OCALA, FL (352today.com) – One of the nation’s worst mass casualty incidents played a role in shaping Alan Keesee.
The hospital administrator was serving as Chief Operating Officer of the Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, when an event unfolded on Oct. 1, 2017, that no one expected. A gunman sprayed over 1,000 bullets in 11 minutes into a crowd of more than 20,000 people at the Route 91 Harvest music festival.
On Wednesday, Keesee shared his story and insights, on how that day transformed his life, in his new role as the CEO of HCA Florida Ocala Hospital. He spoke to business leaders gathered at the Reilly Arts Center for a monthly breakfast of the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership.
“There were lives to be touched and lessons to be learned,” said Keesee. “Every single business will face a crisis, unfortunately, every community will, whether it will be an assassination attempt, COVID-19, God forbid a hurricane, we will face a crisis, and leadership absolutely matters.”
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The Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center’s staff answered the call, with all hands-on deck responding, setting up a triage to process the sudden influx of patients.
“I texted our team, ‘This is war,'” said Keesee. “Thankfully, they responded. The Department of Defense came out and studied our response to this event because it had never happened on U.S. soil outside of a war. This many gunshot wounds occurring simultaneously has never really been triaged.”
The crisis situation made Keesee realize the importance of teamwork, and that not one person is the critical person. He says it’s the team working together. The mindset had shifted from work to responsibility.
Leadership lessons he learned from the crisis include:
- Thinking one step ahead
- Being visible
- Preparing and providing direct, precise communication
“Do you have that person that has the ability to communicate and connect during a time of crisis,” said Keesee. “Do you have that culture on your team? Do you have that focus that you’re going to give back and not expect anything in return?”
Keesee’s personal insights on leading through crisis, shaped his philosophy in his role as a hospital CEO, and what’s necessary as far as securing resources and building a team to care for patients.
He’s been on the job in Ocala for about a year and half now and says HCA Ocala’s motto is one that resonates loudly, “We Show Up.”
“My ultimate aim is to leave you with the absolute conviction that I wake up, and my team wakes up to care for you, regardless of your gender, your sexual orientation, your race, your religion, regardless of the environment. We’re here to care for you,” said Keesee.
The hospital in Ocala that once boasted 100 beds in 1973 has evolved over the past five decades, with the addition of $1 billion in capital investments to provide resources to serve the region. Those investments allowed HCA Florida to open a freestanding emergency room on Blichton Road in February and one on Silver Springs Boulevard last September. And, Keesee says there’s a $110 million update taking place at the West Marion campus.
“We now have two hospital campuses with 545 beds and five standing emergency departments. We’re very proud to have a Level One trauma center to be here for our community no matter what. We also built a comprehensive stroke center which provides life-saving interventions, 24/7 prescription pickups, and 92 intensive care unit beds at our hospitals to match the demand in the community,” said Keesee. “It’s the heart of the people caring for you.”