What leaders can learn from the California wildfires
What leaders can learn from the California wildfires
Modern Healthcare; by Robert Stone, CEO of City of Hope, Duarte, CA; 1/31/25
When wildfires threatened City of Hope comprehensive cancer center near Los Angeles in recent weeks, hundreds of our leaders and staff – many with homes in the path of the blaze – rushed to campus at 2:30 in the morning to prepare to evacuate more than 200 hospitalized cancer patients. City of Hope, one of the largest research and treatment organizations in the U.S., cares for people with highly complex medical conditions. On the night the wildfires threatened our campus, our patients included people receiving CAR-T immunotherapy, novel clinical trials, and undergoing bone marrow transplants. ... Our healthcare partners in the region were also impacted by wildfires in varying ways. Every health system we spoke with prioritized the safety of not only their own patients and staff but ours as well. ... What stands out from this middle-of-the-night experience and the days that followed are important lessons that can only emerge from an organization where people are deeply connected to the mission.
- Prioritize patients and empower your people ...
- A strong culture is essential ...
- Draw on institutional expertise ...
- Communicate often, and with gratitude ...
- Support your people ...