Transcription:

Dr. Sean Lansing (Host):    Hello. My name is Dr. Sean Lansing and I serve Trinity Health as the Mission Leader for Mount Carmel Health System. On our podcast today is Lorraine Lutton, the President and CEO of Mount Carmel Health System. Lorraine, welcome to the podcast.

Lorraine Lutton, FACHE (Guest): Thank you, Sean. It's great to be here.

Host: Before we dive in, could you share with our listeners a little about your professional journey and what brought you to Mount Carmel Health System?

Lorraine: Yes. I started in healthcare in quality improvement, which for me, is working with a group of people to improve processes, to transform how we deliver care, to make it better for the patient. So, to improve the patient experience, the clinical outcomes and the efficiency and effectiveness of the work that we do. So, I spent 24 years at the BayCare Health System, coming up through the quality ranks and leaving as CEO of St. Joseph's Hospital and then spent three and a half years at Roper St. Francis in Charleston, South Carolina, where I led a team to really turn around the financial performance of Roper St. Francis. And so, was contacted about joining Mount Carmel, I saw this as a great opportunity to use my skills and background, to improve quality, to improve service and clinical performance, as well as financial performance for the organization.

Host: That's great. So, it's a really, in some ways it's a welcome back to Trinity Health, right?

Lorraine: It is welcome back to Trinity Health. And, again, my passion is quality improvement and, there's a lot of great people working hard to improve quality here at Mount Carmel and across Trinity.

Host: Absolutely. And, the better quality we give, the better we're taking care of folks. So, it's been a year and some odd months, and we've been living through the most, one the most challenging times. it's probably an overused term. challenging times that we've been in, coping with a global pandemic, caused by COVID-19, but we've also with all of the civil unrest that's gone on over the last year and a half. I know you've been very involved in those conversations in the community and, within the system that just gripped our country and gripped all of us. you talk a little bit about your experience over the last 14, 15 months and, you maybe share a story about that's really kind of stuck with you that really highlights who it is that we are that kind of says to you, this is, this is what we're all about.

Lorraine: Yes, I will tell you though. When I think about the last 13 months for me, I joined the organization in April of 2020, in the pandemic was already sort of in force. Our incident command team was incredible. But I can't really picture one story. It's a montage that comes to my mind, and it includes our physicians and our nurses and our respiratory therapists working countless hours and tirelessly to take care of patients, developing and evolving different treatment protocols.

imagine our supply chain team working relentlessly to ensure we had adequate protective equipment for our colleagues, volunteers sewing N95 masks to sure that they would stay on, to the volunteers from the community who supported our colleagues with clap ins and clap outs and the incredible work to stand up an infusion center for steroid treatment and the vaccines. sites that have been incredible in helping transform, or helping end this pandemic. So, it's a lot of different images. All people selflessly doing what we do across Trinity to care for our, patients and our communities.

Host: Yeah, almost a mosaic of stories and it really speaks to integrity. The sense of, you know, we are who we say we are and, and certainly, it's easy to say who you are and what you stand for and what your values are when things are going well, when the budgets are in the green and, life is good and, care is being delivered and there aren't any issues, but when, everything's up against the wall and everything's for grabs, that's when, when you really find out who you are as a person and as an institution.

Lorraine: I agree. And I think the reverence that was displayed for every person who came to us for care is truly remarkable. The way our colleagues extended themselves when we were not able to have visitors with our patients and really standing in for those loved ones, at end of life and through the healing journey, was truly remarkable. And again, I think speaks to both reverence, integrity, and stewardship.

Host: Yeah, absolutely. One of the things you started not too long after you got here was these Here To Listen series where you just kind of open the floor as it were, via WebEx and just gave people an opportunity to just kind of talk and be listened to. Can you kind of speak to your thinking behind that?

Lorraine: As a new leader, coming into an organization during a pandemic, it was difficult for me to build relationships, to round in hospitals. I didn't want to use precious PPE for myself or, endanger anyone. So, it was difficult to connect with our colleagues, our physicians, and everyone else. And so, the webinar or format for Here to Listen was a great way to listen to what is on the minds of our colleagues. And I continue them because I find them so personally valuable to understand what questions people have, to be respond directly to any concerns that may be out there. So, I think it's a great way to better understand and connect with the entire ministry in a way that I was not able to do when we first came, but I will continue to use it because I do think it's a very effective tool.

Host: Yeah. And, I think it sent a message to people across the system. You know, it was a really difficult time and, new information was coming out. Sometimes the information coming out in the evening was different than the information that came out in the morning because of how much we learned in, that eight to 12 hours. And I think those Here to Listen to sessions really spoke to people about how everyone matters. And we're in this together and you could really sense people coming together in that, like you said, that real sense of reverence for folks and, taking care of each other as well.

Lorraine: I agree, Sean. And one of the great things about this organization is that colleagues who were not on the front lines, volunteered to be on the front lines. We had very difficult time having adequate nurses to care for the volume of patients that we had. And so we had everyone from our CFO to aides or, registration clerks and people who worked in other departments volunteer to come in and do the things that the nurses didn't need to do that it wasn't required, to do. You didn't have to have a nursing license to do so stocking the PPE carts or delivering trays to the outside of patient rooms. And I think that sent a message of solidarity that even though I don't have the skills to be a nurse, as a CEO, I can come in every Sunday and try to support you and make your life easier, you know, your clinical workload more manageable,in doing the things that are so important to take care of our patients during this time.

Host: Yeah, learned a lot about respiratory gear by doing a lot of stocking myself during that time. And I remember, folks just signing up, they couldn't sign up fast enough to be able to help out where they could. Everyone felt like, you know, what can I do to be helpful who are out there doing their thing.

Lorraine: And I do think that that is something that Mount Carmel is known for is going where the need is greatest. And so as colleagues, the ability to demonstrate that even within our own organization was really powerful. When I think about our Street Medicine Team or our particular care for the vulnerable, in going where the need is greatest as an organization, as well as individuals I think was truly demonstrated through this pandemic.

Host: Yeah, absolutely. So, it's an opportunity for us to look back and say, what are the things we want that we learned? That we could do in situation that we want to sure that we keep doing, you know, as we move forward. brings me to my next question. As we kind of think about moving forward, we've made this shift from, the immediate nature and urgency of the pandemic. And now had a chance to kind of start looking forward into the future. What are your hopes and fears for our future?

Lorraine: Well, my hope is that as a country and as a world, we think about public health and every individual responsibility that we have to the greater good, to public health is recognized, acknowledged, and reinforced going forward. My hope is that we continue to work across this community and all communities to care for the poor, care for the vulnerable, care for the needy, but also do it through a lens of justice. You mentioned early on, in the podcast about George Floyd and the racial protest and the recognition that we have not always had equitable care across our community. And I think that, that lesson will certainly live on in me. And I hope all of us going forward. We need to think about a different lens to view racial equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Host: Yeah, I agree. I really feel for me, that was one of the challenges that came out of this. And for us, it's about integrity, right? We say we are a Catholic healthcare system rooted in the spirit of the Gospel. And if were going to be true to that then really making sure that we are not participating in marginalization and oppression, got to be, and center, in the ways that we plan and think and, do our care.

And you can certainly tell the Trinity, and your leadership at Mount Carmel has taken that, challenge seriously. feel like we're having conversations that we haven't had before, and conversations, aren't the only thing, but they're an important thing as we move forward in this direction.

Lorraine Lutton, FACHE (Guest): Yes,

Lorraine: I agree. And again, even under the core value of safety, we talk about the healing safe environment for all, and it's never been more important that we think about that for all.

Host: absolutely. Well, Lorraine, our time is coming to an end. I want to thank all of you for listening and I really thank you so much, Lorraine for your time. I really appreciate it. I know you're busy and it's just really appreciate being able to spend some time with us and just talk about your experience from your perspective about how we can better live our values. So, thank you so much for your time today.

Lorraine: Well, thank you, Sean. And thanks for all that you've done the past year. I'm so grateful for your support and leadership.

Host: that's very kind. I appreciate that. I'm your host, Sean Lansing. Until next time, be well,