83.9 F
San Fernando
Friday, Mar 29, 2024

Medical Record

Heidi Lennartz took an atypical path to becoming a hospital executive. The Glendale native worked as a social worker in Queens, N.Y., helped AIDS patients in L.A. and managed cases for USC University Hospital. Since August, she’s been helming Mission Community Hospital, one of the few truly independent hospitals in the region and a key caregiver for the area’s mentally ill population. It’s also a hospital on the move: the 143-bed facility in Panorama City added a new patient care tower three years ago and plans are in the works to expand the Roscoe Boulevard campus further and boost community services at its satellite operation in the city of San Fernando. With a little over two months under her belt as a hospital CEO, Lennartz sat down with the Business Journal and talked about the tests she’s faced so far, where Mission Community will stand in the future and the challenges that lie ahead. Question: Tell me about how you came to this position. Answer: My background is in mental health. I’m a licensed clinical social worker. I’ve been here over 11 years, (most recently) as director of psychiatric services. I oversaw the inpatient and outpatient continuum of care for both campuses. Then I transitioned into a number of roles, the last being associate administrator working with the CEOs. Before that, I worked at Midway Hospital, now known as Olympia Medical Center (near Hancock Park). I spent time in New York City working in the hospital system in Queens. I went to USC and obtained my master’s in social work with a community organizing (and) public administration emphasis. It was always what I wanted to do. That was my passion. Q: To be a hospital administrator? A: Yes. I’ve had experience in private practice. But then I worked at Midway Hospital in their AIDS unit and fell in love with working in hospitals. It’s such an exciting place to work. You have incredible, professional relationships between physicians and nurses and all the ancillary services that you come in contact with. It’s so stimulating professionally. Q: What’s unique about running a hospital in the Valley? A: I think the Valley serves a different type of client population. I think the Valley has the bulk of the middle working class the struggling working class, the uninsured working class. Here, the San Fernando Valley healthcare system is comprised of two or three major health systems; we’re the last of the independent, stand-alone, nonprofit hospitals. Q: What are some of the challenges of being independent? A: One is maintaining all of the regulatory, all of the support services and all the nursing support services of all the larger hospitals. Economies of scale. It’s a major challenge to support that in comparison to a large national health care system supporting that. Q: So why would a patient come here versus a larger hospital? A: Since we built a new hospital, we offer a beautiful new facility. We’re small so we have personalized operations, personalized service. It’s so easy and quick to talk with the director of a program and have something changed, fixed or modified. Q: So the smaller size is good for doctors and staff as well? A: Exactly. Doctors love the ability to walk in here or page me and share with me whatever frustrations they’re having, whatever they’re pleased with. Q: But isn’t it hard to be seen among all the other, larger hospitals? A: I feel we haven’t achieved the level of visibility we should. We’ve been here and affiliated with the San Fernando Valley for almost a century. This campus has had different names in the ’80s it was Panorama Community Hospital I think that has confused the public. I think we need to brand the new hospital Mission Community Hospital and take our niche market to the public. Q: The most recent hospital expansion was completed in 2003. What’s next? A: Our old building with the old emergency room is a three-story building. We’ve just recently secured an agreement with a private enterprise to renovate that building towards a healthcare service, which within 12 months will be a major benefit. At some point in the future, we’ll go into more detail. After that, it’s really focusing on cohesion between the north tower and the south tower and continuing our community benefit program at the (San Fernando Community Campus for Health & Education) in the city of San Fernando. We lease that campus from the city and have a great partnership with the city council. We also receive a number of grants that support health education initiatives. Q: It seems like a lot of issues to keep tabs on. Is there something about your personality that helps you with that? A: The ability to multi-task; the ability to stay positive and energetic and see the possibilities even in an ominous challenge that might be facing you any given week; constant curiosity and a real passion for helping people and wanting to make a difference. All those whether you’re in the Peace Corps. or working in a hospital that desire to make a difference. You have to have a yearning for that.

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