Wayne Laramie

Text version of Wayne Laramie's keynote remarks

Good morning. I am Wayne Laramie and I am clinical director of the Emergency Department at SSM St. Joseph Hospital West.  
Mother Odilia and our original sisters took care of the sick in poor conditions and with few resources. They believed that if they trusted in God, took care of the poor, then all would be well. Their hard work took its toll on their emotional and spiritual well-being, but they relied upon Prayers, Inspiration from the Holy Spirit, Encouragement from each other, and Strong Leadership to stay focused on their Mission. 

We must do the same in our times. The daily stress and frustrations can become overwhelming, and it is easy to lose track of why we ever wanted to work in health care. When the emotional and spiritual rewards seem few and far between, people “burn-out” and decide to leave health care.  
 
It is our role as leaders to provide the support employees need to not only stay in health care, but to thrive – so that they, in turn, can be exceptional for our patients. 

We must pray with employees at every opportunity -- before meetings, on special occasions, and with grieving families. We must see the good in all employees and let them know they are making a difference. We must remove all frustrations so they can do their best. We must be fair and supportive to all and show no favoritism. We must be willing to make difficult decisions even if it means losing someone from the team. We must be willing to admit when we are wrong and ask for forgiveness.     

Most people in health care were called to service and truly want to make a difference in the lives of others.  Interacting with people energizes them and keeps their passion alive, so they come back shift after shift, day after day, year after year.

Many of us were exceptional providers of nursing care for many years before we were given roles in management. It took me a few years to figure out what part I played in our Mission in my new role, but it has never been more clear than today.

We are the vehicle God is using to assemble and maintain a team of committed health care workers who are passionate about easing the pain and suffering of all who come through our doors. 

We are responsible for providing the resources our staff needs so the patient experience is exceptional. We are Nurse, Coach, Teacher, Counselor, Cheerleader, Advisor, and Listener for our staff. We hand write Thank You and Mission Exceptional Cards to say how proud we are of the work our staff does. We are not above begging as Mother Odellia did, but usually it is for FTEs and Capital. We come in willingly when our staff needs support. We encourage employees to seek higher education and then accommodate their school schedules. We treat employees as we would want to be treated.  

In Summary….We are servants. We serve the people who serve our patients. We must create a little bit of heaven on earth for our patients -- through the hands of our staff! 

The emotional and spiritual life of health care workers is at risk if we lose our focus of caring, compassion, and making a difference. We will accomplish great things as long as we remember our role:  

As Exceptional Health Care Servants, We Reveal the Healing Presence of God.