Timothy C. Ellender Jr. | Ellender Law Firm
December 18, 2019
Rhett LeCompte | Stellar Media, Y’all Catchin’
December 18, 2019
Under the leadership of CEO Greg Stock, Thibodaux Regional Health System has continued to strive for excellence. The hospital has received countless awards, including the 2019’s Health Catalyst Flywheeel Award, Healthgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award (12 years in a row), Louisiana Hospital Association Safety Star Award, and the Patient Safety and Quality Healthcare Innovation Award. The hospital has also expanded significantly, growing in both its services and outreach to the community. In 2019, Thibodaux Regional also broke ground on their new four story, 80,000 square foot cancer care facility. The Cancer Institute will further integrate wellness services with the latest treatments, and is an important element in achieving Thibodaux Regional’s ongoing vision to improve the health and wellness of the region.
What path did you take that led you to where you are today?
“I became a CEO at 28. I wanted to do what would bring good to the community. I had great support from my family. I knew being a hospital CEO, we’d have to move from time to time and they always supported me. Our industry is challenging. There’s lots of change, and you have to be willing to change with it. It requires leadership, skills and grasp of technology. But it’s been change for the better because our industry today is more advanced than it’s ever been. I think it also requires an evolution of where you start from to where you are now. I like that challenge. I like being part of it. I love this community. It’s been a great experience.”
What is the biggest challenge you have faced over the years and how did you meet it?
“A lot of the challenges here in Thibodaux were how to change ourselves to align with the needs of the community. The care that we provide is top-quality care and we wanted to be more viable. That started as a vision for what we could be and our potential. We developed strategic plans and tactical plans and then executed those plans along that spectrum. It’s challenging to come up with that vision, make the plans, meet the requirements to meet that vision, and execute that plan at the level you’re required to execute it. All of those together constitute in my opinion tremendous challenges and it requires smarts, teamwork and all of the abilities a person may have.”
How do you see your company changing in the next five years, and how do you see yourself creating that change?
“Thibodaux Regional has been adaptive to change over the years. I actually think that’s been one of our strengths. The change begins at a philosophical level and how you see the world and creating a culture that can change. That’s difficult, but I see us going forward and adapting and adopting toward what makes sense for our hospital and our region. We’ve been seeking constant improvements to evolve and now we’re taking those technologies to truly improve the quality of care and how we’re able to serve our public and create a great patient experience.”
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
“This makes me think back to my mother and father. I was raised on a ranch and worked a lot with my dad growing up. He taught me many things. I think what advice or learning I got from my father was to finish things. That’s how you truly make a difference. I had a great mother, too. She told me to choose my friends wisely. She was woman that believed in me and you have to believe in yourself.”
What has been your greatest accomplishment?
“I think that what we’ve done with Wellness and what we’re doing going forward in that area is great for the community. We’re helping the community be a healthier place to live and individuals, facilities, companies and organizations are better for it. They’re reaping the benefits of it, and that inspires us every day.”
How are you going to impact the Bayou Region in 2020?
“I expect that we will continue to grow and make additions to our staff. That enables people in this area to have high quality care. We will move with the industry. We want people to have high quality care close to home. We will make progress on our cancer center and the services and technologies that are associated with it. That will bring a new level of quality and care in the cancer realm that we’ve not seen before. Both of those two things and others will result in economic growth. We take care of people. That’s always No. 1 for us and it will always be No. 1 for us. But the rational part of it is that we want to also have a positive economic impact on the region and you’re going to see more and more of that happening.” •
