| Judge
cites reasons for award
The Award for Top Leadership Team in the nation for small hospitals was presented last week to Clearwater Valley Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital by HealthLeaders Magazine based in Nashville, Tennessee. According to Steve Millard, President, Idaho Hospital Association the award is the most prestigious recognition presented to an Idaho hospital during his 29 year tenure with IHA. Tom Gillem, Top Leadership Team Search Coordinator, said the panel of nine judges based their decision on four major points. 
“First, the team was built with local resources. Both the CEO and her team members are members of the communities they serve…” said Gillem. “The leadership environment here is another area that impressed the judges. Casey set the stage by establishing a culture that encourages others to have the confidence to do their best. People make mistakes; they always will. But the leaders here know it’s OK as long as they learn from their mistakes. This type of leadership goes a long way to eliminate the fear that often exists in organizations, he continued. According to Gillem, the third point is the mutual respect that exists among the leadership team members. They have different skills and personalities, but they know they can all learn from each other. There is humor in the group. They can work hard, but can still have fun. ”And lastly, the judges saw that cooperation rather than competition exists among the healthcare providers in Orofino and Cottonwood, and it is successful,” said Gillem. “They felt what is happening here in Idaho could be a model for rural healthcare across the country, and it should be shared with others.”  This
is the second year HealthLeaders Magazine has selected a Top Leadership
Team in three categories: Large Hospital, Small Hospital and Health Plan.
Small hospitals are defined as 170 beds or less.
Nominations were solicited from around the country. Last year applications were received from over 30 states. The nomination packet included biographies of the senior management team, a summary and sections describing challenges, successes and teamwork. The panel of nine judges selected nine finalists, three in each category. Site judges visited each of the finalist sites, meeting with the management team members and touring the facilities. The site judges then summarized their findings to the remaining judges. They were not allowed to vote in the category of the site they visited. SMHC/CVHC were notified of their selection two weeks before the award ceremony on May 26th in Kamiah City Park which included four representatives from HealthLeaders, Gillem; Jim Molpus, editor; Jim Stokes, site judge and former CEO of Quorum Healthcare, a national management company and Dana Thomas, photographer. A breakfast meeting was held with the HealthLeaders representatives with the 17 member joint CVHC/SMHC management team and the 13 site managers in Kamiah prior to the public award ceremony. The HealthLeaders representatives shared information about national trends and management training opportunities. The management team will be featured in the August issue of HealthLeaders magazine and on their website, www.HealthLeaders.com/leadership |
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