Lynn Csernotta
Occupation: Registered Health Information Administrator
Relevant experience: 30-plus years of Health information management experience.
Velocity Health, Information Management Solution Coordinator
IBM Consultant, managed software installations, best practices/data governance consulting
Health Information Services Director: multi-hospital systems, community, rural and teaching hospitals.
Senior Research Associate at Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
Moving forward after layoffs is difficult for an organization. What should the board do, specifically, to create a workplace culture that fosters teamwork?
Communication is critical to fostering teamwork. Open communication and encouraging employees to communicate with managers and each other about their concerns is important. Employees need to be reassured about their future, especially after layoffs. The board and hospital management need to be transparent and truthful and set specific timeframes to report on the financial status of the hospital since the layoffs, what are the goals and how they are being met, what is being done to maintain/reduce costs and how is quality care being monitored and maintained. Consider holding periodic townhall meetings for employees, which provides an avenue for presenting updates and offering employees the opportunity to ask questions.
It’s also important to celebrate the wins and progress being made post layoffs. An employee-appreciation day or small celebratory event could also help boost morale and foster teamwork.
What are your thoughts about expanding Hospital District services in the Ocean Shores area?
Living in Pacific Beach, I too have concerns about having access to health care within a reasonable distance of where we live and having access to doctors and services as we age and want to continue to live in the Ocean Shores and North Beach areas.
Improving care in rural, underserved areas is a multi-faceted issue. It’s not solely about how to finance the facility, it’s also about having the workforce to staff the facility. Recruitment and retention of primary care providers and other health care practitioners is a challenge for the hospital so it will be important for the hospital to work hand-in-hand with community leaders to address this issue.
It’s important to evaluate the amount and type of services currently offered to the community and then determine what services/facilities are necessary based on the health needs of the community. Are there opportunities to partner with larger hospitals or would introducing telemedicine help to enhance services that already exist. Are there non-physician clinicians (physician assistants and/or nurse practitioners) that could be utilized to provide health care services to underserved, rural areas? Where would a facility be located and how would it be funded? All of these are questions that need to be answered in order to begin providing health care to the North Beach/Pacific Beach areas.
If elected, I will work with the other commissioners to continue to explore the possibility and viability of expanding services in Ocean Shores and/or the North Beach area.
What qualifies you to serve on the Hospital Board, and what district-related issues are important to you?
I am a health information management professional with over 30 years of health care management experience. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Information Management and I am a credentialed Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA).
Currently, I am a Health Information Management Solution Coordinator for Velocity Health Informatics. I consult on process improvement, identity management and data governance projects at hospitals across the country.
Previously, I worked as an IBM Initiate project manager for software installations and provided consulting services regarding best practices and data governance at large integrated health care networks throughout the country.
Former Director of Health Information Services for multi-hospital systems, rural, community and teaching hospitals. I was also a Senior Research Associate for Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) where I gained experience in performance measurement.
I bring to the table a fresh set of eyes and a new perspective. My health information education and extensive health care consulting career afford me the opportunity to share knowledge I’ve gained from working in and consulting for hospitals of all sizes throughout the country. I will use my experience and education to assist in developing solutions to improve the financial viability of our community hospital.
Open communication is key to representing our residents. I commit to meeting with constituents to listen to their concerns regarding access to quality health care in Grays Harbor. I will strive to represent my district with integrity and listen with an open mind. I will be an advocate for the citizens of Grays Harbor and present concerns to the Board of Commissioners.
District-related issues that are important to me include, but are not limited to, expanding urgent care services and improving access to health care services in the North Beach and Ocean Shores areas, recruitment and retention of primary care doctors and other health care providers, increased visibility and communication from the hospital and promoting wellness on Grays Harbor.
