Changes at Lakeside Hospital include expansion, personnel
By Cyndi Wright
Editor - Bastrop Advertiser
Bastrop, Texas (June 5, 2010) Bastrop’s Lakeside Hospital may have said goodbye two weeks ago to its recently-hired CEO Alan George, but according to Phil Ellett, CEO of Blackhawk Healthcare, the entity that owns Lakeside, the hospital is not laying people off.
“We haven’t laid anyone off,” Ellett said. “We took over a troubled hospital 10 months ago and we have been committed to making a sound investment in the community. We will continue to listen to the community and the doctors and respond as we think the community needs us to. From time to time, we will make personnel changes.”
Ellett joined Blackhawk in January after a long career managing large publicly traded companies that operated in both Europe and the United States.
“I’ve seen a lot,” he said. “Most of my time has been in the service industry and mostly managing people. You learn a lot by listening to people.”
Another newcomer to the management team at Blackhawk is Tess Sauthier, who is serving as vice president of operations for Blackhawk. As such, she will be directly responsible for guiding Lakeside through the coming months and the search for a new CEO.
Sauthier started her career more than 30 years ago as a clinical nurse, giving her what she feels is a unique viewpoint. She went on to work in healthcare administration, information technology and has recently been a consultant to both hospitals and doctors.
“I’ve been all around the industry,” she said. “I know what the priorities and concerns are. I am here to help develop our business. We are going to continue to grow.”
Also recently added to the team is Kevin Jablonski, a registered nurse who also has a master’s degree in nursing administration and who will serve as Blackhawk’s onsite interim administrator.
Ellett, who has instigated a once-a-week breakfast meeting at Lakeside, says he does not believe in the from-the-top-down style of management.
“If you want to know what is best for the hospital, you ask the people who work there,” he said. “Their feedback is more important.”
The only requirement to attend a “Breakfast with Phil” is that attendees must be vocal.
“We listen to their feedback,” Ellett said.
Both Ellett and Sauthier detailed some of their operating philosophies.
As far as attracting and retaining good doctors, Sauthier said its best to deal with them very directly.
“We want to address their concerns and give them what they need as much as possible,” she said. “They need the support of the hospital.”
Ellett said the best way Blackhawk can support the community is through sound financial management.
“The best thing we can do for the community is make a small amount of money,” he said, “so we can reinvest it in the community. The worst thing for the community is to have a poorly-performing hospital.”
Ellett said the company believes in investing money to make the hospital a positive experience for those who come there.
“The best thing is when people leave and say they had a positive experience,” he said. “We are doing what we know how to do. We have made tough decisions and we make no apologies. I will always put patient care as our number one priority.”
About Blackhawk Healthcare
Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Blackhawk Healthcare is an owner and operator of small community and Critical Access Hospitals. Blackhawk’s desire is to transform rural healthcare by working synergistically with each rural community to build confidence and pride through improved healthcare delivery. We are passionately dedicated to the uniqueness of rural healthcare and improving the community by bringing the resources required to meet the broader needs of each "hometown" we touch. Blackhawk is inspired to provide excellence in service and modern facilities that convey trust, confidence and healing.