Dr. Ken Holmen, new CEO of CentraCare Health, visited the hospital in Monticello Tuesday to meet with staff and civic leaders in the community. About 20 people attended the meeting, including Big Lake Mayor Raeanne Danielowski.
Dr. Holmen was chief medical officer and vice president of medical affairs at Regions Hospital, vice president of business development at Regions Hospital and physician strategies at Health Partners. He was also president of Associated Anesthesiologists. He was in private practice for 24 years.
Dr. Holmen earned his MD from the University of Minnesota Medical School and is a board certified anesthesiologist.
Dr. Holmen replaced Dr. Terry Pladson, who retired at the end of 2014 after 12 years as CentraCare Health’s top executive.
Hospital District Board Chair Sheldon Johnson, who was part of the search committee for Dr. Pladson’s replacement, introduced Dr. Holmen.
“The interview process was daunting,” said Dr. Holmen. “Not because you have to find someone with the right qualifications but someone who is a good fit for the organization. I appreciate the opportunity and thank you. CentraCare Health exists because of the communities we serve and every one is different. I thank the previous leadership of this organization because they got us to where we are today.”
Dr, Holmen said he defined success by the trust the patients in the community have in their services, the quality, experience and good stewardship the organization provides, and their relationship with their employees.
“We have to look at who we are in health care,” Dr. Holmen said. “Central Minnesota is Minnesota nice, but can we be better? And how do we get to be better. Every day it starts with self and asking ourselve, how do I do things? Can I do them better? What can others expect of me?”
Having a goal without ever achieving it is a waste, Dr. Holmen said.
“We need clear metrics and accountability to know if we have reached our goals,” he said. “And we need employee engagement to attract and retain good doctors and nurses.”
Minnesota health care is the best in the country, according to a list generated by the University of Dartmouth. CentraCare Health is slightly above the middle of that list and in the top 10 percent in the country.
“Is that good enough?” Dr. Holmen asked. “No. We want to try to be the best. It’s good business strategy.”
Outside The Walls
CentraCare Health will be going outside its traditional four walls to focus on the health and well being of the community as the way healthcare is managed takes on a larger community focus with preventive care, smoking cessation classes, diabetes education and more.
There are plans for a wellness survey to be completed by small business owners for their employees and they will be visiting schools and promoting vaccinations.
“Health care in the region is fragmented,” Dr. Holmen said. “We like to have choice but being able to choose creates inefficiencies. Then there is the Quixotic notion of competition. All the healthcare providers in the area are non-profit. How do we all behave differently to get a better outcome?”
Another challenge facing the health care industry is the aging population as baby boomers retire and demands on health care increase and costs are shifted. Medicare pays 30 percent less in reimbursement to health care providers than private insurance companies do,” Dr. Holmen said.
“We can improve services for seniors with the use of technology,” he said. “We also need to look at how we use our staff and managing post acute care. The nursing home model won’t work for everyone. We also need an active community and collaboration.”
Staff recruitment continues to be a challenge, not just for CentraCare Health but for all health care organizations. Their efforts continue.
A cultural week is planned in May and a friendly organization wide realignment of CentraCare Health will be in the works by early summer as clinical integration of the healthcare network gets underway. Incentive plans for staff will be revised.
Dr. Holmen said he believed in strong community boards and local leadership and thanked everyone for attending.
CentraCare Health has 8,300 employees and includes six hospitals, seven long term care facilities, 18 clinics in Central Minnesota and a Family Practice Residency Program affiliated with the University of Minnesota with a budgeted income of $1.122 billion in fiscal year 2015.
