If you are a leader when it comes to managing a crisis, it is not a question of “if” but a question of “when.” And unfortunately, you cannot pick your crisis. So, in 2016, when St. Luke’s Magic Valley in Twin Falls, Idaho experienced a devastating sentinel event, coupled with changes in leadership and a major EMR conversion, the organization was confronted with a tsunami of negative emotion. The levels of fatigue, distrust, burnout and likelihood of a wave of resignations threatened the medical center.
St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center needed leaders – both formal and informal, who could keep employees motivated and committed to an exceptional patient experience. A crisis is sometimes the symptom of a deeper problem in your culture, structures or operating model. If you don’t fix the underlying problem, the crisis will go from a singular acute event to chronic turmoil.