Journal of Sacred Work

   If you want to know what makes Parrish Medical Center in Titusville, Florida, America’s #1 Healing
Hospital, spend some time talking with Parrish CEO George Mikitarian. The changes at this hospital over the last three years are a stunning illustration of the power of the Healing Hospital model.
   For starters, check the December 11, 2006 edition of Modern Healthcare Magazine. In it, you’ll discover that Parrish has been selected for The Spirit of Excellence Award for Service.
   How did a medium-sized hospital on the Space Coast of Florida garner such a victory? This award is just the latest addition to the string of pearls strung by the committed staff of this organization. And there success is not simply due to a new facility.
   Years ago, this hospital could fairly be categorized as ordinary. Back in 1996, they may not even have met this standard since, in that year, the hospital picked up eighteen Type 1 violations from the JCAHO. As Mr. Mikitarian says, "back then, the hospital seemed to be satisfied to meet minimum standards…"

   When George Mikitarian took over as CEO in 2001, he began to lay the ground work for the excellence the hospital celebrates today. But as recently as sixteen months ago, the board and administration were still dealing with disruptive behavior from certain physicians.  At last year’s annual medical staff meeting, for example,  when Mr. Mikitarian stood to present his report, physicians made so much noise he could barely hear himself.
   This year, things are different. "The staff meeting was attended by about 150 doctors," he reports. "Everyone not only listened respectfully, but many offered to sign a petition in support of the hospital in its battle with a health insurance company."
   What triggers a change like this in just twelve months? The short answer comes in one word: integrity. The CEO exudes it. And the test of his mettle came when he chose to confront a leading trouble-maker on the medical staff. This can be a career-ending move for CEOs since upset doctors can damage a hospital by changing their admission patterns.
   As a long-time CEO myself, I have fought the kind of battle George took on and I can tell you it’s no picnic. Physicians can be clannish in situations like this and, for awhile, that happened at Parrish. But the happy outcome was the departure of the lead trouble-maker from the staff.
   Instantly, the administration put in place a powerful follow-up strategy that included hiring hospitalists, recruiting new physicians, and putting in place a special physician training program designed by Brian Wong, M.D., which builds partnership among physicians, administration and board. In other words, instead of standing to watch the wreckage left in the wake of the departed doctor, the administration chose a strategy of constructive engagement and team building.
   You can imagine how favorably all of this has played out for the 1200 partners in the Parrish organization. The nursing staff is overjoyed at the clinical improvements that new physicians have brought and they are proud of their leadership for replacing mediocrity with excellence.
   Here’s the other good news. Parrish Medical Center has just recorded their best year in half a decade in every indicator they measure including patient satisfaction, employee satisfaction, reduced turnover, and financial performance!
   As of a few days ago, Parrish became the first hospital in the country to initiate the Touch Card system proposed in the Journal. Their system, which will be discussed further in a subsequent reflection, is already helping their caregivers to deepen their experience of attending to the humanity of each patient.
   Parrish Medical Center doesn’t claim to be the Mayo Clinic. But they are steadily establishing a reputation for the "Parrish Way" of doing things. And the Parrish Way means that they are committed to "healing moments all the time."
   It’s this kind of commitment that will help them to continue to improve their ER services. And it’s this insistence on radical loving care that places them in the top ranks of America’s patient-centered-care hospitals – including the Mayo Clinic.