1 00:00:01,839 --> 00:00:04,319 Every year, Becker's annual meeting brings health care 2 00:00:04,319 --> 00:00:06,879 leaders together to unpack the most pressing issues 3 00:00:06,879 --> 00:00:07,859 facing the industry. 4 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:11,059 And every year, those conversations shift in profound 5 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:12,464 and unexpected ways. 6 00:00:12,865 --> 00:00:15,105 This April, more than 3,500 7 00:00:15,105 --> 00:00:18,225 healthcare executives will return to Chicago for Becker's 8 00:00:18,225 --> 00:00:19,605 sixteenth annual meeting. 9 00:00:19,905 --> 00:00:22,864 Seven ninety five elite speakers will offer new 10 00:00:22,864 --> 00:00:25,859 lessons, new case studies, and predictions about what 11 00:00:25,859 --> 00:00:26,599 comes next. 12 00:00:26,980 --> 00:00:29,160 Join us April 13 through the sixteenth. 13 00:00:29,619 --> 00:00:34,019 For the agenda and event details, visit beckershospitalreview.com 14 00:00:34,019 --> 00:00:35,939 and click on the events tab in the 15 00:00:35,939 --> 00:00:36,679 upper right. 16 00:00:38,145 --> 00:00:40,384 This is Laura Dierda with the Becker's Healthcare 17 00:00:40,384 --> 00:00:42,304 podcast. I'm thrilled today to be joined by 18 00:00:42,304 --> 00:00:45,104 Tina Garrison, chief operating officer at SSM Health 19 00:00:45,104 --> 00:00:47,824 St. Louis in Southern Illinois region. Tina, it's 20 00:00:47,824 --> 00:00:49,104 a pleasure to have you on the podcast 21 00:00:49,104 --> 00:00:52,119 today. Thank you for having me. Absolutely. Now 22 00:00:52,119 --> 00:00:54,039 I'm excited for our conversation and just to 23 00:00:54,039 --> 00:00:55,640 learn a little bit more about some of 24 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:57,719 the cool things you've been doing recently as 25 00:00:57,719 --> 00:00:59,239 well as how you're thinking about the future. 26 00:00:59,239 --> 00:01:00,920 But before we dive in, can you tell 27 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:02,299 me a little bit more about yourself? 28 00:01:03,255 --> 00:01:03,755 Absolutely. 29 00:01:04,375 --> 00:01:06,614 I have been fortunate to be with SSM 30 00:01:06,614 --> 00:01:08,614 Health for my whole career. I've been with 31 00:01:08,614 --> 00:01:11,334 SSM Health for almost twenty five years. I 32 00:01:11,334 --> 00:01:13,814 started in the quality department. So before I 33 00:01:13,814 --> 00:01:14,875 became an executive, 34 00:01:15,329 --> 00:01:18,049 my career was in quality improvement, so clinical 35 00:01:18,049 --> 00:01:20,369 quality improvement. I'm not a clinician by background, 36 00:01:20,369 --> 00:01:21,509 but I was, 37 00:01:22,369 --> 00:01:24,609 supported by many folks around me to help 38 00:01:24,609 --> 00:01:28,149 me lead clinical quality initiatives without having that 39 00:01:30,155 --> 00:01:31,994 vice president in some of our hospitals. I've 40 00:01:31,994 --> 00:01:33,754 been a hospital president in a couple of 41 00:01:33,754 --> 00:01:34,494 our locations. 42 00:01:34,875 --> 00:01:37,034 And about three years ago, I became, my 43 00:01:37,034 --> 00:01:39,354 present role, which is chief operating officer for 44 00:01:39,354 --> 00:01:42,015 the regions of Saint Louis and Southern Illinois. 45 00:01:42,689 --> 00:01:44,450 As you may know, SSM Health is a 46 00:01:44,450 --> 00:01:46,469 Catholic not for profit hit system. 47 00:01:46,850 --> 00:01:49,990 We serve Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin. 48 00:01:50,450 --> 00:01:53,329 We're comprised of about 15,000 doctors and about 49 00:01:53,329 --> 00:01:54,130 40,000 50 00:01:54,130 --> 00:01:57,424 team members delivering exceptional care ranging from the 51 00:01:57,424 --> 00:02:00,545 most routine to quaternary care at our academic 52 00:02:00,545 --> 00:02:01,444 medical centers. 53 00:02:01,905 --> 00:02:03,825 Everything we do at SSM Health is guided 54 00:02:03,825 --> 00:02:04,644 by our mission, 55 00:02:04,944 --> 00:02:07,104 which is through our exceptional health care services, 56 00:02:07,104 --> 00:02:09,044 we reveal the healing presence of God. 57 00:02:09,459 --> 00:02:11,379 When you ask people who've been at SSM 58 00:02:11,379 --> 00:02:12,979 for any length of time what keeps you 59 00:02:12,979 --> 00:02:15,459 here, the most common and most popular answer 60 00:02:15,459 --> 00:02:17,459 is the mission. And so that's something that's 61 00:02:17,459 --> 00:02:19,379 really special to be a part of. That's 62 00:02:19,379 --> 00:02:20,739 amazing to hear and to have that, you 63 00:02:20,739 --> 00:02:21,939 know, such a a strong, 64 00:02:22,340 --> 00:02:22,840 strong, 65 00:02:23,485 --> 00:02:25,885 belief system and mission in place to serve 66 00:02:25,885 --> 00:02:27,745 the community and, really 67 00:02:28,045 --> 00:02:28,944 help folks, 68 00:02:29,325 --> 00:02:31,165 feel that your healing power makes a big 69 00:02:31,165 --> 00:02:32,925 difference. Now when you think of the last 70 00:02:32,925 --> 00:02:34,365 year or so, could you tell me a 71 00:02:34,365 --> 00:02:36,365 little bit about an initiative that you led? 72 00:02:36,365 --> 00:02:37,564 What did you do, and what were the 73 00:02:37,564 --> 00:02:38,064 results? 74 00:02:39,219 --> 00:02:41,219 Absolutely. We've been on a journey that we 75 00:02:41,219 --> 00:02:42,360 call Project Core. 76 00:02:42,740 --> 00:02:44,759 That stands for clinical optimization 77 00:02:45,060 --> 00:02:45,800 and repositioning 78 00:02:46,099 --> 00:02:46,759 for excellence. 79 00:02:47,460 --> 00:02:49,699 Essentially, we look at this as our path 80 00:02:49,699 --> 00:02:51,080 to strengthen our position 81 00:02:51,645 --> 00:02:54,444 as a leader in patient centric value based 82 00:02:54,444 --> 00:02:54,944 care 83 00:02:55,245 --> 00:02:58,205 that supports our academic and community based care 84 00:02:58,205 --> 00:02:59,745 models where we deliver 85 00:03:00,125 --> 00:03:02,844 high care quality at centers of excellence throughout 86 00:03:02,844 --> 00:03:03,504 our region. 87 00:03:04,230 --> 00:03:06,629 We've looked at many work streams, everything from 88 00:03:06,629 --> 00:03:07,610 workforce utilization, 89 00:03:08,310 --> 00:03:08,969 care delivery, 90 00:03:09,389 --> 00:03:09,889 efficiency, 91 00:03:10,310 --> 00:03:10,810 staffing, 92 00:03:11,430 --> 00:03:12,330 supply utilization, 93 00:03:12,870 --> 00:03:13,930 appointment scheduling. 94 00:03:14,310 --> 00:03:16,389 We really looked at everything from end to 95 00:03:16,389 --> 00:03:18,650 end of our care delivery system 96 00:03:18,974 --> 00:03:20,974 to identify the things that we believe we 97 00:03:20,974 --> 00:03:22,594 can make the most difference in. 98 00:03:23,215 --> 00:03:24,735 So the first year of that was in 99 00:03:24,735 --> 00:03:25,875 2024, 100 00:03:26,014 --> 00:03:27,775 and we set out to achieve a goal 101 00:03:27,775 --> 00:03:29,314 of a $100,000,000, 102 00:03:29,455 --> 00:03:31,455 which was really daunting when we set the 103 00:03:31,455 --> 00:03:33,819 goal. We were able though to achieve a 104 00:03:33,819 --> 00:03:35,840 $155,000,000. 105 00:03:36,539 --> 00:03:38,539 In the second year, we took a look 106 00:03:38,539 --> 00:03:40,459 at the chapters, as we call them, of 107 00:03:40,459 --> 00:03:43,259 our project core plan, and we updated those 108 00:03:43,259 --> 00:03:45,439 chapters to see where we could challenge ourselves 109 00:03:45,580 --> 00:03:47,924 more, where we could iterate a little bit 110 00:03:47,924 --> 00:03:50,485 differently, and where we could deliver more value 111 00:03:50,485 --> 00:03:52,025 to our to our care system. 112 00:03:52,564 --> 00:03:56,104 And we achieved an additional $139,000,000 113 00:03:56,245 --> 00:03:58,584 through this initiative in 2025. 114 00:03:59,129 --> 00:04:00,889 So once again, in 2026, 115 00:04:00,889 --> 00:04:02,669 we have our third year ahead of us, 116 00:04:02,810 --> 00:04:04,909 and we're continuing with refresh chapters. 117 00:04:05,449 --> 00:04:08,030 It's our ongoing commitment to be ever better 118 00:04:08,169 --> 00:04:10,810 every single day with the focus always being 119 00:04:10,810 --> 00:04:11,469 on patients 120 00:04:11,770 --> 00:04:14,099 and ensuring we deliver the most exceptional care, 121 00:04:14,099 --> 00:04:14,599 right 122 00:04:14,915 --> 00:04:15,814 place at the right 123 00:04:16,835 --> 00:04:17,495 time. Absolutely. 124 00:04:17,795 --> 00:04:20,435 That sounds incredible. And especially to look at 125 00:04:20,435 --> 00:04:23,154 how much you, not only achieved your goal 126 00:04:23,154 --> 00:04:24,355 but exceeded your goal, 127 00:04:24,915 --> 00:04:26,675 and, you know, it it's cool to have 128 00:04:26,675 --> 00:04:28,639 that opportunity then to look back and make 129 00:04:28,639 --> 00:04:30,800 adjustments and really go above and beyond what 130 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:33,919 you thought was possible. And speaking of 2026, 131 00:04:33,919 --> 00:04:35,439 what are some of your big priorities as 132 00:04:35,439 --> 00:04:36,719 well as some of the headwinds that you're 133 00:04:36,719 --> 00:04:37,620 focused on? 134 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:40,319 We have big priorities this year and big 135 00:04:40,319 --> 00:04:40,819 opportunities. 136 00:04:41,464 --> 00:04:43,305 We continue to look at how and where 137 00:04:43,305 --> 00:04:45,865 we deliver care to ensure we deliver the 138 00:04:45,865 --> 00:04:47,404 most optimal patient experience 139 00:04:47,865 --> 00:04:49,004 for those we serve. 140 00:04:49,545 --> 00:04:52,365 In health care, we often define patient experience 141 00:04:52,504 --> 00:04:55,029 within our quality realm. We want the best 142 00:04:55,029 --> 00:04:57,110 outcomes for patients. And we know when they 143 00:04:57,110 --> 00:04:59,350 are happier, they perceive that as quality, and 144 00:04:59,350 --> 00:05:01,750 we want to deliver that. It's our job 145 00:05:01,750 --> 00:05:04,629 that we're focused both on clinical quality as 146 00:05:04,629 --> 00:05:05,769 well as experience. 147 00:05:07,595 --> 00:05:10,175 Also, we through Project Core, as I mentioned, 148 00:05:10,634 --> 00:05:13,194 we set out to develop service lines. So 149 00:05:13,194 --> 00:05:16,235 we've been iterating and innovating within our service 150 00:05:16,235 --> 00:05:18,014 lines over the last couple of years. 151 00:05:18,314 --> 00:05:19,055 That identifies 152 00:05:19,514 --> 00:05:20,014 where 153 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:22,839 where we should deliver each level of service 154 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:23,979 within a particular 155 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:25,579 service line or specialty. 156 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:28,459 We've been able to improve outcomes, 157 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:31,019 improve quality, improve satisfaction, 158 00:05:31,879 --> 00:05:34,824 and improve access to care by using service 159 00:05:34,824 --> 00:05:37,404 lines and determining where we would invest most 160 00:05:37,464 --> 00:05:38,604 per service lines. 161 00:05:38,904 --> 00:05:40,824 We will continue to do that as we 162 00:05:40,824 --> 00:05:42,524 develop more centers of excellence. 163 00:05:43,464 --> 00:05:45,544 There's a lot of headwinds for the whole 164 00:05:45,544 --> 00:05:47,770 industry of health care. And when we make 165 00:05:47,770 --> 00:05:50,410 decisions at SSM Health, we make sure we 166 00:05:50,410 --> 00:05:52,569 keep our focus for the patient. And as 167 00:05:52,569 --> 00:05:54,730 I mentioned earlier, our mission, we are always 168 00:05:54,730 --> 00:05:55,949 guided by our mission. 169 00:05:56,330 --> 00:05:58,009 Those two things are the things that keep 170 00:05:58,009 --> 00:06:00,089 us grounded to make sure we make the 171 00:06:00,089 --> 00:06:02,330 best decisions with the information we have for 172 00:06:02,330 --> 00:06:03,069 our organization. 173 00:06:03,985 --> 00:06:05,824 And as new headwinds come and as new 174 00:06:05,824 --> 00:06:08,145 information comes, we must be nimble in health 175 00:06:08,145 --> 00:06:10,064 care. So we will make changes when we 176 00:06:10,064 --> 00:06:12,165 need to, but we will always lean into 177 00:06:12,384 --> 00:06:15,504 patient centered care, delivering the best value, grounded 178 00:06:15,504 --> 00:06:16,324 in our mission. 179 00:06:17,339 --> 00:06:18,939 I love that. I think it's so helpful 180 00:06:18,939 --> 00:06:20,860 to have that grounding and that mission in 181 00:06:20,860 --> 00:06:22,699 place so that no matter what happens, you're 182 00:06:22,699 --> 00:06:24,319 able to make adjustments, 183 00:06:24,779 --> 00:06:26,379 you know, with the patient and community in 184 00:06:26,379 --> 00:06:28,620 mind. And I think, you know, having that 185 00:06:28,620 --> 00:06:30,865 understanding of where you wanna invest in the 186 00:06:30,865 --> 00:06:32,705 specialties and the service lines that are in 187 00:06:32,705 --> 00:06:33,665 a particular need, 188 00:06:34,225 --> 00:06:36,785 is so helpful and critical. Now what do 189 00:06:36,785 --> 00:06:38,305 you think is gonna be the hardest thing 190 00:06:38,305 --> 00:06:39,845 you have to do in the coming year? 191 00:06:40,544 --> 00:06:41,925 One of the biggest challenges 192 00:06:42,225 --> 00:06:45,120 of this year will be navigating continued financial 193 00:06:45,279 --> 00:06:46,899 pressures and industry changes. 194 00:06:47,759 --> 00:06:49,300 These are high stakes issues, 195 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:51,839 but they also present an opportunity for us 196 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:53,300 to rethink how we operate, 197 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:56,720 prioritize what matters most, and innovate in ways 198 00:06:56,720 --> 00:06:59,060 that strengthen our organization for the future. 199 00:07:00,185 --> 00:07:03,404 It's about turning challenges into catalyst for improvement, 200 00:07:03,865 --> 00:07:07,545 ensuring we deliver exceptional care while while building 201 00:07:07,545 --> 00:07:09,085 a sustainable path forward. 202 00:07:09,625 --> 00:07:12,519 I mentioned our our scope and breadth of 203 00:07:12,519 --> 00:07:14,759 SSM Health, and we sure stand on the 204 00:07:14,759 --> 00:07:15,899 shoulders of giants, 205 00:07:16,279 --> 00:07:18,199 our sisters who came over a hundred and 206 00:07:18,199 --> 00:07:20,279 fifty years ago that started the health ministry 207 00:07:20,279 --> 00:07:21,339 that we lead today. 208 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:23,959 And I know that they also faced many 209 00:07:23,959 --> 00:07:26,735 headwinds, financial and others other stressors, 210 00:07:27,115 --> 00:07:28,814 and they were able to pivot 211 00:07:29,355 --> 00:07:32,895 and iterate and change into what the community 212 00:07:32,955 --> 00:07:35,834 needs to continue the health ministry, and we 213 00:07:35,834 --> 00:07:36,814 will do the same. 214 00:07:37,194 --> 00:07:38,955 We are entrusted with that, so we will 215 00:07:38,955 --> 00:07:41,134 do the same and to deliver exceptional care. 216 00:07:42,259 --> 00:07:45,379 Absolutely. Having that, you know, strong history and 217 00:07:45,379 --> 00:07:45,879 foundation 218 00:07:46,259 --> 00:07:46,759 into 219 00:07:47,300 --> 00:07:48,600 exceptional care delivery, 220 00:07:49,060 --> 00:07:51,139 really makes a big difference no matter what 221 00:07:51,139 --> 00:07:53,079 the financial as well as industry, 222 00:07:53,540 --> 00:07:54,839 changes that are occurring. 223 00:07:55,245 --> 00:07:56,685 Now before we wrap up, I wanted to 224 00:07:56,685 --> 00:07:58,605 ask you about growth too. Where do you 225 00:07:58,605 --> 00:08:01,024 see some of the best opportunities for growth 226 00:08:01,084 --> 00:08:02,225 at SSM Health? 227 00:08:03,004 --> 00:08:04,925 One of the great things about health care 228 00:08:04,925 --> 00:08:07,084 is by and large, we collaborate a lot 229 00:08:07,084 --> 00:08:08,145 more than we compete. 230 00:08:08,519 --> 00:08:10,779 And in Saint Louis, we are really blessed 231 00:08:10,839 --> 00:08:13,259 to have really four strong health systems 232 00:08:13,639 --> 00:08:14,540 in one market. 233 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:16,919 So we look for ways to partner with 234 00:08:16,919 --> 00:08:17,419 organizations 235 00:08:17,959 --> 00:08:20,220 to better serve our community, 236 00:08:21,084 --> 00:08:23,004 where that makes sense. And so we have 237 00:08:23,004 --> 00:08:25,245 a a couple of examples of that. We 238 00:08:25,245 --> 00:08:28,444 have some food distribution events where we're able 239 00:08:28,444 --> 00:08:29,105 to support, 240 00:08:29,805 --> 00:08:32,284 those suffering from food insecurity and the social 241 00:08:32,284 --> 00:08:34,959 determinants of health. We partner with Saint Lucero 242 00:08:34,959 --> 00:08:37,759 Food Bank and some other organizations to ensure 243 00:08:37,759 --> 00:08:39,139 that we can support patients. 244 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:42,159 And we also, are opening have opened a 245 00:08:42,159 --> 00:08:44,579 new laundry facility, which is a joint venture 246 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:47,279 of another system within s s within Saint 247 00:08:47,279 --> 00:08:49,294 Louis along side SSM. 248 00:08:49,595 --> 00:08:51,774 And we're able to provide new jobs 249 00:08:52,154 --> 00:08:54,014 to perform laundry services 250 00:08:54,394 --> 00:08:56,634 where the facility is actually located in one 251 00:08:56,634 --> 00:08:59,375 of our most challenged most challenged ZIP codes 252 00:08:59,754 --> 00:09:00,815 while we work 253 00:09:01,149 --> 00:09:03,490 to better provide laundry and linen 254 00:09:03,870 --> 00:09:06,669 to our hospitals, which is really amazing to 255 00:09:06,669 --> 00:09:07,490 see because 256 00:09:08,029 --> 00:09:10,350 we know that laundry and linen are some 257 00:09:10,350 --> 00:09:12,350 of the most basic needs that we have 258 00:09:12,350 --> 00:09:13,490 to take care of patients, 259 00:09:14,305 --> 00:09:16,545 to per to protect their infection status as 260 00:09:16,545 --> 00:09:18,545 well as their dignity and to provide proper 261 00:09:18,545 --> 00:09:21,425 care for gowns and scrubs and sheets and 262 00:09:21,425 --> 00:09:23,504 all of the things that are are, linen. 263 00:09:23,504 --> 00:09:25,185 And so it's really wonderful to be able 264 00:09:25,185 --> 00:09:25,845 to collaborate 265 00:09:26,384 --> 00:09:28,860 with a partner inside Saint Louis and be 266 00:09:28,860 --> 00:09:31,360 able to, provide that improvement. 267 00:09:32,620 --> 00:09:35,419 We also thinking about growth, we also have 268 00:09:35,419 --> 00:09:38,460 an affiliate strategy. So we know that there 269 00:09:38,460 --> 00:09:40,320 are a lot of really exceptional 270 00:09:41,014 --> 00:09:41,514 organizations 271 00:09:41,894 --> 00:09:45,274 in rural, markets across Missouri and Illinois, 272 00:09:45,815 --> 00:09:48,215 and rural health care is changing all the 273 00:09:48,215 --> 00:09:49,514 time. We're 274 00:09:49,894 --> 00:09:53,335 determining how what services can be provided in 275 00:09:53,335 --> 00:09:55,434 critical access and other locations. 276 00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:58,399 And we have a strategy to make sure 277 00:09:58,399 --> 00:10:01,200 that we can support those rural locations to 278 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:03,519 the best of our ability and provide that 279 00:10:03,519 --> 00:10:06,019 tertiary and quaternary care in our facilities 280 00:10:06,399 --> 00:10:08,980 when it's something that's beyond that hospital's capability. 281 00:10:09,584 --> 00:10:11,105 So we see that as a way to 282 00:10:11,105 --> 00:10:12,164 continue our mission 283 00:10:12,544 --> 00:10:14,865 and support the care of patients in their 284 00:10:14,865 --> 00:10:16,485 own community when it's possible, 285 00:10:16,865 --> 00:10:19,584 but also a growth strategy for us to 286 00:10:19,584 --> 00:10:21,504 ensure that we can take care of even 287 00:10:21,504 --> 00:10:22,245 more patients, 288 00:10:23,024 --> 00:10:25,320 as they need that higher level care. 289 00:10:25,799 --> 00:10:27,960 And then lastly, I'll circle back around to 290 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:29,179 our centers of excellence. 291 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:32,039 As I mentioned, we've leaned into centers of 292 00:10:32,039 --> 00:10:34,840 excellence and really developed our service line strategy 293 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:37,160 over the last couple of years, and we 294 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:39,480 believe that is the path to ensuring we 295 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:41,404 have the highest level of care 296 00:10:41,865 --> 00:10:44,745 while having a mechanism for growth. So that 297 00:10:44,745 --> 00:10:46,825 is another area that we will continue to 298 00:10:46,825 --> 00:10:50,024 focus and identify the right service lines to 299 00:10:50,024 --> 00:10:51,565 create more centers of excellence. 300 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:54,759 Fantastic. It sounds like a lot happening there 301 00:10:54,759 --> 00:10:56,759 at FSM Health and, you know, really truly 302 00:10:56,759 --> 00:10:58,139 exciting things for, 303 00:10:58,679 --> 00:11:00,940 your community and the patients that you serve. 304 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:02,519 Tina, thank you so much for joining us 305 00:11:02,519 --> 00:11:04,120 on the podcast today. This has been a 306 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:06,865 very informative and interesting podcast, and I look 307 00:11:06,865 --> 00:11:08,225 forward to seeing you as well at our 308 00:11:08,225 --> 00:11:09,904 annual meeting in April. I know you'll be 309 00:11:09,904 --> 00:11:11,904 speaking on a panel, and we'll dig deeper 310 00:11:11,904 --> 00:11:13,424 into a lot of the themes we talked 311 00:11:13,424 --> 00:11:15,264 about today. So looking forward to that and 312 00:11:15,264 --> 00:11:17,684 seeing you soon. Awesome. Can't wait.