Leading Change in Turbulent Times

About the Book

This book is for average Americans who want to improve their life; the corporation that is preparing for or preventing turbulent times; the CEO who is leading a turnaround of his or her company; and the healthcare executives that are preparing for upcoming healthcare reform.

We must be prepared to deal with these challenges. This book is about being more prepared to effectively lead change and adapt in turbulent times related to personal and corporate health as well as business relative organizational development and transformation. The goal is to land safely and be stronger to handle change in the future.

About the Author

Michael S. Lawson grew up in Cleveland, earned his undergraduate in liberal arts education at Baldwin Wallace College, and received his masters in business administration at Cleveland State University. He has more than twenty-five years of health care experience. He began his first corporate employment at General Electric as an operations intern during his sophomore year at Baldwin Wallace College. After the internship Lawson needed funding to continue his education, and he landed an entry level X-ray tech assistant position within radiology operations at the Cleveland Clinic in 1985.

He was responsible for performing X-rays on patients within cardiac intensive care units, managing the portable radiography operations, and working side by side with world-renown cardio thoracic surgeons, cardiologists, CICU nurses, and radiologists. Lawson completed his undergraduate and graduate business studies, as well as his clinical training at the Clinic.

He eventually transitioned from a clinical role into an administrative role and began to methodically work his way up through the management ranks into the executive ranks. He served as administrator for various clinical departments and worked closely with community, government, and business leaders to help improve access to medical care and community health.

He advanced to vice president level over key institutes and core service lines (cancer, emergency care, brain health, diabetes, and neurosurgery) across the Cleveland Clinic Health System within academic medical center setting. After five years in that role and fifteen years of management experience, Lawson had interest in becoming community hospital president, and he took a vice president of operation position at one of Cleveland Clinic’s community hospitals that allowed him to back up the hospital president and learn the role.

Lawson was responsible for aiding the president, strategic planning, leading clinical and support service operations, monitoring construction projects, serving as hospital government and community relations liaison for the president, and assisting fund development and physician recruitment.

During his time at the Cleveland Clinic Health System, he led growth and turnaround of several business units and institutes, improved national cancer rankings, oversaw cost-reduction initiatives, supervised organizational restructuring and employee career developments, established new institutes and programs, developed new chronic disease and diabetes management programs, oversaw minority health initiatives, completed strategic plans to construct a new community health center and an innovative health resource center, and developed strategic community and business partnership to improve access to health care and funding.

Lawson has served on community development, health, and editorial boards. He has lectured at hospitals and local and national conferences. He has authored several management articles in national health management journals as well as co-authored clinical studies in minority health. He has turned around clinical operations, financial performances, and satisfaction scores and has helped improved community health and the culture of organizations.

In 2009 Lawson accepted a promotion at OhioHealth System, serving as senior vice president of operations, which is the chief operating officer role at one of the health system’s high-performing hospitals. Lawson continues his commitment to strategic integration, improving community health, access to care improve, and hospital turnarounds.

Lawson serves as a board member of number-one ranked and nationally recognized Columbus Metropolitan Library, and he enjoys research and writing, reading, and fitness.