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1st appeared
14
April 2000
Medical Center CEO Offers Glimpse of Things to Come In his first address to Medical Center managers, new CEO Mark Laret recently outlined how he plans to take to new heights the teaching hospital’s tradition of providing quality patient care and access to that care. Laret will begin in his new post on Monday, April 17, two weeks after the official end of the merged enterprise known as UCSF Stanford Health Care. He set an optimistic tone about the future of the UCSF Medical Center by joking about its long-time competitor 40 miles away and praising his new colleagues. UCSF, he said, has an outstanding reputation throughout the country and -- having come from UCLA and UC Irvine — admitted that UCSF is the acknowledged "crown jewel" within the University of California system. The high caliber of the faculty and staff sets UCSF apart as a premier academic health center in the US, he noted. "I’m honored to be joining the UCSF team," Laret said after the meeting. "I do not believe any other organization in the country has the potential for greatness in clinical care that UCSF has. I came here because I want to make that potential a reality." Laret, who will report to the Chancellor, is charged with reinvigorating the entire clinical enterprise, which needs to build revenues and morale. He restated the fundamental philosophy that the reason that the UCSF Medical Center exists -- and therefore must thrive -- is to support the research and training of the medical school. He says it’s to UCSF’s strength that its clinical programs also benefit from the interaction of experts in the schools of nursing, dentistry and pharmacy. Laret pledged to "work as long and as hard as it takes" to identify and implement ways to address operational troubles that frustrate patients, faculty and staff alike. Among his top priorities, he said, is making it easier for patients to access care – from having phones answered promptly, to getting appointments quickly and receiving a bill that they can understand. "My number one challenge is to make it easy for patients to get care and for our faculty to deliver care," Laret said. "Ninety percent of my early focus will be devoted to these operational issues." Over the long-term, Laret intends to see that "UCSF’s clinical operations are recognized as the best in the country, and that patients come here both for the great medical care and the outstanding service they receive." Laret also plans to look at steps that can be taken that effectively expand hospital operating room capacity. Currently, the Medical Center on Parnassus is running at near capacity in terms of operating rooms and has reached capacity of critical care beds in recent weeks. The need for more operating room capacity and critical care beds has been more evident with the increase in patient volume and the closure of inpatient units and the emergency room at Mount Zion last December. Laret must also build his management team by filling the other three top posts -- chief financial officer, chief operating officer and chief information officer. Once those key positions are filled, the Hunter Group executives now performing those duties will be replaced, he said. He acknowledged, however, that UCSF’s ability to recruit and retain the most qualified employees is hindered by market trends like the high cost of housing in the Bay Area and the national nursing shortage. "The key to a successful health care operation isn’t the buildings or equipment – it’s the people," he said outside the meeting. "One of our highest priorities must be to recruit, train and retain the very best people, who can best meet the needs and expectations of our patients and physicians." Saying he has "high expectations," Laret described his management style as honest and open, one that values teamwork and appreciates feedback. He even wears a pager and asked managers to notify him when they have concerns. While not a micro-manger, Laret says he does delve into the details to get to the crux of a critical function. For their part, Laret says managers should openly think about the way they do things that will improve the medical center’s quality of care, patient service and financial performance. He asked too that they accept the fact that change is not only needed in this health care environment, it can be a "good thing that leads us to achieve more than we ever thought possible." Laret is expected to participate in staff appreciation festivities beginning April 24. New Medical Center CEO Announced Source: Lisa Cisneros, Newsbreak Editor |
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