Michael Cureton, MHA, FACHE, CEO of Sutter Davis Hospital at Sutter Health
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Michael Cureton, CEO of Sutter Davis Hospital, shares insights on leadership in healthcare amid rapid change, workforce challenges, and strategic decision-making. He discusses the difficult choice to forgo expanding the hospital’s birthing center to a NICU Level II due to limited space, declining birth rates in the region, and competing priorities like ambulatory care access. This decision, guided by the 'good, better, best' framework, underscores the importance of resource allocation based on data and long-term community needs. Cureton emphasizes the critical role of leadership development, transparency, and authentic hiring practices in building a resilient organization. He highlights high patient satisfaction and employee engagement as key indicators of success, while also acknowledging ongoing efforts to improve onboarding and reduce first-year turnover. His leadership philosophy centers on empowering frontline staff, investing in professional growth, and maintaining financial stewardship in a complex healthcare environment.
Use the 'good, better, best' model to prioritize investments and make tough decisions with finite resources.
Invest in leadership development and professional growth to empower frontline managers and drive organizational change.
Prioritize authentic, empathetic hires over purely clinical skills to improve patient experience and staff retention.
Transparency with staff and physicians about financial realities and strategic shifts builds trust and alignment.
High patient satisfaction and low turnover are strong signals that workforce strategy is working, but continuous improvement is needed.
Introduction and Hospital Overview
Laura Deirdre introduces Michael Cureton, CEO of Sutter Davis Hospital, and sets the stage for a conversation on healthcare leadership, workforce challenges, and innovation in community hospitals.
Strategic Focus on Access and Growth
Cureton discusses the hospital's focus on expanding ambulatory care access in Yolo County, addressing long wait times and physician shortages due to lack of physical space, with the goal of keeping care local.
The 'Good, Better, Best' Decision Framework
“We looked back at the past 10 years... we saw about a 30% decline in the fertility rate... if that trend continues, you know, we would hate to build out only to not be able to fill it five, 10 years later.”
Leadership Development and Organizational Readiness
“We are doubling down and ensuring that our managers, our directors, our first time leaders are getting the support that they need to be able to drive change at the frontline level.”
Transparency, Culture, and Measuring Success
“In order to have happy patients, you first need to have happy employees.”
“In order to have happy patients, you first need to have happy employees.”
“We looked back at the past 10 years... we saw about a 30% decline in the fertility rate... if that trend continues, you know, we would hate to build out only to not be able to fill it five, 10 years later.”
“Everybody is the CEO of their responsibility.”
Host
Guest
Sutter Davis Hospital
organization
Michael Cureton
person
Sutter Health
organization
Yolo County
place
NICU Level II
other
Davis, California
place
Warner Thomas
person
Sutter Health University
organization
LinkedIn Learning
organization
HR1
other
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