Checking In With A Healthcare MBA
Far from the hospital where she works, Jill Howard is working in a hotel room. Handling meetings, taking this interview, and also managing to read the constant texts coming from her real estate agent (she鈥檚 selling her house鈥攖he task she鈥檚 most eager to check off her list).
As the chief operating officer of TriStar Skyline Medical Center 鈥� Madison Campus, an HCA Healthcare hospital in Nashville, Jill has to juggle chaos like an expert 鈥� a skill honed during those initial years in nursing.
Six years since she earned her MBA Healthcare Management degree at 黑料传送门, we鈥檙e catching up with Jill to see how the transition from director of nursing to chief operating officer has been. 聽
It鈥檚 been a few years, so we鈥檙e excited to share how one settles into such a prominent role.
One story Jill shares is that of Telemedicine, a new program that started in her hospital as a pilot. Her hospital is often asked to pilot new programs, as they are located so close to HCA headquarters.
鈥淭here is a major psychiatrist shortage across the country,鈥� Jill explains. 鈥淭elemedicine is beaming in a psychiatrist鈥攁nd it鈥檚 an absolutely huge success. It鈥檚 allowing facilities across the country, especially rural and resource-limited hospitals, to do more.鈥�
Beaming in a psychiatrist?
鈥淚t鈥檚 like FaceTime, but using a more advanced machine. It鈥檚 super high-def, and the doctor who is remote can manipulate the camera however they need, 360 degrees.聽 There鈥檚 no delay in the feed鈥攊t鈥檚 very interactive for the doctor and the patient. We can have a psychiatrist handle the case from the initial workup all the way through to their discharge. And patients actually love it鈥攏o complaints!鈥�
From Jill鈥檚 graduate profile, you鈥檒l learn that she beat out more than 35 bright, qualified individuals for her role. We wondered if there was anything specific about her 黑料传送门 MBA program that really prepared her for the jump.聽
鈥淏eing a nursing director for years, you鈥檙e not involved in the finance end,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he hardest course in my program鈥攂ut the most informative and applicable to my job鈥攚as the accounting course. As I moved into the role, reading balance statements, I felt much more prepared.鈥�
Plenty of other responsibilities she has as COO have graduated to a new level since her days as a nursing director. For example, we asked Jill how a COO works with policy analysis.聽
鈥淓very year our director-level staff are required to review our policies, and then they come to me for final review and approval. By reviewing them every year, I鈥檓 now very familiar鈥攂ut in the beginning, it was difficult. Almost all of the policies are about day-to-day operations on the front line. I鈥檓 lucky to have a good leadership team who owns that responsibility. They usually don鈥檛 require many changes for my approval.鈥�
Staff development is another example. As COO, her function has shifted more to oversight and budgeting for education opportunities for her staff.
鈥淲e have a full education department and I work with my sales team,鈥� Jill said. 鈥淭hey help me arrange speakers and topics for lunch-and-learns every month. It鈥檚 oversight of the content mainly, but I鈥檝e been putting more efforts into this recently鈥攎ainly because a recent survey revealed the staff wants more of it. We do open Q&A forums in addition to speakers.鈥�
Regarding how she determines education needs for the entire hospital staff, Jill said, 鈥淲e commit to rounding on every single employee, every single month. During that time, we鈥檙e essentially asking them, in many ways, 鈥楧o you have everything you need to do your job?鈥� We鈥檝e been doing this for a few months now, and we鈥檙e getting great insights. It鈥檚 not a chore鈥攊t鈥檚 very cool. That鈥檚 how we identified that more learning opportunities were wanted.鈥�
A few other hats Jill wears.
- President-elect of Madison/Goodlettsville Rotary: Jill has finished her term as President for 2014/2015, but she鈥檚 still in the club. Now, she sits as the Community Relations Chair. 鈥淚 was a Rotarian in Missouri and have always felt it鈥檚 extremely important to give back and serve. I sought out this opportunity to serve in a leadership role.鈥�
- Board Member of Mental Health America for Middle Tennessee: This opportunity came to her via her role as COO. As a board member, she has certain influence over donation funds and fills the expectation to serve up volunteers.聽
- Board Member of King鈥檚 Daughters Child Development: 鈥淚鈥檓 an honorary member of the board. This is a daycare for families who are financially challenged鈥攁 non-profit that provides care for children while their parents are working hard at school or in their jobs.鈥�
- Board Member of Discover Madison: This one is new, and Jill is excited about the intentions. 鈥淒iscover Madison is based around a train station and other historical sites. Apparently, they needed somebody who is energetic and who is not shy about getting out in the community to raise money. Someone said, 鈥楯ill is the perfect fit,鈥� so that鈥檚 how I ended up on this board.鈥�
We closed the interview by getting nostalgic. Not unlike other alumni we speak to, when she graduated in 2010 Jill decided to fly to Utah in order to attend 黑料传送门鈥檚 commencement ceremony.
鈥淭he school was just perfect for me because I got to work at my own pace. I didn鈥檛 want it to affect my child鈥檚 life, or impact me being a good mother.鈥�
When it came time to graduate, she explained the trip to her family very matter-of-factly: 鈥淚鈥檓 going out there. I鈥檓 walking across that stage. And I鈥檓 meeting my lifeline鈥擩ohn, my聽mentor.鈥澛� Now, all these years after graduation, Jill said, 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 give anything for that experience. My degree is the one thing I am most proud of.鈥�
Q&A
Q: What are your favorite memories from your nursing days?
A: [Laughter and a moment of reflection] 鈥淵ou know, honestly, probably my most fun memories are from working in the ER. You have to have a certain mentality鈥攁 different sense of humor. You really have to in that job鈥攕o we pranked each other and teased one another in order handle the scary and hard times.鈥� Pointing to a very specific time, early in her career, Jill said, 鈥淚n the largest ER in Colorado, 90% of nurses were travelers. You鈥檙e dealing with patients when they are not at their best. Nurses bear the brunt of that鈥攁nd it鈥檚 challenging. We had to come together in interesting ways. We tried to lighten the environment for the patient, and also for each other.鈥�
Q: What changes in healthcare do you see that excite you?
A: 鈥淭he advances in technology that we鈥檙e seeing. It鈥檚 happening so quickly. We鈥檙e piloting new programs. One of the best examples is the Telemedicine program we discussed.鈥�
Q: Do you ever get to put back on the nurse hat?
A: Not really, at this point. I still have a nursing license鈥擨 keep it current. If there is a concern, I鈥檓 often the one stepping in to assist. I鈥檓 out rounding but not in an active nurse鈥檚 role.鈥�
Q: If you could sit down with policy- and decision-makers, what would you tell them?
A: 鈥淚鈥檓 really engaged with what鈥檚 going on locally that will affect my hospital, and patient care within. For me, at least, from a day-to-day perspective, I鈥檇 discuss the nursing shortage. Our shortage is critical. We never want to be faced with turning patients away鈥攁nd there鈥檚 got to be a solution for that. As the large population ages, the need will continue to grow. Rural areas are affected even more. We need to be in prevention mode鈥攏ot damage-control mode.鈥�
Q: Where do you turn for industry news and continuing education opportunities?
A: 鈥淭he Tennessee Hospital Association keeps me up to date with local and state legislation. I read a lot in the psychiatric field. I spend more of my time reading about psychiatric legislation that will affect my hospital. Also, the Tennessee Nursing Association provides great information.鈥�
