Author: kestgo_admin

The growing support-services consulting firm will leverage Mr. Spicer’s deep industry knowledge to sharpen and focus its engagement with prospective and current client partners.

Chicago, Illinois, March 2022. Today, Kestgo, a highly-specialized consulting firm that focuses on healthcare support services, announces the appointment of Chuck L. Spicer, Jr., FACHE, to its Board of Advisors. Mr. Spicer brings to the table 27 years of experience and will support Kestgo and its clients in a variety of ways. “I feel privileged to work with the Principals of Kestgo, who I have known for many years and have seen the positive impact they bring to hospitals. I look forward to helping them maximize that impact, and also helping them tailor their services to the challenging issues affecting the industry,” said Mr. Spicer.

Before joining Kestgo, Mr. Spicer’s storied career included time as President and CEO of OU Medicine, Oklahoma’s most comprehensive academic health system that includes OU Medical Center, The Children’s Hospital at OU Medical Center, OU Medical Center Edmond, Stephenson Cancer Center, OU Medicine Breast Health Network as well as Valir Rehabilitation Hospital; Spicer transitioned into the role of Special Advisor to the Board of Directors in July of 2021. While President and CEO of OU Medicine, Spicer led the system to unprecedented growth and operating performance. Under his leadership, The Children’s Hospital at OU Medical Center set record admissions, emergency room visits and surgical volumes while significantly increasing patient-satisfaction scores.

“We are very excited to welcome Chuck to the Kestgo Team. His esteemed career, industry recognition, outcome-focused track record, and relentless focus on improving financial and patient outcomes are a testament to his strong abilities as a visionary and leader,” said Paula Keller, Founding Principal of Kestgo. “He understands the modern-day challenges faced by healthcare leaders - and puts us in an even better position to deliver solutions to the marketplace.”

Spicer is active in the community, serving on the boards of United Way of Central Oklahoma, Allied Arts, Oklahoma Health Center Foundation, Oklahoma Hospital Association and Young Presidents Organization (YPO). Spicer also is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He also serves on the advisory boards of the Children’s Hospital Foundation and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Oklahoma City. Spicer is a past recipient of the Red Shoe Award in recognition of his contributions to Ronald McDonald House Charities. In 2017, Spicer was selected as one of the Journal Record’s Most Admired CEOs. He also was voted among Oklahoma Magazine’s Best of the Best CEOs in 2015 and 2016.

He resides in northwest Oklahoma City with his wife, Amy, and children, Hamilton and Mal.

About Kestgo

Kestgo is a highly-specialized consulting firm that focuses on healthcare support services. Its founders, Paula Keller, Don Stookey, and Gary Goettl have over 75 years of combined experience transforming organizations and improving both patient health and financial outcomes. Kestgo has deep expertise in three areas of healthcare support services: Support Services, Performance Solutions, and Supply Chain Management. Unlike other support services consulting firms, Kestgo is driven by a simple, core belief: people matter. Kestgo’s unique insight and perspective is that it’s people – not just numbers and bottom lines – that make healthcare organizations succeed.

For more information, contact Paula Keller, Principal:

• Phone: (866) 855-4466
• Email: paula.keller@kestgo.com
• Visit: www.kestgo.com

Looking back at my career in Support Services, I had the opportunity over the last 35 years to mentor interns and new faces starting out in our business. Eyes wide open! What’s different now? With over 25 years in healthcare support services business, primarily inday-to-dayoperations, I moved on to a consulting role. Something extremely rewarding that I never expected. Being a consultant, I have developed many new mentoring relationships, quite the opposite of what you would expect.Knowing that the consulting business comes with its baggage and litany of jokes. Who knew, that, if doing it the right way, consulting and mentoring are symbiotic? That was and still is my “ah ha moment.”

Being a consultant is clearly defined by your past experiences, knowledge, ability to communicate, teach, guide, and advocate.

Is it really?Both financial and quality deficits are reasons for a consultant to be involved in your daily life.It could be in the form of a global consulting firm, specializing in righting the ship, ensuring a strong financial future. Or, it could be a specialized firm, knowing the detail and intricacies of your work and purpose. I fortunately, have the opportunity to work in both environments.

How many times has a consultant met with you, handed you a piece of paper, stating these are your new targets? That was it.

• No explanation, no map, no blueprint.
• You do your best, paddling upstream, dealing with the waves and rocks.
• You may reach your goal, but was it by design? Or did you reach your goal, sacrificing core values, strengths, and innovations you had put in place?

When the consultant can get their clients to see their engagement as a mentoring relationship – success is eminent.

The key to any effective mentoring is connection.

• Taking the time to discover common ground and what the other person’s needs really are.
• Then being available to see them succeed.
• When customers really sense you are more concerned fortheir well-being and successthan just making a buck—you become seen as a valued asset – consultant – Mentor!