A New Way of Thinking

By Scott Kanagy, DO, system chief medical officer, Upper Valley Medical Center

“We cannot do that.” I am tired of hearing it. Though I will admit, I am sometimes the person who says it. I have committed to myself to stop saying this and encourage others not to resort to it, either. Instead, I started asking and exploring: “How can we do that?” When I look at the priorities we are embracing moving forward: employee and provider engagement, quality and safety, and financials, our perspective of “cannot” is the primary reason we are not where we want to be currently.

It is a simple concept and protective mechanism embraced by human nature. Simply saying we cannot do that allows us to move on and embrace a culture of the norm which is comfortable, easy, and safe. However, that is not what great societies, cultures, and companies have been founded and have grown upon. We must question the status quo.

I am not calling for an era of recklessness or extreme chance. Instead, an era of new thinking that involves exploring, discussing, debating, and having open-minded discussions on how Premier Health leads health care in Southwest Ohio into the future. If we never take any risks or challenge ourselves, we will not achieve or sustain greatness.

I know we all feel we champion innovation and inspiration in our way. However, I am writing this article because if we are honest with ourselves, myself included, we are not always open to this way of thinking as we should be.  This way of thinking starts daily at the most basic level of the services we provide to our patients. Additionally, this thinking involves the most senior leaders, clinical and non-clinical staff, and all of our colleagues if our goal is greatness. I believe we have some of the brightest minds here in Dayton. It would be a misfortune if we did not consider ideas that could advance Premier to a higher level as we continue our commitment to serving Southwest Ohio.

Back to the October 2022 issue of Premier Pulse