the hospital I grew up with: Montgomery County Hospital, Blacksburg, VA. Back then, the building looked like a box - it didn't have that fancy semi-circle architecture. Of course, back then, it wasn't an HCA hospital.

much has already been written on the hospital's role in growing an economy, advancing society, providing peace of mind to a nation, etc. On a large scale level, all that is true. But on an individual level, hospitals are even more significant. it's hard to imagine life without hospitals. many of the most important moments of my life have happened in hospitals. new life... and new death... some of the greatest joys and sorrows, the darkest and happiest moments in life happen in the anonymous halls of our hospitals. People never leave hospitals unchanged - they are healed, fixed, broken, full of hope, fearful, relieved. somewhere between filling out the registration form and thanking the doctor, people's perspective on life changes, even if just for a moment. Our bodies are so resilient, yet so fragile. Our lives are so short, yet so precious.

strong leaders build strong organizations, and hospitals are no exception. there are some strong leaders in healthcare. unfortunately, the stereotype of hospital leaders is that they are the bad guys, the paper-pushing bureaucrats saying "no" to doctors and needy patients. More often than not, that's just not true. Most of the hospital leaders I've met have a passion for caring for patients. They might not wear stethoscopes around their neck. no, their tools to improve patient care are organizational behavior, leadership development, revenue cycle, and change management. maybe not as cool, but increasingly crucial. to be sure, they are businesspeople, yes, but their business is caring - making sure their hospitals are managed in a way to serve (and even delight) the patient. They do this while regulations change almost daily, payments from the government are erratic, billions of dollars of free care is administered unnoticed each year, and consumer groups bamboozle on their reputations. it's a thankless, complex, misunderstood, tough, and somewhat paradoxical job - they're driven by passion and profits. mission and margin.

if you are a hospital leader / thinker / enabler, this blog is for you. It'll all boil down to one simple question:

what would it take for hospitals to be the best run organizations on the face of the planet?

That is the question that I can't seem to let go. So, whether it's HIPAA, revenue cycle, quality, leadership, or whatever, I'm going on a journey to find some answers. and I have a feeling that some of those answers will come from unusual sources and unexpected places. Hope you enjoy the ride.