Latest / The Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show / E174 | How Sinai Chicago Innovates Without Unlimited Resources

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E174 | How Sinai Chicago Innovates Without Unlimited Resources · The Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show

0:11
Hello and welcome back to the Advancing
0:13
Healthcare Innovation Show. I am your
0:15
host, Michael Stamatinos, and it is
0:19
wonderful to see you. If you're new to
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us, welcome. Great to have you. We're
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just really excited about this because
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we're having some incredible
0:26
conversations with real leaders that are
0:29
painstakingly shaping the future of
0:31
health. So, we're passionate about a few
0:33
different areas. We're passionate about
0:35
healthcare innovation. We're passionate
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about leadership access and the adoption
0:38
of these innovations. And if it's your
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first time tuning in, uh let me just
0:43
kind of take a quick step aside here and
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tell you a little bit more about what
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we're trying to get done here. So our
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focus is on bringing real stories of
0:51
innovation and leadership to life. Not
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just, you know, things that you read in
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a book, but actually talking to real
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leaders and them sharing the good uh the
1:00
not so good, the learnings and giving
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that space for them to share their
1:05
stories with our community and
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ultimately with the world. If you
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interviews come directly to you. So
1:22
today's guest is someone who understands
1:26
healthc care from the inside out. Dr.
1:29
Engi is the president and CEO of Sinai
1:34
Chicago, one of the most important
1:36
safety net health systems in the city
1:40
Chicago. So Sinai serves on Chicago's
1:43
west and south sides where the work is
1:46
hard, the needs are real, and leadership
1:49
truly matters.
1:52
Many people um came to know Dr. Ezek
1:55
during her time leading the Illinois
1:58
Department of Health where she helped
2:00
guide the state through the pandemic uh
2:02
which seems like many moons ago but um
2:05
only a handful of years ago but but long
2:07
before the cameras uh and the press
2:09
conferences she was a physician. She
2:11
still is a physician and and a public
2:14
health leader and someone who chose to
2:16
spend her career close to patients and
2:20
close to communities. And there's many
2:23
things that I respect about Dr. Ezek um
2:26
and she'll kind of share some of her
2:28
story today, but I think what I am
2:30
impressed upon most is is how she thinks
2:33
about change. Not change just for the
2:36
sake of innovation headlines, rather
2:38
change that actually improves access,
2:41
that that change that respects dignity,
2:45
change that shows up in neighborhoods
2:46
and not just in boardrooms. So she's
2:49
thinking and acting uh deeply about what
2:52
it means to lead a health system today.
2:54
Uh how to do things differently, how to
2:56
stay missiondriven while navigating real
3:00
constraints and how to build trust in
3:03
places where where trust has honestly
3:05
often been broken. So this is a
3:08
conversation about leadership. It's
3:11
going to be a conversation about
3:12
community. you know, what does authentic
3:14
community look like? And about what does
3:17
it really take to move health care
3:20
forward in a way uh that serves people
3:24
first, especially those that are
3:25
underserved and overlooked. So, Dr.
3:27
Ezek, uh it's great to see you. Welcome
3:30
to the show.
3:32
>> I'm so excited to be with you. Thank you
3:34
so much for having me.
3:36
>> Yeah, of course. Of course. It's my
3:37
pleasure. So when uh when when people
3:40
think and when they hear about Sinai
3:43
Chicago uh they think safety net.
3:48
What do you wish people understood about
3:52
what that actually means daytoday?
3:56
Yeah, I I I would be happy if someone
3:59
actually thought about Sinai Chicago and
4:02
thought safety net because that would
4:03
mean that they understand what that
4:05
means, which I don't think many people
4:07
do. I I think part of the problem is
4:10
that people don't think about Sinai
4:12
Chicago. We, you know, we're in the city
4:14
of Chicago. We have major worldrenowned
4:17
institutions and those are the
4:20
institutions that people think about and
4:22
really don't necessarily recognize. I I
4:25
say that we're invisible. So, we're this
4:27
great secret that shouldn't be a secret
4:29
because we actually form the the anchor
4:34
for the city because our our
4:37
worldrenowned institutions couldn't
4:39
actually do what they were doing if we
4:42
weren't doing what we are doing u which
4:44
is focusing and taking care of
4:48
marginalized communities, Medicaid
4:51
populations, uninsured individuals like
4:55
we are doing that, you know, we're the
4:57
one that says yes when other
4:59
institutions will often say no. And and
5:02
so we're proud. Uh it's a very special
5:05
person that chooses to to work in this
5:08
setting. Um I think it's very rewarding.
5:11
I think anyone who comes in uh
5:14
immediately sees the passion, but it's
5:17
also very challenging because as you're
5:20
taking care of Medicaid and uninsured
5:23
individuals, um it means that fewer
5:26
dollars are coming in with which to
5:28
provide, you know, the access and the
5:30
care that's so desperately needed. So,
5:33
it's it's almost a catch 22 because
5:35
you're actually taking care of people
5:38
who have some of the greatest needs and
5:40
you're forced to do it with some of the
5:42
most limited resources.
5:44
>> Yeah. I mean, just to for the audience,
5:46
I mean, I had the the pleasure of um
5:47
just interacting with Sinai for a number
5:50
of years during my sort of tenure at
5:52
Hangar Clinic and I saw firsthand what
5:56
was being done from a care delivery
5:57
standpoint. um seeing a lot of patients
6:00
that needed just orthotic and prosthetic
6:03
services and seeing the work that was
6:05
being done over at Schwab Rehab um and
6:08
the therapists and their level of
6:10
commitment. It's it's honestly
6:13
unmatched. I haven't seen many places
6:16
like people are there because they
6:17
actually really do want to make things
6:19
better and they want to deliver
6:20
incredible care to people and you just I
6:24
don't know you walk in and you get a
6:26
different vibe. you get a different
6:28
energy and uh even a number of years you
6:32
know since I've left you know hanger
6:33
clinic I still think about a lot of
6:35
those moments that kind of have shaped
6:38
me when you when you see that up close
6:40
and personal it definitely leaves it
6:42
leaves a mark and you mentioned you know
6:44
Dr. ZK like look this is hard but I
6:48
would imagine that there's also moments
6:49
that give you hope. Are there any
6:51
moments recently like you know within
6:54
the last 90 days cuz obviously you're
6:56
you're
6:57
there's a lot of weight and
6:59
responsibility but any moments that kind
7:01
of gave you hope.
7:02
>> There are moments every single day.
7:04
every single day. Like um it's really
7:08
powerful uh being able to round, you
7:11
know, and it's a a relatively big system
7:14
with, you know, multiple locations,
7:17
multiple, you know, three different
7:19
hospitals. And so rounding in different
7:21
places and just talking to the team,
7:23
talking to the staff, you it doesn't
7:26
ever happen that you round and don't
7:28
hear some incredible stories of people
7:30
who we are able to help that maybe maybe
7:34
were turned away from other places,
7:35
maybe have found finally found a place
7:38
where they feel welcomed and know that
7:40
that is what is making the difference
7:43
because they feel that we are committed
7:45
to their care.
7:47
um people uh that we've been
7:49
>> when you're walking through, hold on a
7:51
second. When you're walking through and
7:52
you're doing these rounds and you're
7:53
hearing these stories, obviously there's
7:55
the I call it the FGF, the feelood
7:57
factor. How do you spread that? How do
8:00
you spread that like at scale? Do you
8:02
take those just internalize those? Do
8:04
you share them with your with your
8:06
board, with your with your immediate
8:07
team? And then how do those teams then
8:10
translate some of those stories across?
8:12
Because to me, that that's a form of
8:14
innovation. That's a form of you know
8:15
recycling this good energy that that is
8:18
required.
8:19
>> Yeah. We we we think it's you know part
8:21
of the secret sauce to magnify you know
8:24
those winds and so every single meeting
8:28
across our system whatever group is
8:31
meeting like every meeting has to start
8:33
off with lifting up some of those winds
8:36
and so people will share things that
8:39
have happened they will share what
8:40
they've heard happened. I definitely
8:43
every single board meeting start off
8:45
with some of these uh incredible
8:47
stories. I I tell my board, you know,
8:50
you think CEO is chief executive
8:52
officer. I say it's chief excitement
8:54
officer, chief encouragement officer
8:57
because I want you to know all the great
9:00
stuff that's happening and get you as
9:02
fired up as I am to be engaged in
9:04
supporting this work. So, it is it is
9:07
definitely our culture to start off
9:09
celebrating all of these great wins
9:12
because yeah, we can lament that the
9:14
resources aren't there to do this or do
9:16
that or replace, but we make it happen
9:19
every day despite the the limitations.
9:22
And so, we need to not be focused on
9:25
what we can't do, but focus on what we
9:27
are doing and what we still hope to do.
9:29
So, lots of hope that, you know, some of
9:32
the things we don't have will come. But
9:34
in the meantime, we're saving lives
9:36
every day. We're bringing lives into the
9:39
world safely every day. We're patching
9:41
people together today after some of the
9:43
worst, most unimaginable events through
9:46
our through our level one trauma center.
9:48
So, we just have too much to celebrate
9:50
and we have to we have to acknowledge
9:52
that every day.
9:53
>> Yeah. I mean you've said it um in
9:56
different ways that this work is it's
9:59
it's bigger than medicine in many ways.
10:02
What what's the bigger part you know?
10:07
>> Yeah. I mean a lot a lot of institutions
10:09
are doing medicine. Um you know my my
10:13
father kind of you know immigrant father
10:16
said oh the way to to have a good life
10:18
for yourself would be to be a doctor.
10:21
And so I think from an early early age I
10:23
heard I was going to be a doctor. So
10:25
yay, thanks dad. I'm a doctor. But what
10:28
I got to choose for myself is who I'd be
10:30
serving. Um and so when I was, you know,
10:34
in medical school and when I was in
10:35
training, I got to see some different
10:37
looks. You know, I got to see
10:40
institutions um that catered to, you
10:43
know, more uh under more um more
10:47
affluent communities. And I saw
10:50
>> institutions that catered to
10:53
>> not that. Uh, and so being able to see
10:57
like safety nets in action, being able
11:00
to work in a in a system that the motto
11:04
was we take care of everybody regardless
11:06
of their ability to pay. and seeing
11:08
people from all over the world speaking
11:11
all kinds of languages, you know, all
11:13
different socioeconomic levels and being
11:16
able to give them whatever they needed,
11:19
not thinking about, oh, well, you know,
11:23
by the way, they don't have insurance.
11:24
So, and then catering your your
11:26
treatment plans and trying to get them
11:28
out, none of that. And so, I said,
11:30
that's absolutely the kind of medicine I
11:33
have to practice. And so that's why
11:35
being here at Sinai Chicago that
11:37
embodies that same ideology
11:41
is just the most incredible place to be.
11:44
>> So you you mentioned about kind of your
11:46
your beginning. Maybe we touch on your a
11:48
little bit of your origin and story. Um
11:51
you know before the titles before being
11:53
a physician
11:55
uh who were you know what like tell us
11:58
about that. How did you grow up?
11:59
>> Yeah. Oh, I was a
12:02
tall, lanky, awkward uh girl um black
12:07
girl in with a funny funny name. Um and
12:14
you know
12:17
very uh as a result was very introverted
12:23
and kind of just
12:25
>> you know teased a lot, bullied some. Um,
12:30
but my father was an educator and he
12:34
just really believed in the power of
12:37
education. And so I was able to focus
12:40
because that's all my dad could think
12:42
about is like, okay, you know, what'd
12:45
you get on your math test? And it's
12:46
like, oh, I got a 97. Oh my goodness,
12:48
what happened to the other three points?
12:49
Like, you know, we could do better. You
12:52
know, so just striving for excellence,
12:54
knowing that education was the the way
12:57
to go. like I I was steeped and and
13:01
soaked in that and
13:05
>> that opened a lot of doors being able to
13:07
be a strong student um even without
13:10
having a lot of resources. So I was able
13:12
to go to to
13:15
>> you know got admission to colleges that
13:17
you know my father had dreamt about that
13:19
he had read about and was so excited um
13:23
that his daughter could metriculate at
13:25
at schools that he had you know read
13:28
about in in the old country. Um and just
13:31
just all of those doors opening being
13:34
able to do what you want to do study
13:37
medicine and and have medicine open so
13:39
many other doors. you know, I I thought
13:42
I would just see patients, you know,
13:44
for, you know, all of my career. I love
13:48
having that window into somebody's life
13:51
and being able to work with them on
13:54
solutions to hopefully increase, you
13:57
know, not just their lifespan, but their
13:59
health span. And
14:00
>> that's right.
14:01
>> But but the medicine actually opened
14:03
many other doors and allowed me to work
14:06
in different spaces and work in in the
14:10
jail and the prisons and consult around
14:14
correctional facilities. Really
14:16
understanding that, you know, those
14:18
individuals need care just as much as
14:20
anybody else. Um being able to be in
14:24
public health and and now be a a
14:27
hospital administrator. I'm really
14:30
grateful for the doors that education
14:32
has opened and allowed me to serve on a
14:35
greater and greater and grander scale.
14:38
>> Yeah. Because, you know, when I think
14:39
about and I just kind of looked in your
14:41
back, I mean, you trained in kind of two
14:42
different worlds, right? You you trained
14:44
in adult medicine and pediatrics, which
14:46
to me it doesn't doesn't seem as common.
14:49
Um, but why both?
14:51
>> Yeah.
14:52
>> And and and what did that kind of teach
14:53
you about
14:55
families and and and systems?
14:58
>> Yeah. So I knew that I just I first of
15:02
all I loved everything when I was going
15:03
through you know all the rotations
15:05
everything that I went to I'm like oh I
15:07
love it I want to do this oh I oh I want
15:10
oh babies oh kids oh psychiatry like I
15:14
loved everything so being able to do
15:16
both internal medicine and pediatrics
15:18
allowed me to do so much and I was
15:21
thinking in my mind in terms of you know
15:24
if I wanted to do something like maybe
15:26
mission work and you wanted to travel
15:27
around the world like the more you knew
15:29
the better it would be. So it it has
15:32
been it has been just a a great blessing
15:36
to have that dual training that just
15:38
gives you the the broadest experience to
15:41
be able to serve so many people. Um, and
15:45
it it
15:46
>> when I was working like on the west side
15:48
of Chicago, it
15:50
>> allowed me to take care of entire
15:53
families as opposed to just individuals
15:56
>> because I would I would see it, you
15:58
know, an adult patient and then um
16:00
somebody, you know, would be uh somebody
16:04
would somehow find out that I see kids,
16:07
too. And they're like, "Wait, you see
16:09
kids, too?" And I said, "Yeah." They're
16:10
like, "So you could see my kids?" And
16:12
they'll be like, "Yeah." And so before
16:13
you knew it, I would have like like
16:16
maybe like a whole two hours of like a
16:19
family like you know a mom and multiple
16:22
kids all trying to get like either their
16:24
school physicals.
16:25
in seeing like three, four people at the
16:28
same time, you really got to peer into
16:32
the setting, the the family, the home
16:36
>> and understand how some of these medical
16:38
problems are are not about genetics and
16:42
more about environment and
16:45
>> socioeconomic
16:47
situations and status. And so being able
16:50
to see that very clearly, you know, even
16:54
20 25 years ago, you know, now
16:57
everybody's talking about, you know,
16:58
those social determinants, but I saw it
17:01
by being the doctor for everyone and
17:04
having all the people in that clinic
17:06
sometimes at the very same time. Well,
17:08
what what's um what's like a a a patient
17:12
story um that you still that still you
17:17
carry with you even today, you know,
17:18
even now as a CEO, as an administrator,
17:21
um you know, just as a sidebar, you
17:23
know, some rules, like no names, no
17:25
identifiers, but just like the the
17:26
emotion of of the story. I'd love to
17:29
love to hear that.
17:30
>> No, I mean, there's so many. I mean
17:34
some that came some situations that came
17:36
up frequently would be seeing you know
17:39
you know you're measuring you know the
17:41
height and the weight and you're
17:43
calculating you know the body mass index
17:46
and you're seeing visually and seeing
17:50
with the metrics like everyone in the
17:52
family you know is obese and then you
17:56
try to dig into it more trying to figure
17:59
out about you know what are some of the
18:00
strategies that we might um look into to
18:04
see how we can curb some of the weight
18:06
gain. And and you hear about a mom
18:09
that's struggling
18:11
doing at least two jobs, sometimes more,
18:14
and saying that she would love to cook,
18:17
uh but she's not often home and the kids
18:20
are kind of left to fend for themselves.
18:22
And so just understanding like how some
18:26
of these you know medical problems start
18:29
even in childhood again is not related
18:33
just to the individual but kind of the
18:35
circumstance. Um, you could also notice
18:38
how,
18:40
>> you know, there are certain
18:41
neighborhoods where you're trying to
18:42
prescribe, oh, you have to have fresh
18:44
fruits and vegetables and it's like, um,
18:47
we don't have a grocery store in the
18:49
neighborhood and and the nearest one I
18:52
would have to take, you know, x number
18:53
of buses. I don't have a card. Like just
18:57
>> real barriers. those barriers just kept
19:00
coming up over and and over again as
19:04
causes for some of the medical
19:07
situations that you're you're confronted
19:09
with.
19:10
>> Yeah. You know, I mean, there's a
19:11
difference between, you know, serving a
19:15
community and, you know, I'll say, you
19:18
know, and belonging to a community and
19:21
and how how do you think about that
19:24
line, you know, as a leader?
19:26
>> Yeah. I mean, I think as if you're, you
19:30
know, being of the community versus just
19:32
in it, you know, that's how you build
19:35
the trust. I remember at one of the
19:37
clinics I was running, you know, like
19:39
diabetes was just rampant and it was
19:42
just like,
19:43
>> you know, I don't think people even
19:44
fully understood like they had diabetes,
19:47
they might have hypertension. Um, and
19:50
you know, they'd come to clinic and the
19:51
blood pressure would be skyhigh. I'd be
19:53
ready to almost call an ambulance and
19:55
they're like, "Oh, no. I didn't want to
19:56
take my medicine because, you know, I'm
19:58
on multiple buses and it makes me have
20:00
to urinate and I didn't want to have to
20:01
do It was like I but but if you don't
20:05
take it, you know, and so just some of
20:07
the understanding and so it's the
20:08
medical literacy. Um, it caused me to
20:11
like create what we called uh it was the
20:15
drive day and it was something that we
20:18
closed the clinic to like standard
20:20
appointments and it was basically like a
20:22
community health fair that happened once
20:25
a month um one afternoon a month where
20:28
you know we had you know pharma
20:31
representatives who helped support the
20:33
events and we would just have
20:35
educational sessions and you know we'd
20:37
have a blood pressure station and then
20:38
we'd have this insert service on what it
20:41
meant to have high blood pressure and
20:43
what are the numbers you actually want
20:45
and what is your A1C and what do you
20:48
want you know really intensive like fun
20:50
food demonstrations on healthy cooking
20:53
um had that once a month and it was so
20:56
popular people came and they actually
20:59
learned more than what you could do in a
21:02
quick 15 minutes trying to do all that
21:04
because people could take time and we
21:06
had like giveaways and stuff um and I
21:09
just remember like the difference in
21:11
terms of people's understanding.
21:14
um you know there would be like foot
21:16
checks to make sure that people didn't
21:18
have like diabetic foot ulcers and as a
21:20
result of that
21:21
>> people who would go to those uh drive
21:24
days would come to the next visits and
21:26
they would be like oh and my number is
21:29
this and I know this is a little bit
21:31
higher the top number is a little bit
21:33
higher than what it's like you could
21:35
just see the pieces coming together and
21:37
just
21:37
>> do those still go on are those still
21:39
ongoing those fairs
21:40
>> um I'm not at that clinic now I don't
21:42
know uh I don't know if that still
21:45
happens, but it was so successful. Um I
21:48
I hope it still is, but okay. Yeah,
21:51
>> those kind of, you know, kind of digging
21:53
in and giving people what they actually
21:56
need. I mean, that's we do that here at
21:58
Sinai through our Sinai Community
22:01
Institute. And that's why, you know,
22:03
when we say it's more than medicine,
22:05
it's personal, like we live it. We in
22:07
addition to providing care like in the
22:10
clinic or in the operating room, we're
22:12
also in homes through our social
22:14
services program. Like we follow up with
22:17
families after they take that new baby
22:19
home and do surveys and check in and
22:22
make sure that um people understand uh
22:26
some of the dos and don'ts of you know
22:28
putting the baby on their back to sleep
22:31
to avoid some of the um you know sudden
22:34
infant you know death syndromes and the
22:36
like. um being able to follow a patient
22:39
after they've been discharged with
22:41
asthma and just having a little check to
22:44
make sure that they understand what
22:46
those two inhalers are and know which
22:48
ones to use. Make sure they have that
22:50
follow-up appointment. And we've seen
22:52
that those interventions actually
22:54
decrease readmission and help decrease,
22:57
you know, some of these uh unfortunate
22:59
infant deaths, which, you know, we see
23:01
high rates of infant mortality um you
23:05
know, in our communities. So being in
23:07
the community and part of the community
23:10
is is quintessential to actually being
23:12
part of healing the community together.
23:15
>> Yeah. I mean it just sounds like what
23:16
you're doing is you're not limiting
23:18
yourself to only the four walls of the
23:20
hospital and the four walls of the
23:21
clinic. You're saying look if we are
23:23
going to
23:25
be caring for this community because we
23:28
are in this community then it's got to
23:31
happen outside of these doors. And it
23:33
just sounds as though that you've, you
23:35
know, I mean, you've publicly, you know,
23:37
been very vocal and focused on advancing
23:40
health equity through, you know, a lot
23:43
of innovation. And I wouldn't just say
23:44
innovation that's like more like
23:46
theater. It's it's like, hey, these are
23:48
practical, pragmatic ways that we can
23:50
actually make things better. And it just
23:53
sounds as though that you're proactively
23:55
very collaborative with a number of
23:57
community partners and in including you
23:59
know expanding that community health
24:01
workers uh program and and even just in
24:04
investing in modern technology so that
24:06
caregivers can actually work better and
24:09
faster. Um but when you say
24:12
transformation
24:13
it can mean a lot of things. Uh but at
24:15
Sinai what are like if I was to kind of
24:18
give you a whiteboard what are like
24:21
three things that you are trying to
24:24
change and make better first.
24:27
>> Yeah. You know
24:30
we we say we don't have a lot of money
24:33
and you know you'd like to say quote
24:34
money isn't everything but the truth is
24:37
you can't do much without it. Uh and so
24:40
one of the first things um and probably
24:44
the largest uh investment that has ever
24:48
been made in our system uh
24:51
>> was two years ago when we
24:54
>> when we implemented the new electronic
24:57
health record system, the EPIC system.
24:59
Um we had a completely antiquated
25:03
outdated
25:04
uh system. We had multiple systems. if
25:07
someone was in the hospital um and then
25:10
they came for the, you know, the
25:12
outpatient follow-up appointment, you
25:14
know, you look in one system to see what
25:15
happened in the hospital and you look in
25:17
another system to to get their vitals
25:19
from today. Like it it
25:22
>> bad
25:23
>> bad. And so, but the reason that it had
25:26
never been upgraded is because the money
25:28
wasn't there. It it it hasn't been
25:30
there. it it's not it's not here now,
25:33
you know, but it really was this really
25:38
passionate, you know, plea, you know, to
25:41
the board, you know, to my CFO to say,
25:44
look, I know we can't afford to do it,
25:48
but we also can't afford not to do it.
25:50
like if we're actually going to evolve
25:53
and if we're actually going to do the
25:55
best that we can to take care of
25:56
patients, you need a health record
25:58
system that actually serves. Um, and so
26:01
that's the big investment that we made
26:04
uh two years ago. We're still trying to
26:07
pay for it. Uh, but we already are are
26:10
reaping some of the benefits. Um, we are
26:13
we have better access to data. So you
26:16
can use that, you know, because in
26:18
addition to having our community
26:19
institute, we also have our urban health
26:23
uh institute that that does research
26:25
that is trying to see like what are we
26:28
doing and what are the solutions and
26:30
what solutions work and which ones
26:32
don't. But you can't do that without
26:34
good data. And so being able to uh have
26:38
this electronic health record system is
26:40
part of the transformation to be able to
26:43
be an even better partner to the
26:45
communities that we feel very fortunate
26:47
to serve.
26:48
>> Yeah. I mean it's like building a house.
26:50
You got to build a house on a good
26:52
sturdy foundation. You're not going to
26:54
>> build it on like you know cinder blocks
26:56
which I mean I know there are some homes
26:57
on cinder blocks but you mean you you
27:00
need a really sturdy foundation if
27:02
you're going to put up something that's
27:03
going to be lasting and sustainable.
27:04
What else?
27:06
>> So, you know, we are trying to like get
27:09
our message out there and not be this
27:12
this bestkept secret and and so really
27:15
trying to take a more public stance to
27:18
assert what exactly we are and have
27:22
people be comfortable and knowledgeable
27:24
of what a safety net is. And so we've
27:27
been kind of on the offensive in terms
27:29
of getting out there, trying to get in
27:32
in media, being more active on our
27:35
social media, getting on radio and and
27:38
TV uh and the like so that we can
27:41
promote what we're doing. Um as we
27:44
elevate, you know, I think I think it
27:47
was the first time that we actually went
27:48
to like putting ads on the back of on
27:51
buses, right? Because we don't want
27:53
people to say like I have run into
27:55
people healthc care providers and I say
27:57
oh yeah I work at Sinai and they're like
28:00
>> isn't that in New York like no it's
28:02
right here in it's right here in
28:04
Chicago.
28:04
>> Yeah I mean they they yeah they they mix
28:06
it up with you know Mount Si. Oh Mount
28:08
Si one in New York like no actually best
28:11
kept sacred here in Chicago you know sai
28:13
Chicago. Yeah, there's a I did a TED
28:15
talk where I was really trying to like
28:19
really articulate in the in the clearest
28:21
of terms what hospitals like Sinai do
28:25
and why we're so quintessential. And I I
28:29
think I think we've able to get out a
28:32
really good product that really speaks
28:34
to safety nets and the incredible work
28:37
that we do and the interlinking of our
28:40
work to the health of the entire city.
28:42
Um, so just making sure that people
28:45
understand, you know, I've been creating
28:49
partnerships with the the more, you
28:52
know, well-resourced academic
28:54
institutions and really trying to like
28:58
lock lock arms with them to say, you
29:01
know, so that you can keep doing what
29:03
you're doing, we need to do what we're
29:05
doing. So, how can you support our work?
29:07
I I have to lift up Northwestern. um
29:09
they were the first ones that I uh
29:11
approached and you know we've come up
29:14
with a uh almost a kind of donation
29:18
program because you know our
29:22
equipment usually goes well past natural
29:26
life in terms of you know when they
29:28
should be ch changed over and and then
29:30
you'll have frequent instances of oh the
29:34
CT scanner's down now we've got to shut
29:36
down you know radiology and now we got
29:38
to go on bypass because people can't
29:40
come to the ED because and now then you
29:42
can't give the care. So worked with
29:45
Northwestern and they have been able to,
29:47
you know, give some of their gently used
29:50
equipment that they were going to
29:52
recycle out and maybe go for upgrades.
29:54
We've gotten some of that and so what
29:57
we've gotten is still a tremendous
29:58
upgrade from
30:00
>> being resourceful. Yeah. I mean there's
30:02
people that throw stuff out like why are
30:04
they throwing that out?
30:06
>> Yeah. So we are we are trying to come up
30:09
with you know maybe unconventional but
30:11
and I know some people say it's sad that
30:13
you have to take handme-downs but you
30:15
know we have to think about the big
30:17
picture here and if I now have a 3D
30:21
mammogram machine instead of the 2D that
30:23
we had I can now better serve these
30:26
patients and so um
30:28
>> we got we always got to think big
30:29
picture uh and and keep making these
30:32
steps like you you were just saying how
30:34
you you know little wins kind
30:37
They pile on to each other and cause
30:40
bigger wins. So, we're we're we're
30:42
getting them.
30:43
>> What What's I'm just curious like what
30:45
is a myth about safety nets that you
30:48
just want to debunk right now?
30:51
>> Yeah. I I think I'm not going to deny
30:54
that aesthetics matter. They absolutely
30:56
do. Everybody likes things that look
30:58
nice. And so when you don't have the,
31:01
you know, shining large, you know,
31:04
gleaming glass towers, you know, then
31:07
there's this perception that, oh, the
31:08
care can't be good because look at look
31:10
at look at the exterior. It's not new.
31:12
It's it's old. Um, I I know I mean I get
31:17
my care here. You know, my my sister had
31:19
surgery here. Like I believe these
31:22
doctors are some of the best in the
31:24
world. I mean our stats show it like all
31:26
the accreditations
31:28
uh and and licenses that we have you
31:30
know our trauma survival rate is some of
31:34
the best in in in the country. You know
31:37
our people are trained at all at all the
31:40
wonderful institutions all around the
31:42
world. They get we give incredible care
31:44
here and I know the the patients who
31:47
have experienced it definitely know it
31:49
but I don't think the rest of the world
31:51
uh you know knows uh the great great
31:54
care that is provided within these walls
31:57
despite the you know less than brand new
32:01
exterior.
32:02
>> Well, there's a lot of love in those
32:03
walls. Uh I can tell you that firsthand.
32:06
And since since you mentioned this
32:08
earlier, I just wanted to kind of bring
32:09
something to mind because you mentioned
32:11
about um going around and rounding. I
32:14
call it, you know, MBWA, manage by
32:15
walking around or just leading by
32:17
walking around and being with your
32:18
people. And there's something that kind
32:20
of showcases
32:22
to the teams that like you're there with
32:24
them. You're kind of locked in arms with
32:26
them. I I'm curious as you're going
32:28
around and you're observing and you're
32:30
evaluating things, what's what's like a
32:32
a one process inside the hospital that
32:37
you are willing to completely
32:41
rethink uh even if it makes people
32:45
uncomfortable at first?
32:49
>> A process that I want to rethink.
32:52
>> Rethink. It's like is there a problem
32:55
that you're like oh man like we really
32:57
need to just completely
33:01
do something completely different that
33:04
we have been doing because everyone's
33:05
like well this is just how we've always
33:06
been doing it where you're like no no I
33:08
I think we could do it differently is
33:11
there do you have like a growing list of
33:12
that and you know my incredible leaders
33:15
like they're all over that like they
33:17
they're seeing the things like they're
33:19
rounding as well. I'm not the only one
33:21
rounding like all of the managers and
33:23
directors and V they're rounding
33:25
consistently and it's their job to find
33:28
those things. You know, I I I always
33:31
like to throw I mean one of the things
33:32
when I first came is you know I would
33:35
you know sometimes I would be at a you
33:37
know at one of the uh you know reception
33:41
stations and I would see that someone
33:44
was struggling who was clearly not as
33:46
fasil in English. Um, but then
33:51
there wasn't someone who was immediately
33:53
able to help them in their language. And
33:56
I ran into that a few too many times.
33:59
And I just kind of pinpointed that and
34:02
said, are we sure that we have, you
34:04
know, just enough bilingual people at
34:07
all of our stations at all times? Like,
34:09
we just have to be a little bit more
34:10
intentional because I've stopped too
34:12
many times to do the translating myself.
34:14
Um, and then I said, you know, and what
34:17
we should also do and and we have them
34:19
now. I just like, where's my ID is we
34:22
>> got um badges that just said, yo, Ablo
34:24
espanol and put it and said any
34:27
caregiver, we call our, you know, our
34:29
staff caregivers. Uh, anyone who speaks
34:31
Spanish, like let's wear that because a
34:33
lot of times, you know, you might have
34:35
somebody just, you know, two seats over
34:37
that does speak Spanish, but you don't
34:39
know. Um, but being able to uh have
34:43
people see and know, oh, I I see all
34:46
these people that do speak Spanish. Let
34:48
me go ask them. You know, another thing
34:51
that came up in in my tenure is like
34:55
just wayfinding. Um, and really excited
34:58
that, you know, we were able to put up
35:01
new signs all over the place so that you
35:04
don't necessarily need someone to lead
35:06
you. that we have signs that have arrows
35:08
that are clear that are in English and
35:10
Spanish so you can find your way through
35:12
the it's I mean it's hard enough to be
35:14
in the hospital it's usually not you
35:17
know unless you're having a baby it's
35:18
probably a very stressful time and then
35:20
if you're feeling like you're lost and
35:22
and and confused in this new place that
35:25
just adds to the stress and anxiety and
35:27
so really excited for the signs that
35:30
help people find uh where they're where
35:33
they're going to go there there's just
35:34
we're like kind of in this plan, do
35:37
study, act like all the time. This PDSAs
35:40
where we're constantly improving upon
35:43
processes like it's it's not a static
35:45
thing. It's an everyday, you know, get a
35:48
little better every single day.
35:51
>> Yeah. That that to me is the is what
35:53
innovation is, which is incremental.
35:56
Well, my definition is it's adding value
35:58
to many while incrementally getting
36:01
better over a long stretch of time. And
36:03
what I see is that when most are trying
36:05
to innovate, they start, then they stop,
36:08
then they start over again, not having,
36:11
you know, done it consistently over
36:13
time. Is there anything that you can
36:14
kind of comment around just being
36:16
consistent, being steadfast even in
36:19
seasons when it is really hard?
36:23
>> Uh, sure. I mean I think there's so many
36:26
things I think um again I I have to
36:30
highlight that a lot of things um that
36:33
we know need to be done it's you you
36:36
want to do it but you know you don't
36:38
have the resources but when you get the
36:41
resources then that's usually when you
36:43
can enact the plan that you've always
36:45
you know wanted to wanted to have um I
36:50
think you know given
36:52
>> well what about the idea at when you are
36:55
when you do have these financial
36:57
constraints which are very real and not
37:00
trying to downplay them at all. Do you
37:02
find that there is uh greater levels of
37:05
creativity and innovating I'll call you
37:08
know innovating within the box within
37:10
these constraints do are you seeing that
37:13
amongst the staff being even more
37:15
proactive just knowing what's at stake
37:18
and and are there any really cool
37:22
success stories that you can even name
37:24
yeah you even recently what have you
37:27
that that kind of attribute to the fact
37:29
that there was a financial constraint
37:30
and yet despite that you were still able
37:33
to sort of innovate through that.
37:36
>> Yeah. No, I I know. I was just reminded
37:39
when I went to the um medical intensive
37:42
care unit um earlier uh this morning um
37:47
that the
37:50
rooms that were glass doors um that was
37:54
like a COVID innovation where people you
37:58
know created in real time doors that you
38:02
could see through so that you didn't
38:04
have to keep going in you know into a
38:07
room uh with a patient with COVID but
38:09
could actually see like if they were
38:11
okay or if they were asking for help and
38:14
like we didn't have you know see-through
38:17
doors before but that was just out of
38:19
ingenuity that's what came up. I mean
38:23
there are so many um examples of people
38:27
just you know having you know I I think
38:30
that the lack of resources is actually
38:33
it stirs and and spurs on that
38:36
innovation because you've got to get
38:38
creative you know you've got to be
38:40
nimble and agile and figure out a way
38:43
even if it's not something that you can
38:46
um afford but you have to come up with a
38:48
creative way to still get it done. I
38:50
think that happens consistently here
38:53
because of the lack of resources and and
38:56
just makes people um very sharp and and
38:59
just think think outside you know think
39:02
outside the box. It reminds me a lot
39:05
about about honestly entrepreneurialism
39:09
>> because in many instances
39:12
there might be a lack of funding and
39:16
a really good entrepreneur what I've
39:19
noticed is that if you don't have money
39:22
you have time meaning you could you
39:25
could do certain things you could write
39:27
letter you could do all you know all
39:28
these different things and I'm just and
39:30
and there's you're obviously making bets
39:33
because you're dealing with with
39:35
uncertainty and you're obviously dealing
39:37
with uncertainty on a on a day-to-day
39:39
basis and as you're making bets and
39:42
doing trade-offs. I'm curious what what
39:43
is like a bold bet that you've made. Um
39:48
you're not 100% sure that it's going to
39:50
work, but like you're like, "All right,
39:52
this is a sound bet." But I'm curious
39:53
like what is that decision making matrix
39:57
process that's going on through in your
39:59
mind with your team you know to to the
40:02
degree that you're able to share when
40:04
you are thinking about all right we got
40:05
to make this bold bet right now like
40:08
talk me through that process that that
40:10
just that decision-m process fascinates
40:12
me. Yeah, I mean obviously the the the
40:17
bet that we were going to sink in money
40:19
that we didn't have to invest in an
40:22
electronic health record system, I think
40:23
we're still reaping the dividends. We're
40:26
still mastering exactly how to use it. I
40:28
don't think we're taking the full, you
40:31
know, maximizing all of the
40:33
capabilities. So, that is something
40:35
that's a gift that uh keeps on that
40:38
keeps on giving. Um a an investment that
40:41
we made um when again we didn't really
40:45
have the resources was to go and and
40:47
secure vans um for transportation. Uh
40:52
understanding that some of the
40:55
difficulties for our patients stem from
40:58
just the ability to get to an
41:01
appointment. And so we actually, you
41:03
know, invested in vans and created a
41:06
service of being able to get patients to
41:09
and from their appointment and actually
41:11
saw how our show rates increased. Um,
41:15
you know, our no-show rates went down,
41:16
our show rates increased because we
41:19
actually were helping get rid of the
41:21
barriers. Not that people didn't want to
41:22
be seen and didn't want to take care of
41:24
their health, they actually couldn't get
41:26
there. and and so being able to make
41:29
that investment allowed people to
41:31
actually come in through the door and
41:33
you saw you know our our volumes and our
41:35
numbers um increase um the community
41:39
health worker but like you've already
41:40
mentioned is like just the biggest
41:42
win-winwin when they're really hard to
41:45
get you know win-win wins you know by
41:48
having community health workers sometime
41:50
I mean and they're doing so many
41:51
different things some of them are
41:52
circulating on the floors making sure
41:54
that patients are are cared for you
41:57
know, if our nurses haven't, you know,
41:59
rounded through recently, CHW could find
42:02
out, oh, you know, they just they need
42:04
some water. Oh, they, you know, they
42:07
need to go to the bathroom. Let somebody
42:09
know so that we don't, you know, we
42:10
avert a a fall. Sometimes they're um in
42:14
the community helping with educating
42:16
people around certain chronic diseases.
42:19
Um, but that community health worker is
42:22
now gainfully employed. um that's right
42:26
now has health insurance themsself uh
42:29
and is helping members of their
42:31
community uh access more fully the care
42:34
that they need. So literally just a
42:37
win-winwin. So, as we continue to
42:39
expand, you know, different curriculums
42:41
for different specializations
42:44
uh for CHWs, we will continue to create
42:47
more jobs in the community and uh have
42:51
more people serving their own community
42:53
and lifting, you know, you know, a
42:55
rising tide lifts all boats, you know.
42:57
>> That's right. That's right. Uh before we
43:00
wrap, I just want you to be able to
43:01
share with people where can they go to
43:05
follow the work of Sinai Chicago. Um and
43:09
just kind of 30 second commercial tell
43:12
them where to go so that there is no
43:15
mistake in terms of them going to New
43:17
York. But there is world class care
43:19
right here in Chicago.
43:21
>> Yeah. No, it's so easy. si chicago.org.
43:26
Um there you will learn about both mount
43:28
you know mounts hospital also Schwab
43:32
rehabilitation hospital I think you know
43:34
a lot of people don't you mentioned it a
43:36
lot of people don't know that there is
43:38
another major rehab facility that uh is
43:43
low tech but super handson with
43:46
incredible results. There's Holy Cross
43:49
Hospital uh a Catholic hospital on on
43:53
the south side. Um and then there's the
43:56
Sinai Community Institute and the Sinai
43:58
Urban Health Institute, the social
44:00
services arm, the research arm. You
44:03
know, all of that together makes up this
44:06
incredible Sinai Chicago uh that has
44:09
been serving the community for over 106
44:13
years and looking to do that for another
44:16
hundred years.
44:17
>> All right, so let's just fast forward
44:19
maybe three years.
44:22
What would make you super proud of what
44:26
Sinai became?
44:28
>> Yeah. No, I'm I'm proud every day. I I
44:31
think what is necessary and needed um
44:39
is the aesthetic. Um, and so I would
44:42
love to be, you know, with the hard hat
44:46
breaking ground on a on a new building
44:50
so that we can have um an exterior that
44:54
matches what's happening on the
44:56
interior.
44:58
>> Well, lucky for you, I do know some good
45:00
architects,
45:04
>> which we'll talk about sidebar. But in
45:06
all honesty, yeah, Dr. ZK, uh, thank you
45:10
for just being so rigorously honest. You
45:13
can tell that this is not just a job for
45:18
you. This has a lot of purpose and
45:21
meaning for you.
45:22
>> There's a lot of folks, it's a calling.
45:24
There's a lot of folks that are coming
45:27
together and also see this vision and
45:29
realize the need for it. So for those
45:33
that are tuning in, my hope is that two
45:36
thing you saw two things today that a
45:39
when you think about innovation, you're
45:41
not just thinking about brand name
45:43
institutions, but you're also thinking
45:45
about places that are maybe not from not
45:50
cuffing that cloth and that there still
45:52
can be worldclass care that's being
45:54
delivered day in and day out that is not
45:57
headline driven and that is Suni
46:00
Chicago. And then the second thing is is
46:02
that if you believe that you can help in
46:07
any which way possible then please reach
46:12
out to me be glad to help u and connect
46:15
and make the connection here. So, uh, if
46:18
you tune in today and you're inspired by
46:20
what's happening, just know that there
46:22
is more. The best is yet to come. And if
46:24
there is a topic that you want us to
46:26
explore, uh, or even a leader, a dynamic
46:29
leader that you'd like to hear from,
46:31
drop me a note, leave us a comment. If
46:33
you don't mind, share this episode,
46:36
re-share it, flag it, like it. That's
46:38
super important. This platform for me,
46:42
it's about community. It's about
46:43
authentic community. It's not just
46:44
content. So, thank you for listening.
46:47
Keep building with purpose and we will
46:50
see you next time on the Advancing
46:53
Healthcare Innovation Show.