Direct Line from Max Buetow for 9/23/22

Sept. 23, 2022

Advocating for health care and our patients

I was honored to join the Missouri Hospital Association’s visit to Washington, D.C. this week, where we spoke with legislators about the needs of rural health and the challenges we are facing in health care.

Lawmakers see many industries reaching out for understanding and support, but advocating for health care is different. When we make the case for our organizations and the care we provide, we are advocating with a singular focus: our patients.

All of these efforts affect far more than business and health care. They make a difference in the lives of our neighbors.

During our visit, I met a legislative aide who sought me out at a dinner to tell me his story. He was originally from Springfield, and his family spent a lot of time in the care of CoxHealth as he was growing up. He had two younger siblings who had been in the NICU. They faced health issues throughout childhood, and they were assisted by CMN and the CoxHealth Foundation.

He told me what a great job CoxHealth did caring for his family. When you hear a story like this, you swell with a sense of pride for the work we do. You know that in these people’s worst times, we were our best for them.

We spent three days alongside representatives from hospitals across Missouri. We connected with lawmakers, answered questions and discussed the importance of support from federal and state governments in funding the care we provide.

I was able to travel with Teresa Coyan, our vice president of public affairs, and William Mahoney, our senior vice president in charge of our Community Hospital Group.

As we made the rounds, I was so impressed by these two. It is easy to walk the halls of the capitol when you are riding the coattails of these superstars. Their work makes me so proud of CoxHealth, and of how we put people first in everything we do.

It is incredible to see firsthand how Teresa has developed relationships at the state and federal level. Her fair, consistent approach has made her well respected, and her work has been essential to the support CoxHealth has received.

William has done the same kind of relationship building with hospitals across the state. As we met with our counterparts this week, it became clear that he knows every hospital leader, he knows their families, and he has made a personal connection with them.

Through his leadership, we have formed bonds with hospitals across the state, and those bonds make a difference when we are working together to advocate for health care.

All of health care is facing financial pressure and workforce challenges. For rural hospitals across Missouri, the stress of those challenges can be crushing.

While CoxHealth is fortunate to have exceptional rural facilities, many of the hospitals represented this week are struggling. Those hospitals are essential to their communities. If one of these hospitals is forced to close, people simply won’t receive care.

That reality makes it clear how important Teresa and William’s relationships and advocacy are.

We are appreciative of listening ears from our legislators and great questions from the staffers who are so well informed on the issues facing our industry.

I want to thank Representatives Vicky Hartzler and Billy Long, and Senators Josh Hawley and Roy Blunt for their support of important legislation supporting health care.

When I hear stories like the one from the legislative aide, I am reminded that our teams are unsung heroes. These stories bring your focus back to what we do every day. We want to be the best for everyone who walks through our doors.

Ultimately, caring for our patients is what our legislative advocacy is about. I am grateful for the efforts of our legislators, and for the work that goes into supporting the communities we serve.

Celebrating two 43-year careers at CoxHealth

In the last week, we saw not only one, but two colleagues set to retire after 43-year careers at CoxHealth. Being part of an organization where colleagues demonstrate this kind of commitment is something I am extremely proud of.

Becky Fisher has served in many nursing roles during her career. She retired as the nurse manager for rehab inpatient nursing, transitional care nursing, and the orthopedic care unit at Meyer Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Hospital. When she turned in her resignation, she noted “In my veins, I have CoxHealth blue.”

Karen Hahn was one of our nurse navigators, who grew her entire career at CoxHealth. She served in several roles within CoxHealth and Cox College. Karen stayed at CoxHealth for the opportunities and the culture we have created here. “I’ve been able to work for an organization that cares for its people … in every role, I’ve found good people to work with.”

You can see Becky and Karen’s stories on coxhealth.com. Thank you both for your service to CoxHealth; your work has made a difference for our patients and for our community!

New pediatric ambulance: Caring for our smallest patients

Yesterday, we had the privilege of unveiling our new Children’s Ambulance in a special ceremony at Cox South. It was amazing to get to see our staff from all positions gathered to unveil a vehicle that will provide lifesaving transport, and the latest technology to continue to best serve our smallest patients.

“The Children’s transport has played an important role since the 1980s and impacted countless families across the region,” says Beth Polivka, chief nursing officer at CoxHealth. “The new technology and services in the Children’s Ambulance will build upon that legacy and provide high-quality care for children across our communities.”

You can read the full release here.

Voice of the patient

Adapted from patient feedback from Cox Branson Emergency Department: “I was very impressed with the teamwork and their kindness in their care. Everything was great!”

Thank you for all you do,

Max