Beth Carpenter and Associates: Pathfinder Newsletter

THANK YOU TO
THE JOLIET
IL HOSPICE

On behalf of my
family, I want to
publicly thank
the Joliet IL
hospice for their
kindness and care
of my dear aunt
during her final
days at their
inpatient facility.

Without children
of her own, she
"adopted" all of us
and taught us
lessons that we
carry with us
every day.

"There are no
mistakes, no
coincidences,
all events are
blessings given
to us to learn
from." Kubler-Ross

THE PATHFINDER NEWSLETTER
Hello! Welcome to the March 2008 issue of THE PATHFINDER. Spring has sprung! It is raining today - creating a perfect day to get back on track with our monthly newsletter. I have missed "speaking" with each of you through this newsletter for the last several months, but - as my grandmother would say - the 4th Q of 2008 and the beginning of this year have been real "barn burners"! I have to thank my senior associates, Lynn and Barbara, and my associate crew for their most excellent work during this period. They traveled every week to meet the needs of clients. Meanwhile I was in a very cold Iowa working with some great people there. Those of you who know me well, know that I think about the topic of leadership often. In our last newsletter, I talked about successful organizations. Successful organizations have leaders who have a vision, are excellent communicators and are able to translate their vision into actionable steps for organizational movement. And leaders must have integrity, the integration of outward actions with inward values. Integrity inspires trust. Without the trust of your associates, you cannot lead. And without - what I think is the least discussed attribute - courage, great leaders will not make the necessary decisions to move their organization forward and create excitement and enthusiasm for the journey. As a student of organizational behavior, I am always fascinated with organizations that have great difficulty moving forward. These organizations find reasons to delay decisions. They revisit the same territory over and over again. They feel that everything needs to be put up for a vote! They spend time on minutia losing sight of the vision. They can tell you forcefully that there is no need for changes in procedures, no need to implement new processes. Why is it so difficult for them to make any changes even though they know that increased efficiency and higher productivity will allow them to survive? How do you get people to accept change? I believe that the answer is in the organization's culture. This month I want to share with you a Harvard Management Update article, "Creating and Sustaining A Winning Culture". "Companies with winning cultures are better able to execute on strategy, their employees maintain a healthy external focus on customers and competitors rather than on internal politics or turf. Employees act like owners - they take personal responsibility for overall business performance, not just their slice of it. They also exhibit a clear bias for action, with little patience for bureaucratic debate." Right on!! Also please find a MedPAC update article written by Senior Associate, Barbara Gray. More changes are coming! So on this rainy, blowing spring day I wish you all the opportunity to close your umbrella, feel the rain on your face and stomp through some really big puddles! If we can provide you with any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. Best wishes, Beth Carpenter “Let us realize that the privilege to work is a gift, that the power to work is a blessing, that the love of work is success.” David O. McKay

CREATING AND SUSTAINING A WINNING CULTURE By Harvard Management Update What holds an organization together and motivates the people within it to do the right thing rather than the easy thing? The answer , for many top-performing companies, is culture -- the values, mindsets, and the behaviors that constitute an environment conducive to to success. To read more of this article

HOSPICE MedPAC RECOMMENDATIONS ON CHANGES IN HOSPICE PAYMENT AND PRACTICES By Barbara Gray, Senior Associate Each March, the Medicare Payment and Advisory Commission - MedPAC - submits a report and recommendations to Congress regarding all Medicare fee for service payment systems and the Medicare Advantage program. This Committee's input is a critical component in future legislative and policy decisions. To read further

Beth Carpenter Beth Carpenter and Associates 847-382-1035 bcarpenter@bethcarpenterandassociates.com Beth Carpenter and Associates has earned a reputation as a company with deep industry experience and one that works closely with its clients to identify solutions that meet their business goals and strategic objectives. We do not simply advise. We partner with our customers to implement the solution and ensure its success. Sincerely, Beth Carpenter

ARE YOU ON THE RIGHT PATH? Since 1995 Beth Carpenter and Associates has provided its real-world experience to the management of healthcare companies, especially those organizations with a focus on home health, hospice and private duty, in the areas of operations, clinical services, sales and marketing. We work with management to identify the strategic direction of the organization and implement the necessary changes that allow health care providers to move forward in today's environment. We help you choose the right path to success and then we walk it with you.

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