

Calm and collected amidst the chaos: Shadowing in our dispatch center

There are so many “behind the scenes” roles at CoxHealth that are absolutely essential to the work we do. Health care is a team sport, and it takes all components working in harmony to produce exceptional results. I was fortunate this week to go way upstream in the care delivery process, as I spent time Thursday morning shadowing in our EMS dispatch center at Cox North.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I walked through the door that morning. I had rounded in the department before, but I had never taken the opportunity to watch the team in action for an extended period of time. With Communications Specialist Faith Crofut as my guide, I was a fly on the wall to see the incredible, tense, and stressful work they do 24 hours a day. I can tell you, it was an eye-opening experience!

I think we’ve all been told that there is really no such thing as being able to multi-task. However, after watching Faith and her teammates in action, I am starting to think twice about that assumption.

I will be honest, observing their work was overwhelming for me. I could not believe the amount of information they have to synthesize as they take emergency calls, track ambulances, document their interactions, and work together to serve our community.

The department goal is to get from the initial gathering of a caller’s information to having ambulance on the road in less than 60 seconds; it's actually a metric that is part of the dispatch team’s annual evaluation. As an over achiever – and maybe just a little competitive – Faith told me her personal goal is less than half that time!

Faith has been in emergency dispatch for 20 years, 13 of those with CoxHealth. You can clearly see those years of experience and expertise paying off as she talks a concerned caller through a family member’s emergency. She is calm and reassuring as she speaks, while at the same time working through details on four screens as she gets an ambulance on the way.

Faith was working alongside six specialists Thursday morning – coordinating across their workstations, and seamlessly collaborating and sharing information. Several of the people in the room have worked on ambulances and in other EMS or clinical roles. They understand the big picture of work across departments, and together they provide a critical function that our system would come to a halt without.

You can see that the department has high-caliber, intelligent people working well together within a process they have refined over time. There is no other way their work happens.

For those of us in leadership positions, taking just a few hours to sit alongside our teams helps us make better decisions. Walking out, we were talking about computer-aided dispatch technology and the need to upgrade our system. When you see their work up close, it is easier to say: do not skimp on that investment. Their job is hard, and if we can make it a little bit easier with technology, it is worth it.

When you get a glimpse into the work that goes on every day at CoxHealth, you can’t help but be in awe of the professionals in our ranks.

I was honored to take the time and share some true appreciation for this team. I could not do what these pros do, but I am so grateful they can and that they choose to dedicate their skills to our team and our patients.

Building a partnership of accountability with Epic’s Judy Faulkner

My favorite way to learn is one-on-one conversations, and this week I got to have a call with one of the most prolific IT leaders in the country: Judy Faulkner, Founder and CEO of Epic.

I had enjoyed meeting with Judy and talking about work and family when we visited Epic’s campus last year, and this week’s conversation was further confirmation that we have made a wise choice in partnering with Epic.

The call is part of Epic’s process as they onboard new partner organizations. Epic’s culture is friendly and welcoming, and they proactively work to set expectations and accountability.

It’s a different approach than a normal vendor relationship, and I appreciate their work to align our cultures and build a true partnership.

We are accountable to perform at a high level, and I know they will hold us to task as an organization to make the best use of their product. That is what you want from any partner – they will wrap arms around you and support with a hug, and they will also hold you accountable and give you a good kick in the butt if you need it.

I appreciate how serious Epic is about standards and expectations. At the same time, I love how much fun they are. We are a good cultural fit, and I believe we also have a lot we can learn from their team and from the way they do business.

Judy is a titan of the industry, and it is a real treat to sit with someone of her talent and intelligence. I appreciate the leadership she has provided, not just to her organization, but to the industry as a whole. I cannot wait to see how her team benefits our region on the journey forward together.

Talking about leadership and change with Springfield Tech Council

This week, I got to talk about some of my favorite topics – leadership, change and organizational culture – in a panel discussion at the Springfield Tech Council.

I joined Jarad Johnson of Mostly Serious and my friend Tom Douglas of JMARK to talk about how we support our teams, our managers, and all of the people who are growing careers with our organizations.

It is great to share the stage with high-caliber leaders like Jared and Tom who are major influencers in their industries and in our community. I am not a tech person (I felt a little bit like the “placebo” in a clinical trial!), but I love the fact that when we are talking about leadership and growth, CoxHealth has a seat at the table.

We had a great discussion about collaboration, change management and how technology is changing our industry. I learn so much from these discussions, and I relish the opportunity to connect with a room full of experts.

The Springfield Tech Council is a great example of an industry banding together to provide influence to our community as a whole. As leaders, we should be thinking outside our industries and looking for ways we can share our insights.

Thank you to Tom and the Council for the invite and for making the most of these conversations!

Voice of the patient

Adapted from inpatient feedback at Cox Branson: “I really was pleased with the care and compassion the staff had for me. They all tried hard to make me as comfortable as they could under the circumstances of my condition.”

Thank you for all you do,

Max