When I was growing up in a small rural community in western New York, it’s safe to say that I never imagined I would one day become a health system CEO.
I may not have known it at the time, but the lessons I learned in my early life profoundly influenced me as a person, as well as how I approach my work at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health. I suspect the same is true for each one of us.
Many of the values that are most important to me and my family are the same ones that serve as our foundation at LG Health, including commitment, teamwork, trust, and bringing our best to our work and each other every day.
Although I touched on my childhood in my very first blog post, it’s important to revisit, since it has shaped me into who I am today. My family lived a very simple life, and I learned early on that there is nothing more important than people and connecting with others. My parents and grandparents were my first role models, and I’ve had the same best friend since second grade.
To this day, we are a very close extended family. Similarly, my wife Lisa and I raised our son and daughter, both now in their 20s, to value family. We love spending time together, whether it’s enjoying a meal at home, taking a hike or cheering together at a sporting event (likely LSU or the Buffalo Bills).
Sharing these experiences has helped us really get to know and trust each other. I view my work colleagues the same way – as a family. Whether it’s at home or at work, a strong family can get through challenging times together because of that shared sense of trust.
Besides our commitment to being there for each other, my family values a strong work ethic. My first job was mowing our yard, which was no small task, since it was about five acres. As a teenager, I worked on the dairy farm down the hill. My experiences at home and on the farm taught me that working hard and doing the right thing are the essence of continuous improvement.
I was fortunate enough to play football in college. I was not the most talented player on the team, but I brought my best self to the field and my teammates every day and showed up ready to work hard; and that earned me a starting role for three years. While we can’t control the future, I learned that through hard work, focus, discipline and a team-over-self mentality, we put ourselves and our team in position to take advantage of opportunities that come our way.
Each of us has a unique journey that landed us where we are today. We each bring our own experiences and perspectives to our work at LG Health, and this diversity serves to make us stronger as a health system, in the same way it does a family.
I hope you enjoy getting to know a little about me and my life experiences. I love getting to know you and hearing your stories as I have the opportunity to meet you. I hope that some of the traits I developed during my childhood — an appreciation for building trusting relationships, a strong work ethic, focus, discipline and a team-over-self mentality — will make the LG Health culture even stronger.
Thank you for the important role you play in our organization. Together we make an unbeatable team.