Summary
Tampa General Hospital’s VP Discusses Experience in Hurricane Ian and Healthcare Innovation
About the Episode
This live episode from the Becker’s Hospital Review 13th Annual Meeting in Chicago features Lara Klick, Vice President and Patient Experience Officer at Tampa General Hospital. Here, she discusses her career, what healthcare leaders need to be successful, her experience working at Tampa General Hospital during Hurricane Ian and more. This episode is sponsored by Insight Global Health.
Tampa General’s Hurricane Plan
Laura Click is the VP and Chief Patient Experience Officer at Tampa General Hospital. She is excited about healthcare being able to innovate and integrate technology with emotional care for patients. During Hurricane Ian, Tampa General stayed open and had a system in place for staff to be prepared. They did things such as put up an aqua fence around the hospital to protect it from storm surge, and their philosophy of “Team Member First” helped them get through the storm. After the hurricane, they deployed a team to help with recovery efforts.
Tampa General Hospital has an extensive hurricane plan that they tweak every year to make it better and tighter. They also have a full-time emergency management coordinator who is an expert in hurricanes. The hospital goes on high alert usually once a year and experiences a major event every five years. In addition to their long-term plan, they also have a team of people ready to do whatever needs to be done if something changes in the moment.
Tampa General’s Culture of Caring and Kindness
Post covid and hurricanes, the healthcare industry has experienced a lot of losses and staffing struggles, but Tampa General is seeing a high return rate from those who left and are helping the new team members establish the culture of caring and kindness within the organization. Laura was very impressed with the culture of the organization and the willingness of people to be there during an emergency, even when they had families at home. She thanked them for sharing their story and said it was inspiring.
The Future of Healthcare Innovation
Laura Click is excited about the future of healthcare innovation and the potential for technology to enhance emotional care for patients. She believes that healthcare leaders need to be adaptable and open to change in order to be successful. Tampa General Hospital’s experience during Hurricane Ian shows that having a well-prepared and responsive team is key to weathering any storm.
Note: This is an AI generated transcript, not edited by a staff writer and is solely intended for educational purposes. If you have any questions/concerns, reach out to podcasts@beckershealthcare.com
This episode aired on 04/07/2023 and can be listened here.
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