By Rodney Mardirosian, MBA
What do Mark Zuckerburg, Magic Johnson, Lady Gaga and USC Verdugo Hills Hospital COO, Kenny Pawlek have in common? Passion.
Kenny Pawlek has been the chief operating officer of USC Verdugo Hills Hospital for almost 2 years. Prior to this, he was at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles for 12 years where he held various leadership roles. Before CHLA, he worked as an engineer in the manufacturing sector.
Kenny began the session talking about his passions: the healthcare management profession, and his dedication to strive to do better for the well-being of the patients that USC Verdugo Hills Hospital (USC VHH) serves. He described his role at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, and the hospital’s transition from an independent community hospital to its incorporation with the University of Southern California (USC). He also described the ways in which he is building his team and his organization, and engaging the community surrounding the hospital.
One passion Kenny did not mention in his presentation is mentoring early careerists. He has been a great mentor for many, so he made sure to answer questions from them during the program. He answered questions about charge masters, readmission rates, and the importance of a community to the organization. In addition, he answered questions about hiring employees, working with other leaders across the organization, increasing patient satisfaction, and establishing strong partnerships with physicians and staff.
Thank you to Kenny and USC Verdugo Hills Hospital for hosting the February Learning from Experience program.
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