After 39 years in healthcare, Doug Ekeren, regional president and CEO of Yankton, S.D.-based Avera Sacred Heart Hospital, plans to retire in May.
Mr. Ekeren has led the hospital for a decade, having joined Avera Sacred Heart in 1993. Over the course of his career, he has learned the importance of balancing decisive leadership with collaboration.
"Sometimes, the leader clearly has to make a decision, and sometimes it is a matter of bringing people together and having that group coalesce," Mr. Ekeren told Becker's. "Sometimes you're the facilitator and sometimes you're the decision-maker."
Preparing for the transition
In addition to his hospital CEO role, Mr. Ekeren has led Avera's long-term care strategic business unit since 2017. As part of a recently-completed three-year strategic plan that will be implemented in early 2025, the organization is restructuring how it provides support and oversight for long-term care services. A new leader will be appointed to oversee this area before Mr. Ekeren retires.
Avera is also advancing several key projects, including building expansions and a new cancer institute. In addition, Mr. Ekeren hopes to finalize a substance abuse treatment program for pregnant women during his last few months.
During his time as CEO, Mr. Ekeren oversaw expansions such as the acquisition of the Avera Fox Run Health Campus in Yankton. Avera Sacred Heart serves Southeast South Dakota and Northeast Nebraska as part of Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Avera Health, a system comprising 36 hospitals.
While expanded services and building projects are noteworthy achievements, Mr. Ekeren is most proud of the dedication demonstrated by staff throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It's great to do groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings, but I'm most proud of the fact that we're here 365, 24/7, and we're with our community and patients that need us," he said.
Adapting to an evolving industry
Reflecting on the changes he has witnessed in healthcare over four decades, Mr. Ekeren emphasized the need for lifelong learning among healthcare leaders.
"Over 40 years, we've seen changes in how healthcare is delivered, how it is financed, pharmacology, and changes in clinical care," he said. "You have to at least stay current, and hopefully ahead of the game, to help move your organization where it needs to be."
He added that transparency and communication are becoming increasingly important leadership qualities.
"Obviously, you've got to have the business skills as well, but I think we have to remember that our business is in taking care of people," he said. "Behind every click in the operating room or the radiology department, that's a person receiving services."
As a Catholic healthcare facility, Avera places significant emphasis on treating the whole person: mind, body and spirit. Mr. Ekeren underscored the importance of preventive care, saying, "If we can get a little further upstream in that process and help them stay well, as opposed to waiting until they're sick or injured, that's where we need to be."
Complex systems and patient care
Mr. Ekeren noted that while more people are engaged in their healthcare now than compared to 40 years ago, much of that engagement is likely driven by the cost concerns rather than a genuine interest in staying healthy.
"I think our national healthcare system is just too complex," he said. "Ideally, far more time should be spent on delivering high-quality care rather than navigating the complexities of costs and payers."
Despite the challenges, he highlighted the focus on patient care throughout Avera Sacred Heart.
"I'm fortunate to work with a great team," Mr. Ekeren said. "While certainly the clinicians are the front line, there are a lot of people behind the scenes making the system work. It takes everybody, and I've been very fortunate during my career to work with people who are genuinely concerned about the health and well-being of those we're caring for."