How Andrew C. Knizley helps employees help each other at Houston Orthopedic

Andrew C. Knizley, CEO, Houston Orthopedic & Spine Hospital
Andrew C. Knizley, CEO, Houston Orthopedic & Spine Hospital

Health Care
FINALIST
Andrew C. Knizley
CEO
Houston Orthopedic & Spine Hospital

Strong individuals can be crucial to an organization when trouble strikes, such as in early 2008 when Houston Orthopedic & Spine Hospital was on the verge of bankruptcy. Vendors were withholding supply deliveries and the hospital was on the brink of disaster.
Fortunately, Andrew C. Knizley did not panic.
He worked with vendors to ease their concerns and pay them in full within a year. He talked to insurance companies and helped get the hospital to become part of a network of doctors.
Soon, as the high level of service provided became more evident, insurance companies that once denied the hospital acceptance into their networks clamored for Houston Orthopedic because of the high demand from its patients.
As a result, the hospital now routinely ranks among the top hospitals in the nation in various categories of quality and patient satisfaction.
Knizley does not take all the credit for the turnaround. He sees himself as the person who can help an employee fulfill potential and maximize strengths for the betterment of the hospital.
The key is that there are no secrets at Houston Orthopedic. That doesn’t mean employees go around talking about patients and their records that are obviously kept confidential. It just conveys the idea that Knizley wants employees to learn from each other and share best practices about how they all do their jobs.
The goal is to have a well-rounded staff that understands what every person can do to contribute to a great organization.
Knizley tries to hire as many employees as he can through referrals. He looks for people who are motivated and driven to lead themselves and deliver the best results they can on a consistent basis.
So when he needed to hire a compliance attorney, he recruited specifically for someone who would assist Houston Orthopedic “in doing the right thing” and not just focus on trying to get the job done.
How to reach: Houston Orthopedic & Spine Hospital, www.surgicalhospital.com