Becker's 11th Annual Meeting: 3 Questions with Helen Johnson, Chief Operating Officer at Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital

Helen Johnson, RN, MSN, NEA-BC, FACHE, serves as Chief Operating Officer at Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital. 

On May 25th, Helen will serve on the panel "Top Challenges That Rural Facilities Face and What to Do About Them" at Becker's Hospital Review 11th Annual Meeting. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place on May 24-26, 2021 in Chicago.

To learn more about the conference and Helen's session, click here.

Question: What, from your perspective, is the biggest challenge about the future of work for hospitals, and what can they do about it? (i.e. automation, desire for more flexibility, clinician shortages, etc.).

Helen Johnson: From my perspective, the biggest challenge is being a leader who can move teams through ambiguity and risk. There is not a single change or issue that will be forefront where you can solely focus and succeed in healthcare; rather you have to be able to see the evolving patterns and be comfortable making decisions in shorter timeframes.

Q: How can hospitals reconcile the need to maintain inpatient volumes with the mission to keep people healthier and out of the hospital?

HJ: I have been telling other leaders around me for the last decade that “the walls of the hospital need to be more porous”. We need to redefine ourselves to our community including employer groups so that they see us as their “health center”. The hospital, medical offices, outpatient services, and other outreach programming can all help lower the intimidation/complexity that people feel when they interact with the healthcare system. Creating programming that is outward-facing into our communities helps improve brand loyalty so that when a person needs inpatient hospital services you are naturally seen as their first choice.

Q: Where do you go for inspiration and fresh ideas?

HJ: I talk to front line staff who are always sharing great ideas of how they think their work can be done better or more efficiently. Seeing the nurses, doctors, lab workers, office receptionists, etc. making a difference for our patients always refills my cup so I can trudge through more meetings and policy discussions 😊 One area outside of healthcare that I am reading lately is the blog from Corporate Rebels based out The Netherlands. They are great at bucking tradition and infuse fun/energy/creativity into their thoughts.

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