UNC Health Lenoir CEO’s focus: Exceptional Care, Without Exception
By Mike Danahey
Featured in Spring 2024 Business Connections
One of Crystal Hayden’s fondest memories since becoming the new president and chief executive officer of UNC Health Lenoir happened last June, just two weeks after she started the job.
“I threw out the first pitch for UNC Health Lenoir Health Care Night at the Ballpark for a Down East Wood Ducks game. That was a lot of fun,” Hayden said.
It was but one example of the kindness, welcoming spirit and outpouring of support Hayden said she has found as she leads the hospital, if not onto a field of dreams, into a journey to advance and elevate care, ensuring UNC Health Lenoir’s continued success as a strong community health system.
Toward that, shortly after coming to the 117-year-old hospital, Hayden began working with staff and community on putting together UNC Health Lenoir’s game plan. A committee of stakeholders met once a month from July through January and worked with a consultant to create a strategic plan. In January, the plan was adopted by the hospital's Board of Directors. In February and March, it was introduced to staff, and in May and June there will be outreach to the public.
The new UNC Health Lenoir Strategic Plan will drive performance and improvement over the next 3-5 years in support of the hospital’s mission to “ensure exceptional healthcare for the people we serve”; Exceptional Care, Without Exception.
The plan holds four pillars, its priorities toward that mission include:
• Stabilizing and growing key clinical services: Initiatives here include developing a robust recruitment program based on a physician needs assessment; evaluating and improving operational status for identified priority service lines; determining capital needs to support those service lines; assessing referral patterns of priority service lines and developing a plan to strengthen them; and evaluating expansion of outpatient clinical services.
• Improving Emergency Department outcomes: Hayden noted that the ED is often-times someone’s primary experience with a hospital, so efficiency and quality control are of the utmost importance. ED initiatives include making sure that experience is patient centered throughout the process; working toward having patient experience scores in the ED at or above the 65th percentile for overall care; optimizing the provider team; and establishing a presence of the department in the community through targeted outreaches.
• Focusing on people, service, and quality: Initiatives include optimizing the patient experience; improving medical staff engagement and involvement to improve quality and care delivery; improving workforce engagement and recognition; implementing initiatives to position UNC Health Lenoir to be the region's employer of choice, thus aiding in recruitment and retention.
• Rebuilding reputation and trust in the community: Initiatives here include demonstrating to the community and its businesses that UNC Health Lenoir is the provider of choice; engaging the community in the hospital’s mission, vision, values and strategic plan; rebuilding trust in provider/caregiver relationships; demonstrating that staff and providers are dedicated to the community.
Related to the strategic plan, Hayden said she and staff are working on a financial/margin improvement plan. Prior to her arrival, UNC Health Lenoir had a couple of tough years, brought on by COVID and the subsequent nursing shortage, Hayden said. While the hospital has healthy cash reserves, it cannot use that reserve for day-to-day operations. So, the task is to lead a recovery to a positive cash flow by 2027, Hayden said.
Since Hayden arrived, UNC Health Lenoir unveiled new equipment and thus new service capabilities. In August, two Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers were purchased and installed in the UNC Health Lenoir Wound and Infusion Center. Hayden said the hospital is averaging three hyperbaric treatments a day with the new equipment.
“Our wound treatment program is growing nicely,” Hayden said. Additionally, in January, the hospital’s imaging department purchased a new, stronger Nuclear Medicine Camera. Hayden said this was a much-needed upgrade as well.
In addition, the UNC Health Lenoir Infection Control Team has introduced quality improvement initiatives that have the hospital on track with low rates of infection, Hayden said.
UNC Health Lenoir continues to work with Lenoir Community College to address workforce development and the nursing shortage. Hayden said that for the 2024-25 school year, UNC Health Lenoir is introducing a nursing scholarship program that will offer multiple scholarships each year. The scholarships will come with a promise of employment if the student finishes the program and passes required state exams.
Being part of the UNC system remains a plus for the hospital. This allows UNC Health Lenoir to do things it most likely would not be able to do on its own, Hayden said. Those include having access to supply chain purchases and payer contracts made through the system; being part of the Epic medical record software system for patients; case management; broader physician recruitment; and patients access to UNC Health clinics.
Speaking of clinics, Hayden said the relationship with Kinston Community Health Center continues to be a strong one. The center’s mission is to provide quality and accessible health care to all the people of our community in the most cost-efficient manner. That dovetails nicely with UNC Health Lenoir’s mission, Hayden said.
As UNC Health Lenoir brings the message of its strategic plan forward to the community, it will also be sharing stories, particularly about the positive things happening at the hospital, Hayden said. As part of the strategic plan, the hospital will also be conducting a survey about how the public perceives it. The goal here will be to target where improvements might be needed. UNC Health Lenoir also hopes to define opportunities through the plan for community outreach programs, thus promoting and potentially improving public health.
As for what she has enjoyed about her very busy first year, that’s been getting to know the community as well as the hospital’s staff. Such experiences include attending the induction banquet last September for the UNC Health Lenoir Hall of Honor.
“It was humbling hearing about the inductees and their commitment and dedication to the community,” Hayden said.
Hayden felt much the same attending the hospital’s annual employee service awards ceremony last fall. The gathering celebrated staff for their years of service and dedication to the organization.
“It has been an honor getting to know the team here at UNC Health Lenoir. They are very committed to providing top quality care to the community. It is a privilege to lead them,” Hayden said.
