Teamwork

The “T” in the mnemonic C WITH Jesus Eyes that I use to recall all our core values stands for Teamwork. This is a critical characteristic for Loma Linda University Health, and I could wish it for the entire world. I see teamwork both vertically and horizontally — working together with those who govern us, as well as those we work with every day.

On April 13, we had our quinquennial constituency, or membership, meeting for Loma Linda University Health. This is a group of over 200 Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders from around the world who come together to elect a new 36-member Board of Trustees for our organization. We have some ex officio board members, based on their positions, while the others are carefully recommended based on their expertise. Most of our board members will be continuing, as they can each serve up to three five-year terms. We greatly value each member and the wisdom they provide for our toughest decisions. After their election, the new organizing board appoints the LLUH officers, a slate of 44 colleagues in top administrative positions who provide leadership across the entire LLUH enterprise with its eight schools, six hospitals, and now 18,000 employees. While some of us are past our “expiration” dates, the board, invoking Blue Zone status, invited us to continue!

On the horizontal aspect of Teamwork, we continue to work our way through the many challenges facing higher education and health care today. I am afraid to count the number of committees, task forces, and other organizational units that guide this place. When people occasionally ask what I really do, my answer is: “I am a professional committee member.” These groups meet at various frequencies as we seek to move toward common goals and pursue our strategic plans. I have the privilege of sitting on many of these groups, particularly those at the interface of our various organizational units, working our way through discussions, strategies, competition for resources, and all the other issues that face most organizations. I am deeply grateful for the talented, committed team of colleagues who are a part of our team and help to guide this place into the future. I heard a great quote the other day: “Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else have your way!” Despite our size and challenges, Loma Linda University Health remains incredibly cohesive as we pursue our mission of “Continuing the Teaching and Healing Ministry of Jesus Christ.” 

I recognize that these Notes from the President are viewed by those from many faith traditions and some without any faith background. We sincerely appreciate and invite your support for our mission. We consider it holy work that we do, far beyond the routine tasks of day-to-day management. For 118 years now, Loma Linda University Health has followed this singular mission, both in our service to our many patients and our educational role with our students. In a very real sense, both our patients and our alumni are also our constituency, guiding our understanding, correcting our mistakes, and helping refine our strategies.

Dr. Hector Gayares, the president of our affiliated institution in Nepal, Scheer Memorial Adventist Hospital, has a slogan from Christian leadership expert John Maxwell on the bottom of his emails — “Teamwork makes the Dream Work.” I like that, and the opposite is also true; where there is no teamwork, dreams are rarely accomplished. It is this shared commitment to a common goal, a sense of destiny as a God-ordained place, that powers Loma Linda University Health into the future. As challenges mount, we seek our encouragement from this remarkable history of persistence and success throughout the decades past.

Sincerely,

Richard H. Hart, MD, DrPH
President
Loma Linda University Health