Culture Change RX

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In this solo episode of Culture Change RX, I discuss the transformative work of Capstone Leadership Solutions in small and rural healthcare organizations. I highlight the significant improvements in employee and patient experiences achieved through a structured approach that focuses on leadership development, employee involvement and engagement, and foundational solutions. The conversation emphasizes the importance of a strong organizational core built on the strategic pillars of people, service, and quality, and how these elements contribute to sustainable growth and long term success in healthcare.

• Employee-driven teams can contribute to significant organizational change.
• Foundational solutions empower employees to improve patient and employee experiences.
• Long-term growth gets easier when the people, service, and quality pillars of a healthcare organization are strong.
• Significant improvements in employee and patient experiences are achievable in 1-2 years.
• Change management is key to adopting any new practices.

Need help improving the culture, performance, and results of your healthcare organization? If so, let’s talk:  https://www.capstoneleadership.net/contact-us

Are we connected yet on LinkedIn? https://www.linkedin.com/in/suetetzlaff/

The Virtual Patient Experience Boot Camp is designed for healthcare leaders and team members involved in patient experience improvement, communication, quality, culture, and organizational change, including:

• CEOs, COOs, and CNOs
• Patient experience leaders and improvement team members
• Nursing and department directors and s

Hi! I’m Sue Tetzlaff. I’m a culture and execution strategist for small and rural healthcare organizations - helping them to be the provider and employer-of-choice so they can keep care local and margins strong.

For decades, I’ve worked with healthcare organizations to navigate the people-side of healthcare, the part that can make or break your results. What I’ve learned is this: culture is not a soft thing. It’s the hardest thing, and it determines everything.

When you’re ready to take your culture to the next level, here are three ways I can help you:

1. Listen to the Culture Change RX Podcast
Every week, I share conversations with leaders who are transforming healthcare workplaces and strategies for keeping teams engaged, patients loyal, and margins healthy.

2. Subscribe to our Email Newsletter
Get practical tips, frameworks, and leadership tools delivered right to your inbox—plus exclusive content you won’t find on the podcast.
📩 Subscribe here

3. Break through to the next level of greatness in your organization with help from my team and me.
When you’re ready to be the provider and employer-of-choice, we’ll help you implement proven frameworks that strengthen culture, improve experience and ensure your organization thrives.
You can email me at [email protected] and put “BREAKTHROUGH” in the subject line and I’ll get you all the details.

Send us a Message

In this episode, Greg Opseth, a former Chief Nursing Officer and now Chief Operating Officer in rural Iowa, shares his insights on the importance of authentic leadership in healthcare, particularly in rural hospitals. 

Greg shares his experiences and emphasizes the need for a safe and enjoyable work environment. 

They explore strategic planning, employee involvement, and the unique culture of night shift workers. 

Greg also highlights the significance of community engagement through volunteering and the mission of Highland Medical Staffing in supporting rural healthcare facilities.

• Authentic leadership fosters a positive work environment.
• Creating fun in serious settings enhances team morale..
• Night shift workers have unique perspectives and needs.
• Memorable patient interactions can significantly impact care.
• Volunteering enriches personal fulfillment and community ties.
• Rural hospitals benefit from tailored staffing solutions.
• Cultural engagement in schools mirrors healthcare environments.

The Virtual Patient Experience Boot Camp is designed for healthcare leaders and team members involved in patient experience improvement, communication, quality, culture, and organizational change, including:

• CEOs, COOs, and CNOs
• Patient experience leaders and improvement team members
• Nursing and department directors and s

Hi! I’m Sue Tetzlaff. I’m a culture and execution strategist for small and rural healthcare organizations - helping them to be the provider and employer-of-choice so they can keep care local and margins strong.

For decades, I’ve worked with healthcare organizations to navigate the people-side of healthcare, the part that can make or break your results. What I’ve learned is this: culture is not a soft thing. It’s the hardest thing, and it determines everything.

When you’re ready to take your culture to the next level, here are three ways I can help you:

1. Listen to the Culture Change RX Podcast
Every week, I share conversations with leaders who are transforming healthcare workplaces and strategies for keeping teams engaged, patients loyal, and margins healthy.

2. Subscribe to our Email Newsletter
Get practical tips, frameworks, and leadership tools delivered right to your inbox—plus exclusive content you won’t find on the podcast.
📩 Subscribe here

3. Break through to the next level of greatness in your organization with help from my team and me.
When you’re ready to be the provider and employer-of-choice, we’ll help you implement proven frameworks that strengthen culture, improve experience and ensure your organization thrives.
You can email me at [email protected] and put “BREAKTHROUGH” in the subject line and I’ll get you all the details.

Send us a Message

In this solo episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff discusses the importance of promoting well-being within healthcare organizations. She emphasizes the need for leadership models that incorporate well-being as a core commitment and introduces the concept of resilience rituals—self-care routines that help individuals maintain their health and energy. Sue outlines practical strategies for creating effective rituals and routines, both individually and as groups, to enhance overall well-being. She also highlights the challenges of establishing new habits and offers tips for overcoming these obstacles, ultimately encouraging leaders to implement well-being strategies within their organizations.

• Promoting well-being is a core leadership commitment.
• Well-being is central to creating thriving healthcare organizations.
• Rituals and routines improve health and resilience.
• Group rituals can enhance individual well-being.
• New habits are hard to create but can be made easier.
• Pairing new habits with existing ones can help.
• Leaders are encouraged to promote well-being strategies in their teams.
• Free resources are available to help implement these practices.

FREE Resource: Promoting Wellbeing Course

Need help improving the culture, performance, and results of your healthcare organization? If so, let’s talk:  https://www.capstoneleadership.net/contact-us

Are we connected yet on LinkedIn? https://www.linkedin.com/in/suetetzlaff/

The Virtual Patient Experience Boot Camp is designed for healthcare leaders and team members involved in patient experience improvement, communication, quality, culture, and organizational change, including:

• CEOs, COOs, and CNOs
• Patient experience leaders and improvement team members
• Nursing and department directors and s

Hi! I’m Sue Tetzlaff. I’m a culture and execution strategist for small and rural healthcare organizations - helping them to be the provider and employer-of-choice so they can keep care local and margins strong.

For decades, I’ve worked with healthcare organizations to navigate the people-side of healthcare, the part that can make or break your results. What I’ve learned is this: culture is not a soft thing. It’s the hardest thing, and it determines everything.

When you’re ready to take your culture to the next level, here are three ways I can help you:

1. Listen to the Culture Change RX Podcast
Every week, I share conversations with leaders who are transforming healthcare workplaces and strategies for keeping teams engaged, patients loyal, and margins healthy.

2. Subscribe to our Email Newsletter
Get practical tips, frameworks, and leadership tools delivered right to your inbox—plus exclusive content you won’t find on the podcast.
📩 Subscribe here

3. Break through to the next level of greatness in your organization with help from my team and me.
When you’re ready to be the provider and employer-of-choice, we’ll help you implement proven frameworks that strengthen culture, improve experience and ensure your organization thrives.
You can email me at [email protected] and put “BREAKTHROUGH” in the subject line and I’ll get you all the details.

Send us a Message

In this third installment of our quarterly series, I catch up with Ben Davis, President and CEO of Glencoe Regional Health, to check in on The Experience Initiative—a transformative effort aimed at improving patient access and elevating experiences for patients, residents, and employees.

Ben shares how employee-driven teams are driving engagement, the challenges of managing change, and the essential role structured communication plays in keeping teams aligned. We also discuss the importance of committing to a vision and staying the course, even when progress takes time.

If you’re leading your own transformation efforts, you won’t want to miss Ben’s insights on navigating the complexities of change while fostering a stronger, more engaged workforce.

Key Takeaways:

• Employee-driven teams fuel better engagement and outcomes.
• Change takes time—commitment and persistence are critical.
• Clear, structured communication improves team effectiveness.
• Understanding change at both the individual and group levels enhances success.
• Continuous improvement is a journey, not a one-time fix.

Missed earlier episodes in this series?
👉 Listen to Part 1
👉 Listen to Part 2

The Virtual Patient Experience Boot Camp is designed for healthcare leaders and team members involved in patient experience improvement, communication, quality, culture, and organizational change, including:

• CEOs, COOs, and CNOs
• Patient experience leaders and improvement team members
• Nursing and department directors and s

Hi! I’m Sue Tetzlaff. I’m a culture and execution strategist for small and rural healthcare organizations - helping them to be the provider and employer-of-choice so they can keep care local and margins strong.

For decades, I’ve worked with healthcare organizations to navigate the people-side of healthcare, the part that can make or break your results. What I’ve learned is this: culture is not a soft thing. It’s the hardest thing, and it determines everything.

When you’re ready to take your culture to the next level, here are three ways I can help you:

1. Listen to the Culture Change RX Podcast
Every week, I share conversations with leaders who are transforming healthcare workplaces and strategies for keeping teams engaged, patients loyal, and margins healthy.

2. Subscribe to our Email Newsletter
Get practical tips, frameworks, and leadership tools delivered right to your inbox—plus exclusive content you won’t find on the podcast.
📩 Subscribe here

3. Break through to the next level of greatness in your organization with help from my team and me.
When you’re ready to be the provider and employer-of-choice, we’ll help you implement proven frameworks that strengthen culture, improve experience and ensure your organization thrives.
You can email me at [email protected] and put “BREAKTHROUGH” in the subject line and I’ll get you all the details.

Send us a Message

In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff discusses the importance of shaping up weekly executive team meetings to enhance collaboration, decision-making, and organizational progress. Drawing from over 30 years of healthcare executive experience, she emphasizes the need for a clear purpose, strategic agenda, and continuous improvement in meeting effectiveness. The episode also highlights resources available for executives to optimize their meetings and drive impactful outcomes.

• Effective executive team meetings foster collaboration and drive success.
• A clear purpose is essential for effective meetings.
• Focus executive team meeting agendas on strategic decisions, not operational details.
• Less is more: prioritize fewer, impactful agenda items.
• Continuous improvement is key to optimizing meeting effectiveness over time.
• Regular assessments can enhance meeting functionality.
• Resources are available to help shape up meetings.
• Make every meeting count and strive for improvement.

The Virtual Patient Experience Boot Camp is designed for healthcare leaders and team members involved in patient experience improvement, communication, quality, culture, and organizational change, including:

• CEOs, COOs, and CNOs
• Patient experience leaders and improvement team members
• Nursing and department directors and s

Hi! I’m Sue Tetzlaff. I’m a culture and execution strategist for small and rural healthcare organizations - helping them to be the provider and employer-of-choice so they can keep care local and margins strong.

For decades, I’ve worked with healthcare organizations to navigate the people-side of healthcare, the part that can make or break your results. What I’ve learned is this: culture is not a soft thing. It’s the hardest thing, and it determines everything.

When you’re ready to take your culture to the next level, here are three ways I can help you:

1. Listen to the Culture Change RX Podcast
Every week, I share conversations with leaders who are transforming healthcare workplaces and strategies for keeping teams engaged, patients loyal, and margins healthy.

2. Subscribe to our Email Newsletter
Get practical tips, frameworks, and leadership tools delivered right to your inbox—plus exclusive content you won’t find on the podcast.
📩 Subscribe here

3. Break through to the next level of greatness in your organization with help from my team and me.
When you’re ready to be the provider and employer-of-choice, we’ll help you implement proven frameworks that strengthen culture, improve experience and ensure your organization thrives.
You can email me at [email protected] and put “BREAKTHROUGH” in the subject line and I’ll get you all the details.

Send us a Message

In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff and Rob Lion discuss the significance of one-on-one conversations in fostering a positive workplace culture. They explore how these interactions can enhance relationships, provide valuable feedback, and ultimately improve individual and organizational performance. Rob shares his insights on best practices for conducting effective one-on-ones, emphasizing the importance of preparation, intentionality, and creating a safe space for open communication. The conversation highlights the need for leaders to prioritize these interactions to demonstrate their commitment to valuing their team members.

• Work should fuel the human spirit, not drain it.
• One-on-ones help to build relationships proactively.
• If we truly value our people, we will want to spend time with them.
• One-on-ones create a breeding ground for accountability.
• One-on-ones serve also to strengthen workplace culture.
• There's no better time than now to start.

Connect with Rob Lion here:

• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertlion/
• Website - https://blackriverpm.com

Connect with Sue Tetzlaff  here:

• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/suetetzlaff/
• Website - https://www.capstoneleadership.net/

The Virtual Patient Experience Boot Camp is designed for healthcare leaders and team members involved in patient experience improvement, communication, quality, culture, and organizational change, including:

• CEOs, COOs, and CNOs
• Patient experience leaders and improvement team members
• Nursing and department directors and s

Hi! I’m Sue Tetzlaff. I’m a culture and execution strategist for small and rural healthcare organizations - helping them to be the provider and employer-of-choice so they can keep care local and margins strong.

For decades, I’ve worked with healthcare organizations to navigate the people-side of healthcare, the part that can make or break your results. What I’ve learned is this: culture is not a soft thing. It’s the hardest thing, and it determines everything.

When you’re ready to take your culture to the next level, here are three ways I can help you:

1. Listen to the Culture Change RX Podcast
Every week, I share conversations with leaders who are transforming healthcare workplaces and strategies for keeping teams engaged, patients loyal, and margins healthy.

2. Subscribe to our Email Newsletter
Get practical tips, frameworks, and leadership tools delivered right to your inbox—plus exclusive content you won’t find on the podcast.
📩 Subscribe here

3. Break through to the next level of greatness in your organization with help from my team and me.
When you’re ready to be the provider and employer-of-choice, we’ll help you implement proven frameworks that strengthen culture, improve experience and ensure your organization thrives.
You can email me at [email protected] and put “BREAKTHROUGH” in the subject line and I’ll get you all the details.

Send us a Message

Episode Insights and Takeaways:

• Empathetic leadership is essential for employee engagement.
• Recognition can energize staff and improve morale.
• The person you report to significantly affects your work experience.
• Listening to employees is vital for organizational success.
• Building connections with staff enhances teamwork.
• Thank you notes can change lives and improve relationships.

Summary:

In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue and Jean Scallon discuss the critical role of attitude, communication, and leadership in healthcare. Jean shares her extensive experience in behavioral health leadership and emphasizes the importance of supportive teams and effective communication in improving patient care and employee engagement. They explore how words can impact workplace culture and patient outcomes, and the significance of recognition and appreciation in fostering a positive environment.

Connect with Jean Scallon on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-scallon-ma-fache-cyc-p-9b857621/

The Virtual Patient Experience Boot Camp is designed for healthcare leaders and team members involved in patient experience improvement, communication, quality, culture, and organizational change, including:

• CEOs, COOs, and CNOs
• Patient experience leaders and improvement team members
• Nursing and department directors and s

Hi! I’m Sue Tetzlaff. I’m a culture and execution strategist for small and rural healthcare organizations - helping them to be the provider and employer-of-choice so they can keep care local and margins strong.

For decades, I’ve worked with healthcare organizations to navigate the people-side of healthcare, the part that can make or break your results. What I’ve learned is this: culture is not a soft thing. It’s the hardest thing, and it determines everything.

When you’re ready to take your culture to the next level, here are three ways I can help you:

1. Listen to the Culture Change RX Podcast
Every week, I share conversations with leaders who are transforming healthcare workplaces and strategies for keeping teams engaged, patients loyal, and margins healthy.

2. Subscribe to our Email Newsletter
Get practical tips, frameworks, and leadership tools delivered right to your inbox—plus exclusive content you won’t find on the podcast.
📩 Subscribe here

3. Break through to the next level of greatness in your organization with help from my team and me.
When you’re ready to be the provider and employer-of-choice, we’ll help you implement proven frameworks that strengthen culture, improve experience and ensure your organization thrives.
You can email me at [email protected] and put “BREAKTHROUGH” in the subject line and I’ll get you all the details.

Send us a Message

In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff discusses the importance of continuous quality improvement (CQI) in leadership, drawing from her extensive experience in healthcare leadership and improvement. She outlines three tiers of leadership improvement focus: individual leaders, senior leadership teams, and the entire leadership team. Sue emphasizes the need for systematic processes and models to strengthen leadership effectiveness and the impact of leadership on organizational culture. She also touches on the role of coaching and emotional intelligence in leadership development, encouraging organizations to assess their leadership improvement needs for the upcoming year.

• Continuous improvement is essential in leadership.
• Strengthening individual leaders leads to organizational strength.
• Dysfunction in senior leadership teams can hinder organization-wide progress.
• A systematic approach is needed for leadership team strengthening.
• Creating or adopting a leadership model enhances organizational effectiveness.
• Leadership has a significant impact on workplace culture.

Need help improving the culture, performance, and results of your healthcare organization? If so, let’s talk:  https://www.capstoneleadership.net/contact-us

Are we connected yet on LinkedIn? https://www.linkedin.com/in/suetetzlaff/

The Virtual Patient Experience Boot Camp is designed for healthcare leaders and team members involved in patient experience improvement, communication, quality, culture, and organizational change, including:

• CEOs, COOs, and CNOs
• Patient experience leaders and improvement team members
• Nursing and department directors and s

Hi! I’m Sue Tetzlaff. I’m a culture and execution strategist for small and rural healthcare organizations - helping them to be the provider and employer-of-choice so they can keep care local and margins strong.

For decades, I’ve worked with healthcare organizations to navigate the people-side of healthcare, the part that can make or break your results. What I’ve learned is this: culture is not a soft thing. It’s the hardest thing, and it determines everything.

When you’re ready to take your culture to the next level, here are three ways I can help you:

1. Listen to the Culture Change RX Podcast
Every week, I share conversations with leaders who are transforming healthcare workplaces and strategies for keeping teams engaged, patients loyal, and margins healthy.

2. Subscribe to our Email Newsletter
Get practical tips, frameworks, and leadership tools delivered right to your inbox—plus exclusive content you won’t find on the podcast.
📩 Subscribe here

3. Break through to the next level of greatness in your organization with help from my team and me.
When you’re ready to be the provider and employer-of-choice, we’ll help you implement proven frameworks that strengthen culture, improve experience and ensure your organization thrives.
You can email me at [email protected] and put “BREAKTHROUGH” in the subject line and I’ll get you all the details.

Send us a Message

In this episode, Shelby Guevara, a Chief Nursing Officer in rural Iowa, shares her insights on leadership in healthcare, particularly in rural hospital settings. She discusses the importance of building trust and empathy among leaders, engaging frontline staff in decision-making, and the significance of understanding one's purpose in leadership. Shelby emphasizes the value of promoting from within and creating a supportive environment for leaders to grow and develop. The conversation highlights the challenges and rewards of leading in healthcare, especially in fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.

• Understanding individual motivations aids in leadership development.
• Investing in developing and strengthening relationships pays dividends.
• Individual growth and process improvement, and even conflict, require a supportive environment.
• Successful continuous improvement requires ongoing auditing and accountability.
• Leaders can reflect on their purpose to stay motivated for this work.
• Leaders play a crucial role in selecting and organizing change initiatives.

The Virtual Patient Experience Boot Camp is designed for healthcare leaders and team members involved in patient experience improvement, communication, quality, culture, and organizational change, including:

• CEOs, COOs, and CNOs
• Patient experience leaders and improvement team members
• Nursing and department directors and s

Hi! I’m Sue Tetzlaff. I’m a culture and execution strategist for small and rural healthcare organizations - helping them to be the provider and employer-of-choice so they can keep care local and margins strong.

For decades, I’ve worked with healthcare organizations to navigate the people-side of healthcare, the part that can make or break your results. What I’ve learned is this: culture is not a soft thing. It’s the hardest thing, and it determines everything.

When you’re ready to take your culture to the next level, here are three ways I can help you:

1. Listen to the Culture Change RX Podcast
Every week, I share conversations with leaders who are transforming healthcare workplaces and strategies for keeping teams engaged, patients loyal, and margins healthy.

2. Subscribe to our Email Newsletter
Get practical tips, frameworks, and leadership tools delivered right to your inbox—plus exclusive content you won’t find on the podcast.
📩 Subscribe here

3. Break through to the next level of greatness in your organization with help from my team and me.
When you’re ready to be the provider and employer-of-choice, we’ll help you implement proven frameworks that strengthen culture, improve experience and ensure your organization thrives.
You can email me at [email protected] and put “BREAKTHROUGH” in the subject line and I’ll get you all the details.

Send us a Message

In this Solo Byte episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff provides a behind-the-scenes look at the activities and timeline of organization-wide transformations. In particular, Sue discusses the approach of Capstone Leadership Solutions in transforming organizational culture within healthcare settings, all targeted on long term and continuous improvement and growth. She outlines the importance of leadership development, employee engagement, and a phased approach to implementing change. The conversation highlights the impact of these transformations on patient satisfaction and overall organizational effectiveness, particularly in small and rural healthcare organizations.

• Capstone Leadership Solutions focuses on small and rural healthcare organizations.
• The company specializes in leadership practices to enhance organizational culture.
• Employee-driven teams are essential for strategic improvements.
• The transformation process is broken down into two phases over 26-27 months.
• Leadership development is a continuous process, never truly complete.
• Self-planning for future years is crucial for sustainability.
• The approach is designed to create long-term, wide-scale transformation.
• Engaging employees in the change process positively impacts culture.
• The results of transformation can be seen in as little as two years.
• Capstone's experience allows them to refine their approach with each new partnership.

Need help improving the culture, performance, and results of your healthcare organization? If so, let’s talk:  https://www.capstoneleadership.net/contact-us

Are we connected yet on LinkedIn? https://www.linkedin.com/in/suetetzlaff/

The Virtual Patient Experience Boot Camp is designed for healthcare leaders and team members involved in patient experience improvement, communication, quality, culture, and organizational change, including:

• CEOs, COOs, and CNOs
• Patient experience leaders and improvement team members
• Nursing and department directors and s

Hi! I’m Sue Tetzlaff. I’m a culture and execution strategist for small and rural healthcare organizations - helping them to be the provider and employer-of-choice so they can keep care local and margins strong.

For decades, I’ve worked with healthcare organizations to navigate the people-side of healthcare, the part that can make or break your results. What I’ve learned is this: culture is not a soft thing. It’s the hardest thing, and it determines everything.

When you’re ready to take your culture to the next level, here are three ways I can help you:

1. Listen to the Culture Change RX Podcast
Every week, I share conversations with leaders who are transforming healthcare workplaces and strategies for keeping teams engaged, patients loyal, and margins healthy.

2. Subscribe to our Email Newsletter
Get practical tips, frameworks, and leadership tools delivered right to your inbox—plus exclusive content you won’t find on the podcast.
📩 Subscribe here

3. Break through to the next level of greatness in your organization with help from my team and me.
When you’re ready to be the provider and employer-of-choice, we’ll help you implement proven frameworks that strengthen culture, improve experience and ensure your organization thrives.
You can email me at [email protected] and put “BREAKTHROUGH” in the subject line and I’ll get you all the details.