Journal of Healthcare Management - July/August 2015 - (Page 237)

I N T E R V I E W Interview With Mario J. Garner, EdD, FACHE, President and CEO of New Orleans East Hospital M ario J. Garner, EdD, FACHE, is the recipient of ACHE's 2015 Robert S. Hudgens Memorial Award for Young Healthcare Executive of the Year. Since 2013, Dr. Garner has served as president and CEO of New Orleans East Hospital in Louisiana. He previously served as chief operating officer (COO) at Fairview Park Hospital in Dublin, Georgia; COO at the Regional Medical Center of Acadiana in Lafayette, Louisiana; and associate administrator at West Houston Medical Center in Houston, Texas. During his career, Dr. Garner has led many improvement initiatives, including Lean hospital operational efficiency programs, patient satisfaction initiatives, employee and physician engagement programs, a comprehensive facility construction and renovation plan, and community outreach. Dr. Garner earned a bachelor of science degree in microbiology from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, a master's degree in healthcare administration from Tulane University in New Orleans, and a doctor of education degree in administration and supervision from the University of Houston in Texas. Dr. Garner also holds an assistant adjunct professorship appointment at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Dr. Kash: First, congratulations on winning the Hudgens Award! Let's discuss the nature and impact of your leadership during Hurricane Katrina. Many Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) employees from hospitals around New Orleans evacuated to Houston. You spearheaded the effort to help employees displaced by Katrina with housing and job placement. Please share some of your leadership lessons learned from this unique experience. Dr. Garner: In August 2005, I was an administrative fellow at Tulane University Hospital. I was on the cusp of completing graduate school and entering the workforce in HCA's executive development program. My start date was September 1; however, Hurricane Katrina hit on August 29. So I relocated to Houston. My first responsibility in this new role as associate administrator at HCA West Houston Medical Center was to work with HCA colleagues from New Orleans on relocation assistance. I knew many of these employees from Tulane University Hospital. They needed immediate assistance with job placement and housing, and we knew that the City of New Orleans was not going to allow residents to return for the foreseeable future. I worked closely with human resources representatives in the HCA Gulf Coast Division, the North Texas Division, and even the Denver market to find jobs for the displaced employees from New Orleans. The resources provided by the HCA system- from evacuation methods and housing assistance to job placement for employees 237

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Journal of Healthcare Management - July/August 2015

Journal of Healthcare Management - July/August 2015
Contents
Interview With Mario J. Garner, EdD, FACHE, President and CEO of New Orleans East Hospital
Finding the Path to Innovation
Trending in 2015: Population Health
Nurse Against Nurse: Horizontal Bullying in the Nursing Profession
A Community Hospital–County Health Department Partnership to Reduce Preventable Readmissions: Lessons Learned for Population Health Management
Pay for Performance: Are Hospitals Becoming More Efficient in Improving Their Patient Experience?
Facilitating Implementation of Interprofessional Collaborative Practices Into Primary Care: A Trilogy of Driving Forces

Journal of Healthcare Management - July/August 2015