How to Fearlessly Change the Culture of Your Organization
Angela Ammons is the Chief Executive Officer at Clinch Memorial Hospital.
She became CEO of Clinch Memorial in 2017. Prior to her role as CEO at Clinch Memorial, she was the Nurse Manager for a Behavioral Unit at a nearby hospital. Angela’s nursing career did not end there, as she is known to fill in on the floor when the hospital faces staffing issues.
Angela is the daughter of a Korean immigrant and Vietnam War veteran and was raised by her grandparents in Macon, Georgia. However; because of their tumultuous relationship, she left home at the age of 15. She was nearly homeless at this young age but overcame the challenges by waitressing the local Shoney’s restaurant.
She eventually became the first college graduate on her mother’s side of the family. Since then, she has climbed the ranks from a receptionist at a doctor’s office to a registered nurse supervising a unit, to now, CEO.
When Angela was hired as CEO, she was not actively looking for an administrative position. A member of the Clinch County Hospital Board approached her after hearing about her leadership skills while Nurse Manager of the Behavioral Unit. At the time, Clinch Memorial Hospital was suffering. On her first day at Clinch Memorial, she was told the hospital had just three days' cash on hand and if things did not change fast, the hospital would be closing its doors.
Immediately, Angela began making the necessary changes to improve the financial stability of Clinch Memorial. This was not an easy task, as she had to completely change the culture of the hospital. This meant disrupting an environment that people had accepted for many years.
However; now, three years later, Angela has significantly improved the financial stability of Clinch Memorial with new service lines. One of those service lines includes the lucrative swing bed program that treats intubated patients.
In 2018, Angela was recognized as Hospital Leader of the Year by HomeTown Health, and a year later, Clinch Memorial Hospital was recognized as Hospital of the Year.
Recently, she was featured in TIME Magazine for her work that saved Clinch Memorial Hospital from closure.
Show Notes
Angela is a big believer in just doing what it takes to reach the goals you have for your organization.
Particularly in times of leadership change, it can be daunting to overhaul culture and make broad, sweeping changes that might encounter resistance. But that's no reason not to proceed with the things you know are right for your organization.
Leading a hospital, in particular, comes with a unique set of challenges. As pillars of the community, the people you serve expect you to stay open, keep them safe, and operate smoothly. But hospitals, like any organization, are susceptible to conflict.
No matter what came before you, the burden that leaders carry is to continue to move forward, even when it means that part of your job is clearing the wreckage left behind by the people who were there before you.
Angela also spends time talking about how important it is that in the often-competitive healthcare industry, that leaders find ways to work with each other rather than against each other. She believes that one thing, as embodied by her mentor Robin, could make all the difference when it comes to reversing the troubling trend of closing hospitals.
Next Steps
If you're looking for support in your own servant leadership, there's no better place to start than this podcast. Kyle is a wealth of information and simply applying the lessons he shares in this episode will make any leader better.
But if you need an additional layer of support and a guide to keep you accountable to your goals as well as the purpose and vision you have for your life and your organization, there's no better place to start than with a free Discovery Session with The Followell Company.
In just 30 minutes, we'll uncover exactly what's holding you and your organization back as a leader and what steps you can take today to move in the right direction. If we both decide it's a good fit for us to travel that road together, great!
But if not, that's okay too, and you'll leave with valuable, tactical insight that you can apply right away to become a better leader.
Book your free Discovery Call today.