In 2006 when Paul Levy, then-president and CEO of Boston-based Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, set out to write a blog, he was one of the first CEOs to do so.
At the time he was fairly new to healthcare, just four years into his job as CEO with previous experience as the executive director of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority. Mr. Levy decided to start the blog as a fun way to chronicle his musings and experiences in the hospital world. Little did he know his pet project would outlive his role as the chief executive of BIDMC, inspire blog rallies and engage thousands of readers.
Now 4,646 posts later, Mr. Levy said he will no longer continue "Not Running a Hospital," which has served as a forum to discuss healthcare policy, clinical practice improvement, negotiation theories, life and leadership, for nine and a half years. It was even a place for Mr. Levy to issue a public apology to his staff and readers after his personal relationship with a former employee of BIDMC created "an improper appearance and became a distraction within the hospital."
In his final post Mr. Levy thanked his readers, the media and the girls he has coached in youth soccer, who taught him invaluable lessons in leadership and teamwork.
For those in the healthcare world, he reiterated a statement from his first post, "I have never worked in a place where people are so consistently caring and devoted to alleviating human suffering caused by disease. It is, in many ways, a beautiful place to work. But many of the forces facing hospitals, doctors, nurses and others make it really hard to do the job well."
To this he added, "That dedication persists, but the corporatization of the healthcare world weighs heavily on these well-meaning people. They need our support and encouragement, and they deserve to be led by leaders who understand the value they bring to society."
Mr. Levy has decided to leave the blog up for others to reference. To access this extensive resource, find "Not Running a Hospital" here.
More articles on leadership and management:
5 things to know about Obama's SCOTUS nominee and its healthcare implications
U.S. News & World Report ranks 2017 best graduate schools
Children's Hospital of Illinois names new advisory board member