Culture Change RX

Send us a Message In this episode of Culture Change RX , Sue Tetzlaff explores why many healthcare organizations aren’t lacking effort — they’re lacking integration, sequencing, and coordinated systems. Sue shares why disconnected initiatives often create fragmented energy, initiative fatigue, and temporary improvements that fail to strengthen the organization as a whole. She explains how truly st...

Send us a Message In this episode of Culture Change RX , Sue Tetzlaff welcomes Greg Opseth, COO of Highland Medical Staffing, Executive Director of the Iowa Nurses Association, and a Capstone Transformational Expert, for a meaningful conversation about the importance of staying grounded in purpose as healthcare leaders. Drawing from insights gained at the Iowa Organization for Nursing Leadership (...

Send us a Message In this episode of Culture Change RX , Sue Tetzlaff explores one of the most common objections healthcare organizations face when considering transformational change: “We don’t have enough time or money.” Drawing from decades of experience leading and supporting transformation in small and rural healthcare organizations, Sue challenges the assumption that meaningful improvement a...

Send us a Message In this episode of Culture Change RX , Sue Tetzlaff welcomes Darrell Bodnar, Chief Information Officer for North Country Healthcare in New Hampshire, for a fascinating conversation on innovation, artificial intelligence, patient safety, and high reliability in rural healthcare. Darrell shares how North Country Healthcare — an independent rural healthcare system serving the northe...

Send us a Message In this episode of Culture Change RX , Sue Tetzlaff explores one of the most common - and costly - mistakes organizations make during change efforts: declaring victory too soon. Drawing from John Kotter’s work on organizational change, Sue explains why early improvement is not the same as long-term transformation and why organizations often regress when new behaviors and systems...

Send us a Message Most healthcare leaders think about retention as something that happens after someone is hired. But what if your hiring process itself is either building or quietly eroding your culture? In this episode, Sue Tetzlaff sits down with Capstone Transformational Expert Julie Coneset to talk about one of the most consequential — and often most stressful — responsibilities healthcare le...

Send us a Message In this episode of Culture Change RX , Sue Tetzlaff explores a simple but powerful truth: leadership is hard — but the experience of that “hard” can look very different depending on how leaders connect to their work. Inspired by watching the intensity and passion of NHL playoff hockey, Sue draws a compelling parallel between athletes who embrace the difficulty of the game because...

Send us a Message In this episode of Culture Change RX , Sue Tetzlaff sits down with Chelsea Hoffrichter, registered nurse, nurse manager, and service excellence team leader at MyMichigan-Sault, to discuss how employee-driven teams are helping improve the patient experience in their rural healthcare organization. Chelsea shares the journey of transforming their service excellence work from a leade...

Send us a Message Pursuing RHT opportunities that are not in strategic alignment can create “strategy creep” or “strategy swap” scenarios that likely won’t play out well in the short or long term In this episode of Culture Change RX , Sue Tetzlaff explores a critical strategy challenge facing rural healthcare organizations today: how to navigate the massive Rural Health Transformation (RHT) opport...

Send us a Message In this episode of Culture Change RX , Sue Tetzlaff is joined by Capstone’s Chief Transformation Officer, Courtney Kloehn, to explore what it really means to build a data-driven culture in healthcare organizations. While many organizations collect and report data, far fewer use it effectively to guide decisions, align teams, and drive meaningful improvement. Sue and Courtney disc...

Send us a Message In this episode of Culture Change RX , Sue Tetzlaff discusses the importance of foundational strength in rural healthcare organizations. She emphasizes how strengthening people, service, and quality creates organizational vitality, magnetism for talent and patients, and sustainable growth. Ready to strengthen your organization’s foundation and become a magnet for talent and growt...

Send us a Message In this episode of Culture Change RX, host Sue Tetzlaff and guest Christy Pretzinger delve into the concept of BETTER Quotient™ (BQ) and its significance in leadership. Christy shares her journey of understanding the importance of continuous improvement and vulnerability in leadership roles. They discuss the relationship between BQ and growth mindset, the necessity of self-awaren...

Send us a Message In this episode of Culture Change RX , Sue Tetzlaff and Julie Coneset discuss the importance of meaningful celebrations, focusing on the 'why' behind recognition efforts, and share practical ideas and a comprehensive celebration guide to foster a culture of celebration in healthcare settings. How to get your guide to creating meaningful Hospital Week and other celebrati...

Send us a Message In this episode of Culture Change RX , Sue Tetzlaff explores the nine essential 'ITs' of customer service excellence in healthcare. She emphasizes that building a multi-faceted systematic approach, rather than just providing training, is key to achieving sustainable service quality and patient satisfaction. Quotes from the episode:  “Exceptional service is not created b...

Send us a Message In this episode of Culture Change RX , Sue Tetzlaff sits down with healthcare security expert Tony York to explore the evolving role of safety and security in healthcare environments. Tony shares insights from more than three decades in healthcare security, discussing how the challenges facing hospitals today are very different from those of the past. From workplace violence and...

Send us a Message In this episode of Culture Change RX , Sue Tetzlaff, cofounder of Capstone Leadership Solutions, engages in conversation with Chris Benson from Juniper Advisory about the complexities of healthcare partnerships, particularly in the context of mergers and acquisitions. They discuss the cultural implications of these partnerships, the current trends in hospital consolidations, and...

Send us a Message In this episode of Culture Change RX , Sue Tetzlaff, cofounder of Capstone Leadership Solutions, discusses how healthcare leaders can transform their leadership approach to reduce their stress, frustration, and dissatisfaction, improve their results, and even feel re-energized for this meaningful work. She emphasizes that there is a disconnect between leadership effort and result...

Send us a Message In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff and Ben Davis discuss the transformative journey, “The Experience Initiative,” of Glencoe Regional Health. They explore the importance of leadership development, establishing a goal cycle, empowering employee-driven teams, and navigating change in a healthcare organization. The conversation emphasizes the need for proactive leade...

Send us a Message In this episode of Culture Change RX, Sue Tetzlaff, cofounder of Capstone Leadership Solutions, discusses the critical importance of workforce well-being in healthcare organizations, particularly in the context of change management. She highlights the phenomenon of change fatigue, which arises from poorly led changes that inadvertently harm employee well-being. Sue emphasizes the...

Send us a Message In this episode of Culture Change RX , host Sue Tetzlaff and guest Shannon McKay discuss the intricacies of provider recruitment in rural healthcare. They explore effective strategies for attracting providers, the importance of community fit, and the evolving expectations of healthcare professionals. The conversation highlights the significance of cultural alignment within health...

Send us a Message In this episode of Culture Change RX , Sue Tetzlaff, cofounder of Capstone Leadership Solutions, discusses the prevalent belief in healthcare that working harder leads to better results. She challenges this notion, emphasizing that sustainable success comes from changing how work is done rather than increasing effort. Sue highlights the importance of understanding what needs to b...

Send us a Message In this episode of Culture Change RX , Sue Tetzlaff, cofounder of Capstone Leadership Solutions, converses with Heather Schragg, the Director of Quality and Risk Management at Eaton Rapids Medical Center (Michigan). They discuss Heather's personal and professional transformation over the past 13 years, particularly through the implementation of their organization’s 212 Degre...

Send us a Message In this episode of Culture Change RX , Sue Tetzlaff, cofounder of Capstone Leadership Solutions, kicks off Season 3 by reflecting on the podcast's journey and the mission of Capstone Leadership Solutions. She emphasizes the importance of focusing on the “people side” of healthcare, particularly for small and rural healthcare organizations. Sue introduces three key themes for...

Send us a Message In this episode of Culture Change RX , Sue Tetzlaff, cofounder of Capstone Leadership Solutions, discusses the critical role of relationships in frontline leadership within healthcare. She emphasizes that effective leadership is not just about authority or tasks, but about building and maintaining strong relationships with employees, bosses, HR partners, peers and more. Sue outli...

Send us a Message In this episode of Culture Change RX , Sue Tetzlaff, cofounder of Capstone Leadership Solutions, discusses the challenges and opportunities facing healthcare leaders as they enter a new year. She emphasizes the importance of reflection, the need for stronger systems, and the role of people systems in creating a sustainable and resilient healthcare environment. Sue outlines four e...