Listen to more about Vantage Point "Thank you so much for Vantage Point - It is fabulous and so inspiring. Listening to these wonderful women leaders sharing their vantage points on leadership not only affirmed my own perceptions of what leading from a woman's skill set is like, but it gave new perspectives on moving forward as a leader. The best part is I can continue to listen and learn as often as I want. Can't wait until the next volume." Connie Jastremski Chief Nursing Officer, Bassett Healthcare President Elect, NY Organization for Nurse Executives "Leta, I eagerly anticipated the arrival of the first Vantage Point and couldn't wait to get started. I have just finished listening - nonstop. Wow!  It was awesome.  Thank you for offering the opportunity to hear from these successful leaders." Susan Ulrich McLaughlin, CFR Executive Director J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital Foundation   Listen to a sample from Volume 1 "I didn't want to hang up!" A Discussion Salon Participant

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What is Vantage Point?

Vision: The premier learning tool for healthcare professionals to achieve professional growth and discovery.

Mission: To provide healthcare professionals, at all levels and across all healthcare organizations and disciplines, easy access to timely, provocative, leading edge business thought. To educate, inspire, stimulate and, above all, to encourage personal and professional growth and discovery.

What was the creative spark behind Vantage Point?

The creative moment when VP was born, occurred in the fall of 2004.
Vantage International was engaged in a strategic review and planning process. Two of the strategic goals to emerge at that time were:

• To re-connect in a unique way with women of influence in healthcare, and
• To fill a perceived gap in leadership and business development by creating a top notch learning experience, nurtured by female thought leaders.

Leta Beam, Vantage's President, took that spark of possibility and quickly began to talk to women of influence in healthcare to discover what this audience was doing today to promote personal and professional discovery and growth and how well they were being served by it.

A total of 55 women of influence from across the country weighed in on the concept. Several important findings emerged through the interview process:

• Women said that they don't have time to read anymore.
• While there are journals to fulfill their need for technical information, there wasn't anything that "stood out" for growing leadership skills and developing professionally. And nothing that was developed and nurtured by women that captured the female vantage point.
• Women enthusiastically welcomed the idea of a fresh voice.
• Women wanted a format that was easy to use and affordable.
• Women were clear headed about what they wanted to hear about and from whom they want to hear it!

This feedback presented a challenge and an opportunity and the Vantage Point concept was born and began to take shape.

•  Vantage Point is an audio journal. Subscribers can opt to receive either a bi-monthly CD or internet streamed audio. It is formatted in such a way that you can listen to a little (during your workout, for example) or the entire issue without losing the message. Each issue will feature an important topic that is discussed from several different vantage points. The discussions will offer practical tips, professional challenges and innovative insights. It is intended to be "crosspollination" - the sharing of information and winning strategies - at its very best. Subscribers will be able to obtain a printed narrative on the Vantage Point website in order to memorialize particular relevant portions of each issue.

•  Vantage Point is also an amazing virtual community. The bi-monthly audio journal will be complemented by discussion salons that are offered exclusively to subscribers on alternating months. These one-hour conference calls create a connected virtual community in which contributors and subscribers exchange ideas and pose questions about the previous month's audio topic.

Blending together an audio learning program with a virtual community positions Vantage Point to match a wider variety of learning styles, create a national "mastermind" or like minded individuals who come together to tap into and contribute to something that is much bigger than themselves. An added value is that subscribers expand their own networks of colleagues and resources.

Who are the Contributors?

Vantage Point is a learning experience developed, refined and nurtured by women of influence in healthcare. Each issue captures six powerful voices in healthcare today - five regular contributors and one guest contributor. Issues either feature the contributors offering their individual vantage points separately or as a round table debate. Once per year a Fast Facts section and annual summary will be included.

The women who helped us to design Vantage Point were clear that they had less interest in hearing from politicos or "motivational" speakers and great interest in hearing from other women who have led or are leading, who can share practical, real life information on the topics that are on their minds.

The regular contributors for 2007 are introduced below, listed in alphabetical order. We know that you will be impressed by the caliber of these women and the depth and breadth of their experiences and excited to hear the variety of perspectives that will be included. They will deliver the learning moments for which our industry is hungry.

Leta Beam is President of Vantage International, a leadership and business coaching firm. As the corporate name suggests, Leta positions high performance professionals and organizations to have a strategic advantage and a commanding view of the environment. She knows what it takes to achieve balance, to build a rewarding professional environment and to get the job done with creativity and ease. Leta is an accomplished and dynamic executive with twenty years of successful experience in building innovative business operations - as an intraprenuer at one of the country's largest healthcare insurance companies, as the president of Kairos Health Systems, a network of retirement communities, and as founder of her own coaching enterprise.

Throughout her career she has been recognized for strong leadership and setting, implementing and achieving strategic goals through collaborative teamwork and partnership and individual brilliance. Her reputation for creativity, energy and ethical conduct is well earned. She truly pushes the envelope, asking her clients to expand their horizons and explore exciting new opportunities. This often involves blending inner and outer technology and always results in transformative results.

Leta coaches at every level from executives to management to corporate employees, entrepreneurs and small business owners. She has delivered numerous presentations across the country and is recognized for an engaging style and fresh, motivational messages. She is the author of numerous articles on healthcare, managed care and, most recently, business coaching, leadership and business excellence. She has co-authored a book, Creating An Extraordinary Business, which focuses on business transformation. She is currently producing a television project that will bring live coaching to a broad audience. In May 2005, Leta was recognized as one of the "Best 50 Women In Business in PA." Leta has also been chosen to appear in a calendar, titled "Portraits of Strength" for Pinnacle Health System in Central PA.

Leta lives and coaches from Harrisburg , PA. She has a daughter, Shannon, who has been her greatest teacher. Leta received her BA and MA from Penn State University and her business coaching certificate from Comprehensive Coaching U. She is a certified teleclass leader and a life long learner, always considering herself a "work in progress."

Nina Dusang currently serves as the Vice-President of Operations for Rush Foundation Hospital, a 215 bed acute care facility in Meridian, MS. She is responsible for the daily operations of the Hospital which serves as the anchor of a regional integrated healthcare delivery system.

Mrs. Dusang brings with her extensive experience in both the financial and operational arenas. She started her career as a CPA auditor and later made the transition from auditing to hospital administration. She has worked in the healthcare field throughout the Southeast serving in such positions as Financial Controller, Chief Financial Officer, Operations Director and Vice President.

Mrs. Dusang holds a B.S. in Accounting from Louisiana Tech University, an MBA from Mississippi State University and is also a licensed Certified Public Accountant.

Mrs. Dusang has been an active partner in her communities serving in such capacities as a United Way Board Member and a Council for the Arts Board Member and Officer. She has also been very instrumental in working with the American Heart Association (AHA) to bring CPR training to local and area schools. Additionally, Mrs. Dusang has held positions on the Boards of various for-profit businesses.

Mrs. Dusang is a member of several professional organizations including the Executive Women in Healthcare, the National Association of Female Executives, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

Joyce Grove Hein has been chief executive officer of Phelps Memorial Health Center in Holdrege since 2000. From 1992 to 2000 she was chief executive officer of the Lakewood Medical Center in Morgan City , Louisiana . Prior to that, she was chief operating officer of the Delta Regional Medical Center in Greenville , Mississippi . She also was employed at Virginia Regional Medical, Virginia Minnesota. Ms. Hein is a graduate of Southern Illinois University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in government. She later obtained a master's degree in human and health services St. Mary's College in Winona , Minnesota .

In addition to her responsibility at Phelps Memorial Health Center , Ms. Hein currently serves on the Phelps County Development Corporation, and chairs their Workforce Development Task Force. She also serves on the board of directors for the Nebraska Hospital Association, the Greater Nebraska Workforce Investment Board, CIMRO of Nebraska and Heartland Health Alliance. She has served on the American Hospital Association's National Commission on Workforce Development for Hospitals and Health Systems and is currently a member of the American Hospital Association/Federal Office of Rural Health's Rural Issues Group. Ms. Hein is a corporate board director for BlueCross/BlueShield of Nebraska .

Ms. Hein is a certified healthcare executive through the American College of Healthcare Executives and a candidate for Fellowship status. Her civic involvements include the YMCA of the Prairie's board of directors, the Holdrege Chamber of Commerce, and Bethel Lutheran Church.

Dr. McKenna is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of one of the country's best known integrated rural academic health care systems.  Affiliated with Columbia and New York Presbyterian, Bassett Healthcare is a Magnet organization distinguished by its mission of patient care, medical education and research. Dr. McKenna's responsibilities are as the System EVP and Chief Operating officer responsible for strategic planning, financial stability and programmatic performance.  Dr. McKenna has over thirty years experience in healthcare in various States.  Dr. McKenna is also on the Board of the Helen Ptochia Foundation , an organization building a hospital in Ghana for young women with birth related injuries.   Dr. McKenna has a strong interest and successful record in team development and talent recognition and advancement.  Dr. McKenna has used executive coaching with her team at Bassett and has paved the way for coaching in other healthcare organizations. Dr. McKenna is a Fellow in the American College of HealthCare Executives, has her MBA and has been a distinguished  board member of other organizations. Her community involvement includes Board member for the Catskill Symphony Orchestra and  a soprano in an a capella group. 

What is the Content?

Women across the country were clear that they wanted Vantage Point to be unique and avoid the temptation to be like any other products. Content was an area in which being different was clearly important. Here are Vantage Point's strategic content intentions:

• Think big and bold in new areas
• Be challenging from the start
• Find the equipoise of lifting subscribers up from the daily grind yet remaining relevant
• Offer some new thoughts rather than simply reiterate same old same old
• Expose participants to new ideas from outside their narrow "world"
• Be absolutely cutting edge and, at times, constrain
• Be intentional; don't shy away from leadership moments; summarize the leadership moments from each segment
• Collect information and opinions from subscribers on key subjects and provide benchmarking feedback.

We took that mandate to heart and created an extraordinary program of mastery for 2006!

The three top priorities for Vantage Point's second year are:

• Innovation
• Strategy/tactics, and
• Diversity of thought.

These priorities will be discussed across three dimensions:

• Personal mastery
• Organizational mastery and
• Beyond, or what we call global mastery.

Vantage Point Members Can Receive Continuing Education Credits

Both the audio journal and discussion salon segments of Vantage Point are approved for CEU credits through the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (PSNA and ANCC). This means that nurses across the country can earn 2.5 CEUs for each journal issue and discussion salon or 15 CEUs for the year!

Vantage Point is also approved to offer CEUs to nursing home administrators through the National Board of Associations (NAB).

For both, learners must attend the interactive discussion salon portion to receive credit!

Other accreditation organizations (e.g. ACHE, MGMA) will accept both segments of Vantage Point for secondary credit. Simply report the program and the number of hours.

2007-2008 Hot Topics

• May 2007
  Not Just Another Committee!#&?
  As leaders, how can we successfully set the stage for engaging groups to truly blend together and synergistically own a project or initiative? Tips, tools and techniques for moving beyond the traditional “committee” approach for getting things done.
  
  
• Thurs. June 28 Noon EST
  Discussion Salon - Not Just Another Committee!#&?
  
  
• July 2007 
  Delivering Difficult Messages
  Whether it’s a poor financial quarter, re-alignments and re-assignments, less than positive feedback or an exit from the organization, we, as leaders, are regularly faced with challenging coaching conversations. We must deliver difficult messages in a way that the other person can hear, understand and then act upon. How do we artfully remain compassionate while still be clear and firm? Positive without sugar coating our words? Confident yet flexible? Tell the unvarnished truth without wounding the other? Masterful languaging strategies from masterful leaders.
  
  
• Tues. August 28 Noon EST
  Discussion Salon - Delivering Difficult Messages
  
  
• September 2007
  Warning!!! Initiative Overload In Progress!!
  Learn how top healthcare leaders manage their use of time in a world of exclusively top
  priorities. How do effective leaders triage priorities? How do you figure out what you need help with and then ask for it! Habits and patterns that get in our way. Learn how to get unstuck and better navigate the flow.
  
  
• Tues. October 30, Noon EST
  Discussion Salon - Warning!!! Initiative Overload In Progress!!
  
  
• November 2007 
  Effective Interdisciplinary Communications
  Increasingly, we are acknowledging the importance of breaking down those long standing barriers that have stood between healthcare disciplines. What everyday coaching practices have we really made our own in order to work more effectively with our colleagues? Learn about the techniques that are working for industry thought leaders and the creative forums in which they are applied.
  
  
• Thurs. December 27, Noon EST
  Discussion Salon - Effective Interdisciplinary Communications
  
  
• January 2008 
  Stuff You Don’t Want To Admit You Don’t Know
  Even as leaders (or aspiring leaders), we have knowledge gaps or blind spots; sometimes it feels uncomfortable to admit that they’re there and perplexing to decide what to do about them. Learn what healthcare leaders do to uncover such gaps, small and large, how they bridge them and grow their deep smarts and why it’s not okay to “just live with it.”
  
  
• Thurs. February 28, Noon EST
  Discussion Salon - Stuff You Don’t Want To Admit You Don’t Know
  
  
• March 2008  
  Growing A Blame-free Culture: Have We Got The Balance Right?
  Is blame free the best way to portray a healthcare culture that is focused only on professional responsibility? Maybe we should call it “just accountability” culture. How are successful leaders creating environments in which it is safe to report errors and still clear as to how professional responsibility fits in.
  
  
• Thurs. April 24, Noon EST
  Discussion Salon - Growing A Blame Free Culture; Have We got The Balance Right?
  
  
• May 2008 
  Attracting, Cultivating and Keeping World Class People
  Strategic planning isn't enough. Leading edge healthcare organizations are creating and following specific, detailed roadmaps for developing long-term relationships with top talent, even before someone is officially hired! Learn the key how-to’s of talent planning as well as success strategies for making it work at your organization.
  
  
• Thurs. June 26, Noon EST
  Discussion Salon - Attracting, Cultivating and Keeping World Class People
  
  
• July 2008 
  Ethical Leadership: It’s More Than You Think
  It’s easy to forget that leadership is a neutral word – it isn't good or bad. When you read about corporate indictments in the Wall Street Journal, it’s too easy to point the finger and say “now those are the bad guys.” As healthcare leaders we must live well beyond those minimal standards. Learn what standards of excellence the best in healthcare aspire to and how they get straightforward feedback on their performance.
  
  
• Thurs. August 28, Noon EST
  Discussion Salon - Ethical Leadership: It’s More Than You Think
  
  
• September 2008 
  Beyond Medical Errors: How To Co-create A Successful Quality Improvement Initiative that Truly Influences Patterns Of Care
  
  

  What distinguishes a great quality improvement effort from a mundane one? What are the crucial ingredients for changing individual and organizational behavior? What are the most frequently encountered challenges that sabotage both launch and sustainability? Share best practices with colleagues.

• Thurs. October 23, Noon EST
  Discussion Salon - Beyond Medical Errors
  
  
• November 2008 
  Building Relationships On The Way Out: Professionally Handling Exits – Yours and Theirs
  
  

  Relational leadership never ends. Is it possible to actually enhance a relationship as you exit an organization? It’s not only possible, it’s smart, savvy business. It’s also a winning strategy when you are the one staying and someone else is exiting. How is this done well, why is it a valuable framework to hold; and who do you have to “be” as a leader to be really good at it.

• Thurs. December 18, Noon EST
  Discussion Salon - Building Relationships On The Way Out
  
  

How Does Vantage Point Actually Work?
Becoming part of the Vantage Point community is simple:

STREAMING AUDIO VERSION - JOIN LINK (BUY NOW)

CD VERSION - JOIN LINK (BUY NOW)

1. Join now! Vantage Point is priced right and offers incredible value. You are worth the investment.
2. When we receive your request, you will receive a personal welcome that includes all of the information that you will need to receive the audio journal and participate in the discussion salons.
3. Beginning in January, 2006, you will receive either a CD in the mail or an internet streamed audio via email, depending upon your preference. You will receive a Vantage Point issue every other month.
4. Beginning in February, 2006, you will have the opportunity to participate in a discussion salon. These are offered exclusively to subscribers. Each discussion salon will focus on the topic from the previous month's audio journal. It will be a chance to offer your insights, ask your questions, share your experiences, deepen your learning and connect with other thought leaders from across the country. Discussion salons will be held every other month as well.
5. Participate fully. Offer feedback, respond to surveys and actively engage in the experience.

Join NOW!