Ronda Lehman, PharmD, MBA, FACHE serves as President at Mercy Health - Lima.
Ronda will be serving on the panel "Patient Experience and Engagement Trends, Baby Boomers to Gen Z" at Becker's Hospital Review 12th 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 in Chicago from April 25-28, 2022.
To learn more about the conference and Ronda's session, click here.
Question: What are your top priorities for 2022?
Ronda Lehman: My top priorities for 2022 include:
- Determining what process changes/strategies that we want to continue to embrace, once the immediacy of the pandemic and current surges have subsided.
- Re-engaging with partners community hospitals who relied upon us as a regional referral center.
- Overcoming workforce challenges that move us beyond a bidding war for talent (innovative and new models) Reinvigorating the “why” we are in healthcare – with a concerted focus on patient experience.
- Engaging our workforce to rebuild and bolster them.
And much much more!
Q: How do you plan to pivot strategies this year to better serve patients?
RL: We are going to be very intentional about our goals this year. They speak to issues that are at the heart of things that have caused us to struggle. How are we engaging patients in advance care planning? How are we supporting the behavioral health of our associates and our community. How are we actively working to improve the social determinants of health: neighborhood by neighborhood.
Q: What advice do you have for emerging healthcare leaders today?
RL: Take it one day at a time. Breathe. Constantly remind yourself that while you are in a difficult circumstance (pandemic), you are not alone, and have the opportunity to create a lasting positive legacy. Do things that bring you peace, health and joy- now is not the time to put those things on the back burner. We must make them a lasting part of our routines if we are going to persevere as leaders. Communicate with your leaders and with your staff openly and honestly. No one has all the answers, and that’s OK.