March Business Meeting Presentation

The Healthcare Council’s Annual Business Meeting was held March 29 at Martin’s Crosswinds in Greenbelt. Council President Joe Burns distributed the Council/Shared Services Annual Report highlighting activities throughout 2006. The Council celebrated “60” years of service to area healthcare providers in 2006.

Council Executive Committee member Hugh Eagleton (Trustee) called the meeting to order.

The speaker was introduced by Joe Burns.

Mr. Burns stated Steve Rivkin comes from a diverse background from advertising and communication to journalism. He has co-authored five books in the past ten years and is founder of Rivkin & Associates.

Rivkin & Associates has provided services to over sixty healthcare facilities and a host of private companies. Mr. Rivkin is a journalism graduate of the University of Missouri and frequent speaker that has appeared at hundreds of seminars, conferences and retreats. The presentation was “Silence Grants The Point: Critical Hospital Situations”.

Mr. Rivkin began his presentation commenting bad things happen to good hospitals. The measure of the organization is how it takes control of the situation, attacks the problem, and gets the word out. Successful organizations, according to Steve Rivkin, understand that “silence grants the point” — that if you fail to speak up and speak out, you will always be on the defensive.

His one-hour presentation included successful tactics for reaching out to the medical staff, to employees and to the community. Among his points:
Strive to explain “why” decisions are made, not just the specifics on who was involved, when it took place, and how it affects everyone.
Engage in two-way communications with employees. Among the tactics that work are Management by Walking Around, employee forums, monthly luncheons, and hotlines, question boxes and blogs.

Rivkin also offered advice in how to manage a crisis. The best response, he said, is two-fold:

• First, immediate action to control the problem. Hospital leaders should grasp the circumstances, take charge, and move decisively.
  
• Then, longer-term steps to eliminate the cause, remove the root of the problem, and prevent a recurrence.

He acknowledged that dealing with the media in a crisis situation can be a frustrating, lopsided adventure. But he offered this advice:

• Remember that your words have added meaning in a crisis. Everything you say will be closely examined. Don’t shoot from the hip.
  
• Keep it simple. In most cases, you won’t be talking to colleagues.
  Let some passion and conviction show through.
  
• If you don’t know the answer, don’t bluff.
  
• Never say, “We have no comment on that.” In our society, those words have come to mean “Guilty!” So when you have to decline to answer a question because of ethical or legal or other considerations, explain why you’re doing so.