Q: You started as CEO of Nemours/Alfred I. duPont in December. What have you done in your first few months to acclimate employees to your presence in the CEO role?
Dr. Kevin Churchwell: Being new to an organization that has more than 75 years of history helping children grow up healthy, I felt during my first few months on the job it would be important to observe and listen — to be at almost every meeting and event so I can learn the pace and the culture of the organization. I am trying to meet as many associates as possible so I can learn about them and they can learn about my style and view.
Q: What are your initial goals for the hospital?
KC: My main goal is to kick off the construction of a new patient pavilion, which will bring single-patient rooms as well as reconfigured work space for associates to our hospital. As pioneers of electronic health records, another goal is to continue to be at the forefront of using technology to aid us in achieving positive patient outcomes. Part of this includes providing patient families secure access to their medical information online through our “My Nemours” portal. And lastly, while there are many families who have heard of and benefited from Nemours, there are still many families unaware of what we offer. My goal is help make Nemours a household name for helping children and their families.
Q: What do you see as the biggest challenges for hospital CEOs in the next several years?
KC: Our business environment is changing at break-neck speed, driven largely by the adoption of new technologies and the changes in the legal and regulatory environment. With the change, however, comes tremendous opportunity. The challenge is to recognize those opportunities and use this dynamic environment to enhance our healthcare system — and particularly, to improve the health and healthcare for children.
At the same time, we need to keep an eye on the operational challenges which come with a changing environment. Legal and regulatory issues and their impact on business need to be imbedded in day-to-day thinking.
We also need to keep an eye on the impact of increased regulation on hospital system costs. Again, challenge breeds opportunity. For example, electronic medical records, while necessitating significant investment, reduce dependency on brick-and-mortar file rooms and allow us to invest in other areas, such as privacy and information security.
Q: How do these challenges differ for pediatric hospitals? Are there unique issues that affect this type of hospital?
KC: They are the same, except that we must not allow the importance of investment in children’s health — which is measured in long-term gains, not short-term gains — to get lost in the broader national healthcare debate, which can be focused on short-term cost savings.
Q: You are both a physician and a CEO — something we’re seeing more of. How do you feel your clinical background affects your work as a hospital leader?
KC: I have the view “from the trenches,” which I do feel is helpful in seeing and understanding the issues facing our clinical teams, physicians, nurses, respiratory therapist and social workers. This, combined with being a parent of four, has a tremendous affect on me as a leader of a pediatric hospital. Over my career, I have watched as pediatric hospitals shift from being clinician-focused to being family-focused. Our children benefit most when there is alignment between families and clinicians. As a physician and father, I believe we need to do more to encourage the inclusion of parent/guardians on the care team of children.
Learn more about Nemours/Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children.
Read more on pediatrics:
–Health First Partners With Nemours to Expand Patient Care
–St. Joseph’s Hospital Signs Definitive Agreement to Shift Pediatric Cases to Phoenix Children’s
–FDA Panel on Pediatric Anesthesia Produces Many Goals, Few Answers
