Hi Everyone!
As one of the newest members of the SRMC team, I am happy to introduce myself to you. I have been in healthcare administration and quality positions for over 30 years. I spent the first two-thirds of my career in hospitals in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and in the greater Hartford area in Connecticut. I then began my own consulting practice focused on assisting hospitals with their quality, patient safety and accreditation readiness programs. My husband and I moved to Spotsylvania 7 years ago. We loved it from the moment we first came on our house hunting trip! The people in the community were so warm and welcoming that we felt at home immediately.
Taking a lead from some of the other introductory posts, here are a few “facts” about me. I am:
- Well-traveled, living in all four time zones of the U.S. as a result of my father’s naval career.
- A graduate of The Pennsylvania State University and a HUGE Nittany Lions fan!
- Married for 27 years-wow!
- Mother to a 25 year old daughter who is a graduate of York College of Pennsylvania, Harvard Divinity School and about to embark on a second graduate degree at Duke (yes, we are proud of her).
- A history buff- interested in all time periods of American history, so Fredericksburg, “America’s Most Historic City,” is a great place to live!
I am thrilled to join the SRMC leadership team, and to become a part of this exciting venture. As Senior Leader, Quality Services, I have the opportunity to help build programs and services that will directly support the safety and quality of the care we will provide at SRMC, and to collaborate on initiatives that engage our patients and families. My passionate belief is that healthcare can be delivered mistake-free and at the highest level of quality at all times…all we need to do is design our processes well and to assure that our staff shares this commitment from day one.
I will end this post with a quote from an unknown source that I found when I was a young, newly minted healthcare administrator and has resonated with me throughout the years. It sums up what I believe to be the mission of every hospital employee, no matter what their title: “To cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always.”
In recent weeks healthcare reform has really taken the main stage. It has always been a topic of discussion, especially with the last election, but right now it is so much more. President Obama is conducting town hall meetings to discuss the topic, speaking to industry groups, and has asked Congress to come up with a plan. Soon. With that, I’ll ask you to allow me my time on my healthcare reform soapbox….
Tonight, coming home from work, I turned on the radio and heard the words “healthcare reform” frequently as President Obama this week is speaking to the American Medical Association and the American Hospital Association outlining $313 billion in healthcare cost cuts.
I don’t think anyone would disagree that our healthcare system needs to be more efficient, cost less and improve in its access and service to all. How to do it and do it well reminds me of the game pick-up-sticks where you dump a pile of thin sticks on the ground and must remove them one at a time without making any of the other sticks move in response to the one being taken away. At first, depending on how the sticks initially landed, it might be easy, but as you get closer and closer to where the bulk of the sticks are piled, it seems impossible to not remove one without affecting another.
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And so it is in healthcare. As one part of the “stick” or healthcare sector is removed or changed in order to help reduce costs, another moves because the good as well as the curse is that all of healthcare is built on a continuum. To put it simply, any reform in healthcare can cause a chain reaction–both for what is good and also for what we might not agree with.
While what should change to improve our healthcare delivery will be strongly debated in the weeks and months ahead, what should not be debated is our focus on those we are caring for, our community and its people. People who should have a choice about what they want for their care and treatment plan. People who have rights and responsibilties to be informed and to be kept safe. People who come to us not as a patient in a hospital gown lying in a bed in room 432B, but as a person who brings a legacy and a story that needs to be heard in order to care for them well.
I like this old quote I found by Dr Elmer Hess, “There is no greater reward in our life than the knowledge that God has entrusted us with the care of his people.”
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And care well we should.
The Wall Street Journal’s Health Blog recently posted on the fact that although nationwide, job losses continue to mount throughout the nation, one sector that has actually grown is healthcare. I’ve heard people say that healthcare is actually a recession-proof industry. While I’m not sure I believe that healthcare is recession-proof, I understand that there will always be people in need of quality healthcare, and a need for clinical staff to provide that care–especially as (my) baby boomer generation ages.
Even with recent news of growth in the healthcare sector, just last week I was talking to a new college grad—she was quickly losing her joy of graduation with the somber news that good jobs were hard to find in our struggling economy. Our community in Fredericksburg is no exception. It’s comforting to know that with the opening of our hospital, Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center, we will be hiring more than 300 employees to help staff our hospital. More employees will also be needed to help staff the Medical Office Building which will be directly next to the hospital. Additionally, studies have shown that the addition of healthcare jobs in the community fuels the creation of jobs in the private sector. This can be seen through the hundreds of contractors and construction employees who have found work building our new hospital. Tim explains the economic impact SRMC will likely have on the Fredericksburg community well in his recent op-ed in the Free Lance Star (highly suggeseted reading, and not just because he’s my boss!)
Our hospital is opening at a great time for our Fredericksburg community–we will provide an additional choice to meet healthcare needs and we will help provide a place where our community can live and work here.
The week of May 10th-16th, the American Hospital Association and Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center recognizes National Hospital Week with the theme “A Healthy Commitment In Changing Times”!
National Hospital Week first began in the early 1920’s, as a suggestion by a Chicago magazine editor to help the community better understand the role of the hospital within a community. The idea quickly caught on and now it is a celebration that takes place within US hospitals from coast to coast.
We know that a lot has changed both in hospitals and healthcare since the inception of National Hospital Week 80 years ago. Today, amongst all of the changes, we also want to acknowledge all there is to celebrate for SRMC in 2009.
Here are some of the things Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center is celebrating this year:
- The construction of our hospital is on track to be completed on time!!
- We have more than 1,700 talented applicants seeking to work at SRMC!
- We have been given opportunities for community involvement that we greatly appreciate. These include: Volunteering at the Free Clinic, becoming involved in our local Chamber of Commerce, the ability to contribute to the nursing and allied health program at Germanna Community College, and the ability to sponsor our local March of Dimes, and the Rappahanock EMS.
- A community that is excited about the arrival of SRMC and confident in our planned services
Perhaps even more exciting than our 2009 celebration, is what we have to look forward to in 2010. By this time next year, we will celebrate National Hospital Week 2010 in a completed hospital! We will be serving the community with excellence, professionalism and confidence. We look forward to you joining us for that celebration—mark your calendars!
Anyone who knows me, knows that I take my morning “cup of joe” pretty seriously. Like many Americans, I can’t properly start my day without that warm cup of caffeinated goodness to give me a boost. And while I was at Reston Hospital Center, this was easy—I could just walk right down to the cafeteria to get a cup any time of day (or night), or if I was feeling fancy, Reston Town Center was right there for me to stop at on my way in.
Since we’re still building SRMC—we obviously don’t have a cafeteria yet. As a result, the entire team at Starbucks knows me well. I have been stopping every morning to get my daily java jolt. They actually know me so well that before I can even reach the front of the line to explain to the barista (whose name I have now learned to be Mike) what I want, he hands me my Grande Cinnamon Dolce Latte, two pumps sugar free/two pumps regular syrup, skim milk and light whip (I’ll admit, I like a fancy coffee. To be honest, I’m not even sure if what I’m drinking really is coffee or more chocolate, cinnamon, caffeine filled, coffee flavored milk and sugar, but I digress) to make me smile. The cashier rings me up with a simple “good morning Terika” and I hand her my card and I am on my way in less than five minutes.
Through my daily pitstop I have learned a tremendous amount about what makes this business so special. It’s not just the $4 mocha choca latte…. It’s the barista that greets you with the smile, the personalized product and a feeling that you’re getting that same high quality cup of coffee (or whatever it is that I’m drinking) every time and you don’t have to explain each time what you are looking for.
This same philosophy is how physicians and patients choose their hospital. It’s the service, the personalization of care and treatment, knowing that each time they are going to get efficient service and quality care for their patients and loved ones. It’s the Mikes of the world or that nurse on the unit that makes your experience a stellar one each time that keeps you coming back.
Hey everyone! I wanted to share a few quick facts that will let you get to know me (SRMC’s numbers guy) a little bit better. I’ll share more later, but for now:
- I really like to exercise. Having a large family as well as a busy career I find it a little more challenging to run, lift weights, or play sports (especially golf) but I try to do one of these at least three times a week. If I am unable to fit this in there is always chasing my three kids, Jack (7), Ella (4), and Lucy (2). I don’t know where they find their energy, but I sure wish I could bottle it.
- Graduating from the University of Kentucky has also made me a huge Kentucky Basketball fan. Over the last two years we have not had as many wins as I am use to, but fortunately Kentucky’s Football program has picked up the slack.
- We have been to Washington D.C. a number of times and like to visit the numerous beaches on the Eastern Coast (VA., N.C, S.C. and FL.).
- My aspirations both personally and professionally are to make a positive difference in my community and in the lives of others. Jill and I both want to raise healthy, well adjusted, and compassionate children, with a good sense of themselves and compassion for others. Professionally I want to make a positive impact on a new hospital that will serve Spotsylvania County, our patients, our physicians, and our employees. I can only hope that my contribution to our Administrative Team will positively impact the culture that we are creating at this hospital.
Next post I’ll give the story of meeting my wife (we met in an HCA hospital), and our journey together through the company.
Hello Everyone!
Having a great day!? Hope all is well!
Well, this is my first blog and I am really not sure how this all is going to work!
So, I will just write a little about myself. I am a critical care nurse, who has had the opportunity of working in ORs , PACUs and some EDs in a couple of different organizations. I am from Virginia, grew up in the Fredericksburg area, although was born in Charlottesville. My grandparents had a wonderful farm and orchards in Nelson County, and had some great times with my family (with my 12 cousins, brother and sister)…lot’s of wild ruckuses! I have two sons, ages 22 and 26, graduates of VT and WVU. Football season is an interesting time at our house! And I have been married to my husband for 28 years! My, time goes by…
I am now working to strategically identify, prioritize, and pursue new and existing development opportunities for Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center (SRMC). I have been with the development of SRMC from the Certificate of Public Need application (the state approval process for new hospitals) into the planning and now, we are moving into the planning –implementation phase. It does my heart good to see the walls go up and be part of such a wonderful organization.
I don’t remember when I didn’t want to be a nurse or didn’t love and appreciate good leadership. Being now a nurse for almost 30 years, I can put the diversity of my experience into the leadership role of CNO for Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center. I am so excited about the opportunity to serve our community in this role.
What I am passionate about? Service and serving. Community. Clinical excellence. Staff Retention. Mentoring.
What do I do in my spare time? Play with the grandchildren, travel, read and blog!
About me
- My name is Terika Richardson and I am the Chief Operating Officer for Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center. I’ve been with HCA since 2005.
- Born and raised in Detroit Michigan… home of the Pistons, Joe Louis, Motown music and the Big Three (dare I say that) to name a few. Over the past 5 years I have been in New York and Virginia working in hospitals but Detroit will always have a very special place in my heart. It’s where I learned about healthcare disparities, had the opportunity to work with a grassroots healthcare organization as a patient advocate, and got a chance to experience healthcare from a very different lens by working in the BCBS Center for Healthcare Quality.
- Starting this new facility in Spotsylvania, VA marks a new chapter in my career, one that I feel very fortunate to be able to write. Few hospital administrators have the privilege of starting a new facility and I am humbled by being given this opportunity.
I can’t wait to share more about everything that’s going on in Spotsylvania. To learn a little bit more about the hospital stay a while and check out our website—and make sure to go to our facebook page and become a fan!
While I’ve been in hospital leadership for years, this is the first time I’ve been involved in building a brand new hospital. It’s thrilling. Being part of the development of an entirely new organization is one of the most exciting things I’ve ever been a part of. Building a team of leaders, physicians and clinicians with an entirely new vision and culture has been so rewarding. I could go on about building our team and our culture for days, so I’ll save some of that for future postings and get back to the topic of this post—me.
A few facts about me:
- I love the outdoors. You name it, fishing, hiking, canoeing, get me outside and I’m happy. This might come from growing up on a farm. I’m trying to figure out how to make a garden on the mostly wooded property we have near Massaponax.
- History is another hobby of mine. Living in Virginia and Spotsylvania County is great for that, so much of our country’s history has happened in this region. I love to think about the trials and triumphs of our forebearers and think that in future years, what we are doing today will be an important part of this region’s history.
- My wife Sue and I will celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary this year. We have two wonderful children, both teenagers, Sean (17) and Jennifer (14).
- My personal and professional mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of others. The more personal part of that is to raise two well rounded, honest and contented children. Professionally, it is to create and sustain an organization that serves our patients, our community, and our physicians while sustaining a work environment that is stimulating and rewarding to every member of our team.
Well, you may know more about me that you ever wished to know. I hope that you’ll enjoy our blog. Our entire team will be contributing and our next entry will come from Terika Richardson, our COO and a rising star in healthcare. I’ll leave you with this picture of me with one of my better catches—a 60 pound King Salmon caught in Kenai, Alaska.
Thanks for reading our blog!
