CEO Update Summer 2020

July 1 marked my first day as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Campbell County Health. As many of you know, Andy Fitzgerald retired after 19 years at CCH and eight years as the CEO. I am humbled to follow in Andy’s footsteps and lead CCH into the future, amid the challenges and opportunities of COVID-19. I have some thoughts to share as I begin my new role.

• Lead. My single most important objective is to develop strong leadership and culture in our organization. As CCH begins to formulate our new Strategic Plan, I believe we will spend the next year taking time to Pause and Perfect. We have many opportunities to improve across our organization, and now is the time to continue to build trust within our community, with our employees, and with our providers.
• Learning. I have always been a believer in lifelong learning. As an organization, we have made more major decisions in the past 90 days than in the last five years. Today, CCH will learn in a new way and as leaders we have a new curriculum, a new normal.
• Celebrate. The media, both national and local, is loaded with bad news about healthcare and businesses. Yet even amid layoffs, furloughs and deep concerns over the health and safety of our community, we do need to take time to celebrate. To celebrate the small stuff, you need to notice Everything! We need to celebrate our team at CCH who consistently goes the extra mile to work together and care for our members of the community tirelessly. The journey we are on today has no parallel—we are really headed into an unknown that involves change in processes, products, and people.
• Motivation. When we acknowledge and celebrate how far we have come, we become more motivated for what undoubtedly will be a long road ahead. The stakes are high and we can choose to be positive or negative. We can be constructive or critical. We can give energy or consume energy.
• Choose. Ultimately, it is our choice to make. We can navigate this crisis and turn discouragement into encouragement. We will have to choose to make some tough decisions about our business, and those decisions most likely will not be positive for everyone. To undertake this journey, we must be multidimensional. That means being humble, curious, authentic, resilient, flexible, and courageously self-aware.
• Inclusive Leadership. Amid all this change, it take inclusive leaders in our community who purposely appreciate and value each other’s unique differences. When organizations and communities are inclusive, combined perspectives and beliefs become a strategic advantage. Based on what everyone sees, from every possible vantage point; organizations and communities can see the reality of today. Based on our learning and realities, the community and organizations become better at reacting, anticipating, and predicting what lies ahead.
• Quality and Safety. Our community is scared and unsure, and we want you to know that we are practicing safe protocols and monitoring at the highest level. Please know you will be treated here with the highest safety and quality standards. We will continue to do everything in our power to keep you safe and healthy.
• It takes everyone. We are on this journey together, we need everyone’s participation to navigate this difficult journey ahead of us.
• Together. Let’s do this together. My door is open if you would like to discuss your ideas and solutions. I believe in our Mission and Vision. I am committed to serving our community by providing a lifetime of care with dedication, skill, and compassion.

Campbell County Health will be the first choice for healthcare and wellness in Wyoming by providing Excellence Every Day.

Sincerely,

Colleen Heeter, CEO