by Jan Komara and Mike Tinney

Day Seven for Leadership Lumpkin focused on Healthcare and Leadership Styles.  Our day began on the campus of North Georgia College and State University where we witnessed leadership style in action as Steve Gooch, Lumpkin County Commission Chairman, delivered the first ever “State of the County Address.”  Using an entertaining and informative PowerPoint

presentation, Chairman Gooch reviewed the progress of the county as it moved from a sole commissioner to its first five-person board of commissioners.  So dramatic was the progress that Georgia Trend magazine awarded Lumpkin County a 2008 “Georgia County Excellence Award” for its “Fiscal Fitness.”

After learning about fiscal fitness in Lumpkin County, we spent the afternoon learning about the physical fitness made possible in our county through Chestatee Regional Hospital.  While we made ourselves comfortable in the hospital’s conference room, CEO Alan George profiled the services offered by Chestatee Regional, as well as detailed the $9,000,000 renovation of the facility.  Mr. Alan also discussed the hospital’s relationship with Quint Studer, a nationally renowned public relations expert who has put together a wonderful program to help hospitals become more consumer/customer friendly.  We then heard from CFO Julia Berndt and CNO Jeanne Hoag, both of whom created in us a feeling of well-being about the quality of care at Chestatee Regional.

Next, Christine Wilbanks, the hospital’s Marketing Director, organized tours of the facility so that we could see for ourselves the results of the recent renovation:  new labor and delivery unit, new post-op recovery area, new private patient rooms, and new ICU unit.  The facility also now has fresh paint, better lighting, and a peaceful chapel.  Even the outside of the building has been refurbished.

The last part of our day consisted of working with Pat Edwards, Day Chair and formerly of Georgia Mountains Mental Health, to assess our leadership fitness. We completed several surveys to determine whether we were Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, or Neapolitan (each have specific traits) or whether we were Gold, Orange, Blue, or Green (again, each one has a style). Not surprisingly, we found that all of the various flavors and colors were represented in our Leadership Lumpkin group, giving us so much strength as a whole.  Talk about leadership fitness!  Go, Class of 2008!