The CEO appears to still not want to take much responsibility for looking at the problem and the solutions that may be needed, and this indicates a lack of desire to really manage the staff.
However, it must also be considered that the CEO has been in his job for 10 years, so he must be doing something right. If he were not performing up to the expectations of the Board of Directors, he likely would have been replaced. Despite this, though, there are clearly problems at the hospital that have to be dealt with and should have been dealt with some time ago. The media has caused some problems by relating stories that painted the hospital in a bad light, so the CEO must also be very careful what is said at the meeting, since the media will be in attendance. He must indicate what direction he wants to take the hospital in and how it will continue to survive even though the cost of doing business is going up. More patients are needed, or fewer costs must be incurred. Ideally, more patients and lower costs would be the best choice, but this may not come to pass.
Cutting costs is something else that the CEO and his executive assistant might want to look at, but there are only so many ways to do this, and only so many places where it can occur before there are problems with supplies, salaries, and the quality of patient care. These things must not be compromised, and this is especially true where caring for the patient is concerned, since this is the ultimate goal of the hospital. Regardless of this, however, there should be other areas where costs can be cut and where the staff is able to reduce how much money goes out without harming the care...
Much of this 'advertising' could be acquired for free through the media. Allowing them to come to the meeting and ensuring that frequent press releases were sent out are two good ways to get the hospital's name in the news in a positive way and ensure that the community is aware of the changes that are taking place for the better at their local hospital.
By doing this, the community is also reminded about the hospital quite frequently, and name recognition is important for any good or service, including hospital services. This is true based on the fact that not all of those that come to the hospital do so because something is wrong with them. There are also elective surgeries and procedures that some people come to the hospital for, and these people will go where they feel the most comfortable and feel that they will get the highest quality of care.
If the CEO can show the media that their hospital is the best place to go for any kind of care, regardless of the problem or the insurance coverage, the media will likely pass that message on to the community, and the hospital will acquire more patients. This will help them when it comes to the costs that they incur, but it can only be done if the CEO is willing to change some of the policies at the hospital to ensure that everyone is 'on the same page,' by believing in and living by the mission statement.
