We recently sat down with Ken Haglind, President and Co-founder of Minnesota Hospice.
1) Please tell us your name and a little more about yourself.
My name is Ken Haglind, and I am the Cofounder and President at Minnesota Hospice, located in the heart of Lakeville, Minnesota. I am a longtime professional and leader in the Minnesota healthcare community, having previously served as President at New Life Medical Center, and as President at Minnesota Health Institute.
I have more than 20 years of experience in health practice leadership and executive management, particularly in the focused area of senior and end-of-life healthcare. I am well-versed in the challenges facing these unique healthcare environments and teams, as well as what is needed to build and implement customized care solutions that optimize outcomes and and maximize patient comfort and experience.
In addition to my work in healthcare practice executive management, I serve as host of the local radio program “Living Healthy and Aging Well,” where myself and guests take on complex healthcare topics while providing information on caregiver support, preventive care and various health and wellness subjects pertaining to quality of life. This program airs regularly on Minnesota station AM950.
I obtained both a Bachelor of Science and an MBA degree from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management.
2) What is your expertise? As a professional, what would you say is your unique value proposition?
The bulk of my expertise lies in healthcare executive management and financial management, as I have a proven track record of setting a clear, strategic vision that transforms healthcare organizations and teams into models of efficiency and ideal patient experience. Under my leadership, organizations have achieved better financial and patient care outcomes, both at the corporate healthcare and hospice care levels.
I would say my unique value proposition is my ability to issues and inefficiencies across healthcare institutions and build customized solutions that reduce costs, improve care systems and ensure a better patient experience. I also excel at building and leading teams that deliver commprehensive, compassionate senior- and end-of-care solutions with a focus on patient comfort while reducing stress on families navigating what is often a challenging journey.
3) What does a typical day look like for you? How do you stay productive and efficient consistently?
A typical day for me tends to be packed with meetings and one-on-ones with my leadership team, members of the Minnesota staff, patient families and so on. I also spend much of my time brainstorming and reviewing ideas for improving existing practices and ensuring each patient and their family always have support and service they need to achieve an ideal experience.
To stay as productive and efficient as possible, I adhere to a consistent meeting and leadership schedule that allows me to regularly address each unique facet of the organization. There is some baked-in flexibility in each day-to-day that allows for the unexpected, but overall my aim is to stay ahead of challenges and give myself and my team the time to address issues and develop solutions as quickly as possible.
4) You’ve been in this field for over two decades. What about your industry has held your interest for so long?
I am rewarded by the opportunity to help others, and to do everything possible to make the experience of hospice and end-of-life care just a little easier for the patients and families involved. While this can be a very trying time for everyone involved, there is a genuine opportunity to make a positive difference on people’s lives – to mitigate pain, provide support, maximize comfort, help families navigate challenges, and so much more – and I am proud to lead an organization focused on just that.
People deserve a resource of help and support throughout such an experience, and I am continually drawn to the opportunity to provide it and help make things a little better and easier.
5) What stands out as one of your most notable achievements?
To me, one of my most notable and proudest accomplishments has been what we’ve achieved at Minnesota Hospice. Together, my team and I have built a dedicated community health organization devoted to delivering compassionate end-of-life care to patients and families who need it most, and we continue to provide an exceptional care experience that has gone above and beyond even my own expectations.
The work and commitment our team puts in daily to provide comfort and quality-of-life care to our patients is unparalleled, and I couldn’t be happier or prouder to be a part of this effort.
6) Do you have any upcoming projects you’re excited about?
At the moment, we are focused solely on Minnesota Hospice and how to provide the best end-of-life experience and support possible.
