January 13, 2017 | (13) Comments

It is the beginning of a new year, and what I appreciate about January is that so many people have such a renewed energy. There is a fresh note of promise ushered in that reinvigorates people around postponed goals and good intentions. The new year is a welcome reset button for many, and if a holiday moves someone closer to positive change, that is indeed a good thing. But personally, I don’t reserve hopeful energy for the new year – I strive to dwell in possibility at all times. I believe, especially at Texas Children’s, we are surrounded by opportunities to make the impossible a reality, every single day.

Perhaps this is why The Art of Possibility is one of my favorite books. My wife Shannon recommended this book to me, and after I read it, it became one of the books I most often recommend to others. It is written by a fascinating couple – conductor Benjamin Zander and his wife, psychotherapist Rosamund Stone Zander. I was of course struck immediately by the title, but as I got into reading the book, I realized how closely aligned it was with many of my personal beliefs and leadership maxims.

For instance, the book emphasizes everyone’s ability to lead, pursue possibility and experience positive results. It is seemingly such a simple notion, but in reality, this is an incredibly powerful mindset. If we believe hope is around every corner or that something wonderful – and perhaps even life changing – is always within our grasp, imagine the excitement and anticipation that would fill each of us. Imagine how resourceful we might become and the fervor with which we would pursue possibilities.

You know, ever since I was 16, and I decided that I wanted to go into health care and some day be a CEO of a major U.S. hospital, I have thought about the kind of leader I would be and what I could do in an organization. However, what I was struck by even when I was very young, when I was in college, through grad school and when I started my career in the Texas Medical Center nearly 40 years ago, was that health care and medicine was filled with so much gloom and doom. In health care, there are always diseases for which a cure seems elusive, there are more patients than caregivers, more needs than resources. And there is loss – loss of life, loss of jobs, and, if we are not careful, loss of hope.

I observe this even today about our industry. It is a volatile and often unpredictable industry. Yet, in the midst of this, my hope is not diminished, and my outlook is unchanged. If anything, because of what we have already accomplished in such short time at Texas Children’s, I am even more inspired to find the answers and the resources to create a future where nothing is impossible.

All of the gloom and doom – I think we have to tune that out. Of course, at first you must digest information to understand your challenges. But then, push that out. Do not use negative information to predict the future. Focus instead on creating the future that works for you and works for Texas Children’s. That is what we have always tried to do here. We are not trying to predict the future, we are trying to create the best future for our organization and for children and women everywhere. We dwell in the possibilities of Texas Children’s.

And of course we have had many examples over the years that demonstrate how we have truly explored the art of possibility and the extent of our aspirational goals and imagination. The Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women, Texas Children’s Pediatrics, Texas Children’s Health Plan, even installing the submarine vaulted doors in the Abercrombie and West Tower basements to prevent flooding. Those are all examples of how at Texas Children’s, we were thinking outside of the box instead of simply wringing our hands and being worried. We were on the outside of the box, looking up, thinking about solutions to problems before they even came to light.

That is why Texas Children’s is dynamic and upbeat, positive and unified. We have one mission, one culture, and we are one amazing team. And that culture, with those characteristics, dwelling in possibilities every single day, creates a performance dividend – every single minute and every day and every year at Texas Children’s. So through better times or tough times, Texas Children’s has always been able to remain strong and flourish. We do not suspend our time and efforts and our ideas in the face of uncertainty. We place our energy in creating our own future at Texas Children’s. We dream audaciously and focus on seizing the power of potential. Because we know at Texas Children’s, every day is a new day and a new chance to passionately pursue possibility.

December 21, 2016 | (2) Comments

At Texas Children’s, we are so passionate about our work and our mission that it is easy to get swept up in the incredible pace at which we move, build and expand. But for just a moment, about this time every year, I pause to really appreciate what we have achieved together in the span of one short year.

What I am reminded of when I do that is what a powerful element leadership is in our success. Specifically our collective leadership and how well tuned and aligned it must be in order for us to accomplish as much as we do year after year. Our growth is a reflection of the way we – the Board, leaders, physicians and employees – lead here at Texas Children’s.

We are constantly demonstrating the power of the leadership equation I often share with you: leadership = vision + structure + people, with people being the most important element or ingredient in the equation.

Vision

51-2k16-0387-ak5_5414-004-west-campus-cancer-gold-ribbon-event-9-2-16At Texas Children’s, we lead decisively and boldly, always focused on the vision we have shared since our founding. Growing our workforce, adding new programs,

recruiting world renowned staff, adding millions of square feet to our facilities and constantly working to make them the most advanced available – all of that is driven by our vision to provide the right care, in the right place and time when our patients need it.

So regardless of the year or the industry trends, our vision is our compass. Our mission-focused vision is at the core of every decision we make for the organization, and vision is in large part why 2016 was another standout year for Texas Children’s.

Structure

14a-2k16_0307-ak4_3015care-first-construction-update-from-street-07%ef%80%a213%ef%80%a216Structure is key to supporting our vision and actually being able to realize it. Simply saying health care should be available when and where children need it is not enough. We are thought-leaders and action-takers. So when we see a need, we respond to it very tangibly, and we provide the structure to support our response.

At the beginning of fiscal year 2016, we opened a special isolation unit to be extensively prepared to care for children with highly contagious infectious diseases. Yet we designed it strategically so that it supports acute care, enabling us to be agile and responsive to daily patient care needs.

We began construction on our new Pediatric Tower this year, and we have now completed the exterior of 16 of 19 new floors. This space will help us provide advanced care and facilities for our most critically ill patients. We also purchased two buildings in the Texas Medical Center right next door to our campus – another move to make sure we can grow when the time is right. Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands Outpatient Building opened this fall, and within just seven weeks, we’d already had 10,000 patient visits between all of our patient care facilities in The Woodlands. We are without a doubt meeting our communities’ current needs and preparing well for future ones.

And to be clear, structure is not always bricks and mortar. More often it is collaboration, resourcefulness and innovation. One of our brightest moments this year was our involvement in the launch of the state’s STAR Kids managed care program, which provides benefits to children and young adults who have special health care needs.

At the start of FY2016, Texas Children’s Heath Plan had just been selected as a provider for the STAR Kids program, and on November 1, STAR Kids made its debut. To date, we already have 25,000 STAR Kids patients enrolled in the Health Plan. The breadth and depth of our system uniquely positions and resources us to provide an incredibly comprehensive network of care for STAR Kids patients. I’m so proud, because this is exactly why Texas Children’s exists.

People

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The little hospital that once had 1,400 staff and employees now has 14,000, delivering exceptional care to nearly 10,000 children and women every day – yes, we had more than 3.6 million patient encounters in FY2016.

Suffice it to say that none of this is possible without our people. We are immeasurably blessed with the most gifted and dedicated clinical and administrative staff and employees in the world.

One of my favorite moments this year was sitting amongst some of our amazing people at our annual Employee Recognition Celebration honoring Texas Children’s employees for their years of service to the organization. This year’s was our largest celebration yet – we honored about 500 tenured employees who, collectively, have dedicated 8,900 years of service.

I remember how fired up every single one of them was about Texas Children’s. And that’s the thing about our people – so many of you have that same energy and fire for Texas Children’s, whether you have been here a good five days or a fantastic 25 years. I simply love the way our people embrace excellence and constantly seek ways to make strides that improve our care, spark ideas and give our families new answers and fresh hope.

This is the spirit of our culture, and it is why a single year at Texas Children’s looks like a decade. It is impressive what we have created, advanced and grown together this year, yet we are still on the cusp of much more.

Our future is brighter than ever, and our team is beyond amazing. Thank you all for a phenomenal year. And enjoy your holidays, because you know I will be ready to do it all over again in 2017.

Merry Christmas, happy holidays and a very happy New Year to all!

Click here for a video of some of our biggest accomplishments in 2016.

 

November 10, 2016 | (1) Comments

During the recent Catalyst Leadership Award Celebration, I was reminded that authentic leadership and culture sometimes shine brightest when we make mistakes. I want to share a story that Linda Aldred told the audience at the celebration luncheon.

She explained how, about a week before the celebration luncheon, two employees emailed me after we announced Texas Children’s was selected by Houston Business Journal for the 11th year in a row as one of Houston’s Best Places to Work. These two employees had second thoughts about this recognition because, as expressed in their emails to me, they were deeply disappointed with our organization for discontinuing a particular program, and they outlined reasons the program should continue. They also shared that, in the past, they have been supportive of our decisions, but they could not support this one because it seemed to go against our values and our culture. I took those words to heart.

I decided I would go home and think about these powerful emails I had received, and the next morning, I called the members of my executive team to discuss the issue. As I spoke with them, I did not ask how this had happened. Instead I simply said, “We missed it. How do we make it right?” The team agreed – we had missed it, and we moved quickly to correct it. I am happy to say the program was back on line within a few hours.

When Linda spoke about this during her opening remarks at the Catalyst Leadership Award Celebration, she did not applaud us for acting quickly or bringing the program back. Rather she spoke about leadership and her pride in being a part of a leadership team that admits when we get it wrong and moves quickly to get it right.

As leaders, we should of course be proud of our valuable contributions, but we also need to know when to step back and reassess a situation and change course if necessary. Sometimes our most profound leadership moments are when things do not go as expected. Our culture is defined by moments like this. When compassionate employees find their courageous voices and weigh in on an issue or a decision, we need to listen.

Once the program was reinstated, I received another email from one of the employees:

Mark, I cannot even begin to tell you how much this means to me, as well as my fellow employees. We were in shock yesterday at how quickly things were escalated and the speed of making the change. To be quite honest, I am still a little in shock at the impact of our words. Thank you for your immediate response, and empathy. It certainly showed me that employees are truly valued here, and I am forever grateful for the seriousness taken regarding our concerns.

As I said to the executive leaders, leadership is about listening to your team. I am glad that Texas Children’s is an organization where staff and employees know they have a voice and where leaders stand ready to listen and respond.

Congratulations to just a few of our many leaders who demonstrate that daily – they are truly Catalyst Leaders who courageously lead their teams and help enrich the culture that makes Texas Children’s the special place that it is.

Meet the 2017 Catalyst Leaders

 

June 18, 2016 | (22) Comments

Many of us have moments indelibly etched in our minds from childhood. Moments that we remember as our fondest. And the faces or voices and feelings of those moments make such an impression on us that they inevitably shape who we become as adults. I remember such moments about my father, Bill Wallace.

Back in the 1950s, when I was growing up, my dad worked as the district sales manager for Cameron Iron Works, a company that produced oil-drilling supplies and parts for rigs and wells. I remember going to work many times with my dad, and even now, I often think about how he engaged with the people around him.

Dad was a great “people person,” and one of my favorite memories as a boy was at the Cameron plant where he was a manager. In the warehouse where he worked, there was an office up front, and at the back the employees produced the valves and equipment. Annually he’d clear out the back of the warehouse and put on a fish fry for the employees. All of the men worked together, bringing in huge fryers to cook fish and hush puppies and French fries. There would be 300 men or so at this annual event. It was festive and fun, and I remember the laughter, the jokes and the ribbing among them.

But what I remember most was my dad in the middle of it all. My dad, in his short-sleeve white shirt and tie and his Cameron pocket protector with the three pens, completely immersed himself in the crowd. He went from person to person shaking hands, acknowledging and thanking people and making sure everyone was having a great time.

I can remember watching him as a kid and thinking, “My dad is so good with people.” I saw how they responded to him, how he seemed to make them feel and how much they liked him. It made me feel good, and I was so proud of him. But that was just my dad’s way. He engaged with people that way every place that he was – at church, where he provided comfort to so many. And most importantly at home, where he was there for us always, leading and supporting us.

I admired him then with the eyes and simplicity of a child. But what I’ve come to appreciate since then was my dad’s ability to be so present for every moment and every person who was truly important to him. I have so many memories that revolve around my dad. I observed his treatment of others, and I learned his work ethic and morals. His viable presence influenced us as children and molded my brother and I as men. As a father, I understand his intentions and efforts and the importance of being present for my own children and grandchildren.

Often, when I consider the things that challenge our families and our greater society now, I can’t help but think about the incredible need for fathers. We have amazing fathers among us. Fathers who are present and loving and work hard for their families. But the reality is also that so, so many children do not grow up with the guiding hand and influence of a father in their lives.

I know all families today don’t look as many did decades ago when mom, dad and all their children lived under a single roof. Even I became a single dad when my children were still very young. But we define for our children what it means to be a family. We can make the choice to be present in their lives, to provide them with the love and support they deserve, to nurture their growth and shape their futures. No child should ever wonder, “Where’s dad?” No matter where dad is, we must always define a way to be there, making a positive impact on our children. It is one of the most tangible and worthy contributions we make as men.

Happy, blessed Father’s Day to all.