Three HCA Healthcare colleagues discuss how they raise the bar at work. From changing work culture to creating innovative community programs — they never settle for the status quo.

Sean Hess, PH.D., CCC-SLP

Speech Language Pathologist

Since assuming his role in 2016, Sean has helped grow the speech language pathology program at Wesley Woodlawn Hospital & ER in Wichita, Kansas, with more fluoroscopy studies and options for outpatient services. He’s changing the culture for nurses and physicians in advocating for patient safety.

How have you advanced so quickly to practitioner-level work in fluoroscopy? 

Lead radiologist Akash Joshi, MD, offered to teach me how to operate a fluoroscope, how radiation works, and how to administer radiation safely to patients. I said “sure, train me!” In addition to his mentorship, I continually engage in self-study and research to provide the best possible patient care.

What advice would you give to someone early in their career who wants to “raise the bar” for patient care?

Collaborate whenever possible. I regularly and proactively connect with my colleagues, other physicians, and nurses to ensure I understand the big picture of the patient’s medical situation and how the work I do fits into their overall care plan. It’s this level of teamwork that ensures we’re providing the best possible care to every patient, every time.

Ryan Eason

Community Relations Director

A self-described left-brain thinker, Ryan brings an analytical approach to his job at Medical City Healthcare in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. So when he looked at tackling issues like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, he traced it back to poor eating habits formed early in life. That’s why 10 years ago he founded kids teaching kids℠, which offers children and parents the resources to improve their eating habits. 

How are you extending your care outside the hospital?

Medical City Children’s Hospital and the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association partner with high school culinary students to create recipes for healthy snacks that elementary school kids can make at home. These children look up to the high school students. It creates “super snackers” to better support the health of kids in our local communities.

What can other hospitals learn from the program’s success?

The Kids Fit Menu portion of our program—which pairs culinary students and our registered dietitians with local restaurateurs to create meals with fruits and vegetables—is going nationwide. I’m working with four other HCA Healthcare divisions that will support the program at restaurants in their communities.

Haley Davis, NNP-BC

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

After countless hours of protocol updates, training, development, and planning, Haley and her colleagues at North Suburban Medical Center in Thornton, Colorado, introduced the Eat-Sleep-Console (ESC) screening tool to assess a newborn’s withdrawal symptoms after prenatal exposure to opiates. The approach greatly reduces length of stay, keeps the baby closer to the parents and offers a healthier start to life. 

What’s it like to provide care for an infant patient versus an adult?
I’m always amazed at how resilient infants are and how quickly they heal. It’s very rewarding to observe their growth and development and see their health improve. It’s also rewarding to establish a close relationship with their parents and provide support during an extremely difficult and scary time.

What motivates and inspires you to improve patient experiences?

I want to ensure infants receive the best possible care. In the case of opioid-exposed newborns, my colleagues and I recognized flaws in the previous assessment tool and learned of new research to support the use of the ESC care tool. We knew we had to change our practice to better care for these newborns.