What early career experiences led to your focus on behavioral health?
In college I volunteered with SMI adults in a clubhouse program in Boulder, CO and found working with this population to be so rewarding. I was able to help them function better in society, helped with care coordination and taught them to cook. I then worked as a BHT in a psychiatric hospital when I returned to Phoenix and loved working with crisis and high acuity populations. This led to graduate school and becoming an LPC.
What are the main ideas that guide your leadership as Group CEO of Quail Run and Valley Hospital?
First, I would say patient care always comes first. We have to function with the mindset that our job is to help people find mental health and substance use healing and recovery regardless of their presentation, behavior, frequency in care etc. Every patient deserves excellent care that includes a respectful and dignified experience. As leaders our job is to take great care of our teams so that they can take great care of our patients. I make it a point to take down barriers so that we are working harder to say “yes” rather than working hard to say “no”.
How do you make sure both hospitals have a culture of caring, responsibility, and teamwork?
Both hospitals have great teams that work hard to provide an excellent culture. This starts with trustworthy and supportive leadership who model the culture you want from your staff. It means hiring staff that are accountable to treat our patients, their families, each other, and the community with care, dignity, and respect. We must listen and adapt to the needs of our teams and keep them engaged. Also, regular appreciation and celebrations allow for the teams to take a break from their daily stress and have a little fun.
What are the most positive improvements you’ve put in place since you became CEO?
The culture of “yes” has been very powerful in creating facilities that make it easy for anyone to seek help. We have made small changes to meet regulatory requirements which leads us to a safer and more therapeutic hospitals. Maintaining a culture where staff want to come to work has led to decreased turnover and better patient care and safety.
How are Quail Run and Valley Hospital meeting the growing demand for mental health services?
Both hospitals provide specialized programming to support different populations here in AZ. With Quail having adolescent services and geriatric services along with the adults. Valley Hospital has a women’s trauma program, a men’s trauma program, and substance use detox and rehab services for adults in addition to the general adult programs.
Outpatient services (IOP/PHP) are available for patients to start from the community or as a step-down after inpatient stabilization. We assist with transportation at both hospitals and work to engage in mitigating any issues related to social determinants of health. Both hospitals are working to expand to support the needs of the community.
What particular team success made you feel the most proud?
We have experienced a lot of changes this year. The team has done an amazing job navigating that. They successfully transitioned from paper charting to electronic medical records, a process that is difficult and they did it with grace and ease at both hospitals.
How important are partnerships with the community in helping your hospitals achieve their mission?
Community partnerships are one of the most important things we can focus on to achieve our mission. It is our job to remove barriers and work closely with the community to ensure all patients get the services they need. This goes back to our “yes” culture. We work hard to make sure all partners feel comfortable coming to our facilities 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Julie Miller is a Licensed Professional Counselor. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a masters degree in clinical psychology. She has worked in the behavioral health field for 27 years. She has grown from clinician into leadership and is currently the Group CEO for Valley Hospital and Quail Run Behavioral Health. Julie has worked with all populations in behavioral health, specializing in high acuity and seriously mentally ill adults. Over the years she has provided clinical supervision for professional licensure and has provided training in many topics including understanding and treating mental illness, post crisis discharge planning and community engagement.
https://valleyhospital-phoenix.com/ https://quailrunbehavioral.com/
