1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,159 At Insight Global Health, we are dedicated to 2 00:00:02,159 --> 00:00:04,660 helping you and improving health care for everyone. 3 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:08,019 That means building stronger teams and delivering sustainable 4 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:10,179 solutions that truly make a difference. 5 00:00:10,719 --> 00:00:12,799 We offer a full spectrum of talent and 6 00:00:12,799 --> 00:00:15,539 technical services and deliver cross industry expertise 7 00:00:15,884 --> 00:00:18,364 to bring you innovative best practices to solve 8 00:00:18,364 --> 00:00:20,304 the problems that we face in health care. 9 00:00:20,524 --> 00:00:22,605 We're not just promising you results, we are 10 00:00:22,605 --> 00:00:25,824 delivering them. Visit us at insightglobal.com. 11 00:00:26,285 --> 00:00:28,600 This is Gracelyn Keller with the Becker's Healthcare 12 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:30,440 Podcast, and we are recording live at the 13 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:33,320 fifteenth annual meeting. I'm currently joined by Tiffany 14 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:35,479 Miller who serves as the CEO at Yocom 15 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:38,120 Community Hospital. Tiffany, thanks for being here. Would 16 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:39,799 love to have you start off by introducing 17 00:00:39,799 --> 00:00:41,399 yourself and telling us a little bit more 18 00:00:41,399 --> 00:00:43,000 about your background in health care and your 19 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:43,750 organization. Absolutely. 20 00:00:44,335 --> 00:00:45,854 Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me 21 00:00:45,854 --> 00:00:47,534 here. It's been a wonderful event. It's been 22 00:00:47,534 --> 00:00:49,475 a fast and furious twenty four hours. 23 00:00:50,254 --> 00:00:51,475 A little bit about myself. 24 00:00:52,015 --> 00:00:54,414 I am a member of the executive leadership 25 00:00:54,414 --> 00:00:57,060 team at Yoakum Community Hospital, which is in 26 00:00:57,219 --> 00:00:58,979 Yoakum, Texas. I always give a point of 27 00:00:58,979 --> 00:01:00,740 reference if you know where the Shiner Brewery 28 00:01:00,740 --> 00:01:02,920 is. We're about 10 miles south of there. 29 00:01:03,539 --> 00:01:06,120 We're a 23 bed critical access hospital, 30 00:01:06,579 --> 00:01:09,079 so pretty small we're small but mighty. 31 00:01:09,745 --> 00:01:12,224 We have been serving in the community since 32 00:01:12,224 --> 00:01:13,424 1922, 33 00:01:13,424 --> 00:01:14,405 so a very, 34 00:01:15,265 --> 00:01:17,204 rich history in the community. 35 00:01:18,064 --> 00:01:19,984 A little bit about myself, I have been 36 00:01:19,984 --> 00:01:22,084 at Yoakum Community Hospital for 37 00:01:22,540 --> 00:01:25,099 a little over two years now, and my 38 00:01:25,180 --> 00:01:27,759 how time has flown. Prior to that, 39 00:01:28,140 --> 00:01:30,640 I worked on in the acute care side, 40 00:01:30,780 --> 00:01:32,399 then I moved over to 41 00:01:32,859 --> 00:01:35,200 emergency medicine and hospitalist medicine, 42 00:01:35,695 --> 00:01:38,734 and then I moved into population health, when 43 00:01:38,734 --> 00:01:40,115 I was completing my dissertation. 44 00:01:40,814 --> 00:01:43,615 And then I moved into post acute in 45 00:01:43,615 --> 00:01:45,635 LTACH and inpatient rehab before 46 00:01:46,015 --> 00:01:49,055 I found myself in a critical access hospital 47 00:01:49,055 --> 00:01:50,755 back in the acute care side. 48 00:01:51,140 --> 00:01:52,819 Wonderful. Well, thank you for taking the time 49 00:01:52,819 --> 00:01:54,900 to be here. And let's start off within 50 00:01:54,900 --> 00:01:56,659 the last twelve months or so. What's an 51 00:01:56,659 --> 00:01:58,920 initiative you've taken on that you are particularly 52 00:01:59,140 --> 00:02:01,379 proud of, and how has this impacted your 53 00:02:01,379 --> 00:02:01,879 organization? 54 00:02:02,340 --> 00:02:04,500 So something that I am extremely proud of 55 00:02:04,500 --> 00:02:07,094 that started about eight months ago and still 56 00:02:07,094 --> 00:02:08,634 in progress is 57 00:02:09,094 --> 00:02:11,675 we engaged with a leadership consulting 58 00:02:12,134 --> 00:02:13,995 firm out of Arizona 59 00:02:14,294 --> 00:02:15,754 Thunderbird Leadership Consulting. 60 00:02:16,775 --> 00:02:18,694 A little bit about my team, we had 61 00:02:19,319 --> 00:02:21,080 we've had a lot of train change and 62 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:23,819 transition since I onboarded a few years ago 63 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:24,460 and 64 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:26,140 really wanted to 65 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:29,500 provide support to my leadership team, 66 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:31,960 in terms of how do we create a 67 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:34,599 vibrant organization. Because as we all know, those 68 00:02:34,599 --> 00:02:35,794 who work in health care, 69 00:02:36,094 --> 00:02:38,134 it's constantly changing. It's 70 00:02:38,574 --> 00:02:40,895 we're there's a lot on the horizon that 71 00:02:40,895 --> 00:02:42,655 there are a lot of unknowns, and it 72 00:02:42,655 --> 00:02:44,275 makes it scary. And 73 00:02:44,655 --> 00:02:46,034 if there's one thing with 74 00:02:46,814 --> 00:02:49,215 with your leaders and with your frontline staff 75 00:02:49,215 --> 00:02:51,270 is employees wanna feel safe. 76 00:02:51,830 --> 00:02:53,849 And especially when you're in a smaller community, 77 00:02:54,310 --> 00:02:56,469 it has a very it feels like it's 78 00:02:56,469 --> 00:02:57,689 very family oriented. 79 00:02:58,469 --> 00:02:58,969 So 80 00:02:59,510 --> 00:03:02,310 engaged with this organization about eight months ago, 81 00:03:02,310 --> 00:03:02,810 and 82 00:03:03,794 --> 00:03:04,534 the impact, 83 00:03:04,995 --> 00:03:06,674 we're just seeing it. It's starting to pay 84 00:03:06,674 --> 00:03:08,354 in dividends in terms of, like, I keep 85 00:03:08,354 --> 00:03:11,334 referencing the creating that vibrant organization. 86 00:03:12,034 --> 00:03:14,194 It doesn't just it's not just it doesn't 87 00:03:14,194 --> 00:03:17,074 just start with me. It's with every single 88 00:03:17,074 --> 00:03:19,849 leader across the spectrum because I I was 89 00:03:19,849 --> 00:03:22,250 saying if if this was easy, none of 90 00:03:22,250 --> 00:03:23,870 us would have a job. And 91 00:03:24,169 --> 00:03:26,509 everybody plays a part in how that contributes 92 00:03:26,650 --> 00:03:28,810 to the whole. And part of that downtrope 93 00:03:28,810 --> 00:03:30,569 of what we're starting to see and the 94 00:03:30,569 --> 00:03:33,069 point that we're in with this engagement is 95 00:03:33,534 --> 00:03:36,115 is is going to start impacting the frontline 96 00:03:36,175 --> 00:03:37,235 staff. So it's 97 00:03:37,615 --> 00:03:39,294 the goal is to diffuse it all the 98 00:03:39,294 --> 00:03:40,814 way from the top all the way down 99 00:03:40,814 --> 00:03:41,555 to the frontline. 100 00:03:42,574 --> 00:03:44,735 And on the flip side of that, what 101 00:03:44,735 --> 00:03:47,009 do you see as the most significant challenge 102 00:03:47,009 --> 00:03:49,169 currently facing health care, and how is your 103 00:03:49,169 --> 00:03:51,270 organization working to address this? 104 00:03:51,650 --> 00:03:53,590 So something specific to 105 00:03:54,849 --> 00:03:58,229 rural and specifically critical access hospitals 106 00:03:58,530 --> 00:03:59,330 is the, 107 00:04:00,275 --> 00:04:00,775 transition 108 00:04:01,394 --> 00:04:04,594 the conversion from traditional Medicare to Medicare Advantage 109 00:04:04,594 --> 00:04:05,094 populations. 110 00:04:06,194 --> 00:04:09,394 That really since critical access hospitals were cost 111 00:04:09,394 --> 00:04:10,215 based reporting, 112 00:04:11,314 --> 00:04:13,634 so that the particular accounting method so it's 113 00:04:13,634 --> 00:04:15,830 very different from a PPS type hospital. 114 00:04:16,129 --> 00:04:18,209 So when we do see that conversion, when 115 00:04:18,209 --> 00:04:20,629 the patients are converting from traditional Medicare 116 00:04:21,089 --> 00:04:23,669 to, like, a Medicare Advantage replacement product, 117 00:04:24,050 --> 00:04:26,449 it really impacts our bottom line, and we 118 00:04:26,449 --> 00:04:29,044 already run with razor thin margins. 119 00:04:29,504 --> 00:04:31,044 So part of what we are, 120 00:04:31,345 --> 00:04:32,324 where we're arming 121 00:04:32,785 --> 00:04:33,524 the community 122 00:04:33,904 --> 00:04:36,404 and the common lay person is through 123 00:04:37,024 --> 00:04:38,324 education around 124 00:04:38,865 --> 00:04:39,764 just informing 125 00:04:40,305 --> 00:04:43,365 about Medicare versus Medicare Advantage products, 126 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:47,319 advocating. I I serve on the, council on 127 00:04:47,319 --> 00:04:50,360 policy development with Texas Hospital Association, so I'm 128 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:50,860 actively 129 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:54,459 advocating at that level, at the legislative level, 130 00:04:54,519 --> 00:04:55,019 to 131 00:04:55,399 --> 00:04:57,899 inform our representatives as well as our senators 132 00:04:58,084 --> 00:05:01,365 who are making those policy decisions around how 133 00:05:01,365 --> 00:05:04,645 that impacts us. Because it's easy for somebody 134 00:05:04,645 --> 00:05:05,944 who's far removed 135 00:05:06,324 --> 00:05:08,805 from the immediate frontline to not understand the 136 00:05:08,805 --> 00:05:11,519 impact that that would make, if it could 137 00:05:11,519 --> 00:05:12,019 jeopardize 138 00:05:12,399 --> 00:05:14,639 our health care institution in terms of the 139 00:05:14,639 --> 00:05:15,699 the payment mechanisms. 140 00:05:16,479 --> 00:05:16,979 Absolutely. 141 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:18,639 And as a leader, I'd love to know 142 00:05:18,639 --> 00:05:19,939 what your biggest leadership 143 00:05:20,479 --> 00:05:22,479 lesson that you've either recently learned or are 144 00:05:22,479 --> 00:05:24,579 currently learning, if you'd like to share that. 145 00:05:25,074 --> 00:05:25,814 I would say 146 00:05:26,354 --> 00:05:27,334 something that 147 00:05:27,794 --> 00:05:28,615 I'm continuously 148 00:05:29,074 --> 00:05:30,774 learning is that 149 00:05:31,154 --> 00:05:33,074 it takes a village, it takes an army, 150 00:05:33,074 --> 00:05:35,095 and it really does take it's 151 00:05:35,714 --> 00:05:37,495 respecting each other's differences 152 00:05:37,875 --> 00:05:38,694 and understanding 153 00:05:38,995 --> 00:05:39,495 how 154 00:05:39,970 --> 00:05:42,470 those individual differences can be leveraged 155 00:05:43,169 --> 00:05:43,669 to 156 00:05:44,370 --> 00:05:46,550 execute on strategies, to achieve 157 00:05:46,850 --> 00:05:49,589 goals, to ensure that we're meeting our objectives. 158 00:05:49,889 --> 00:05:51,829 And I think it's it's easy to 159 00:05:53,235 --> 00:05:55,634 kinda get stuck in that mindset of doing 160 00:05:55,634 --> 00:05:58,274 things a certain way versus if you consider 161 00:05:58,274 --> 00:06:00,615 it from somebody's else somebody else's perspective, 162 00:06:01,074 --> 00:06:04,194 but still maintain your own individual personality and 163 00:06:04,194 --> 00:06:05,634 and how you see the world, but still 164 00:06:05,634 --> 00:06:06,774 being willing to adapt. 165 00:06:07,649 --> 00:06:09,169 And that's a a big part of what 166 00:06:09,169 --> 00:06:10,709 we're doing in terms of the 167 00:06:11,250 --> 00:06:14,229 the the leadership development with my team is 168 00:06:15,009 --> 00:06:18,289 understanding who you are, understanding your individual team 169 00:06:18,289 --> 00:06:20,689 members, your coworkers, and your colleagues, and figuring 170 00:06:20,689 --> 00:06:22,574 out how do I dial up and dial 171 00:06:22,574 --> 00:06:25,154 down in certain encounters and make sure that 172 00:06:25,214 --> 00:06:27,295 we're meeting people where they are and vice 173 00:06:27,295 --> 00:06:27,795 versa. 174 00:06:28,735 --> 00:06:30,654 And then as we round our conversation out, 175 00:06:30,654 --> 00:06:32,574 I'd love to touch on workforce since that 176 00:06:32,574 --> 00:06:33,314 is a 177 00:06:33,694 --> 00:06:36,514 ongoing priority for health care organizations. So 178 00:06:36,829 --> 00:06:38,430 what do you hope or envision for the 179 00:06:38,430 --> 00:06:40,110 health care workforce in the next five to 180 00:06:40,110 --> 00:06:42,189 ten years, and how are you preparing for 181 00:06:42,189 --> 00:06:43,009 this future? 182 00:06:44,110 --> 00:06:46,189 I think part of the my hope and 183 00:06:46,189 --> 00:06:48,129 what I envision for the future 184 00:06:49,165 --> 00:06:52,064 of health care and the workforce is it's 185 00:06:52,365 --> 00:06:54,525 health care is not an easy job to 186 00:06:54,525 --> 00:06:56,285 function in. You're in the it's a service 187 00:06:56,285 --> 00:06:58,925 industry and you're dealing with human lives. And 188 00:06:58,925 --> 00:07:00,865 so it's you're dealing with people. 189 00:07:01,324 --> 00:07:04,250 I've I'll tell new hires that, you know, 190 00:07:04,250 --> 00:07:05,930 people who tend to come to us are 191 00:07:05,930 --> 00:07:08,009 not at their best, so they're already operating 192 00:07:08,009 --> 00:07:10,430 at a deficit. So it requires having 193 00:07:11,129 --> 00:07:14,910 a level of kindness, being empathetic, being understanding, 194 00:07:15,610 --> 00:07:17,435 and it's so you can always you can 195 00:07:17,435 --> 00:07:19,595 craft the technical side of a trade, but 196 00:07:19,595 --> 00:07:21,214 in terms of being able 197 00:07:21,915 --> 00:07:24,495 to have that footprint of an individual who 198 00:07:24,954 --> 00:07:25,774 is compassionate, 199 00:07:26,154 --> 00:07:28,714 acts with integrity, has respect for others, and 200 00:07:28,714 --> 00:07:30,794 and wants to exude excellence in what they 201 00:07:30,794 --> 00:07:31,294 do, 202 00:07:32,029 --> 00:07:33,710 That's what I envision for the future of 203 00:07:33,710 --> 00:07:36,590 health care. It is very easy to get 204 00:07:36,590 --> 00:07:39,569 burned out in the health care industry because 205 00:07:39,790 --> 00:07:42,290 it is. It's that it's that focus on 206 00:07:42,670 --> 00:07:43,730 continuous improvement 207 00:07:44,394 --> 00:07:46,714 that versus, okay. Hey, we didn't do this 208 00:07:46,714 --> 00:07:47,915 well. We need to do better in this 209 00:07:47,915 --> 00:07:50,314 area versus could we press pause for a 210 00:07:50,314 --> 00:07:51,375 moment and recognize 211 00:07:52,154 --> 00:07:53,995 what did we do well and how did 212 00:07:53,995 --> 00:07:57,055 my contribution impact the greater whole? So 213 00:07:57,819 --> 00:07:59,579 creating a workforce that has that kind of 214 00:07:59,579 --> 00:08:01,100 fire and that kind of drive and wants 215 00:08:01,100 --> 00:08:02,860 to carry it forward, that's what I envision 216 00:08:02,860 --> 00:08:03,562 for it. 217 00:08:04,042 --> 00:08:05,962 Absolutely. Well, Tiffany, thanks so much for joining 218 00:08:05,962 --> 00:08:08,042 me today on the Becker's Healthcare Podcast. Again, 219 00:08:08,042 --> 00:08:10,122 we are recording live at the fifteenth annual 220 00:08:10,122 --> 00:08:10,622 meeting.