CEO Monthly August 2017

10 CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017 allowed me to work at a more strategic level for the most part. The business itself aims to provide high quality and a breadth of on-site services to patients to reduce their pathway and the constraints which can be faced in the public sector. We have over 25,000 patients across NSW and QLD ranging in age, sex, religions, sexual orientations, etc. We absolutely want to promote equality and acceptance for all. Each of our practices has a very unique design concept which was planned to allow patients to feel a sense of luxury and comfort when onsite. We are trying to take away the traditional frustrations, inefficiencies and ‘unpleasantries’ which are often associated with seeing healthcare professionals.” Patients do not always find it easy when they visit healthcare professionals and so it is important that when they are visiting for the first time, staff must ensure that the outcome meets the needs of both clinicians and patients. Sarah talks about embracing change and approaching each new patient with a clean slate and unique view, making sure they feel comfortable with the process. “I embrace change and strive to bring about efficiencies whilst always ensuring that the quality and safety of patient care remains paramount. This has led to some major projects within the company during my tenure. These would absolutely not have been possible without the engagement and assistance of both the internal staff members but also the Clinicians, the patients and the associated third parties. I ensure visibility with all of my staff across the three sites so that I can continuously calibrate my role in the context of the organisation and inform where I need to place my focus, both in terms of the projects currently ongoing and also for future opportunities. It is a vital aspect of my role that I balance conflicting priorities across disparate groups of stakeholders and also the daily operational challenges with the longer term strategic vision, ensuring successful accomplishment of both.” The organisation has a strategy in place which occasionally is adapted to suit the needs of the business and the environment. However, Sarah points out that the main goals never change, as the team are always looking to be at the forefront of medicine and offer patients an assortment of services which they would not find elsewhere. Whilst certain aspects of our strategy have changed year on year depending on the environment or the needs of the business, ultimately our strategy has always been to remain at the forefront of medicine, offering patients a breadth of services with easy and speedy access and to deliver these services in a vibrant, unique and luxurious environment. To ensure we deliver requires both constant engagement with our patients to understand their experience and also to constantly be aware of the healthcare field and new opportunities available. I strive to involve all staff, particularly my managers in scoping these areas to allow them ownership of their ideas and to sustain their motivation. I also hope that this will naturally create a succession plan for myself, and other key players across the organisation. Regarding the industry currently, Sarah discusses how the pressures within healthcare have changed dramatically and will continue to do so. There are always new challenges to overcome and Sarah believes that more collaboration is needed in certain aspects of the industry, particularly regarding technology and new systems which could benefit many other institutions across the globe. “The pressures of healthcare today are so different to what they were 25 years ago, (and will inevitably change again in the next 25 years). This is due to several factors including the political environment; an aging population; the vast number of new and evolving treatments available; and the expectations of the general public. In addition, in Australia, there is the additional complexity of state and federal budgeting issues coupled with public and private services. Never before has it been so difficult and confusing for patients to know where and how to access the best care; the most appropriate provider; and whether to go through the public or private route. In addition, there is now endless information available to everyone through technology and the internet. More often than not, patients have researched their symptoms and / or their preferred treatment options before even accessing care. “Healthcare services need to be developed with these complexities in mind, taking advantage of the opportunities that can be created (e.g. giving patients more responsibility and input into their care by using technology to communicate and keep track of results, referrals, etc.) I also strongly believe that there is not enough collaboration between countries when it comes to developing new services, systems and approaches. So many decisions are made at a political level without engaging the key players at a more operational level and mistakes are repeated globally because lessons have not been learnt. There are exciting opportunities ahead for governments and privately owned organisations who choose to realize and take advantage of some of these issues.” As CEO, Sarah must ensure everyone in the organization understand the vision and are all working towards achieving the same goals. With this in mind, Sarah discusses her leadership style, highlighting the fact that she aims to lead by example and collaborate and engage with patients, making sure their comfort is at the forefront of everyone’s mind. “I take a very collaborative approach in the way I work and strive to lead by example. This applies to all aspects of my role, from engaging with patients, to demonstrating a strong work ethic, treating others with kindness and fairness and being very clear about my expectations from the outset. I also understand that mistakes happen and that life gets in the way at times and try to work with my staff to bring out their strengths where possible. I strongly believe in balance in all aspects of life and often leave the office at 5pm to ensure I get home in time to put my daughter to bed and I hope this allows those around me to feel comfortable having a realistic work / life balance. “That being said, I can be impatient and I like to work efficiently so when we take on new projects I set tight frames, though am proud to say we haven’t yet missed a deadline. I also believe that it is imperative that all staff from entry level upwards, are aware of the organizational objectives and challenges that exist. For this reason, I write a quarterly CEO bulletin which is sent to every employee to ensure everyone feels included and aware. I meet with the managers fortnightly to review their areas and I attend weekly meetings with the Directors. Finally, we have many social events each year including drinks evenings, charity evets, etc. There is absolutely a sense of pride amongst the staff about where they work and who they work for. i.e. the patients.” Naturally, there will be challenges which will arise for someone in the position of CEO. Sarah describes the change in moving from the public sector into the private sector, noting the increased budget she had but also commenting on how expectations increased. “Coming from a career history in the public sector it was certainly a change moving into the private sector. Suddenly I was able to make very quick decisions and had a very generous budget. Equally I had far less interaction