Women's Health Leadership Trust: Summer 2007 Newsletter

Sound familiar? The world of healthcare may be even more intensely “VUCA” than other areas of contemporary life. Our careers and lives as women leaders are rarely characterized by stability, certainty, simplicity, and clarity. (If you’re an exception, please let the rest of us know! We’d like your secret and maybe even your place of employment…) While we can’t control the world, as leaders we do have options to respond, rather than react, to the realities of the world – no matter how we personally perceive those realities.

The Future Institute suggests a positive leadership response to the VUCA world described above, which is:

Volatile

Uncertain

Complex

Ambiguous

Our vision at the TRUST is to increase the vitality of the organization so that we can achieve our mission of supporting, educating, and promoting women in healthcare. We understand that today’s professionals in healthcare lead fast-paced and often pressured lives. The TRUST is just one in a “portfolio” of roles and activities. We are clear that the TRUST needs to be engaging, compelling, and convenient. We know that we must be agile, trying new approaches to be relevant to our members in today’s changing world.

Thanks for the privilege of being the President of the Women’s Health Leadership Trust this past year. I am grateful for the foundation laid before me by previous Presidents – especially those I had the opportunity to personally work with, Lynn Rekvig Otterlei and Kaye Foley. I appreciate everyone’s support and encouragement, particularly my colleagues on the Board and the Forum committee. I look forward to working with incoming President Dee Thibodeau. Dee is a real “possibility thinker” who will take the TRUST to new heights!

TRUST MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

Barb Blumer was elected Chair of the Dakota County Community Development Agency in January 2007. The DCCDA is the leading provider of low income housing facilities and programs in Dakota County, with over 1800 units of low income senior and family housing. It administers the Section 8 vouchers, a first time home buyer loan program, a home rehab program, and a great number of other housing related programs and projects. See http://www.dakotacda.org/all_programs.htm for more information. Barb also currently serves as director and treasurer of Dakota Area Resources and Transportation for Seniors (DARTS) and of The Eagan Foundation, and is a member of the Hospice Minnesota board of directors. Barb does work for a living also, as an attorney for providers of services to seniors, such as senior housing, assisted living, home care, community based, and nursing home providers.

Jan Cronquist, Cronquist Group has been retained to conduct the search for a Vice President/ Chief Medical Officer for FirstSolutions, a regional nonprofit care organization located in Duluth, Minnesota.

Governor Tim Pawlenty has appointed Nancy Feldman, President and CEO of UCare Minnesota, to serve on the newly formed Veterans Long Term Care Advisory Commission. The Commission was created via an executive order in response to ongoing patient problems at the Minneapolis Veterans Home. It is charged with identifying the best approach for the future operation, management, administration, and governance of the Veterans Homes. Nancy and fellow community leaders serving on the Commission will review existing problems at the Veterans Homes, and current standards and requirements for veterans long term care; survey successful methods and models of care; and identify practices, methods, or other areas that Minnesota could adopt to improve the quality of care delivered to veterans. Nancy is excited to have this opportunity to improve the quality of life and care for our veterans.

Deb Holmgren was recently accepted into Hamline University’s Doctorate in Public Administration program. She will enter the program next September.

The National Patient Safety Foundation awarded Alison Page of Fairview Health Services, the 2007 Chairman's Medal for Leadership in Patient Safety.

Deborah Shatin, Ph.D. founded a company as of January 2007 that combines her background working in health services research and pharmacoepidemiology at UnitedHealth Group with experience conducting clinical trials at Medtronic, Inc. Shatin Associates, LLC focuses on several interrelated areas of health care research, including pharmacoepidemiology, clinical trials/outcomes, managed care/reimbursement, and health services research. Specific examples include clinical study design, utilization of claims data, health policy related to reimbursement, and post marketing therapy safety surveillance. To date clients include a CRO, a medical device company, and a pharmaceutical company.

Lynette Wheelock is now an Independent Distributor for STEMTech Health Sciences. Please visit her website at www.hbe.stemtechbiz.com.

Profile of a Trust Member

A dynamic and diverse woman who has a leadership position in health care in Minnesota or is aspiring to have a leadership position.

A woman who is interested in supporting and building relationships with women in health care and developing a support system with each other.

A woman who is interested in furthering her education in health care by attending sessions or meetings that will enable her to grow in various ways in the health care community as well as

providing education to other leaders.

A woman who wants to promote women in health care either in their own organization or in various health care organizations around the state.

A woman who wants to assist in leading and becoming influential in the health care community.

A woman who has made some significant contributions to health care or a related field in health care.

A woman who is committed to the advancement of women in health care in the management and board levels of health care.

Welcome New Members!

We welcome the following new members to the TRUST. Please introduce yourself to them at an upcoming event.

Janice Aune, Chief Executive Officer, Onvoy, Inc., BA – Augsburg College. Sponsor: Dee Thibodeau

Karmit Bulman, Senior Major Gifts Officer, Park Nicollet Medical Center, BA – Brandois, JD– Northeastern. Sponsor: Joelyn Malone

Dannette Coleman, VP Public Policy and Government Relations, Medica. BA – University of Wisconsin, Madison, MBA – St. Thomas University. Sponsor: Ann Robinow

Connie Delaney, Dean and Professor, University of MN School of Nursing, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI. Sponsor: Katherine Gray

Nancy McClure, Senior Vice President, HealthPartners Medical Group and Clinic, BS – University of Minnesota, JD – University of Minnesota. Sponsor: Mary Brainerd

Judith Miller, Rehabilitation Therapies, Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare. BS – Miami University, MA – Ball State University, MBA – University of Notre Dame, Doctoral Candidate, University of St. Thomas. Sponsor: Kathryn Wardrop

Susan Noaker, Director of Quality and Patient Safety, University of MN Medical Center, BA – Taylor University, PhD – University of Missouri, St. Louis. Sponsor: Alison Page

Mary Rempfer, Vice President and General Manager, Home Instead Senior Care, MSW – University of Illinois, Chicago. Sponsor: Mary Larweck

SSM Healthcare's CEO Sister Mary Jean Ryan Inspires Leaders at 2007 Forum

“Inspiring…” “Inspiring…” “Inspiring…”

That was the word that echoed throughout the Great Hall at Metropolitan State University after Sister Mary Jean Ryan addressed the audience at this year’s Women’s Health Leadership

Trust Forum on April 19th. As expected, Sister Mary Jean’s presentation was warm, motivational, and encouraging. The event sold out, with over 170 registrations.

Whether you were able to attend the Forum or not, you may be interested in Sister Mary Jean Ryan’s new book, On Becoming Exceptional: SSM Health Care's Journey to Baldrige and Beyond. This book does not deliver five or 10 magical steps to levitate your organization to excellence. Instead, it tells a story of mundane realities - hard work, dozens of mistakes, and the extraordinary commitment of thousands of people. It deals with blind alleys, unpopular decisions, incremental improvements, and even a few breakthroughs. CEO Sister Mary Jean Ryan tells the story of how SSM Health Care made its way through the turbulence to become the first health care organization to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

Thanks to all of our sponsors who helped make this year’s Forum an Exceptional event!

Thank You to Our 2007 Forum Sponsors

Platinum Sponsor Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsor Silver Sponsor Silver Sponsor

Advanced Strategies, Inc. • ARAMARK Healthcare. • Charter Solutions

Dakota Communities Fairvew Foundation • HealthPartners • Hennepin County Medical

Center • Metropolitan State University • Minnesota Council for Quality • Stratis Health

Women's Health Leadership Trust 28th Annual Meeting
Wednesday, May 23, 2007 – 4:30 p.m.
Macalaster Alumni House
1644 Summit Avenue – St. Paul, Minnesota
$25.00 members, $30.00 guests
RSVP info@whltrust.org, 952-829-5937 extension 1 or register and pay online at www.whltrust.org

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Women’s Health Leadership TRUST | 6320 Warren Avenue South | Minneapolis, MN 55439