Jon Schandler has served as CEO of 292-bed White Plains (N.Y.) Hospital since 1981. Mr. Schandler joined the hospital in 1976, serving as controller and associate executive director. Approximately 37 years later, Mr. Schandler has repositioned White Plains as a leading healthcare provider in Westchester County.
He's driven the hospital's transition from a "market-lagger to market-leader," in his words, through an assortment of capital investments, quality improvements and enhancements to White Plains' patient experience. The hospital, which is located roughly 30 miles outside of New York City and is affiliated with New York City-based NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System and the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, has completed three successful capital campaigns that raised approximately $75 million dollars under Mr. Schandler's watch. He also oversaw construction of White Plains' new emergency department and led the hospital to various accreditations and awards, including an Outstanding Achievement Award from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.
Mr. Schandler's role as a healthcare leader extends beyond the confines of the hospital. He is currently one of 50 members of Westchester County Association's healthcare consortium, which has been tasked to study and analyze the county's medical landscape and healthcare needs, and also weigh in on potential hospital closures. He previously served as a member of New York Governor Mario Cuomo's healthcare advisory board, and is past chairman of the board of directors of the healthcare association of New York State. Today, he continues to serve on various healthcare organizations' board of directors and also champions business development in Westchester County.
Mr. Schandler took some time to talk about his career and White Plains, including the benefits and challenges of a lengthy tenure with one organization, what he finds to be the most pressing nationwide healthcare issue, and what he knows now that he didn't know back in 1981 — his first year leading White Plains.
Question: What have been some of your most memorable events and accomplishments at White Plains Hospital in the 37 years you've been with the organization?
Jon Schandler: Probably the first thing is just having a hospital go from a market-lagger to a market-leader. From where we started to where we are today, it's no question we're the market leader in our area, which includes about a million people. That's happened by enhancing services, improving quality and [increasing] patient satisfaction. This organization has a really wonderful spirit of being successful, but still trying to improve each and every day.
Obviously, there have been new buildings and expansions and other things over the years. I'd say the renovations have been most intense over the last 20 years. But another thing that's been interesting for a hospital our size — we have a very strong philanthropy program. Fundraising is very large source of creating capital for us. Everything at White Plains is up-to-date and new. Nothing at this hospital is old. When I took over, the board's direction to me at that time was, 'We want to be the best at what we do, and we needed to improve our facilities or get out of those businesses.'
Q: What are the benefits of such a lengthy tenure as president and CEO of the same organization? And to counter, what are some of the challenges a lengthy tenure presents, and how do you address those?
JS: I think there's a stability and a confidence in the leadership of the organization. A lot of people are long-term employees who have stayed with us, which is more unusual in today's world. Our turnover rates are relatively low. We have seamless [professional] transitions at a variety of levels in the organization, and I think that's been really positive.
We want people coming up the ranks. We promote internally and provide education and training to get employees ready for a new role. We have a pre-management training program, and that has worked very well for us. I've seen people's full careers. That creates that very positive set of relationships. When things do get difficult, you have a basis to have discussions.
As far as challenges go, it's the question of how do you make sure you don't get stale? How do you make sure you continue to grow, innovate and improve? To some extent, the environment and healthcare itself does that for you, but it's important you constantly strive and have the organization grow in a positive direction.
Q: How do you think the length of your tenure contributes to the role you play, not only in the hospital but in the wider community?
JS: I think first you become a community leader. We have a terrific board of directors, so it starts early on when you're a young kid, and the board introduces you. You go on boards of various organizations throughout the county. I do a lot with business development. I've been on the board of the cancer society, the heart association, our local ambulance corps. You become one of the go-to people in the community, whether on business or healthcare issues.
When the community wants large employers to be involved, that helps the community. You gain a lot of credibility with elected leaders at the local, state and federal levels. I have great relationships with our senators and congresswoman. I think that all accrues to the benefit of the organization and the community.
Q: How has the implementation of healthcare reform altered your role? If you were to compare your daily work today to 10 years ago, what do you think would be the most noticeable differences?
JS: When the bill was passed, we went into a very intensive planning process here and began a series of initiatives we thought were things we needed to do. We may be different than some other hospitals, in that rather than worry about accountable care organizations, we focused our attention on our quality measures, patient satisfaction and efficiency. We figured if we performed at the highest level in all those areas, whatever happened in the marketplace, we'd be able to plug into.
I spend a lot of my time on added-value initiatives. It's about setting priorities for yourself and making sure you have a structure behind you, people doing the day-to-day operating. It's a work in progress, but we've already seen improvements. By really focusing on the execution in those areas, our average length of stay was high going in two years ago and is now one of the lowest of the market leaders.
Q: Let's talk about what is happening at White Plains. Can you share a glimpse at the hospital's strategy?
JS: In addition to quality, patient satisfaction and efficiency, and executing those strategies, we are spending a lot of time and attention on growth and physician strategies. Up until a couple of years ago, we weren't acquiring physicians, but we've been more active in that. It's a new world for us. We hired a whole new group of people who have experience in running physician practices, because we had not done that before.
Q: As someone who served on former Governor Cuomo's Healthcare Advisory Board, what do you consider to be the most pressing public health issues in New York and in the U.S.?
JS: I think it's pretty much what most people see: The cost of healthcare is really unaffordable. It doesn't look to me that it will stop, but the cost of healthcare is such a [significant] portion of the federal budget. As these budgets are untenable, I think healthcare becomes a bigger and bigger target, as evidenced by President Barack Obama's budget last week.
For those people who work in healthcare for a living, I think about what [these budget cuts] will do in terms of compromising services to patients. [Lawmakers say,] 'We'll cut this, we'll cut that, and there's no impact on patients,' but I think that's naive. If you don't have resources, it'll be harder and harder to deliver care.
Q: Finally, what are some things you know as a hospital CEO today that you didn't know back in 1981? What advice would you impart to your younger self?
JS: The first thing: It is a great career. I've been very fortunate — I started as CEO when I was 31. It's been a great opportunity for me with a great organization. To me, the hardest thing to learn is how to set priorities and make sure you're focusing on the right things. In the beginning, you try to control everything. But you have to learn to delegate to people.
You have to listen. Make sure you know as much as you can before you make decisions. Be available and accessible. And I think you have to make sure you don't lose your sense of humor. I see it among my colleagues, but I try not to take myself so seriously. You come in and do your job every day, just like everyone else has to do their job every day.
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He's driven the hospital's transition from a "market-lagger to market-leader," in his words, through an assortment of capital investments, quality improvements and enhancements to White Plains' patient experience. The hospital, which is located roughly 30 miles outside of New York City and is affiliated with New York City-based NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System and the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, has completed three successful capital campaigns that raised approximately $75 million dollars under Mr. Schandler's watch. He also oversaw construction of White Plains' new emergency department and led the hospital to various accreditations and awards, including an Outstanding Achievement Award from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.
Mr. Schandler's role as a healthcare leader extends beyond the confines of the hospital. He is currently one of 50 members of Westchester County Association's healthcare consortium, which has been tasked to study and analyze the county's medical landscape and healthcare needs, and also weigh in on potential hospital closures. He previously served as a member of New York Governor Mario Cuomo's healthcare advisory board, and is past chairman of the board of directors of the healthcare association of New York State. Today, he continues to serve on various healthcare organizations' board of directors and also champions business development in Westchester County.
Mr. Schandler took some time to talk about his career and White Plains, including the benefits and challenges of a lengthy tenure with one organization, what he finds to be the most pressing nationwide healthcare issue, and what he knows now that he didn't know back in 1981 — his first year leading White Plains.
Question: What have been some of your most memorable events and accomplishments at White Plains Hospital in the 37 years you've been with the organization?
Jon Schandler: Probably the first thing is just having a hospital go from a market-lagger to a market-leader. From where we started to where we are today, it's no question we're the market leader in our area, which includes about a million people. That's happened by enhancing services, improving quality and [increasing] patient satisfaction. This organization has a really wonderful spirit of being successful, but still trying to improve each and every day.
Obviously, there have been new buildings and expansions and other things over the years. I'd say the renovations have been most intense over the last 20 years. But another thing that's been interesting for a hospital our size — we have a very strong philanthropy program. Fundraising is very large source of creating capital for us. Everything at White Plains is up-to-date and new. Nothing at this hospital is old. When I took over, the board's direction to me at that time was, 'We want to be the best at what we do, and we needed to improve our facilities or get out of those businesses.'
Q: What are the benefits of such a lengthy tenure as president and CEO of the same organization? And to counter, what are some of the challenges a lengthy tenure presents, and how do you address those?
JS: I think there's a stability and a confidence in the leadership of the organization. A lot of people are long-term employees who have stayed with us, which is more unusual in today's world. Our turnover rates are relatively low. We have seamless [professional] transitions at a variety of levels in the organization, and I think that's been really positive.
We want people coming up the ranks. We promote internally and provide education and training to get employees ready for a new role. We have a pre-management training program, and that has worked very well for us. I've seen people's full careers. That creates that very positive set of relationships. When things do get difficult, you have a basis to have discussions.
As far as challenges go, it's the question of how do you make sure you don't get stale? How do you make sure you continue to grow, innovate and improve? To some extent, the environment and healthcare itself does that for you, but it's important you constantly strive and have the organization grow in a positive direction.
Q: How do you think the length of your tenure contributes to the role you play, not only in the hospital but in the wider community?
JS: I think first you become a community leader. We have a terrific board of directors, so it starts early on when you're a young kid, and the board introduces you. You go on boards of various organizations throughout the county. I do a lot with business development. I've been on the board of the cancer society, the heart association, our local ambulance corps. You become one of the go-to people in the community, whether on business or healthcare issues.
When the community wants large employers to be involved, that helps the community. You gain a lot of credibility with elected leaders at the local, state and federal levels. I have great relationships with our senators and congresswoman. I think that all accrues to the benefit of the organization and the community.
Q: How has the implementation of healthcare reform altered your role? If you were to compare your daily work today to 10 years ago, what do you think would be the most noticeable differences?
JS: When the bill was passed, we went into a very intensive planning process here and began a series of initiatives we thought were things we needed to do. We may be different than some other hospitals, in that rather than worry about accountable care organizations, we focused our attention on our quality measures, patient satisfaction and efficiency. We figured if we performed at the highest level in all those areas, whatever happened in the marketplace, we'd be able to plug into.
I spend a lot of my time on added-value initiatives. It's about setting priorities for yourself and making sure you have a structure behind you, people doing the day-to-day operating. It's a work in progress, but we've already seen improvements. By really focusing on the execution in those areas, our average length of stay was high going in two years ago and is now one of the lowest of the market leaders.
Q: Let's talk about what is happening at White Plains. Can you share a glimpse at the hospital's strategy?
JS: In addition to quality, patient satisfaction and efficiency, and executing those strategies, we are spending a lot of time and attention on growth and physician strategies. Up until a couple of years ago, we weren't acquiring physicians, but we've been more active in that. It's a new world for us. We hired a whole new group of people who have experience in running physician practices, because we had not done that before.
Q: As someone who served on former Governor Cuomo's Healthcare Advisory Board, what do you consider to be the most pressing public health issues in New York and in the U.S.?
JS: I think it's pretty much what most people see: The cost of healthcare is really unaffordable. It doesn't look to me that it will stop, but the cost of healthcare is such a [significant] portion of the federal budget. As these budgets are untenable, I think healthcare becomes a bigger and bigger target, as evidenced by President Barack Obama's budget last week.
For those people who work in healthcare for a living, I think about what [these budget cuts] will do in terms of compromising services to patients. [Lawmakers say,] 'We'll cut this, we'll cut that, and there's no impact on patients,' but I think that's naive. If you don't have resources, it'll be harder and harder to deliver care.
Q: Finally, what are some things you know as a hospital CEO today that you didn't know back in 1981? What advice would you impart to your younger self?
JS: The first thing: It is a great career. I've been very fortunate — I started as CEO when I was 31. It's been a great opportunity for me with a great organization. To me, the hardest thing to learn is how to set priorities and make sure you're focusing on the right things. In the beginning, you try to control everything. But you have to learn to delegate to people.
You have to listen. Make sure you know as much as you can before you make decisions. Be available and accessible. And I think you have to make sure you don't lose your sense of humor. I see it among my colleagues, but I try not to take myself so seriously. You come in and do your job every day, just like everyone else has to do their job every day.
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