NewsLine - December 2012 - (Page 8)

Succession Planning: It May Not Be About Filling the Current CEO’s Shoes Every organization needs a succession plan for its senior leaders. And as a relatively young industry, the need is far greater in the hospice field as our founding leaders approach retirement. That said, it’s a challenging task which few hospices have actually addressed. For many, their leaders have become the very essence of their organization, so it’s hard to conceive of someone ever replacing them. But maybe that shouldn’t be the goal? Maybe trying to fill the current CEO’s shoes may not be what the organization needs going forward? That was Laura Miller’s determination— and her recommendation to the board of The Elizabeth Hospice—when she retired as president/CEO in June of 2012. The Elizabeth Hospice, Inc. is a not-forprofit organization that was founded in northern San Diego County in 1977. It functioned as an all-volunteer organization until 1981 when its first employee was hired to provide direct care under a home-health agency license. In 1985, the organization affiliated with a local hospital system, and in 1989 Miller joined the organization as director of patient services. She was promoted to executive director in 1995, and when the affiliation with the health system ended in 2001, she was named the hospice organization’s president/CEO. During her 23-year tenure, she accomplished many things. Under her leadership, The Elizabeth Hospice evolved from a grassroots program serving about 33 patients a year to a proactive, customer-driven organization with an annual census of 430. What she’s most proud of, though, is the dedication and loyalty of the staff and volunteers—staff turnover is less than 12 percent a year and volunteer service awards are in the range of 30 years. But, despite these accomplishments, she came to the conclusion that the skill set which served her and her organization well over the past two decades was not the same skill set the future CEO would need. Miller is now living in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Michael, and will serve as a consultant of special projects for the organization through the summer of 2013. In this interview, she talks about the process she and her board followed in selecting a new CEO (hospice veteran Jan Jones) and in making related changes that have resulted in a smooth transition. 8 NewsLine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NewsLine - December 2012

Newsline - December 2012
Reframing Advance Care Planning
A Message From Don
Free ACP Symposium
Choosing Wisely Initiative
Succession Planning
NHPCO Honors Exemplary Hospice Service
Hospice in the Continuum
10 Ways to Help Hospice
The Voice of NCHPP
Managing Accountability
My.NHPCO: A Great Resource for Managers
Simione: Solving Your Hospice Challenges (display ad)
Add CGAs to Your Giving Menu (display ad)
Winning Entries from the 2012 Creative Arts Contest
Member News and Notes
Compliance Tip
2013 MLC Plenary Speakers (display ad)
Videos Worth Watching
Resource Links to Bookmark

NewsLine - December 2012