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 Freudenberger Runner-Up For CEO of the Year by Hospital Review
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Joe Freudenberger,
CEO of OakBend Medical Center in Richmond, Texas was named a Runner-Up
as CEO of the Year by The Hospital Review. Mr. Freudenberger has held
several positions in hospital administration, serving as COO for
OakBend and as CFO for Memorial Health System of East Texas in Lufkin,
Texas. Under Mr. Freudenberger's leadership, OakBend Medical Center
received the American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines
Silver Performance Achievement Award in July 2008. Mr. Freudenberger
received his MBA from Tulane University in New Orleans, La.
Creating
an efficient and successful hospital environment requires more than
overseeing day-to-day operations. It requires dedication and a little
creativity to change ineffective procedures into profitable ones for
the facility.
Mr. Freudenberger uses his out-of-the-box ideas to improve operations and create a positive environment at the hospital.
This creativity, among other reasons, is why Mr. Freudenberger is one of the runners-up for The Hospital Review's CEO of the Year.
OakBend
Medical Center is a 184-bed acute care facility located in Richmond,
Texas. It is the only Advanced Trauma Center in Fort Bend County and
was recently awarded the Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint
Commission as a Primary Stroke Center. Among other things, OakBend is known for Women's
Services which include a birthing center and a Level 2 nursery, while
its operating suites and imaging services have the most up-to-date
equipment available.
Taking a creative approach to management
According
to many of Mr. Freudenberger's OakBend colleagues, he approaches
management at the hospital with creativity and the enthusiasm to
improve the hospital financially but just as importantly, to make
OakBend an efficient and successful place to work.
"Joe is one of the most creative, physician-friendly CEOs I have seen in action," a colleague says.
Another
says, "Joe is not afraid to make a decision or take chances and is
willing to try new concepts and ideas. He is a positive thinker and
believes things will always work out. He is also very open to listen to
others and their ideas."
Some other colleagues mention some of Mr. Freudenberger's unique ideas for improving operations at OakBend.
"'…Joe
is indeed full of creativity and energy and never gives up," one
colleague says. "He leads a great group of department directors who
work extremely well with each other. Interestingly, an example of Joe's
creativity is that some of his leadership team is related, not
something most other CEOs would do, and he strongly believes this
promotes loyalty, teamwork and community."
Mr. Freudenberger
describes his thought process when developing these out-of-the-box
techniques by simply saying, "If you aren't achieving your objectives,
you have to do something differently."
He says that he'll throw out a radically different idea to his directors in order to "get the creative juices flowing."
"You
need to create energy to see how 'we can do it differently,'" he says.
"Then you can see a way to change. Small steps might get you to where
you need to be."
For example, in order to address the high
turnover rates in healthcare, Mr. Freudenberger considered what other
organizations in the industry were doing. He came across Medline
Manufacturing, a company that decided to keep the production of entire
product lines within a single extended family.
"They found that
family members do more to hold things together [in a company] than
others," he says. "They maintain a level of excellence and are better
at internal discipline."
After seeing this example, Mr.
Freudenberger thought that it might be a good step for OakBend to take,
as noted by one of his colleagues.
"We ask our staff to
recommend people they trust," he says of the hospital when trying to
fill vacancies. "Often times, they have family members who work out."
As
a result, the employee who recommended the family member does his or
her best to ensure that the new employee is up to OakBend's standards.
"Their reputations are on the line," he says. "They don't tolerate
anything that will damage that."
Establishing a presence on the floor
Mr.
Freudenberger says two of his other creative management ideas have come
from an effort to be more visible in the various departments of the
hospital.
"Visibility is important with the community and staff," he says. "You have to get out there at times when people are available."
For
example, Mr. Freudenberger and several members of the executive staff
held a 1 a.m. town hall meeting for night shift employees so this
portion of the staff population could express any concerns they had.
"Seven
p.m. would have been convenient for me but not the night shift because
that is when they are just beginning their shifts," he says. "Instead,
we asked them what time they preferred, and 1 a.m. did work. We had
around 30 people come and talk with us. It was very productive."
Another
method Mr. Freudenberger has taken to increase his visibility and to
motivate staff is to provide a quarterly cash bonus when financial
goals are met. Every employee, from housekeeping to clinical staff,
receives a $50 bonus if they make their budget each quarter. He makes
an effort to personally hand each employee their bonus.
Of this
undertaking, one colleague says, "While other bigger facilities in
Houston have expanded into our market, Joe and his department directors
and board have found a way to thrive and exceed budget month after
month. Employees look forward to him personally handing out new $50
bills when budget is beat. Joe values OakBend's employees first of all,
and it shows!"
Mr. Freudenberger uses this face time to see how
his staff is handling the different issues of the day, such as
questioning staff on patient safety goals. This was one technique he
used in preparation of The Joint Commission survey.
"[Asking
questions] helps to emphasize quality," he says. "I can see if the
staff is focused and how they answer questions under pressure so they
were prepared for the surveyors."
This technique paid off. The
Joint Commission surveyors commented that "OakBend was incredible" and
that the staff was "friendly, knowledgeable and did the right things
consistently."
Financial success
In addition
to his successes with personnel, Mr. Freudenberger has seen financial
success and growth over the past year at OakBend. One colleague says,
"Joe has turned this organization around both culturally and
financially in just one year. He is dedicated, focused and an excellent
leader. What we have accomplished in the last year could not have been
done without his leadership."
Creating an atmosphere of
transparency, honesty and collaboration is what he attributes to this
success. Regular communications with employees — letters, town hall
meetings, making the rounds — has helped the staff to see what their
targets should be and feel proud of their own accomplishments as well
as the hospital's.
"Employees should take pride in their work
and not just see it as a paycheck," Mr. Freudenberger says. By building
a culture of collaboration, he says that OakBend has been able to
succeed in this tough economy.
"It is easier to build volume
than to cut costs," he says. "We try to maintain a high level of
quality and customer service, and then we ask physicians to bring in
patients. People do respond to these requests. Physicians are pleased
when they are asked to bring in business to help the hospital succeed."
A 'can-do' attitude
Many
colleagues note Mr. Freudenberger's can-do attitude. One says, "Joe has
demonstrated strong vision and leadership. He is a 'make it happen' CEO
with excellent business and market knowledge. Joe has a proven track
record of success."
Mr. Freudenberger works to find time to
speak with the organization's entire staff about the critical
importance of dedication to excellence.
"This is a conversation
I have with everyone," he says. "You can do anything if you are
committed. I tell my children, 'If you want the A, you must put in more
effort." This perspective extends to his professional life.
"I
will not accept 'no' as an answer," he says. He says that he will
accept "I'm not willing" as an answer, because that means a person
won't put in the effort required to accomplish a task. However, in his
opinion, "'I can't' doesn't exist."
As a result of this "make it
work" philosophy, OakBend is experiencing extensive growth and is
expanding to a second campus this year which will feature full service
inpatient care as well as a third campus dedicated to comprehensive
outpatient services in Fort Bend. This is impressive, especially since
other hospitals across the country have halted or postponed expansions.
Using past experience as a guide
Mr.
Freudenberger's background is in business in finance. He graduated with
a bachelor of science in mathematics and economics from Tulane
University in New Orleans and received his MBA in finance from Tulane's
Freeman School of Business, where he graduate cum laude.
Prior to becoming CEO at OakBend, Mr. Freudenburger severed as a CFO and a COO at another location.
Mr.
Freudenberger's experience as a CFO has helped him to become a
successful CEO. "So much in healthcare is tied to financials," he says.
"If you don't understand it, you can't come up with and execute
solutions. I am able to make quick and efficient decisions."
In
addition, Mr. Freudenberger's experience as a COO has helped him see
that "it's more than dollars and cents that drive a hospital," he says.
"It helped me to see the physician view of operations."
Pride in your work
Most
of all, Mr. Freudenberger says that he tries to enable his employees to
feel proud to be a member of the OakBend family. "I brag about OakBend
all the time to them," he says. "But I also look for opportunities to
say, 'You're doing a great job!'"
By using creative and unique
approaches to problem solving, being visible in the hospital and making
staff enthusiastic about being a part of the hospital, Mr.
Freudenberger has been able to bring success to OakBend.
As one colleague says, "Joe's leadership, experience and commitment have helped our hospital grow and succeed."
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