1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,319 This is Laura Dierda with the Becker's Healthcare 2 00:00:02,319 --> 00:00:04,400 podcast. I'm thrilled today to be joined by 3 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:07,200 doctor Hussain Morandi, who's the president of SSM 4 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:10,080 Health Cardinal Gwen and Children's Hospital as well 5 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:12,799 as assistant vice president of pediatric services. Doctor 6 00:00:12,799 --> 00:00:14,160 Morandi, it's a pleasure to have you on 7 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:16,274 the podcast today. It's a pleasure to be 8 00:00:16,274 --> 00:00:16,774 here. 9 00:00:17,234 --> 00:00:19,234 Now I'm looking forward to our discussion because 10 00:00:19,234 --> 00:00:20,914 I know you've got a lot going on 11 00:00:20,914 --> 00:00:23,094 at the children's hospital there, and in particular, 12 00:00:23,154 --> 00:00:25,554 you know, getting your perspective on how to 13 00:00:25,554 --> 00:00:27,634 continue to grow and succeed in the future. 14 00:00:27,634 --> 00:00:29,300 But before we dive in, can you tell 15 00:00:29,300 --> 00:00:31,100 us a little bit more about yourself as 16 00:00:31,100 --> 00:00:34,140 well as SSM Health? Of course. So my 17 00:00:34,140 --> 00:00:36,460 name is Hossein Miranda. I have the privilege 18 00:00:36,460 --> 00:00:38,380 of serving as the president of SSM Health 19 00:00:38,380 --> 00:00:41,260 Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital and assistant vice president 20 00:00:41,260 --> 00:00:42,479 for pediatric services 21 00:00:42,905 --> 00:00:45,384 across SSM Health. I am a board certified 22 00:00:45,384 --> 00:00:45,884 pediatrician, 23 00:00:46,265 --> 00:00:49,004 and over the last two decades, I've dedicated 24 00:00:49,145 --> 00:00:50,684 my career to leading 25 00:00:50,984 --> 00:00:54,204 multiple nationally recognized children's hospitals and working alongside 26 00:00:54,344 --> 00:00:54,984 some of, 27 00:00:55,304 --> 00:00:57,945 the most dedicated physicians, nurses, and caregivers in 28 00:00:57,945 --> 00:00:58,409 our field. 29 00:00:58,969 --> 00:01:01,450 Pediatrics has always been my calling, so this, 30 00:01:01,770 --> 00:01:03,689 is a purpose that I have every day 31 00:01:03,689 --> 00:01:06,090 to be able to to create systems that 32 00:01:06,090 --> 00:01:08,489 really deliver care, not just from a clinical 33 00:01:08,489 --> 00:01:10,810 excellence, but really with a deep compassion and 34 00:01:10,810 --> 00:01:12,915 commitment to the patients that we care for. 35 00:01:13,474 --> 00:01:15,635 As far as SSM Health, we are one 36 00:01:15,635 --> 00:01:18,834 of the, nation's largest Catholic, not for profit, 37 00:01:18,834 --> 00:01:20,614 fully integrated health care systems. 38 00:01:20,995 --> 00:01:24,055 We serve communities across four states of Illinois, 39 00:01:24,114 --> 00:01:25,734 Missouri, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin 40 00:01:26,034 --> 00:01:28,890 with more than 40,000 dedicated team members and 41 00:01:29,049 --> 00:01:31,150 thousands of professionals delivering care. 42 00:01:31,530 --> 00:01:33,930 Our mission is to reveal the healing presence 43 00:01:33,930 --> 00:01:36,650 of God by providing exceptional health care and 44 00:01:36,650 --> 00:01:39,310 by being a steadfast partner for our communities 45 00:01:39,369 --> 00:01:42,030 that we serve. Now Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital 46 00:01:42,329 --> 00:01:44,715 is a proud reflection of that mission. We 47 00:01:44,715 --> 00:01:47,034 were the first freestanding Catholic children's hospital in 48 00:01:47,034 --> 00:01:48,954 The US, and I've cared for children in 49 00:01:48,954 --> 00:01:50,174 the St. Louis community 50 00:01:50,474 --> 00:01:53,354 and the surrounding communities for over seventy years 51 00:01:53,354 --> 00:01:55,994 now. We've consistently been ranked as one of 52 00:01:55,994 --> 00:01:57,295 the top children's hospitals, 53 00:01:57,719 --> 00:01:59,880 and families travel to us from across the 54 00:01:59,880 --> 00:02:01,500 Midwest, nation, and internationally 55 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:03,579 for our specialized expertise, 56 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:06,700 especially in cardiology, cardiac surgery, neonatology, 57 00:02:07,719 --> 00:02:09,340 and, many other areas. 58 00:02:09,655 --> 00:02:11,655 But really beyond any of those rankings or 59 00:02:11,655 --> 00:02:13,275 awards, what truly defines, 60 00:02:13,894 --> 00:02:16,375 SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital is the 61 00:02:16,375 --> 00:02:18,775 way we care for every child and family 62 00:02:18,775 --> 00:02:19,514 with dignity, 63 00:02:19,814 --> 00:02:22,634 respect, and an unwavering commitment to serve. 64 00:02:23,349 --> 00:02:25,530 I love that. What a great mission and, 65 00:02:26,469 --> 00:02:26,950 amazing, 66 00:02:27,349 --> 00:02:30,230 historical background the Children's Hospital has there that 67 00:02:30,230 --> 00:02:32,230 can really, you know, continue to serve the 68 00:02:32,230 --> 00:02:34,710 community well. I'm curious, you know, when you 69 00:02:34,710 --> 00:02:36,389 think about the last year or so, what's 70 00:02:36,389 --> 00:02:38,090 your biggest winner success story? 71 00:02:38,925 --> 00:02:40,764 So, overall, 2024 72 00:02:40,764 --> 00:02:42,364 was a banner year for us. 73 00:02:42,844 --> 00:02:44,764 Over the last year, one of our greatest 74 00:02:44,764 --> 00:02:45,264 accomplishments 75 00:02:45,645 --> 00:02:47,985 has been building a more integrated and coordinated 76 00:02:48,205 --> 00:02:51,084 model of pediatric care that truly puts patients 77 00:02:51,084 --> 00:02:53,084 and families first, and I believe that will 78 00:02:53,084 --> 00:02:54,629 be the blueprint for the future. 79 00:02:55,189 --> 00:02:57,189 When I took this role two years ago, 80 00:02:57,189 --> 00:02:59,030 I could see that we already had all 81 00:02:59,030 --> 00:03:01,830 the pieces for a well functioning care delivery 82 00:03:01,830 --> 00:03:04,490 system, but they were in silos and disparate. 83 00:03:04,790 --> 00:03:06,469 So the vision was very clear to me, 84 00:03:06,469 --> 00:03:08,569 and it was, to connect everything together. 85 00:03:09,144 --> 00:03:09,705 We aligned, 86 00:03:10,025 --> 00:03:12,504 Cardinal Glenn and Children's Hospital and its employed 87 00:03:12,504 --> 00:03:13,884 physicians and clinics 88 00:03:14,344 --> 00:03:15,084 with our, 89 00:03:15,465 --> 00:03:16,444 Saint Lucia University 90 00:03:16,905 --> 00:03:20,185 physician group where our specialists and subspecialists live 91 00:03:20,185 --> 00:03:22,185 as well as the SSM Health Medical Group 92 00:03:22,185 --> 00:03:25,189 pediatric network. So by combining all of those, 93 00:03:25,189 --> 00:03:26,090 we created 94 00:03:26,389 --> 00:03:28,969 a system where families have seamless access 95 00:03:29,269 --> 00:03:31,689 to some of the region's top pediatric clinicians. 96 00:03:31,909 --> 00:03:34,969 So whether the child needed routine care, advanced 97 00:03:35,030 --> 00:03:38,824 specialty care, or the most complex, surgical procedure, 98 00:03:39,204 --> 00:03:41,704 they had access to a unified continuum 99 00:03:42,164 --> 00:03:43,864 of care with less fragmentation 100 00:03:44,484 --> 00:03:46,805 and fewer hurdles to get the right care 101 00:03:46,805 --> 00:03:49,224 at the right time. And that really resonated 102 00:03:50,110 --> 00:03:51,789 as we looked at what we were achieve 103 00:03:52,189 --> 00:03:54,209 able to achieve in 2024. 104 00:03:54,269 --> 00:03:55,569 As I mentioned earlier, 105 00:03:55,949 --> 00:03:58,349 we were recognized again on the national level 106 00:03:58,349 --> 00:03:59,810 by US News and World Report, 107 00:04:00,349 --> 00:04:02,610 as one of the top 50 children's hospitals. 108 00:04:02,965 --> 00:04:04,965 Now eleven years in a row, we've received 109 00:04:04,965 --> 00:04:05,784 that designation. 110 00:04:06,484 --> 00:04:09,044 And, we ranked in more specialties this past 111 00:04:09,044 --> 00:04:11,685 year, seven in total than we have had 112 00:04:11,685 --> 00:04:13,384 ever, in the past. 113 00:04:13,764 --> 00:04:15,465 We also were able to be, 114 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:16,340 redesignated 115 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:19,620 as a magnet site. Again, only 10% of, 116 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:22,399 hospitals across the nation have that, and it, 117 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:25,139 just goes to show the strength and dedication 118 00:04:25,199 --> 00:04:27,279 of our nursing teams and the culture that 119 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:30,399 we've built built here. So, overall, 2024 120 00:04:30,399 --> 00:04:33,014 was truly, a year that we are very 121 00:04:33,014 --> 00:04:33,835 proud of. 122 00:04:34,535 --> 00:04:36,615 I love that. And, you know, particularly a 123 00:04:36,615 --> 00:04:38,694 really amazing recognitions of all the things that 124 00:04:38,694 --> 00:04:40,535 you've been doing in order to, as you 125 00:04:40,535 --> 00:04:43,495 mentioned, become unified and provide less fragmented care 126 00:04:43,495 --> 00:04:45,629 and really get the better results and outcomes 127 00:04:45,629 --> 00:04:47,870 that you're looking for. Now in thinking where 128 00:04:47,870 --> 00:04:49,149 we're at today, what are some of the 129 00:04:49,149 --> 00:04:50,990 top issues that you're focused on right now 130 00:04:50,990 --> 00:04:52,990 and spending most of your time thinking about 131 00:04:52,990 --> 00:04:53,569 and troubleshooting? 132 00:04:54,029 --> 00:04:56,110 Yeah. How much time do we have? No. 133 00:04:56,110 --> 00:04:57,730 No. No. All joking aside, 134 00:04:58,395 --> 00:05:00,875 let me start with something positive first. So 135 00:05:00,875 --> 00:05:03,274 although not an issue, but rather than truly 136 00:05:03,274 --> 00:05:04,895 a once in a lifetime opportunity, 137 00:05:05,435 --> 00:05:07,435 our focus mainly has been on creating the 138 00:05:07,435 --> 00:05:09,754 future of pediatrics in our community. And that's 139 00:05:09,754 --> 00:05:11,514 why building a brand new Cardinal Glenn and 140 00:05:11,514 --> 00:05:12,415 Children's Hospital, 141 00:05:12,970 --> 00:05:14,750 here where it'll be a transformative 142 00:05:15,129 --> 00:05:17,770 14 story, 200 plus beds, state of the 143 00:05:17,770 --> 00:05:20,810 art facility that will open later on in, 144 00:05:20,970 --> 00:05:23,449 late twenty twenty seven. And it's this is 145 00:05:23,449 --> 00:05:25,790 more than just a building that we're building. 146 00:05:26,014 --> 00:05:28,435 It is truly our commitment to reimagining 147 00:05:28,814 --> 00:05:30,894 what children's health care should look like for 148 00:05:30,894 --> 00:05:32,115 the next fifty years. 149 00:05:32,975 --> 00:05:36,194 More NICU rooms with natural light, something that 150 00:05:36,254 --> 00:05:37,949 I never got a chance to train in. 151 00:05:38,350 --> 00:05:41,710 Advanced pediatric and cardiac ICUs, larger ORs and 152 00:05:41,710 --> 00:05:44,670 rooms for the families, and creating family centered, 153 00:05:45,069 --> 00:05:45,970 healing spaces. 154 00:05:46,350 --> 00:05:48,689 Every detail of the building we're designing 155 00:05:48,990 --> 00:05:51,165 has been with the input of our patients, 156 00:05:51,165 --> 00:05:52,944 families, frontline staff. 157 00:05:53,805 --> 00:05:55,805 Really wanted to make sure that we ensure 158 00:05:55,805 --> 00:05:57,345 the best outcomes they experiences. 159 00:05:57,805 --> 00:05:59,725 So that's taken a lot of our time, 160 00:05:59,725 --> 00:06:01,564 and it's a great thing to do. But 161 00:06:01,564 --> 00:06:03,644 as you mentioned, we've got issues also that 162 00:06:03,644 --> 00:06:05,300 we have to deal with. And when I 163 00:06:05,300 --> 00:06:06,439 think about those, 164 00:06:06,819 --> 00:06:08,759 the two or three, it's 165 00:06:09,139 --> 00:06:09,639 always 166 00:06:10,100 --> 00:06:11,160 workforce shortage 167 00:06:11,860 --> 00:06:14,020 and financial challenges that keep me up at 168 00:06:14,020 --> 00:06:14,520 night. 169 00:06:15,139 --> 00:06:17,975 In general, children's hospitals often serve a smaller 170 00:06:18,035 --> 00:06:21,394 population of patients with complex chronic conditions, and 171 00:06:21,394 --> 00:06:23,014 these conditions really require 172 00:06:23,314 --> 00:06:26,834 coordinated highly specialized care teams with unique unique 173 00:06:26,834 --> 00:06:28,214 expertise in their field. 174 00:06:28,915 --> 00:06:31,529 This leads to really financial and workforce challenges 175 00:06:31,529 --> 00:06:33,849 when we talk about delivering that specialized care 176 00:06:33,849 --> 00:06:34,349 appropriately, 177 00:06:34,729 --> 00:06:36,970 safely, and with the best outcomes. So I 178 00:06:36,970 --> 00:06:40,089 talk about workforce and supply side. So when 179 00:06:40,089 --> 00:06:41,149 you look at the workforce, 180 00:06:42,089 --> 00:06:45,435 pediatric specialty and subspecialty staffing shortages are an 181 00:06:45,514 --> 00:06:46,415 an all 182 00:06:46,875 --> 00:06:47,375 time 183 00:06:47,834 --> 00:06:50,555 high, critically low across the nation when I 184 00:06:50,555 --> 00:06:52,794 talk to all my colleagues. A recent study 185 00:06:52,794 --> 00:06:55,615 by Children's Hospital Association in 2023 186 00:06:55,675 --> 00:06:58,314 actually outlined the shortage where nearly 50% of 187 00:06:58,314 --> 00:06:59,375 the children's hospitals 188 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:01,639 in The United States were short staffed in 189 00:07:01,639 --> 00:07:02,139 specialties 190 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:04,860 such as neurology, developmental behavioral, 191 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:08,199 genetics, pulmonology, and many more. And there's a 192 00:07:08,199 --> 00:07:08,699 significant 193 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:12,120 imbalance between the supply and the demand. So 194 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:14,439 on the supply side, what we're seeing is 195 00:07:14,439 --> 00:07:17,264 that training positions in many specialties are left 196 00:07:17,264 --> 00:07:20,064 unfilled, so there are not enough specialists that 197 00:07:20,064 --> 00:07:22,064 are being trained. And then on the other 198 00:07:22,064 --> 00:07:24,544 side, we're seeing many specialists that are reaching 199 00:07:24,544 --> 00:07:27,204 retirement age and choosing to retire early. 200 00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:30,080 Add to that, all of us in the 201 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:32,959 children's space are competing for those same small 202 00:07:32,959 --> 00:07:34,740 number of specialists out there. 203 00:07:35,279 --> 00:07:37,139 And these shortages are not just 204 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:40,339 limited to our physicians. Nonphysician professionals, 205 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:42,259 such as respiratory therapists, 206 00:07:42,704 --> 00:07:43,685 imaging technologists, 207 00:07:44,064 --> 00:07:47,024 and most importantly, our wonderful nurses are at 208 00:07:47,024 --> 00:07:47,845 a high demand. 209 00:07:48,225 --> 00:07:50,544 Now at the same time, we've seen an 210 00:07:50,544 --> 00:07:53,504 alarming surge on mental health and behavioral needs 211 00:07:53,504 --> 00:07:56,324 in pediatrics also, especially since the pandemic, 212 00:07:56,659 --> 00:07:59,539 and that has created the significant shortage of 213 00:07:59,539 --> 00:08:00,759 psychiatrists and psychologists 214 00:08:01,300 --> 00:08:02,599 to take care of these patients. 215 00:08:02,899 --> 00:08:05,860 Now we're diligently working to recruit and retain 216 00:08:05,860 --> 00:08:06,759 our top talent, 217 00:08:07,060 --> 00:08:08,279 finding innovative 218 00:08:08,979 --> 00:08:11,539 and possibly sustainable care models that are different 219 00:08:11,539 --> 00:08:12,279 from today 220 00:08:12,714 --> 00:08:14,475 and try to assure that there's no gaps 221 00:08:14,475 --> 00:08:17,115 in care, but that's becoming more difficult every 222 00:08:17,115 --> 00:08:17,615 day. 223 00:08:18,314 --> 00:08:20,414 Add to that the financial standpoint. 224 00:08:20,714 --> 00:08:22,735 Now we're tackling some of the same challenges 225 00:08:22,875 --> 00:08:25,710 that every health care system faces. We've got 226 00:08:25,710 --> 00:08:28,610 significant financial pressures from rising expenses, 227 00:08:29,710 --> 00:08:33,790 labor, drugs, medical supplies, and more. We'll see 228 00:08:33,790 --> 00:08:35,790 costs continue to go up, and this is 229 00:08:35,790 --> 00:08:38,830 especially challenging for children's hospitals due to that 230 00:08:38,830 --> 00:08:42,034 specialized care that I mentioned and our overwhelming 231 00:08:42,254 --> 00:08:42,754 dependence 232 00:08:43,214 --> 00:08:44,995 on state funding and Medicaid. 233 00:08:45,615 --> 00:08:47,294 So what we're seeing is the cost of 234 00:08:47,294 --> 00:08:50,034 care continues to increase while the reimbursements 235 00:08:50,414 --> 00:08:52,975 for that care have not kept up and 236 00:08:52,975 --> 00:08:55,315 in many cases, as we see, have decreased. 237 00:08:55,870 --> 00:08:57,250 So we have 238 00:08:57,629 --> 00:08:59,870 started to work with our continue to work 239 00:08:59,870 --> 00:09:02,589 with our state and federal legislators to advocate 240 00:09:02,589 --> 00:09:05,649 for payment structures and models to protect access, 241 00:09:06,350 --> 00:09:09,009 for these services because our families need it. 242 00:09:09,805 --> 00:09:12,125 Absolutely. That's such an important aspect of what 243 00:09:12,125 --> 00:09:14,285 you do, in terms of being able to 244 00:09:14,285 --> 00:09:17,245 protect access to care and educating lawmakers, legislators, 245 00:09:17,245 --> 00:09:19,245 and the community at large just about, you 246 00:09:19,245 --> 00:09:21,820 know, how the economics of health care work 247 00:09:21,820 --> 00:09:23,259 and what it it will take in order 248 00:09:23,259 --> 00:09:25,339 to preserve this access to care and ability 249 00:09:25,339 --> 00:09:27,899 to continue to serve patients. I'm curious, you 250 00:09:27,899 --> 00:09:29,039 know, when you look into 251 00:09:29,419 --> 00:09:31,740 that aspect of your role in as more 252 00:09:31,740 --> 00:09:35,179 of an advocate or educator of lawmakers and 253 00:09:35,179 --> 00:09:35,679 community, 254 00:09:36,105 --> 00:09:37,784 what have you found works well? How do 255 00:09:37,784 --> 00:09:38,845 you really go about, 256 00:09:39,384 --> 00:09:39,884 successfully 257 00:09:40,424 --> 00:09:42,605 spreading that message and and being able to, 258 00:09:43,304 --> 00:09:45,644 bring aboard, you know, folks who are influential 259 00:09:45,784 --> 00:09:47,225 to make sure that, you know, the right 260 00:09:47,225 --> 00:09:47,725 legislation, 261 00:09:48,670 --> 00:09:50,029 comes down so that you are able to 262 00:09:50,029 --> 00:09:51,629 get what you need in order to care 263 00:09:51,629 --> 00:09:52,450 for the community. 264 00:09:53,149 --> 00:09:55,970 As I've spent, more time in legislative, 265 00:09:57,070 --> 00:09:59,950 facilities across many different states, it has become 266 00:09:59,950 --> 00:10:02,529 clear to me that many of our, 267 00:10:03,125 --> 00:10:03,625 lawmakers 268 00:10:04,164 --> 00:10:06,345 do not understand the day to day 269 00:10:06,725 --> 00:10:09,924 challenges and opportunities that we have within health 270 00:10:09,924 --> 00:10:12,725 care. Obviously, many of them are not, from 271 00:10:12,725 --> 00:10:15,445 a health care background, so it requires us, 272 00:10:15,845 --> 00:10:18,600 to be teachers also. But at the same 273 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:21,399 time, there's nothing better than seeing it firsthand. 274 00:10:21,399 --> 00:10:22,759 So one of the things that I have 275 00:10:22,759 --> 00:10:25,879 found has worked very well for me in 276 00:10:25,879 --> 00:10:29,320 every stop is to have those legislators actually 277 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:31,924 spend time in the hospital, have them come 278 00:10:31,924 --> 00:10:34,085 here and talk to our team members, see 279 00:10:34,085 --> 00:10:36,985 our patients who are walking through our halls 280 00:10:37,125 --> 00:10:39,924 or in their wheelchairs going to their next 281 00:10:39,924 --> 00:10:42,504 appointment in the oncology or orthopedics 282 00:10:43,044 --> 00:10:45,465 and be able to truly have that connection 283 00:10:45,779 --> 00:10:47,960 to the caregivers as well as the patients 284 00:10:48,019 --> 00:10:50,360 and understand that a decision that's made, 285 00:10:50,899 --> 00:10:52,660 at a far place on a piece of 286 00:10:52,660 --> 00:10:54,360 paper truly has 287 00:10:54,820 --> 00:10:58,100 effects that are felt by our parents, by 288 00:10:58,100 --> 00:10:58,600 our 289 00:10:59,004 --> 00:11:01,985 patients, by our community, and by our caregivers. 290 00:11:02,284 --> 00:11:04,845 So having them live our world, we have 291 00:11:04,845 --> 00:11:07,245 a great program here called Glennon one zero 292 00:11:07,245 --> 00:11:09,024 one where we open our doors, 293 00:11:09,404 --> 00:11:11,245 for a full day, and we bring in, 294 00:11:11,485 --> 00:11:13,824 community members, bring in, legislative 295 00:11:14,860 --> 00:11:15,360 representatives 296 00:11:15,740 --> 00:11:17,259 to come here and put on a white 297 00:11:17,259 --> 00:11:19,580 coat, and we assign them to a specific 298 00:11:19,580 --> 00:11:21,660 area of the hospital and have them walk 299 00:11:21,660 --> 00:11:24,700 through and, the proverbial walk in my shoes 300 00:11:24,700 --> 00:11:26,860 for a day and help them understand. And 301 00:11:26,860 --> 00:11:28,320 that has made a significant 302 00:11:29,095 --> 00:11:31,335 impact on them. Many of them, we have 303 00:11:31,335 --> 00:11:33,174 seen with tears in their eyes as they 304 00:11:33,174 --> 00:11:34,235 finally understand 305 00:11:34,855 --> 00:11:37,575 what it takes to care for children, and 306 00:11:37,575 --> 00:11:39,735 that has helped to be able to move 307 00:11:39,735 --> 00:11:41,879 that needle a bit when we needed the 308 00:11:41,879 --> 00:11:43,720 care and when we needed those laws and 309 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:46,459 we needed that support on those areas. 310 00:11:47,799 --> 00:11:50,459 What an amazing idea in program and ability 311 00:11:50,519 --> 00:11:53,480 to welcome those lawmakers and community members into 312 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:55,659 the hospital and and share firsthand, 313 00:11:56,554 --> 00:11:59,195 you know, the the stories and true true 314 00:11:59,195 --> 00:12:00,975 things that you see every single day, 315 00:12:01,514 --> 00:12:04,554 challenges of caring for the pediatric population as 316 00:12:04,554 --> 00:12:06,875 well. Now when you look into the future, 317 00:12:06,875 --> 00:12:08,554 what are some of the opportunities that you 318 00:12:08,554 --> 00:12:10,714 see for growth and development over the next 319 00:12:10,714 --> 00:12:11,455 few years? 320 00:12:12,279 --> 00:12:13,080 So recently, 321 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:16,360 a leading national health care consulting company cited 322 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:19,480 that the main opportunity for children's hospital growth 323 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:20,860 is mergers and partnerships, 324 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:21,980 particularly 325 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:23,820 those that make, 326 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:27,865 geographic sense. And we've already seen that, arrangement 327 00:12:27,924 --> 00:12:29,924 in the past year multiple times where you've 328 00:12:29,924 --> 00:12:33,125 seen children's hospitals come together. It is difficult 329 00:12:33,125 --> 00:12:35,684 to provide this service. But when we see 330 00:12:35,684 --> 00:12:38,584 this deliberate shift toward the increased partnerships 331 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:41,580 and, creating these economic models, 332 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:43,980 we're starting to see emphasis 333 00:12:45,159 --> 00:12:47,419 on more collaboration rather than competition. 334 00:12:47,799 --> 00:12:49,960 And I truly believe that will reshape the 335 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:52,004 pediatric health care in the future. We have 336 00:12:52,004 --> 00:12:54,485 to start to find ways where instead of 337 00:12:54,485 --> 00:12:58,004 competing, we work closely together, not only with 338 00:12:58,004 --> 00:13:01,125 other health care systems, but with other community 339 00:13:01,125 --> 00:13:03,684 members and others that have the same goal 340 00:13:03,684 --> 00:13:04,345 in mind. 341 00:13:04,889 --> 00:13:06,570 Another area that we're seeing, 342 00:13:06,970 --> 00:13:07,470 rapidly 343 00:13:08,730 --> 00:13:11,769 move and change is the digital health care 344 00:13:11,769 --> 00:13:13,389 space and AI. 345 00:13:13,850 --> 00:13:15,950 I don't think any one of us 346 00:13:16,330 --> 00:13:17,470 have really understood 347 00:13:17,995 --> 00:13:21,274 and can imagine how AI will transform the 348 00:13:21,274 --> 00:13:23,995 care, especially from a health care standpoint in 349 00:13:23,995 --> 00:13:26,475 the future. What we're seeing already and with 350 00:13:26,475 --> 00:13:28,975 all the institute is AI assisted documentation, 351 00:13:30,075 --> 00:13:31,134 ambient listening 352 00:13:31,500 --> 00:13:33,660 for our physicians to get their notes into 353 00:13:33,660 --> 00:13:37,360 the EHR. We're leveraging technology to reduce clinician 354 00:13:37,419 --> 00:13:37,919 burnout, 355 00:13:38,379 --> 00:13:41,120 increase their efficiency, and then create more time 356 00:13:41,340 --> 00:13:42,860 to get back to what we did, that 357 00:13:42,860 --> 00:13:43,360 personalized 358 00:13:43,899 --> 00:13:44,960 high touch care, 359 00:13:45,404 --> 00:13:49,164 trying to automate routine tasks, leveraging AI for 360 00:13:49,164 --> 00:13:50,464 documentation scheduling 361 00:13:51,164 --> 00:13:53,964 for predictive analytics to understand how to take 362 00:13:53,964 --> 00:13:55,964 care of patients better. What we're looking to 363 00:13:55,964 --> 00:13:57,804 do is to free up our clinicians to 364 00:13:57,804 --> 00:14:00,639 focus on what we all went into this 365 00:14:00,639 --> 00:14:02,559 for, which is to care for patients and 366 00:14:02,559 --> 00:14:03,059 families. 367 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:05,620 And I'm really excited that as this technology 368 00:14:05,839 --> 00:14:08,079 evolves, I think we're gonna find more and 369 00:14:08,079 --> 00:14:09,620 more ways to enhance, 370 00:14:10,079 --> 00:14:12,559 not replace, and I wanna emphasize that enhance, 371 00:14:12,559 --> 00:14:13,299 not replace 372 00:14:13,615 --> 00:14:16,014 that personal connection that are at the heart 373 00:14:16,014 --> 00:14:16,674 of pediatrics. 374 00:14:17,134 --> 00:14:19,634 I don't want our physicians in a room 375 00:14:19,695 --> 00:14:22,174 typing on a computer. I want them looking 376 00:14:22,174 --> 00:14:24,575 at that child, building that relationship with those 377 00:14:24,575 --> 00:14:26,975 parents because that's what pediatrics has been based 378 00:14:26,975 --> 00:14:30,179 on is that personal touch. So I think 379 00:14:30,179 --> 00:14:31,699 AI will help us with that in the 380 00:14:31,699 --> 00:14:32,199 future. 381 00:14:32,980 --> 00:14:35,059 It's fascinating to hear and and truly, 382 00:14:36,019 --> 00:14:38,659 amazing to think about how technology can make 383 00:14:38,659 --> 00:14:41,220 a big difference, not only in how care 384 00:14:41,220 --> 00:14:43,924 is delivered, but the personalization aspect of it 385 00:14:43,924 --> 00:14:45,855 too, and then allow for more relationship building 386 00:14:45,855 --> 00:14:47,855 and more of that human connection in the 387 00:14:47,855 --> 00:14:49,455 health care space, which I know is so 388 00:14:49,455 --> 00:14:50,754 important and especially 389 00:14:51,134 --> 00:14:52,595 with the pediatric population. 390 00:14:53,054 --> 00:14:55,294 Before we wrap up here, I'm curious. What 391 00:14:55,294 --> 00:14:56,429 do you think it will take, 392 00:14:57,149 --> 00:14:59,710 to lead a thriving organization over the next 393 00:14:59,710 --> 00:15:02,029 five years or so given everything we've talked 394 00:15:02,029 --> 00:15:03,970 about today with the technology evolution, 395 00:15:04,429 --> 00:15:08,509 financial challenges, other dynamics within the broader economic 396 00:15:08,509 --> 00:15:09,730 and political landscape? 397 00:15:10,554 --> 00:15:12,475 What do leaders need in order to make 398 00:15:12,475 --> 00:15:14,495 sure their organizations are successful? 399 00:15:15,834 --> 00:15:18,875 As a lifelong learner, I I like to 400 00:15:18,875 --> 00:15:21,115 read every day. And most recently and as 401 00:15:21,115 --> 00:15:23,514 I was reading, again, we always wanna stay 402 00:15:23,514 --> 00:15:26,059 up to to date with everything that's going 403 00:15:26,059 --> 00:15:27,980 on. There were a couple of concepts that, 404 00:15:28,220 --> 00:15:30,379 that I read about that truly resonated with 405 00:15:30,379 --> 00:15:32,459 me. The first one that I really fell 406 00:15:32,459 --> 00:15:34,240 in love with was future proofing. 407 00:15:35,100 --> 00:15:36,940 How do we make sure that we create 408 00:15:36,940 --> 00:15:39,044 a future that we can continue our calling 409 00:15:39,044 --> 00:15:39,544 and 410 00:15:40,804 --> 00:15:42,245 mission and deliver the care the way we 411 00:15:42,245 --> 00:15:43,704 want to? And that really resonated. 412 00:15:44,004 --> 00:15:45,945 And then second was changing our 413 00:15:46,325 --> 00:15:50,164 mindset, thinking, planning, acting differently than we are 414 00:15:50,164 --> 00:15:52,485 today in order to build that better future. 415 00:15:52,485 --> 00:15:55,660 So I truly believe we have to be 416 00:15:55,660 --> 00:15:56,160 visionary. 417 00:15:56,539 --> 00:15:58,460 We have to be resilient because we know 418 00:15:58,460 --> 00:16:00,639 there's change, and we gotta be deeply rooted 419 00:16:00,700 --> 00:16:02,559 in the mission to care for patients. 420 00:16:03,019 --> 00:16:04,860 And how do we do that? I think 421 00:16:04,860 --> 00:16:07,039 as we talked already, we must be innovators, 422 00:16:07,705 --> 00:16:10,745 embrace this new technology, models of care, better 423 00:16:10,745 --> 00:16:13,065 ways to do things differently than we always 424 00:16:13,065 --> 00:16:13,565 have, 425 00:16:14,024 --> 00:16:16,105 learn how to be good partners with others, 426 00:16:16,105 --> 00:16:19,705 build these strong, supportive relationships with our physicians 427 00:16:19,705 --> 00:16:20,365 and caretakers, 428 00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:22,639 but also with other health care systems where 429 00:16:22,639 --> 00:16:24,259 previously we competed with. 430 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:27,620 As I mentioned also, we must be advocates. 431 00:16:27,759 --> 00:16:29,200 We have to be able to be the 432 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:31,600 voice for those children, especially because they do 433 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:33,434 not get a chance to vote. We have 434 00:16:33,434 --> 00:16:35,855 to work with local, state, and federal legislative 435 00:16:35,995 --> 00:16:37,934 bodies to ensure that 436 00:16:38,394 --> 00:16:41,675 there's sustainable funding and policies that protect the 437 00:16:41,675 --> 00:16:43,434 way we care for patients and make sure 438 00:16:43,434 --> 00:16:46,654 that we don't do something that creates harm, 439 00:16:47,195 --> 00:16:47,934 for them. 440 00:16:48,539 --> 00:16:50,220 Beyond that, I would say we gotta be 441 00:16:50,220 --> 00:16:51,759 a champion for our people. 442 00:16:52,459 --> 00:16:54,940 We gotta create these cultures. We've got such 443 00:16:54,940 --> 00:16:58,059 talented clinicians, nurses, and physicians, and we've gotta 444 00:16:58,059 --> 00:17:00,159 be able to wrap our arms around them, 445 00:17:00,299 --> 00:17:02,720 make them feel inspired, make them feel valued 446 00:17:03,144 --> 00:17:04,904 and supported in the work that they do 447 00:17:04,904 --> 00:17:06,904 because it is easy to always harp on 448 00:17:06,904 --> 00:17:09,944 the negatives, but there's so much positives. And 449 00:17:09,944 --> 00:17:11,484 I think at the end of the day, 450 00:17:11,865 --> 00:17:14,025 I've always been one to believe that we 451 00:17:14,025 --> 00:17:16,345 must lead with empathy and have the courage 452 00:17:16,345 --> 00:17:18,400 to make tough decisions, but then have the 453 00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:19,700 humility to realize 454 00:17:20,320 --> 00:17:22,320 it's not about us. It's about the patients 455 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:23,359 that are in front of us and the 456 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:24,880 patients that come in through our doors to 457 00:17:24,880 --> 00:17:26,320 take care of them. And as long as 458 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:28,320 we stay true to that, we listen to 459 00:17:28,320 --> 00:17:29,775 those families, we learn 460 00:17:30,174 --> 00:17:32,654 every day, adapt to change, I think we're 461 00:17:32,654 --> 00:17:34,195 gonna have a good future. 462 00:17:34,974 --> 00:17:36,815 Oh, it's amazing to hear and such an 463 00:17:36,815 --> 00:17:39,375 inspirational words to leave us with. Doctor Morandi, 464 00:17:39,375 --> 00:17:40,575 thank you so much for joining us on 465 00:17:40,575 --> 00:17:42,994 the podcast today. This has been an amazing 466 00:17:43,055 --> 00:17:45,279 conversation, and I look forward to seeing you 467 00:17:45,279 --> 00:17:47,440 as well at our CEO and CFO roundtable 468 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:50,079 in November and just continuing to talk through 469 00:17:50,079 --> 00:17:53,119 these points and and providing additional context as 470 00:17:53,119 --> 00:17:55,519 well as ideas for the future. So thank 471 00:17:55,519 --> 00:17:56,019 you. 472 00:17:56,655 --> 00:17:58,095 Thank you very much for the time. I 473 00:17:58,095 --> 00:17:59,155 appreciate the opportunity. 474 00:17:59,535 --> 00:18:00,595 Have a great day.