After a 25-year career spent running some of the largest and most prestigious hospitals in Florida, Gary Muller got the opportunity many executives hope for but never receive—the chance to come home.

Muller grew up on the West Bank of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, just minutes from downtown New Orleans. In 1998, he returned to the West Bank to take the helm of West Jefferson Medical Center, a 460-bed non-profit community hospital, as its president and CEO.

“West Jefferson Medical Center is the regional leader in acute, preventative, and outpatient services for the West Bank of Jefferson Parish and the surrounding communities,” said Muller. “We’re a total care provider, offering a full spectrum of healthcare services.”

A shining star
Since his return, Muller has helped West Jefferson build on what was already a sterling reputation in the community where the hospital was founded in 1960. For each of the past three years, West Jefferson had been ranked among America’s Best Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. In 2003, West Jefferson ranked number 40 among the top 50 hospitals in the category of rheumatology out of more than 6,000 hospitals across the country.

In addition, West Jefferson was ranked number 5 in City Business magazine’s list of top New Orleans employers of choice in 2003.

“The doctors, nurses, staff, and volunteers of West Jefferson Medical Center should be very proud of these awards and recognition,” said Muller. “It is their dedication to the care of our patients and meeting community needs that allows us to reach the distinction of being ranked among the best hospitals in the nation.”

Muller says one of his primary goals over the past five years has been to create a culture of leadership and performance improvement. To this end, one of his first priorities was instituting formal training for top executives. This training has now filtered down through the organization so everyone in management participates in what Muller calls ‘continuous lifelong learning.’ “We have a partnership with the local Dale Carnegie Institute,” he said. “They worked closely with us to custom design our leadership training program.”

Another part of the corporate culture that Muller stresses is the idea of having fun while working hard. “People in New Orleans like to have fun and celebrate, and we do a lot of that here,” he said. “Whether it’s picnics, ice cream parties, or movies and popcorn—we’re always planning fun things for employees to do. It’s good for patients to see that our employees are having fun doing their jobs.”

West Jefferson strives to create an environment that’s more like a four-star hotel than a hospital. The first thing patients encounter when they enter the doors of West Jefferson is what Muller terms a ‘guest service greeter.’

“Our greeters are like a hotel concierge,” said Muller. “We really want our patients to know we’re glad to see them. We don’t have a central information desk—instead, we have a guest services office. Our goal is to provide a comfortable, inviting atmosphere for patients. The patient surveys we conduct reveal we’ve been successful at this.

Play it smart
Muller concedes that in today’s environment, the financial side of hospital management is more challenging than ever—especially for a non-profit that receives no tax revenue. He says cutbacks in Medicare and Medicaid have impacted the hospital’s profitability, forcing it to make some strategic choices in how it delivers care.

“There are more uninsured in the US today than ever before, but there’s also more patient volume than ever because people need healthcare whether they’re insured or not,” said Muller.

To compensate for the cutbacks, Muller says West Jefferson has focused on providing more outpatient services with offsite diagnostic facilities, physician’s offices, and home and hospice care in strategic markets. Last year, the West Jefferson Wellness Complex opened in nearby Terrytown, Louisiana—a 46,000 square-foot facility that includes the new West Jefferson Fitness Center. “The more outpatient services we provide, the better it is for the hospital financially,” he said.

Another strategic move was an operational improvement plan implemented last year that reduced the hospital’s equipment and supply expenses by $3 million. “On a $200 million budget, that’s the difference between making and losing money,” Muller said. “We knew we couldn’t count on more revenue from payers, so we decided to try to cut costs while still delivering the same high level of care we’re known for. We’ll be able to save $3 million each of the next two years.”

The master plan
Four years ago, West Jefferson’s board of directors approved a 10-year Master Facility Plan designed to position the hospital to meet the ongoing and changing needs of the community it serves. The first phase of the plan is being implemented this year—an $18 million investment in a new power plant. The second phase, a new patient care pavilion, will follow soon after. It will include expanded emergency and operating rooms and brand new neuroscience, cancer, and women’s centers.

“We’re also making big upgrades in technology as part of the Master Plan,” said Muller. “This includes things like digital images in the new radiology department, wireless terminals for nurses, and automated medication systems. It’s a huge financial investment for us, but it will pay off in improved patient care and safety, as well as greater efficiency for the hospital and our employees.”

Although bricks, mortar, and high-tech equipment are certainly part of what it takes to create a world-class hospital, Muller says it’s the 1,900 employees, 460 physicians, and 400 volunteers who really set West Jefferson apart. “Our people are here to serve the citizens of Jefferson Parish and the surrounding communities,” he said. “Our motto is that we’re committed to doing the ‘right thing right’ the first time, and that’s what everyone here is striving to do.”

Don Sadler is a writer and editor specializing in issues of interest to businesses and executives. He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it