Latest / Becker’s Healthcare Podcast / Seanna-Kaye Denham-Wilks, PhD, FPCC, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Administrator of Nursing Home Operations at NYC Health + Hospitals | McKinney

Transcript

Seanna-Kaye Denham-Wilks, PhD, FPCC, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Administrator of Nursing Home Operations at NYC Health + Hospitals | McKinney · Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

0:00
This is Laura Dirdo with the Becker's Healthcare
0:02
podcast.
0:03
I'm thrilled today to be joined by doctor
0:05
Shawna Kay Denham Walks, chief operating officer and
0:08
deputy administrator of nursing home operations at NYC
0:10
Health and Hospitals McKinney. Doctor Denham Walks, it's
0:13
a pleasure to have you on the podcast
0:14
today.
0:16
Thank you so much, Laura. It's my pleasure
0:17
to be here.
0:19
Absolutely. Now, I'm excited for our conversation because
0:21
I know you have some great background in
0:24
health care and amazing perspective that I'm going
0:27
to, you know, be able to share with
0:29
our broader audience. I think it's such an
0:30
interesting time in health care right now, and
0:32
some of the things you're doing at your
0:34
NYC Health Plus hospitals is, really, really cool.
0:37
So, I'm excited to dig in there. But
0:39
before we do, can you tell us a
0:40
little bit more about yourself and, your background?
0:44
Absolutely. I am a clinical psychologist who still
0:47
practices actually
0:49
as well as a health care executive. I
0:51
have been part of New York City Health
0:53
and Hospitals, which is the largest public health
0:55
system in The United States
0:58
for about nineteen years and counting.
1:02
And it's my pleasure to serve both clinically
1:04
and administratively
1:06
in the work that we are doing here
1:08
in one of the most vibrant cities, not
1:11
only in the in the nation, but in
1:12
the world.
1:15
Absolutely. That's, you know, really,
1:17
an amazing opportunity to serve an important community.
1:20
And I know, you know, you recently,
1:22
came into your new role at NRC Health
1:25
and Hospitals McKinney. And so could you tell
1:26
us a little bit more about that? I
1:28
know it's more on the subacute, post acute,
1:30
skilled nursing and rehab side. And so I
1:32
I'm curious, what's that transition to Mike? And,
1:36
how are you thinking about things in this
1:38
new role?
1:39
You know, it's been quite an exciting time,
1:42
to be in this transition professionally.
1:45
Prior to coming to McKinney, I served as
1:47
the chief experience officer at New York City
1:49
Health and Hospitals Kings County,
1:51
which is a level one acute care trauma
1:54
center,
1:55
which is actually
1:57
geographically
1:58
very close to my current location at McKinney.
2:02
And not only geographically
2:03
close, but we are, of course, participating in
2:07
the same mission,
2:09
and we,
2:11
share a lot of the same,
2:13
patients.
2:14
Both organizations being part of New York City
2:16
Health and Hospitals
2:18
are deeply rooted in serving historically marginalized communities.
2:21
And as
2:22
safety net institutions.
2:24
Our mission goes
2:25
really beyond care delivery.
2:28
We're actively addressing in both settings, health disparities,
2:33
advancing equity,
2:34
and investing in the well-being of the workforce
2:37
as well that helps to make that care
2:40
possible. So the transition
2:42
has been,
2:44
an opportunity
2:45
to see the continuum of care.
2:48
And I'm really enjoying get to getting to
2:50
know the McKinney,
2:53
staff as well as the McKinney residents that
2:55
we care for.
2:56
McKinney is especially unique.
2:59
It's a nationally recognized
3:01
skilled nursing facility and rehab center,
3:04
and it currently holds a five star CMS
3:08
rating
3:09
across all domains. And those domains, of course,
3:12
are quality,
3:13
staffing, and health inspections.
3:16
And
3:17
because McKinney holds those ratings across all domains,
3:21
being five star, it's the only facility in
3:24
New York State to achieve that distinction across
3:26
the board.
3:27
And so being here, I've really begun to
3:30
see and understand why because that level of
3:33
the of performance really reflects a deep commitment
3:36
to clinical excellence,
3:38
operational
3:39
discipline, and a culture that prioritizes
3:42
dignity both in rehabilitation
3:44
and in long term care. So I'm enjoying
3:47
the
3:48
the transition here.
3:52
I love that. And it's so cool to
3:54
hear about, you know, those five star ratings,
3:57
really having a high quality care in the
3:59
community.
4:00
Now I'm curious. Could you, talk us through
4:03
the most important initiative that you led in
4:05
the last year or so? What did you
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do and what were the results?
4:09
So at Kings County last year, we were
4:11
really focused on,
4:15
impact
4:15
regarding system wide culture transformation,
4:19
and that was focused on the transformation
4:22
of patient and staff experience.
4:24
And that really,
4:26
required
4:27
a shift in mindset as well, moving beyond
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traditional
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experience metrics
4:34
and making sure that,
4:37
in doing this work that we were embedding
4:40
accountability
4:41
into operations,
4:42
which looked like linking
4:45
leadership rounding,
4:47
real time service recovery,
4:49
proactive
4:50
engagement in the community, as well as
4:53
staff engagement
4:55
and wellness focuses
4:57
and really,
4:58
tying those those practices directly to performance goals.
5:02
We also elevated the voice of frontline staff,
5:07
and achieved
5:08
the highest
5:09
engagement
5:10
rate
5:11
that we've had
5:13
in the history of Kings County,
5:16
assessing the needs and well-being of the staff
5:18
because we recognize
5:20
that workforce experience and patient experience are really
5:23
and truly inseparable.
5:25
And in order to achieve the goals that
5:27
we set out, we have to work on
5:30
both things,
5:32
with the same level of energy. And the
5:34
results were significant.
5:36
We saw measurable improvements in patient satisfaction
5:39
scores,
5:40
reductions in complaints and grievances,
5:43
and stronger staff engagement scores, as I mentioned
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before.
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But I think more importantly, especially as a
5:50
psychologist, when you're thinking about
5:52
transformation of culture,
5:54
when you're able to see the,
5:57
fruits of your efforts to shift culture from
6:00
transactional care to relational care, especially in a
6:04
high acuity,
6:05
high demand, safety net environment,
6:08
then you really see that,
6:10
this work is the right work
6:12
and it it it's
6:15
important to
6:17
hold on despite
6:19
the sometimes,
6:20
slow march in progress. So that work really
6:23
has laid a strong foundation for my transition
6:26
into operations at McKinney
6:28
because here as well,
6:30
experience
6:31
and quality
6:32
are just as inseparable.
6:36
That makes a ton of sense. And, you
6:38
know, I I know that in the health
6:40
care space, having that type of experience is
6:42
critical,
6:43
not only for the outcomes, but just to
6:45
continue to,
6:46
build that that,
6:48
momentum
6:49
in in in the market. And I I
6:52
truly appreciate what it takes to make that
6:54
shift because, you know, I I know part
6:56
of it is thinking through,
6:58
what do we need to support the team,
6:59
but also there's somewhat of a mindset shift
7:02
or or some change that has to go
7:03
through. And so, you know, what were some
7:05
of the the big,
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I guess, people things that had to shift
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around a little bit in order to realize
7:12
your goal?
7:14
I think the importance
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of,
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wellness,
7:17
the importance of visibility
7:19
for
7:20
leadership
7:21
with our caregivers
7:23
who are,
7:25
directly and continuously
7:27
interacting
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with our patients,
7:30
really supporting the removal of barriers
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that,
7:35
may impact,
7:36
staff from working the way that they wish
7:39
to work,
7:40
especially because,
7:42
as part of New York City health and
7:43
hospitals, we know that the caregiver
7:46
workforce is,
7:49
motivated by the mission.
7:51
And so to be able
7:53
to provide the resources
7:55
that
7:57
our workforce needs in order to deliver the
7:59
care, especially with the increasing
8:01
clinical complexity that we're facing each and every
8:04
day, I think those things
8:07
had to come front and center.
8:09
The ability for us to engage in meaningful
8:12
dialogue
8:13
that also led to resolution of issues
8:17
and the broad communication
8:19
that the resolution of issues was the goal
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really paid off in big ways,
8:27
during that time.
8:30
I love it. And thank you so much
8:31
for digging a little bit deeper there. Now
8:34
looking ahead,
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what are some of the big priorities and
8:36
headwinds that you're focused on for the rest
8:38
of this year and into 2027?
8:42
Looking ahead, especially,
8:44
working here at McKinney,
8:47
I would focus on three areas.
8:51
First, sustaining and scaling excellence.
8:54
A five star rating is quite an achievement,
8:57
and
8:58
there is certainly a sense of pride and
9:00
belonging here at McKinney that comes from the
9:03
hard work
9:04
that it took to achieve that five star
9:07
rating across the board.
9:09
But maintaining it requires constant vigilance, and constant
9:13
vigilance
9:14
requires support of those efforts, especially
9:18
in a regulatory environment that continues to evolve.
9:22
So sustaining and scaling excellence is important,
9:25
as we go through the rest of 2026.
9:28
And secondly,
9:29
workforce stability and well-being.
9:33
Like many post acute and long term care
9:35
settings,
9:36
McKinney
9:37
is focused on what it takes to keep
9:40
a resilient
9:42
and vibrant workforce
9:44
to retain and engage our caregivers
9:48
and to make sure that we're maintaining a
9:50
culture
9:51
of,
9:52
respect, accountability,
9:54
excellence, and compassion,
9:56
and wrapping that into the integrity of the
9:58
care that we deliver.
10:00
Third and finally, I would talk
10:02
about,
10:03
innovating around our care model.
10:05
We we're thinking about how skilled nursing facilities
10:08
can play a larger role in the continuum,
10:12
especially as it relates to reducing
10:15
hospital readmissions,
10:17
strengthening those transitions of care, and integrating more
10:21
deeply with acute and community based services
10:25
to make sure that our community is aware
10:29
that there is this five star facility right
10:32
in the heart of Central Brooklyn
10:35
and making sure that in in in spite
10:37
of the headwinds of reimbursement
10:40
pressures and increasing clinical complexity,
10:44
that we stay innovative and stay strategic.
10:50
That makes a ton of sense. And, you
10:52
know, I I think being able to have
10:54
that lens of, that strategy, thinking about, you
10:57
know, where things are headed, how you can
10:59
be nimble, how you can create that,
11:02
workforce that has a culture of respect, accountability,
11:05
and compassion is so important. And, you know,
11:08
health care is such a people focused business,
11:10
and it requires a lot of that connection
11:13
and relationship building between caregivers and patients and
11:16
caregivers with each each other too, to make
11:18
that collaboration work.
11:20
I'm curious.
11:21
What do you think is going to be
11:23
the hardest thing you'll have to do in
11:24
the coming year knowing,
11:26
what your focus is and what you're driving
11:28
toward?
11:29
Mhmm.
11:31
I think this is one of the most
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challenging times in
11:36
health care in terms of the constraints
11:40
that are
11:41
beyond our control. And so thinking about
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how we sustain
11:47
excellence,
11:49
while leading through constraints,
11:51
how do we
11:54
make sure that, sure, we've achieved high performance,
11:58
but how do we maintain that when we're
12:00
facing so many
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external
12:03
constraints such as financial pressures and
12:08
even rising expectations
12:10
from the community
12:12
and even from regulators, that means
12:15
we are facing making difficult decisions.
12:18
Leadership in this time requires prioritizing
12:21
resources,
12:23
more than ever and really doing that in
12:25
a way that holds the line on standards.
12:29
And, as leaders, that may in fact mean
12:33
saying no sometimes in order for us to
12:35
be able to protect
12:37
what matters most.
12:39
It's it's also going to mean,
12:41
continuing to lead with transparency
12:43
and empathy
12:45
because when we're making those decisions, it's important
12:48
to
12:50
involve those who those decisions will impact the
12:52
most.
12:53
Our,
12:54
resident community, our families that support their loved
12:58
ones, as well as our employee caregivers
13:01
who are also carrying,
13:03
the load of what it means
13:06
to prioritize
13:07
in these current times. And for safety net
13:10
health care,
13:11
regardless of the type of facility,
13:14
the margin for error is small.
13:17
But the mission is just too important to
13:19
compromise.
13:20
We've been here before,
13:22
and it's important for us to remain hopeful
13:25
that despite constraints, we will be able to
13:28
keep the standards high and continue to press
13:31
towards our goals.
13:34
It was helpful to understand and, really having
13:38
that type of, transparency
13:40
communication and
13:41
having that ability to communicate appropriately,
13:45
is so helpful, especially as a leader.
13:48
I'm curious.
13:49
Before we wrap up here, I wanted to
13:50
ask about growth too. Where do you see
13:52
some of the best opportunities for organizational growth,
13:55
and what are you excited about in in
13:57
the future?
13:59
It's such an exciting time, which I know
14:02
can seem contradictory
14:04
in terms of,
14:06
what we're talking about,
14:08
in the light of constraints.
14:10
But that really does give us an opportunity
14:13
to
14:14
redefine what post acute and long term care
14:17
can be. Facilities like McKinney are uniquely positioned
14:21
to become hubs for
14:22
integrated
14:23
person centered care to,
14:26
illuminate the ways that we bridge
14:28
hospital, home, and community.
14:31
There's also an opportunity to expand specialty services
14:35
to make sure that we're leveraging data more
14:38
effectively.
14:39
There's so much great work that is happening
14:42
here. How can we use this this opportunity
14:46
to bring forth some of the
14:49
ways that we have found,
14:51
the impact
14:52
of those strategic innovations
14:54
in the outcomes
14:55
that we see as well as building stronger
14:58
partnerships
15:00
across the health system
15:01
and throughout the community.
15:03
I think equally importantly,
15:06
for our organizational growth is investing in people.
15:10
In McKinney's recent
15:12
employee engagement survey,
15:15
we found that,
15:17
not only did they improve from their previous,
15:21
survey in terms of employee engagement and sense
15:24
of belonging,
15:25
but early career
15:26
caregivers at McKinney
15:28
feel valued and supported
15:30
and look forward to continuing to be here
15:32
in years to come. So with that in
15:35
mind, how do we build into the work
15:38
that we're doing here with caregiver engagement,
15:41
developing,
15:43
our early career
15:45
personnel? How do we,
15:47
create environments
15:48
where all staff feel valued and supported?
15:51
Because we know that when we do that
15:53
performance follows, especially maintaining that five star. Finally,
15:58
as a safety net institution,
16:00
there's always going to be an opportunity
16:04
to continue
16:05
advancing
16:06
health equity. This is where it's done. This
16:09
is where we set the pace for other,
16:13
areas of the health care world
16:15
because here it's not just a concept,
16:17
but it's embedded as an operational priority.
16:20
And that's where safety net institutions like ours
16:24
can continue to lead the way
16:26
nationally. So I'm excited about those opportunities.
16:32
I love it. Thank you so much, doctor
16:34
Denham Wilkes for joining us on the podcast
16:36
today. This has been such a amazing conversation,
16:39
so inspiring to hear about all the work
16:41
that you're doing and what's ahead in the
16:43
health care space. And thank you again for
16:45
your time. I'm excited to see you as
16:47
well at our annual meeting. I know you'll
16:48
be speaking there in a few weeks and
16:51
it will be really just great to keep
16:52
this conversation going.
16:54
Thank you, Laura and the team at Becker's
16:57
for all you're doing to position healthcare as
16:59
the vital institution
17:01
in this country that it is.