Andrea McKay

I had the pleasure of working with Doug for just over five years.  I would have stayed in Wyoming working under Doug’s leadership if I had not pursued my own career path to becoming a rural health CEO like Doug.  In fact, he was my inspiration to pursue this direction.  I purposely emulate leadership behaviors that I had learned from him.  For example, learning and knowing all staff by their names and a little something about them personally and/or about their families.  Doug’s uncanny ability to remember so many people and details is impressive.  Just this one small but meaningful leadership act has been recognized by my new team here in Missouri.  As I tour physician candidates through my hospital campus and as I acknowledge staff personally, this has influenced candidates to choose our hospital over others……a gift I learned from Doug.

In fact as I conduct my own physician recruitment activities, I think of Doug and his style of personally engaging with candidates and conducting pre-interview phone conversations with them.  Doug would include me in many of these calls so I witnessed his ability to quickly put people at ease and engage them in free-flowing conversations which helped us evaluate an initial fit into our culture and the remote environment of Cody.

Doug is inclusive and utilizes his senior team as consultants and counsel for his decision making.  He is humble and very open to new ideas, supportive of change and appreciates different opinions and perspectives.

I also had the privilege of serving through the Covid pandemic under Doug’s leadership.  This was uncharted territory and he handled it with courage, confidence, and grace even in the worst of times such as when we lost our own staff to Covid and when answers were needed but there was not a source of truth to get those answers.  He led with grace under fire and with conviction to always place people first in making decisions.

I think it is his people-centered leadership style that I respect the most.  Not always is healthcare led in a manner that doesn’t put finances above the human aspect.  I witnessed his people-centered approach in action when we had to do a reduction in force early in my time at Cody Regional Health.  The thoughtfulness of how people were managed and treated respectfully and transparently during one of the most difficult times of their lives being impacted was admirable.  In a very difficult time, Doug’s leadership style and deeply held values around the importance of people was what got us through successfully and with staff appreciation even in light of termination of their positions.

I think you can tell that I admire Doug’s leadership skills, style, and effectiveness.  I do try to emulate his leadership because I believe that makes me a more effective leader for the hospitals I support.

Thank you for the opportunity to express some thoughts around one of the most impressive leaders of which I have worked.