9y
We have certainly faced a number of challenges in the post-merger years.
I’ve been here 10 years, and have been through the sale of the company, from one private equity firm to another. It has minimal impact on staff and day to day operations. I have no way of knowing if there is truth behind the rumors of a potential sale, but would do nothing differently than I am doing today, should they substantiate.
I must say, I think there’s a more heightened sense of accountability now, than there has been in the last four years. With the loss of government contracts… which is to be expected in any organization from time to time, comes a need for employees to step up, and work harder to get the same amount of work done, with less staff. In terms of the board hiring senior leaders with no industry experience… our current CEO that will “turn things around” has worked in corrections before, as has our Chief Human Resource Officer, as has the consultant currently overseeing IT and Contracting, so I must disagree with that statement.
I agree with what you say about corporate being out of touch with the field, and I think senior leadership is recognizing that as well. In my position, I visit our sites very frequently, and feel pretty connected to what is going on in the field. There are however, departments that may not be as close to our front line staff.
We’ve recently brought back a program that will take corporate staff on a site visit shortly after they start, so that every staff member can envision what our front line staff do, day to day.
Several members of our executive team just went on tours of multiple contracts, visiting sites across the US for weeks on end. There is certainly a renewed re-commitment on the part of newer leadership, to be present and visible to our field teams. Change is hard on people, and we’ve seen a fair amount of change over the years. For those that can stay the course, I think it’s worth remaining dedicated and focused, and remembering what we are here for- not corporate staff, not executives, but to make sure our field employees are supported and our patients receive the best care possible.
Sincerely,
Courtney Penning
Director of Talent Acquisition