Some leaders advance by seniority, some by special training, some by chance & some simply because they stand out. Jeff Kaplan is in the last category. 

   If you drive down Route 315 past Riverside Methodist Hospital & notice the giant McConnell Heart Hospital sign, you would correctly assume that it is named for the late Columbus industrialist. But that center of excellence exists, serving tens of thousands, because of someone whose name appears nowhere. That is Jeff Kaplan!

   As CEO back then, I directed that all staff should call each other "Partners," not employees. Jeff came to define true partnership. 

   It was Jeff who spent five years raising the funds to bring that center to life. It was Jeff who guided the heart program to peak performance during his years overseeing its expansion. It is Jeff whose name should be up there next to McConnell's.  That is because he has always been more than a fundraiser. He is a true leader, partner & friend. 

   Jeff even won a "heart" at the heart center. It was that of his longtime wife Darcy, a top-notch cardiac care nurse who continues to serve others to this day. They have four magnificent children & one incredibly cute grandson.

   And Jeff is the one who improved the workplace for the likes of top cardiologists Dick Candella, Al Nichols, Steve Yakubov & Barry George, heart surgeons like Chet Osborn, Charles Bush, thoracic surgeon James Blackford & crackerjack nurse leader Elaine Losego; also, nurse practitioner Kay Nichols & fellow healing leaders like Claudia Wilder, Kathy Campbell, Gina Englehart, the late, beloved Mary Edmondson (the wonderful head of CCU) & the rest of the crowd of caregivers that composed that culture of excellence. He also managed to keep his marvelous assistant, Jane Ely, almost literally covered up with Post-it note reminders, ideas & messages.  

   Jeff exudes energy, cultivates friendships, offers profound loyalty, seizes opportunities & is the most persistent person I ever met at doing what too few leaders do. He truly follows up!

   I have never witnessed anyone who is so persistent at doing thoughtful things for others. He must have a hundred thousand names in his files & likely sends out at least a thousand handwritten thank you notes & birthday cards every year. 

   It is these kinds of traits that caused leaders like legendary Ohio State Football Coach Woody Hayes, former University of Vermont President Dr. Lattie Coor & Dr. Gordon Gee (who has headed multiple universities including Ohio State, Brown & Vanderbilt) to make sure Jeff was at their side. 

   Loyalty? One example says it all. Long after Coach Hayes passed away & many had overlooked his family, Jeff routinely visited his widow & remained friends with his son. 

   Jeff Kaplan is that quiet presence that every successful leader has. That person who effectively ensures that those big ideas some leaders envision actually happen by being sure that the crucial details are executed. 

   Through intuition as much as anything, it was these qualities that caused me to recruit Jeff from his role as right hand person to Dr. Coor to come to Riverside & OhioHealth as Senior Vice President & Special Assistant to the President. It was one of the best decisions I ever made & why I brought him with me when I went to Nashville to head up the Baptist Hospital system. 

   So many little things signal the qualities of a big & gracious-hearted leader. Riverside flew Jeff in for his job interview. A week later my talented executive assistant, Nancy Todd Collier, came in with news: "Did you know that Mr. Kaplan exchanged the plane ticket the hospital sent him for a much cheaper one on a discount airline?"

   No one had ever done that. Because no one else is like Jeff Kaplan. He was & continues to be, a very special partner. 

-Erie Chapman, https://www.eriechapmanfoundation.net/

Photo of Mr. Kaplan by Barb Schwartz, http://www.barbschwartzphotography.com/