Q: How did you come to be involved with Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital?
Dr. Luck: I actually started as a summer volunteer at the hospital while I was in high school. My father was an orthopedic surgeon, and he seemed to really enjoy what he did — he was involved with patient care, research, education and administration. After I completed medical school, I did part of my residency and fellowship here in joint replacement and bone tumors. When I finished, I came back as a member of the medical staff. In 1989, the hospital asked me to consider taking over as CEO of the hospital. I was serving as president of the medical staff at the time, and the administration decided that an orthopedic surgeon would be best to run the hospital. I accepted the position, and it has been a very rewarding and fascinating experience.
Q: Why do you think Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital stands apart from other hospitals?
JL: We are a charitable organization providing care to children with orthopedic problems regardless of the family’s financial status. We also treat certain adult orthopedic patients and are actively involved in orthopedic research and education. Our children’s charitable care program is one of the largest in the nation. Other organizations, such as Shriners Hospitals for Children and the Scottish Rite hospitals in Dallas and Atlanta focus on similar problems — treating children with bone tumors and deformities. However, one major difference is that they do not treat acute trauma or injuries; half of the patients we see are victims of trauma.
Q: How have you been able to be successful as a hospital administrator without any prior experience or training?
JL: The board that I report to and the people hired to help me have been extremely valuable. I have been very lucky to have a great team of executives to guide me on the day-to-day operations of running a hospital. I am also fortunate to have a hospital board made up of business leaders in the community that support me. Over the years, one member in particular, Tom McKernan, president and CEO of the Automobile Club of Southern California, has been very helpful in giving me confidence as a leader. As business leaders, they have shown me how to make a decision when it is needed. I like to come to decisions in a collaborative way, but I’ve learned that there comes a time in an organization when the decision is the responsibility of the CEO.
Q: What advice would you give to other physicians who are interested in moving into administration?
JL: I would strongly encourage physicians to move to administration. Although we are not trained in business or administration, physicians can be successful leaders. We need to try to help in whatever way we can to improve the healthcare system. The future of healthcare is very dependent on the collaboration and cooperation among all segments of healthcare providers. Within individual hospitals, there are too many examples of conflict between administration and the medical staff, and that doesn’t help anyone. A physician administrator can bring together those two factions.
Q: What goals do you have for your organization in the upcoming year and what challenges do you face in meeting those goals?
JL: Our goal is to expand our ability to care for children with orthopedic problems, as well as adults with certain conditions, such as hemophilia, and advance the overall specialty of orthopedic care. It’s a fairly simple goal, and it has been our goal since the hospital’s opening 98 years ago. However, we are very dependent on private philanthropy and other types of grants. Although we generate a fair amount of revenue from clinical activities, that’s only part of the bill. Our education and research programs as well as our charitable care are funded through private philanthropy. The challenging economy has affected both our endowment and people’s ability to donate money; however, we will continue to work very hard to continue our mission at the same level or higher. We just have to do it in a way that is more cost-effective and efficient.
Q: What change or decision have you made as a hospital leader has led to the largest improvement at your facility?
JL: Our affiliation with UCLA has allowed us to better meet our goal as a provider of orthopedic charitable care and has helped expand and advance our research and education efforts. We entered in to a strategic alliance with UCLA in 1998 as a result of about five years of discussions. We joined together in what most closely resembles a joint venture. This alliance has allowed us to build a dedicated orthopedic research center on the UCLA campus and we are currently completing a new facility, which will replace our current one, in Santa Monica. Partnering with UCLA has allowed us to care for more children, made us more efficient and has advanced our research and education programs. Our researchers are now in a research park where they can collaborate with experts in a number of other fields, such as molecular biology and genetics on projects for orthopedic patients.
Q: What is the best part of your job?
JL: When I thought about what I wanted out of my career, I looked to my father as a role model. He was a physician but also was involved in research and administration. I find that a career that involves multiple components, not just patient care, but leadership and research as well, is the most fulfilling. Working at Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital is fulfilling for me because it allows me exposure to each of these components. I care a lot about this organization. Anyone who has a job that allows them to do something they feel good about is fortunate, and I feel terribly fortunate to be able to lead an organization that does a lot of good.
Learn more about Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital.
