STUDER COVENANT ALLIANCE TEAM

Chuck Lee

Chuck Lee is a coach and national speaker with the Studer Covenant Alliance.  Chuck is a true believer in the benefits of excellent end-of-life care, and he wants to share that passion with healthcare leaders across the country. Chuck’s family received the support of a hospice program that worked with a hospital to transform a potentially terrible situation into a time of hope and healing.  High-quality hospice care literally changed his life – and his life ambition.  Chuck joined Covenant Hospice, where as Senior Vice President of Operations, he helped the clinical teams triple their census to more than 1,200 patients per day in the Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama. Along the way, he helped implement the Studer Principles for more than 600 staff in 13 branch locations, guided the operational teams through the recovery after the destruction caused by Hurricane Ivan, and led the successful development of a 16-bed hospice inpatient center in a 400-bed acute care hospital. Now, he works with the Studer Covenant Alliance to help improve end-of-life care across the nation. Chuck wants to make sure that every patient and family benefits from outstanding end-of-life care, no matter what the setting.

Along with 15 years of business leadership experience, Chuck has earned a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University in New Orleans, a Master’s degree from The George Washington University, and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.  He is a professionally certified hospice leader and has spoken about how to achieve excellence in end-of-life care at numerous state, regional, and national conferences. Contact Chuck

Debbie Owen

Debbie Owen has over fifteen years Hospice experience in a variety of roles; volunteer, home care aide, nurse case manager for hospice & home care patients, nurse clinician for general inpatient hospice care, hospital based liaison in metropolitan area for hospice and home care patients, and leadership of hospice admissions, technology and finance teams.  She brings experience, passion and the desire to better serve the community through superior hospice care to each engagement.

Results:

• Led Admissions Team decreasing referral to admission turnaround from 3 days to less than 1 day, increasing referral to admission conversion to greater than 83%.  During this time agency census doubled while Admission FTEs did not increase
• Financial oversight of most successful financial return in agency history taking net income from just under $100,000/yr to over $1 million.
• Led Technology Team building system infrastructure including; introduction of automated help desk system, quadrupling end users while decreasing help desk response time, upgrade of network hardware, introduction of Microsoft Exchange, disaster recovery procedures, HIPAA compliant security processes.
• Internal Champion for Suncoast Solutions hospice agency management software serving on Steering Committee for Suncoast Solutions, and co-chair of Nursing Home subcommittee.
• Assumed leadership of Finance Team bringing all Accounts Payable functions in-house, introduction of team level budgeting and team level cost coding without adding FTEs.
• Served as internal consultant on start-up of new Clinical Research program taking net income from under $5,000 first year to over $175,000 in the second year.
• Active participant in design and implementation of Administrative Support Team resulting in streamlined internal functions, improved training, and decreased redundancy in tasks for hospice administrative support staff.

“In the next few years, our industry will face wrenching changes that could threaten the very model of interdisciplinary care that makes hospice unique.  We need to be working now to establish, promote and implement the best practices that will help us not only survive, but thrive, in order to  continue to provide our communities with quality end of life care.   Studer Group principles provide the step-by-step “care plan” leading to successful outcomes.” Contact Debbie

Susan Hoover

Susan Hoover is the Partner Relations Coordinator (PRC) for Chuck Lee and Debbie Owen of the Studer Covenant Alliance (SCA). Since 2000, Susan has been the Director of a Non-Profit Children’s Programs and Events at the Community Life Center in Gulf Breeze.  In this role, she was responsible for over 20 annual programs and events, 30 staff and over 300 volunteers.  Susan also has experience in outside sales and customer service.  She holds a B.A. Degree in Communications with an English Minor from the University of Texas.  

"I believe my education and previous work experience have developed me to be successful in my current role within the Studer Covenant Alliance/Studer Group.  I feel that the leadership and teamwork abilities gained through my employment and academic experience have provided me with the tools and skills necessary to perform well in my current position.  We all share a passion and a mission to make health care better across this country. Together, we can make a difference." Contact Susan