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Leading theWay
It’s been two years since the opening of the expanded
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and since that time the
number of tiny babies cared for at Kadlec has continued to
grow.
When it opened, the average census in the NICU was
13 babies. Now, the average census is 19. Even with the
enlarged NICU, there have been times when the unit has
been so full that there was not space to accommodate the
transfer of babies to Kadlec.
“We are now caring for tinier babies,” said
Kelly Harper, RN, Kadlec Maternal Child Services manager.
“We are now able to keep babies of 23 gestational weeks,
rather than at 24-25 gestational weeks.”
With the growth in the numbers of babies in the NICU,
the unit’s staff has also grown to three neonatologists and
five neonatal nurse practitioners.
2
NICU Continues to Grow
EVEN FROM A
young age, Lane Savitch, Kadlec Health
System regional chief executive, knew he wanted to have a
career in health care. After earning undergraduate degrees
in biology and chemistry, he began working in a research
lab in Philadelphia with one of
the world leaders in ultrasound
technology.
“The research fascinated
me,” said Savitch, “yet I soon
realized I wanted something
more people oriented, and a
family friend suggested hospital
administration.”
It was that recommendation
that started him on a road
through several hospital stops
to the helm of Kadlec, always
learning as much as he could
along the way.
The new direction
The change from research
to administration began with
Savitch speaking to hospital
administrators throughout the
Seattle area; they all suggested
he start at a smaller hospital
where he would get the broadest
experience. Valley General
Hospital in Monroe, Wash., was
just the place.
“I met with their executive
team and said I was willing to do
anything and would work cheap — at that time minimum
wage was $2.45 an hour,” he said. “My first day on the job,
they asked me to write a certificate of need for ambulance
service. It was a great learning experience.”
His next project, now with
the title of systems analyst, was
to look at the organizational
structure of the entire hospital,
create a flow chart of every
department and streamline the
system.
“I learned so much about how
a hospital operates. I pestered
everyone about why they did
something the way they did it.
In the end, I think we created a
smoother system,” Savitch said.
He remained at Valley General
Hospital for 20 years, growing in
his responsibilities and spending
the last 10 years there as its chief
executive officer.
Along the way, he did an
independent study master’s
program in health administration.
His next stop was with Stevens
Healthcare in Edmonds, Wash.,
as its senior executive director,
followed by chief operating officer
of the Ballard Campus of Swedish
Medical Center, Seattle.
While at Swedish, he helped
develop the first freestanding
Lane Savitch
Kadlec Health System
regional chief executive