The CEO of a critical access hospital in rural southwest Wisconsin looks back on the last two years and describes the challenges, the silver linings and the overall impact of the pandemic to-date, and talks about the outlook for recovery.
Learn more about Lisa Schnedler, FACHE
Was The Pandemic A Good Thing For Our Hospital?
Featured Speaker:
Prior to joining the staff at Upland Hills Health, she served a dual role as the Corporate Director of Strategic Planning for SMPHS and as the CEO for Van Buren County Hospital in Iowa, a position she held for twenty-three years. She has served as President of the Iowa Rural Health Association, the Van Buren County Rotary Group, the local PEO Chapter, the Great Places & Folk School Committees, and the Bentonsport Improvement Association. She also served on the Governor’s Task Force on Telemedicine (Iowa). Currently she serves on the Iowa County Humane Society Board (as Secretary), on the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) Board, the Executive Council of the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative, and as President of the WHA Southern Region.
Learn more about Lisa Schnedler, FACHE
Lisa Schnedler, FACHE
Lisa Schnedler is the President and CEO of Upland Hills Health, a position she has held for eight years. Lisa is originally from St. Louis, Missouri and attended the University of Missouri where she received her Bachelors of Health Care Administration. She later received her Master’s in Hospital Administration from the University of Minnesota. Lisa served as the Health and Manpower Planner for an eleven-county area in southern Illinois, the Planning Manager for 16 Clinical Service Chiefs at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, and the Manager for Older Adult Programs and Services for Jewish Hospital.Prior to joining the staff at Upland Hills Health, she served a dual role as the Corporate Director of Strategic Planning for SMPHS and as the CEO for Van Buren County Hospital in Iowa, a position she held for twenty-three years. She has served as President of the Iowa Rural Health Association, the Van Buren County Rotary Group, the local PEO Chapter, the Great Places & Folk School Committees, and the Bentonsport Improvement Association. She also served on the Governor’s Task Force on Telemedicine (Iowa). Currently she serves on the Iowa County Humane Society Board (as Secretary), on the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) Board, the Executive Council of the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative, and as President of the WHA Southern Region.
Learn more about Lisa Schnedler, FACHE
Transcription:
Was The Pandemic A Good Thing For Our Hospital?
Caitlin Whyte: The pandemic has uprooted pretty much every aspect of life in the last two years. So today, we're going to look back and talk about the challenges, the silver linings, as well as the outlook for recovery. Joining us for this conversation is Lisa Schnedler, the president and CEO of Upland Hills Health.
This is the Inspire Health Podcast from Upland Hills Health. I'm Caitlin Whyte. Lisa, thank you so much for joining us today. It has been a wild and turbulent few years for everyone, but especially hospitals and healthcare workers. So let's start by talking about some of the challenges that you faced and, more specifically, how did your staff and the providers deal with the last few years at Upland Hills Health?
Lisa Schnedler, FACHE: Well, you know, I think you really captured it well. It has been really just a turbulent time and something, of course, that none of us could have expected that I think that the staff has just been amazing and they have just, you know, weathered this storm. I'm not saying it hasn't affected them because, obviously, it has. It's been a very long two years. I don't think there's a single person in the world that this thing hasn't just kind of battered down a bit. But they have thrived in terms of their professional skills, in terms of how they take care of each other, the wonderful care they've given the community. I just can't say enough about them. They have rallied to the cause and they have done so with remarkable poise and I am just really proud to be on this team.
Caitlin Whyte: Upland Hills Health is of course a rural hospital. And while we saw big cities being slammed by large numbers of cases, we also saw on the news rural outlets dealing with things like short staffing. So how has being a rural provider helped or hurt during this pandemic?
Lisa Schnedler, FACHE: Well, you know, I think it's kind of a mixed blessing. We ended up having to open up two different med-surg floors. Thankfully, we had just opened a new med-surg for right before the pandemic, I think six months before the pandemic. And so we had the availability to staff what we call the COVID unit and a non-COVID unit. And so we were able to try to, at the early stages of the pandemic, segment our patients between, like I said, the COVID and the non-COVID and take precautions. When testing became available, that certainly helped tremendously because we were no longer just looking at symptoms, but we were actually looking at, you know, medical diagnoses and being able to diagnose COVID.
But then we got hit again, of course. We went through this really wonderful lull and then we got hit again. And that's when the Madison Hospitals, Dubuque, other hospitals, the tertiary centers we kind of rely on to transfer patients who get extremely ill couldn't take patients. And so our staff had to really rally and use skills they had not used before, including our physicians had to take care of patients they had not taken before, and they did so remarkably well. We had praises from our ER group that staffs our hospital and the hospital in Madison. They were just so impressed with the level of care that we were able to provide and provide well.
So I think again, you know, they rallied to the moment. And they're just really impressed, everybody around them that had the clinical knowledge, that they were able to take care of these patients. And so in that sense, I think that being a rural facility, we didn't realize everything perhaps we could do if we had to do it, but we did it.
Caitlin Whyte: Absolutely. Well, let's focus on patients. What was the impact of the pandemic on our patients and the relationship to just the greater committee?
Lisa Schnedler, FACHE: I think our patients have a great deal of respect for us. I think the majority of them are happy that we follow the CDC guidance and that this is truly a safe place to come. I had patients and their family members tell me throughout the pandemic that they really felt safer here than almost anywhere. And that was just huge. You know, our housekeeping staff, a huge credit to them and to our nursing staff and our ancillary staff and really everyone to be able to wipe surfaces when we thought COVID was on surfaces and just give that strong emphasis that this is a safe place. I think that they have become frustrated at times as things open up in society faster than we are permitted to open up. We follow a whole different set of guidelines that we have to function under. And so we just really asked for their understanding that you might be able to go mask-less at the grocery store, that just isn't the case here yet.
Caitlin Whyte: I know. It's the confusing time where some stores allow it, some don't and I could see where that gets a little frustrating, but it's definitely understandable, especially in a hospital setting.
Lisa Schnedler, FACHE: Right. Exactly.
Caitlin Whyte: Well, my next question might be kind of strange, but were there any good things that you've seen come out of this pandemic, especially now that we're on this side of things?
Lisa Schnedler, FACHE: I think, you know, we would never wish this on anyone, right? But I do believe that the pandemic really brought the team together. I have always worked closely with the physicians, but even more so now, and different team members that I would see and talk to. I actually had to, you know, sit down at the table and work with them. And I think that we each had that experience, that it brought us together in unique ways, addressing unique challenges, anything from staffing to, you know, setting up a swabbing station to making sure that we got information out into the public. We just really had to work closely and collaboratively. So from our end, I think that that was a really good thing.
I think, in terms of the public, they now see the precautions that can work. You know, we've seen a huge drop in influenza. We've seen a huge drop in respiratory illnesses and that's because, they kind of kept their distance a little bit and wore masks during those peak times. And we're not suggesting that for everyone, but I do believe it really protected particularly the elderly and those that are immunocompromised. And so I think, in that sense, it really taught us that, first of all, from a team center, that we can come together and, from a public center, that the public can come together and really protect those that have health concerns as well
Caitlin Whyte: Well, wrapping up here, Lisa, how does Upland Hills Health plan to recover from the impact of COVID-19? What does the future look like for us?
Lisa Schnedler, FACHE: Well, I think gradually we are opening. This week, we don't have screeners at the door anymore. We just rely on the public to where their face coverings and to do the hand sanitation. We do ask the questions still when they go into the departments about making sure that they don't have COVID symptoms, but we're already starting to see that our volunteers are back. We will be opening the cafeteria again soon to the public. Our gift store is open. So we are starting to open up and we will continue to do that as the government permits us to, and just asking the public to bear with us here, that we really do have different guidelines that we have to function under, but things are opening up quite a bit more.
Caitlin Whyte: Wonderful. Well, are there any other messages, anything else you want people to know, patients, listeners, staff members?
Lisa Schnedler, FACHE: You know, I just really think that the public should let the healthcare workers, particularly those in housekeeping on the floor, giving ancillary services. You know, everybody has really pulled together billing, all departments. And just, you know, the public should see that this was a real marathon here and give them, you know, a hug when they can give them a lot of credit, you know, give them kudos because they have done a tremendous job and they did it all for their community. And those of us who were in the inside and working side by side with them really just owe them a debt of gratitude for everything they went through. You can imagine at the beginning of the pandemic how frightening it was to come into an environment that you had no knowledge of who had COVID or not, and yet they showed up every day and they have come to work every day during the valleys and during the peaks. And so my admiration for everyone in this building has just gone up tremendously. I have always admired them, but I admire them even more. And I'd like to share that message with the public, that you've got an amazing team here taking care of you.
Thank you to the public for their understanding. Thank you to the board of trustees here for opening up a lot of funding and giving us a lot of latitude to be able to do things we have never done before and all of us together to take care of the community. Huge thank you to the physicians and the providers, because of all of the care that they gave and the stretching they did of their own skills and knowledge to be able to do that.
We're getting through this, everybody. Just hang in here. We're at the very end and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Caitlin Whyte: Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, thank you so much, Lisa, for taking the time to talk to us and our community. We appreciate it so much. Additional questions or comments for Lisa may be sent via the Contact Us page at uplandhillshealth.org. This has been the Inspire Health Podcast from Upland Hills Health. I'm Caitlin Whyte. Be well.
Was The Pandemic A Good Thing For Our Hospital?
Caitlin Whyte: The pandemic has uprooted pretty much every aspect of life in the last two years. So today, we're going to look back and talk about the challenges, the silver linings, as well as the outlook for recovery. Joining us for this conversation is Lisa Schnedler, the president and CEO of Upland Hills Health.
This is the Inspire Health Podcast from Upland Hills Health. I'm Caitlin Whyte. Lisa, thank you so much for joining us today. It has been a wild and turbulent few years for everyone, but especially hospitals and healthcare workers. So let's start by talking about some of the challenges that you faced and, more specifically, how did your staff and the providers deal with the last few years at Upland Hills Health?
Lisa Schnedler, FACHE: Well, you know, I think you really captured it well. It has been really just a turbulent time and something, of course, that none of us could have expected that I think that the staff has just been amazing and they have just, you know, weathered this storm. I'm not saying it hasn't affected them because, obviously, it has. It's been a very long two years. I don't think there's a single person in the world that this thing hasn't just kind of battered down a bit. But they have thrived in terms of their professional skills, in terms of how they take care of each other, the wonderful care they've given the community. I just can't say enough about them. They have rallied to the cause and they have done so with remarkable poise and I am just really proud to be on this team.
Caitlin Whyte: Upland Hills Health is of course a rural hospital. And while we saw big cities being slammed by large numbers of cases, we also saw on the news rural outlets dealing with things like short staffing. So how has being a rural provider helped or hurt during this pandemic?
Lisa Schnedler, FACHE: Well, you know, I think it's kind of a mixed blessing. We ended up having to open up two different med-surg floors. Thankfully, we had just opened a new med-surg for right before the pandemic, I think six months before the pandemic. And so we had the availability to staff what we call the COVID unit and a non-COVID unit. And so we were able to try to, at the early stages of the pandemic, segment our patients between, like I said, the COVID and the non-COVID and take precautions. When testing became available, that certainly helped tremendously because we were no longer just looking at symptoms, but we were actually looking at, you know, medical diagnoses and being able to diagnose COVID.
But then we got hit again, of course. We went through this really wonderful lull and then we got hit again. And that's when the Madison Hospitals, Dubuque, other hospitals, the tertiary centers we kind of rely on to transfer patients who get extremely ill couldn't take patients. And so our staff had to really rally and use skills they had not used before, including our physicians had to take care of patients they had not taken before, and they did so remarkably well. We had praises from our ER group that staffs our hospital and the hospital in Madison. They were just so impressed with the level of care that we were able to provide and provide well.
So I think again, you know, they rallied to the moment. And they're just really impressed, everybody around them that had the clinical knowledge, that they were able to take care of these patients. And so in that sense, I think that being a rural facility, we didn't realize everything perhaps we could do if we had to do it, but we did it.
Caitlin Whyte: Absolutely. Well, let's focus on patients. What was the impact of the pandemic on our patients and the relationship to just the greater committee?
Lisa Schnedler, FACHE: I think our patients have a great deal of respect for us. I think the majority of them are happy that we follow the CDC guidance and that this is truly a safe place to come. I had patients and their family members tell me throughout the pandemic that they really felt safer here than almost anywhere. And that was just huge. You know, our housekeeping staff, a huge credit to them and to our nursing staff and our ancillary staff and really everyone to be able to wipe surfaces when we thought COVID was on surfaces and just give that strong emphasis that this is a safe place. I think that they have become frustrated at times as things open up in society faster than we are permitted to open up. We follow a whole different set of guidelines that we have to function under. And so we just really asked for their understanding that you might be able to go mask-less at the grocery store, that just isn't the case here yet.
Caitlin Whyte: I know. It's the confusing time where some stores allow it, some don't and I could see where that gets a little frustrating, but it's definitely understandable, especially in a hospital setting.
Lisa Schnedler, FACHE: Right. Exactly.
Caitlin Whyte: Well, my next question might be kind of strange, but were there any good things that you've seen come out of this pandemic, especially now that we're on this side of things?
Lisa Schnedler, FACHE: I think, you know, we would never wish this on anyone, right? But I do believe that the pandemic really brought the team together. I have always worked closely with the physicians, but even more so now, and different team members that I would see and talk to. I actually had to, you know, sit down at the table and work with them. And I think that we each had that experience, that it brought us together in unique ways, addressing unique challenges, anything from staffing to, you know, setting up a swabbing station to making sure that we got information out into the public. We just really had to work closely and collaboratively. So from our end, I think that that was a really good thing.
I think, in terms of the public, they now see the precautions that can work. You know, we've seen a huge drop in influenza. We've seen a huge drop in respiratory illnesses and that's because, they kind of kept their distance a little bit and wore masks during those peak times. And we're not suggesting that for everyone, but I do believe it really protected particularly the elderly and those that are immunocompromised. And so I think, in that sense, it really taught us that, first of all, from a team center, that we can come together and, from a public center, that the public can come together and really protect those that have health concerns as well
Caitlin Whyte: Well, wrapping up here, Lisa, how does Upland Hills Health plan to recover from the impact of COVID-19? What does the future look like for us?
Lisa Schnedler, FACHE: Well, I think gradually we are opening. This week, we don't have screeners at the door anymore. We just rely on the public to where their face coverings and to do the hand sanitation. We do ask the questions still when they go into the departments about making sure that they don't have COVID symptoms, but we're already starting to see that our volunteers are back. We will be opening the cafeteria again soon to the public. Our gift store is open. So we are starting to open up and we will continue to do that as the government permits us to, and just asking the public to bear with us here, that we really do have different guidelines that we have to function under, but things are opening up quite a bit more.
Caitlin Whyte: Wonderful. Well, are there any other messages, anything else you want people to know, patients, listeners, staff members?
Lisa Schnedler, FACHE: You know, I just really think that the public should let the healthcare workers, particularly those in housekeeping on the floor, giving ancillary services. You know, everybody has really pulled together billing, all departments. And just, you know, the public should see that this was a real marathon here and give them, you know, a hug when they can give them a lot of credit, you know, give them kudos because they have done a tremendous job and they did it all for their community. And those of us who were in the inside and working side by side with them really just owe them a debt of gratitude for everything they went through. You can imagine at the beginning of the pandemic how frightening it was to come into an environment that you had no knowledge of who had COVID or not, and yet they showed up every day and they have come to work every day during the valleys and during the peaks. And so my admiration for everyone in this building has just gone up tremendously. I have always admired them, but I admire them even more. And I'd like to share that message with the public, that you've got an amazing team here taking care of you.
Thank you to the public for their understanding. Thank you to the board of trustees here for opening up a lot of funding and giving us a lot of latitude to be able to do things we have never done before and all of us together to take care of the community. Huge thank you to the physicians and the providers, because of all of the care that they gave and the stretching they did of their own skills and knowledge to be able to do that.
We're getting through this, everybody. Just hang in here. We're at the very end and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Caitlin Whyte: Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, thank you so much, Lisa, for taking the time to talk to us and our community. We appreciate it so much. Additional questions or comments for Lisa may be sent via the Contact Us page at uplandhillshealth.org. This has been the Inspire Health Podcast from Upland Hills Health. I'm Caitlin Whyte. Be well.