Healthcare, and especially long-term care, can be a rather difficult place to work these days. Leaders have been inundated with multiple changes and new regulations, including requirements for additional electronic connectivity and software, while at the same time dealing with declining reimbursement. In addition, goals and mandates exist for new transitional care and “partnerships” with hospitals, ACO’s and managed care – organizations not considered their “best friends” in the past.

Recently, I have attended conferences and forums that have been rather depressing. Honestly, at one point I did not think I could stand one more person complaining about things that I and they could not change. So I sought out other people who may not be happy with the changes but were not going “to the dark side.” They were consciously accepting reality and seeking information, education, assistance from consultants and experts, and trying to figure out the best way to deal with the changes and still provide quality care.

There is no doubt it is stressful industry these days and there is work to do. But every leader has a choice. They can continue to sit around, bury their heads in the sand and complain about things they cannot change, or they can choose to be proactive. Learn, listen, seek out experts to help and pursue solutions. I choose the latter.