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New Sparrow Hospital president shares thoughts on U of M merger, layoffs and patient care

headshot of Margaret Dimond
Courtesy
/
Sparrow Health System

Margaret Dimond is the new president of Sparrow Health System’s E.W. Sparrow Hospital in Lansing.

When she officially steps into the role next month, she’ll also be the first woman to hold the position in the hospital’s more than century-old history.

Dimond is coming from Florida where she has been serving as the Chief Administrative Officer of Naples Community Health Physician Group. She has also held leadership positions at Michigan State University and McLaren Medical Group among others.

WKAR's Sophia Saliby spoke with Dimond about her priorities leading the hospital.

Interview Highlights

On what makes her the right leader for the hospital right now

I have had the experience of bringing some independent hospitals into larger systems. I was appointed President and CEO of Karmanos Cancer Hospital in Detroit when McLaren acquired them, so bringing a specialty hospital into the McLaren system was both exciting and complex. Also did Crittenton Hospital when I was at Ascension, brought Crittenton into the Ascension system, which is a National Catholic faith-based system.

On her perspective on Sparrow's merger with University of Michigan Health

I would say that we want to look at this from a strength space, focus and lens. Sparrow Hospital has had almost a century of partnership with Michigan State University, and I don't think that's going anywhere. And I think the U of M connections can only augment what we would call just heightening the quality, the overall quality of health care in mid-Michigan.

On how the merge could prevent future layoffs

I would like to say that process improvement, and, if you look at expenses, an independent system of several hospitals joining a large healthcare system can really benefit from what I would call cooperative pricing. That would be maybe using the strength of Michigan Medical or U of M's pricing for supplies and some other things that could bring down the overall expenses. We'd really want to look at process improvement, we'd want to look at, you know, improving turnaround, length of stay, those types of things before we would ever look at layoffs.

Interview Transcript

Sophia Saliby: Margaret Dimond is the new president for Sparrow Health System’s E.W. Sparrow Hospital in Lansing.

When she officially steps into the role next month, she’ll also be the first woman to hold the position in the hospital’s more than century-old history.

Dimond is coming from Florida where she has been serving as the Chief Administrative Officer of Naples Community Health Physician Group. She has also held leadership positions at Michigan State University and McLaren Medical Group among others.

Dimond joins me now. Thank you for being here.

Margaret Dimond: Sophia, thank you so much for having me.

Saliby: Why was now the right time in your career to come back to Michigan?

Dimond: Well, that's an interesting question. It was not on my radar, but I was called actually by a physician, a leader who told me about the opportunity.

And once I looked at E.W. Sparrow and the Sparrow Health System, and I was obviously familiar with Sparrow from my Michigan State University days, I thought, "Wow, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Saliby: What does it mean for you to be the first woman in this role?

Dimond: Well, I'll be candid with you. It's interesting that in 2023, we're still talking about gender rather than talent. I would hope to say that I had the talent and the background and the expertise.

Looking at the history of E.W. Sparrow Hospital, it was founded by a group of women who convinced Mr. Sparrow to donate his land to start a hospital because they felt like health care needed to be in the Lansing community. So, I feel like those women are somewhere cheering me on.

But given that and also looking at the history of E.W. Sparrow Hospital, it was founded by a group of women who convinced Mr. Sparrow to donate his land to start a hospital because they felt like health care needed to be in the Lansing community. So, I feel like those women are somewhere cheering me on.

Saliby: And can you speak to your experience then of what makes you the right leader at this time to be a part of Sparrow?

Dimond: So, again, I think I have hospital and medical group experience as many executives may, but I have had the experience of bringing some independent hospitals into larger systems.

I was appointed president and CEO of Karmanos Cancer Hospital in Detroit when McLaren acquired them, so bringing a specialty hospital into the McLaren system was both exciting and complex. Also did Crittenton Hospital when I was at Ascension, brought Crittenton into the Ascension system, which is a national Catholic faith-based system.

Saliby: On that topic, earlier this month Sparrow Health System officially joined with the University of Michigan Health, how will the hospital be impacted by that merger from, you know, your experience as you're kind of moving into the role?

Dimond: Right, so it's too early to give any specifics, but I would say that we want to look at this from a strength space, focus and lens. Sparrow Hospital has had almost a century of partnership with Michigan State University, and I don't think that's going anywhere.

And I think the U of M connections can only augment what we would call just heightening the quality, the overall quality of health care in mid-Michigan.

Saliby: Sparrow did cut hundreds of jobs last year citing operating losses. What do you see as the primary reason for these losses, maybe looking at the health care field in general?

The nursing shortage and paying for travelers and, you know, temporary nursing help has really ballooned when the payments from Medicare and other payers is still the same as it was a decade ago.

Dimond: Well, there isn't any health care system that wasn't impacted by COVID in 2019, [2020] and then, you know, lingering into 2021. As you well know, the nursing shortage and paying for travelers and, you know, temporary nursing help has really ballooned when the payments from Medicare and other payers is still the same as it was a decade ago.

So again, the equation is losses for many of the systems. The solution is complex, but you need to look at it in terms of, you know, what can we offer and capitalize on in terms of our strengths? And, you know, I don't think the nursing profession is, if you look at the the admissions to nursing schools, they're not up, they're down.

So, we've got to look at different ways to provide the care while maintaining or improving the quality of care because the patient really is the center of what we do, and the patient is the most important thing we need to think about.

Saliby: Looking ahead, do more layoffs seem like a possibility for the hospital?

Dimond: I don't think you can ever say layoffs are a positive thing in a repetitive situation. I would like to say that process improvement, and, if you look at expenses, an independent system of several hospitals joining a large healthcare system can really benefit from what I would call cooperative pricing.

That would be maybe using the strength of Michigan Medical or U of M's pricing for supplies and some other things that could bring down the overall expenses.

We'd really want to look at process improvement, we'd want to look at, you know, improving turnaround, length of stay, those types of things before we would ever look at layoffs.

Saliby: I guess how is that, you know, we're kind of a year off from these layoffs happening, we're looking ahead to this merger, how is patient care being impacted by these big changes?

Dimond: I think it's too early to tell how patient care has being impacted because I think we're just at the beginning of the new journey.

We take the strengths of MSU, Sparrow and the University of Michigan and really look at how we can impact the population and increasing the health of this population and beyond.

I mean, what my wish would be, and I think the leaders at Sparrow Health System would agree with this, is that we take the strengths of MSU, Sparrow and the University of Michigan and really look at how we can impact the population and increasing the health of this population and beyond.

Saliby: Some of the hospital's unionized workers nearly went on strike during contract negotiationsat the end of 2021. Those workers will be up for a new contract next year. How do you plan to approach these upcoming contract negotiations?

Dimond: Well, I think again, that's why negotiation is in caps and italics in any contract piece. But, again, I think the hospital and the unions, having met with the union leaders during my interview, think we both want the same thing.

We want safe care, quality care for the patient. And we want our workforce to feel like they are being paid fairly and treated fairly, and that they have a sense of belonging in terms of purpose of work, for taking care of the patient and also working with each other and interacting with our physicians and our providers.

Saliby: I want to end by actually asking something that relates to your background. You have a PhD in philosophy from MSU. Can you tell me more about how that plays a role in your approach to leading a hospital?

Dimond: Well, interesting. I did not go into healthcare as making management my goal. I actually have a master's in social work and did my placements at Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

So, my original goal was to be a director of social work, and so I've sort of morphed into the administrative role.

Saliby: And how did philosophy, I guess, still with that degree in philosophy, does that ever play a role in how you lead?

Dimond: Well, so it's a PhD, which is in philosophy, but my concentration was really in social sciences, social work and looking at the person as a whole person and as well as health disparities and how we can look at a systematic way to improve healthcare.

Saliby: Margaret Dimond is the new president of Lansing's E.W. Sparrow Hospital. She will officially begin leading in May. Thank you for joining me.

Dimond: Thank you very much. It's been a pleasure.

This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

Sophia Saliby is the local producer and host of All Things Considered, airing 4pm-7pm weekdays on 90.5 FM WKAR.
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