5 minute read
Leader Profile: Jay Quebedeaux
Serving with Purpose
By Ashley Warren
The first wave of COVID-19 swept the United States when Jay Quebedeaux, CEO of Mena Regional Health System, had held the position for just five years. Now, as he reaches his sevenyear mark at the helm, he remains focused on the challenges yet to come in the pandemic. “In the rural market, staffing is going to continue to be an issue. That’s one of the biggest things,” Quebedeaux says, echoing the concerns of hospital leaders nationwide. With all health care job openings at historic highs and the unemployment rate ranking low among all sectors, hospitals face a significant supply and demand imbalance. Mena Regional’s culture of individualized, patient-focused care makes that a top priority.
In addition to limited staffing resources, Quebedeaux is preparing to treat more COVID-19 patients, with new variants, and surmount other unanticipated obstacles before the pandemic subsides. "We're adjusting to a new world in health care," Quebedeaux says, "We've got quite a few challenges coming, but I think health care in Arkansas is ready for the challenge."
TIME TO SHINE
Despite the devastating consequences of COVID on the community – and despite the hardship it’s caused for health care workers and hospitals, Quebedeaux says, there have also been positive outcomes in the past two years: “Because of COVID, we’ve found out how resilient we are and what kind of a great staff we have. When we give them a challenge, they’re able to rise to the occasion. It builds a sense of accomplishment and makes your organization stronger in the end.” It is encouraging, he says, to see “people genuinely here to help people.”
Quebedeaux also notes that the pandemic pushed the hospital to advance in more tangible, practical ways, as well. “We had started the process of implementing telemedicine on the family practice side,” he says, “but COVID really put it on the forefront. It moved up the timetable on telemedicine modalities we weren’t using before. We got very creative there. Luckily, we had a good team, and we were able to get some things accomplished.”
The community of Mena itself has a population just over 5,500, and it is the county seat of Polk County. Mena Regional is currently the only hospital in the county, and the service area for the hospital extends from western Arkansas into eastern Oklahoma. “This hospital has been around a long time. I think we’ve got a good rapport with our community,” Quebedeaux says, “and we’ve been very happy to serve them during this time. Obviously, during a pandemic is when a community truly needs a hospital, so it’s our time to shine.” Reflecting on the early days of the pandemic, Quebedeaux remembers that the most urgent priorities for community outreach were providing access to testing, access to care, and access to information. “I think the biggest role we’ve had in the community is as a trusted voice that people will listen to and a place for people to go when they’re concerned they may have COVID,” he says. It was also important to help people understand what their next steps should be if they have a positive test result.
As the whole world anticipates new developments in the treatment of COVID-19, Quebedeaux says, he expects that, though it may take time for people in his community to research it and feel comfortable, people will ultimately be open-minded. “There can always be a hesitancy toward new things, but I think as time goes on people have become more accepting,” he says. “There was no playbook for COVID when it started, so I think the last two years
We Asked...
Who is someone you greatly admire, and why?
Though there are many people who have inspired me along the way, I would have to say I admire my father the most.
What would you be doing if you weren’t in healthcare?
I would be a deep sea fishing guide.
What do you like to do in your down time?
I enjoy spending time with my family.
What are you reading right now?
Make your Bed by Admiral William McRaven
Where would you travel, if you could go anywhere?
I would visit Rome, Italy.
What’s a life-changing lesson COVID-19 has taught you?
Definitely to be prepared for the unexpected.
have been new territory for everyone: a lot of new discussions and a lot of new things to deal with. I think, in general, people have been very good about it. It has been a disruption for everyone, but now we know it’s just something we have to deal with.”
A YEARNING TO SERVE
Both of Quebedeaux’s parents had careers in the medical field, and he started his own career in health care in 1992, as a medic in the army. After serving in the military, went back to school for business, and, for him, that ended up being the path back to health care. Though it’s been 20 years since he worked in a clinical function, he says his experience in the field does give him a deeper understanding of what health care workers go through: “I’ve been there, and I’ve done it; and I truly have a lot of empathy for what the nurses and the clinical staff go through. It’s a tough job.”
As CEO, Quebedeaux seeks to emulate the leaders he has found most inspiring throughout the various stages of his life: “For me, it was the people who were always positive, who were always upbeat and just generally had a yearning to serve. Leadership is basically learning to serve. That’s been my driving force.” Considering the challenges of leading during such uncertain times, it must not always be easy to remain so positive and empathetic. When asked about how he maintains that spirit of service, Quebedeaux responds: “I think we have to remember that we’re in the business of taking care of people. At the end of the day, that’s what we do as a hospital.”
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