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Format: Paperback - This book is also available in Hardcover
Publisher: Second River Healthcare Press
Pub. Date: March, 2009
Pages: 200
Edition Number: 1
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-0-9814605-5-0
ISBN-10: 0-9814605-5-0
Product Dimensions: 8.4" x 5.5" x .6"

Reviews:
“Between these covers is the riveting and inspiring story of one man’s vision that changed the healthcare universe.  If Walt Disney and his imagineers had designed, built and staffed a hospital, it would have looked and felt a lot like Mid-Columbia Medical Center .” - Fred Lee, Author, If Disney Ran Your Hospital: 9 ½ Things You Would Do Differently
(2005 ACHE Book of the Year Award Winner)

"There is not a hospital in the world—or any company in the healthcare field, for that matter—that could not benefit from this enlightening book. Read how Mid-Columbia Medical Center has transformed itself into a shining light so you, too, can inspire your employees, enhance your patient experience and improve your outcomes." - B. Joseph Pine II, Co-Author, The Experience Economy (Named one of The Best 100 Business Books of All Time) and Authenticity: What Consumers Really Want

“The very concept of a true patient-centered hospital—the vision of patients actually being partners in their own care—should have never been a radical idea.  But somewhere along the evolution of healthcare, it became just that.  ‘Courage to Be First’ is the story of how a visionary hospital CEO made it live again in the form of a Planetree Hospital .  What the concepts of St. Michael’s in ‘Why Hospitals Should Fly’ do for patient safety and quality, ‘Courage to Be First’ does for the long-dormant soul of American Healthcare.”  - John J. Nance, JD, Author, Why Hospitals Should Fly: The Ultimate Flight Plan to Patient Safety and Quality Care
(2009 ACHE Book of the Year Award Winner)

Synopsis:
This book is more than the story of a small, rural Oregon hospital’s successful attempt to profoundly change for the better the way patients, their families and friends, staff and employees experience healthcare.  It is the account of an extraordinary effort that led to a remarkable transformation of an entire organization, the man who directed it and, gradually, is changing the industry as a whole.

During the 1990s Mid-Columbia Medical Center became the first hospital to implement the patient-centered Planetree philosophy hospital-wide.  The evolution of MCMC from traditional hospital to an innovative center for whole-person healing (in which traditional medicine is now integrated seamlessly with yoga, massage, acupuncture, journaling, Tai’ Chi and an array of other complementary therapies) captured the attention of an entire industry, inspired articles in national media ranging from the LA Times to Time magazine, and led to site visits from administrators representing more than 1,000 hospitals in the U.S., Japan and England.  This small 49-bed hospital in The Dalles , Oregon , has become a destination hospital drawing patients from over 25 states.

There is no question why healthcare needed this transformation to take place…the question is how did they do it—and what can you learn from it?

Whether you are a CEO, physician, nurse, department manager, board member, food service employee or volunteer, this book is rich with valuable lessons and techniques you can apply immediately to your organization, practice and career.

All it takes is the Courage to Be First.

To learn more about the book, the authors and to read a preview chapter, visit http://www.couragetobefirst.com/.

Biographies:

 Mark Scott
Mark Scott is a nationally renowned healthcare speaker, consultant, visionary and expert in cultural change and development.

As CEO of Mid-Columbia Medical Center in The Dalles, Oregon from 1985 to 2002, Mark’s commitment and passion for changing the landscape of the healthcare experience gave him the unwavering courage to lead the transformation of MCMC into becoming the first hospital in the nation to implement the patient-centered Planetree philosophy hospital-wide.

Mark’s intimate understanding of the strategic and tactical experience required for initiating and sustaining organizational transformation make him one of the nation’s most in-demand speakers.  His storytelling strengths and unique personal style come alive in dynamic presentations that focus on staging healthcare experiences and transformations—both for patients and staff.  

Mark Scott is also an owner, senior guide and coach who serves as an integral resource to clients for Starizon, an experience design consultancy based in Keystone, Colorado .

Leland R. Kaiser, Ph.D.
Leland R. Kaiser, Ph.D. is a dynamic, motivational speaker known for his ability to change the way organizations think.  A recognized futurist and acknowledged authority on the changing American healthcare system, he is a provocateur and mentor to many hospital and healthcare organization CEOs in the U.S.

Dr. Kaiser holds an appointment as associate professor in the Graduate Program in Health Administration at the University of Colorado at Denver .  He is a prolific author, prominent educator and pioneer in the developing field of electronic teaching technologies.

Dr. Kaiser has previous professional experience as a hospital administrator, trustee, research and development director, graduate program director and professional psychologist.  He has master’s degrees in clinical psychology and medical care administration and a doctoral degree in social psychology and higher education.