[Inside Radical Loving Care is now available at www.amazon.com, as a download to Kindle and all e-readers, and, for ten copies or more, by writing Van Grafton – vgraft@comcast.net.]

  "We deliver high quality comprehensive services to the local and extended community with excellence, compassion and competence." 

   Although the above lines are from an actual mission statement they could be part of any mission for any hospital. There are three things mission statements have in common: 1) They use high sounding words 2) Staff members don't know those words, 3) They are not true-to-life.

   If you want to verify this walk into any emergency department. Go up to the admitting counter groaning in pain. What will the clerk say? 

   The fact that you already know the answer tells you that the hospital is engaged in mission fraud. The clerk is likely to ignore your pain. Instead of a caregiver saying, "I'm so sorry you're in pain. We will help you," a form shoved at you will ask your name, address and insurance.

   Where's the compassion in the mission statement?

   Some hospitals are finally doing a better job but for the wrong reason – fear. Medicare now publishes patient satisfaction surveys and can penalize hospitals with low scores.

   How can hospitals raise performance to match mission?

   The answer is culture change. Organizational culture is driven by team culture. Both are created by leadership. The most important determinant of employee satisfaction is the attitude staff have towards their leader.

   Every hospital CEO can grow a culture of caring. It starts with holding every leader accountable for team performance and continues with training that teaches loving leadership. 

   1) BASELINE: Evaluate every team for competence and compassion (use subjective & objective approaches.)

   2) THE MOTHER TEST: Place teams in three categories following The Mother Test: a) "A" Teams: every member is someone you would want caring for you mother. b) "B" Teams: most members pass the Mother Test c) "C" teams: most members fail The Mother Test.

   3) TIME FRAME: The board or corporate office should give every CEO the chance to show positive change in one year and significant transformation in three years. The CEO should give every team leader three months to show improvement and six months to show significant advancement.

   4) THE TRAINER: Refer leaders of under-performing teams to a coach whose job is to train loving leaders.(Liz Vieira at Parrish Medical Center and Grace Ibe at St. John's Regional Health System already do this.) If there is no improvement in six months, replace the team leader. Note: top teams should be regularly recognized and rewarded.

   There is much more to it but this is the template. Radical Loving Care requires a "tough-minded tender-hearted" approach. There is nothing compassionate about letting second rate team leaders lead or letting second rate caregivers look after patients.

   Our mothers have a right to expect loving care from everyone. So do we. 

-Erie Chapman