Nonprofits
Mission man
William Considine’s mission-driven leadership brings success to Akron Children’s Hospital.
By Patrick Mayock
Smart Business Cleveland | December 2007
In the constantly evolving business landscape, executives’
tenures are often abrupt and fleeting. As markets and businesses
quickly change, so do the men and women who serve in a given
managerial role.
Akron Children’s Hospital marks an exception to this rule. Its
president and CEO, William Considine, has served for 28 years —
an achievement he is quick to downplay.
“I tell people I was a patient here, and they never discharged me,”
he says with a chuckle.
Though Considine was never actually a patient at the hospital,
the remark accurately characterizes his humble, mission-driven
style of leadership that harkens back to the hospital’s beginning
more than 100 years ago.
“The core foundation that really brought (the hospital) together
of service above self is still very much alive today,” he says.
That foundation has since evolved into a five-pronged mission
statement that drives every aspect of the hospital’s day-to-day
operations. Concerning family-centered patient care (mission
component No. 2), Considine enlists the help of a parent advisory
committee that provides input regarding whether or not the hospital is meeting its personal expectations.
With regards to child advocacy (mission component No. 5), the
CEO, his management staff and a team of enthusiastic volunteers
have spoken out on countless issues that affect children. For example, Akron Children’s led the charge to pass a city bicycle helmet
ordinance when the number of head injuries spiked a few years ago.
To measure the success of these efforts, Considine relies upon a
single question: Are we continuing to serve?
With more than 467,000 children involved in all of the hospital’s programs, a thousand more surgical procedures conducted this year than last and an increasing presence within surrounding communities, the answer to that question is
undoubtedly “yes.”
“When you’re talking about doing things for kids, there’s no
limit in terms of what you really can do if you put your mind to
it,” Considine says.
In his 28 years, it’s clear that he has put his mind to quite a lot.
With his mission-oriented leadership style, Considine is one
“patient” that Akron Children’s might not want to discharge any
time soon.
HOW TO REACH: Akron Children’s Hospital, (330) 543-1000 or www.akronchildrens.org
