OSF's Steffen announces plan to retire

Keith Steffen, CEO of OSF Saint Francis Medical Center for 17 years, will retire at the end of the year, OSF Healthcare announced Wednesday.

Steffen, 66, who has been with the hospital for 34 years, said it was time for a change. “After almost 34 years at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, 17 as the CEO, and having turned 66 in April, it is time to move to the next chapter of my life,” he said.  

The Peoria native who was born at St. Francis in 1948, will remain on the job until his replacement is named so as to ensure a smooth transition, the OSF Healthcare news release said.

Kevin Schoeplein, CEO of OSF HealthCare, said Steffen’s contributions to not only OSF Saint Francis and OSF HealthCare, but also the community, are significant.

“Keith embodied the mission of our Sisters and worked hard to have that be part of every interaction the medical center staff had with patients and families,” he said. “His positive impact on health care in Peoria and throughout central Illinois will be felt for decades to come. His work has helped preserve health and save lives for thousands and thousands of people.”

Steffen completed his undergraduate degree at Illinois State University and began his health care career in 1973 as assistant director of human resources at St. Vincent Medical Center in Indianapolis. After completing his masters’ of health care administration degree at Indiana University School of Medicine, he became vice president of operations at Brokaw Hospital (now BroMenn Medical Center) in Normal.

He joined OSF Saint Francis as a vice president in 1980 and became president and CEO in 1996. As a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, he was named Leader of the Year in 2002.

During his tenure at OSF Saint Francis, Steffen was involved in the introduction of numerous medical and health care innovations for central Illinois, including:

• Installation of the first CT scanner in Central Illinois and the second MRI in the Illinois.
• Installation of the first lithotripter (kidney stone crusher) in Illinois, the 13^th in the U.S.
• Established kidney, pancreas, and heart transplant programs.
• Expanded the Life Flight medical air ambulance program, now the busiest transport program in Illinois.
• Implemented the 6 Sigma process improvement program.
• Developed a robotic surgery program.
• Installed the Gamma Knife laser treatment for neck and head tumors.
• Developed the Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy program for treatment of cancers.
• Developed the Illinois Neurological Institute under the leadership of Dr. Patrick Elwood.
• Expanded the Children’s Hospital of Illinois as a hospital within a hospital.
• The Center for Health-Route 91 built in north Peoria in 2000, the medical center’s first comprehensive outpatient facility that includes surgery, diagnostic services, PromptCare, the Susan G. Komen Breast Center, and physician offices.
• Four primary care sites established in Morton, East Peoria, Washington, and north Peoria to provide greater access to care for outpatient and primary care physician services
• The Milestone Building project, completed in 2010, consolidating most of the Children’s Hospital services to one location. The $280 million, 440,000-square foot expansion also included new and expanded emergency, surgical, and cardiac care services
• The Jump Trading Simulation and Education Center, opened in 2013, a collaboration with the University of Illinois College of Medicine

“I loved being personally and directly involved for many of those new, innovative, high tech services that were previously not available in Peoria,” Steffen said. “But just as important were the construction projects that allowed OSF Saint Francis to expand health care locally and regionally.” 

Some of those projects include:

During his tenure, Steffen focused on the cultural transformation of the medical center which involves staff, patients, and families being directly impacted by the OSF Mission, traditions and values of The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis. “Being part of a faith-based organization has been an incredible experience. The Sisters are wonderful to work for and with. I have learned that, in spite of change in the health care landscape, the focus has to be on the Mission that has remained unchanged for 137 years,” he said.

 “I have also been enormously blessed to have been surrounded by an incredible leadership team, medical staff and Community Advisory Board. Their support in the development of so many new services and programs has kept OSF Saint Francis a leader. I can’t thank them enough,” he added.  

Steffen serves or has served on the board of directors for many local organizations, including Allied Agencies, Children’s Home Association of Illinois, Easter Seals Central Illinois, Illinois Hospital Association Board of Trustees, Illinois State University College of Business Advisory Council, Peoria Area United Way, Peoria CEO Roundtable and Tri-County Arthritis Foundation.

Steffen and his wife Cathy have four children and 14 grandchildren.

Index shows consumer confidence improved again

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index improved in June, following an increase the previous month, the Conference Board reported on Tuesday.

The Index now stands at 85.2 (1985=100), up from 82.2 in May, its highest level in more than six years. The Present Situation Index increased to 85.1 from 80.3, while the Expectations Index rose to 85.2 from 83.5 in May.

The monthly Consumer Confidence Survey^®, based on a probability-design random sample, is conducted for The Conference Board by Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and analytics around what consumers buy and watch. The cutoff date for the preliminary results wasJune 13.

Said Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at The Conference Board: "Consumer confidence continues to advance and the index is now at its highest level since January 2008(87.3). June's increase was driven primarily by improving current conditions, particularly consumers' assessment of business conditions. Expectations regarding the short-term outlook for the economy and jobs were moderately more favorable, while income expectations were a bit mixed. Still, the momentum going forward remains quite positive."

Consumers' appraisal of current conditions improved in June. Those claiming business conditions are "good" increased to 23.0 percent from 21.1 percent, while those stating business conditions are "bad" decreased to 22.8 percent from 24.6 percent. Consumers' assessment of the job market was also more favorable. Those stating jobs are "plentiful" edged up to 14.7 percent from 14.2 percent, while those claiming jobs are "hard to get" declined to 31.8 percent from 32.2 percent.

Consumers' expectations were generally more positive in June. The percentage of consumers expecting business conditions to improve over the next six months increased to 18.8 percent from 17.7 percent. However, those expecting business conditions to worsen increased to 11.4 percent from 10.7 percent.

Consumers were more positive about the outlook for the labor market. Those anticipating more jobs in the months ahead increased to 16.3 percent from 15.2 percent, while those anticipating fewer jobs edged down to 18.7 percent from 18.9 percent. Fewer consumers expect their incomes to grow, 15.9 percent versus 18.0 percent, but those expecting a drop in their incomes also declined, to 12.1 percent from 14.5 percent.

Streight: “Redskins” Problem Solved by Business Transformative Marketing

Business Transformative Marketing is grass roots customer interaction supplying the sales pitches and promotional ideas, the sales approach, brochure language, blog post topics, and website content direction.

The business is then adapting, modifying and improving itself, according to the customers, rather than imposing a product upon them. It reflects the audience, so that customers’ needs, questions, and interests shape the corporation to its deepest core. Certainly in every department and in every employee. Everyone's always in training to keep pace with emerging user problems and trending desires, conversations, news reports.

Business Transformative Marketing looks at what the customer's problems are and then declares, “This is what our product must be and how we represent it!”

It requires a genuine empathy with customers, a sympathetic sensibility that relentlessly craves deeper understanding of their frustrations and dreams. This requires total devotion to a fanatic focus on what customers are saying and doing, in real life and social media, in their interactions with sales teams and service staff. It gives an organization an unfair advantage – a superiority that cannot be easily imitated and implemented.

The reverse of this is the too common command and control mentality, where all the brainy ideas come from the top and are forced upon everybody else down the line from management to sales desk to customer.

Business Transformative Marketing, continually improving the product and corporate culture by continually merging with the changing landscape of customer needs and interests, provides a rich treasure of insights that will catch your competition off guard and leave them befuddled. By letting the customer influence the company to its very core, the company and customer base become one living, moving, growing entity. Customer loyalty and satisfaction become a fortress from which to pound the competition.

How can Business Transformative Marketing help in the Redskins sports team situation?

The Washington Redskins sports team has to suddenly, and wholeheartedly, become something it's not. Reversed. Opposite. Totally different. The organization has to move powerfully and quickly into a zone that it was not prepared for, but necessity has forced it upon them: Champions of Diversity.

This is what the mood of much of the country wants. Even if “redskins” is not resented by some Native Americans, still, the team needs to change its identity and do it fast, while the controversial situation is still a trending topic. It must strike while the viral iron is hot.

To be marketable, the team has to change, reverse its direction, and become the new champion of Native Americans, Asians, Hispanics, Eskimo, Cajun, Bavarian, Ethiopian, Baltic, Malaysian, Samoan, Swiss, all types of peoples. Lead the way and turn public perception upside down.

Without beating yourself up, with no troubled sob story or flowery written apology, simply start right now to present a new face to the public. Completely reverse, instantly and pervasively, the old tradition and usher in boisterously a new vision for the sports team formerly known as the Redskins.

Get the media and fans involved with the changes. Have a contest for a new name, new anthem song, new mascot, new uniforms, new logo, new slogans, all it resulting in a radical NEW CORPORATE CULTURE that makes the team look super progressive, with a bright new anthropological perspective on all indigenous cultures and people groups.

Lead the way into the opposite of what you were and how you were perceived.

The product is redefined, rebranded, renewed, and redistributed. While the company is genuinely evolved to embrace and celebrate diversity. What was once your Achilles heel is now your shining sword. If it's sincere, genuine, heartfelt, and committed, the brand/culture transformation can benefit everyone and add something good to this world.

Frizzi: Portrait of a Comedian

“Heddy, you should see this painting!”

I had just returned to our table at the Recognize Richard fundraiser. It was held in May at Peoria’s Contemporary Art Center to raise money to bronze Preston Jackson’s incredible clay sculpture of Richard Pryor.

They had just brought out another Jackson masterpiece, a painting called “The Comedian.” It was based on the life of Pryor, beginning with his Peoria roots. It will be sold with proceeds going toward funding the bronzing of the sculpture.

Our table was directly behind that of Pryor’s son, Richard Jr. and his aunt. Richard Jr. was the guest performer that night, performing songs from his cabaret show. He doesn’t look much like his father, but his laughter and mannerisms were pure Pryor Senior.

I was on my way up for my second trip to the buffet table when I stopped to look at the painting. I’m nowhere near an art critic but I enjoy studying paintings and can draw a little bit, so here’s my take on “The Comedian.”

To me, the painting resembles the style of legendary album covers of the late ’60s and early ‘70s, when Pryor’s career really took off. It would make a perfect album cover for a compilation of Pryor’s Greatest Hits. The painting is movement on canvas. It is a vividly colored journey for the viewer to observe Pryor’s circle of life. But it seemed to take on a life of its own.

In the upper left hand corner, you’ll find famed local pianist Jimmy Binkley, a vet of the old Peoria juke joints, playing the keys. I imagined that Jimmy was performing the jazz soundtrack for this tour, just as he did when he played at Mr. Spencer’s night club in Pryor’s semi-biopic, “Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling.”

Just below Jimmy is a young boy sitting cross legged, intensely listening to an old man spinning yarns. The man’s name is Mudbone. To many, he looks like nothing more than a yammering old drunk. But, to the child, this man is a wealthy source of stories. Not just the stories themselves, but how they are told. The youngster studies the old timer intensely. He studies every gesture, dialect and movement of this old storefront storyteller much like one would study a sage. The old man didn’t know it and never would, but this kid would eventually take him onto a national stage.

To the right of Mudbone and his student we visit Hank’s Club and its patrons. Ghosts of former patrons hover over the bar. At the bar stands a sharp-dressed man. Seated next to him is a woman in red and dressed to kill. Both are outfitted to impress the opposite sex. Both watch the house band. Maybe later in the evening, they’ll get together and share notes. The bartender, arms crossed, surveys his domain from behind the bar while the bouncer stands guard, a pistol sticking out of his back pocket.

Meanwhile, Roz and her friend are sitting at a table watching a young, scrawny MC, skinnier than the mike stand and with a pompadour taller than he is, try out a few jokes before introducing the next act.

The next scene is a black and white television with the young, scrawny MC now on the national stage. The Comedian is on the nationally televised Ed Sullivan Show, the highest rated show on Sunday nights. And all Americans are watching The Comedian’s career take off like a rocket.

The focal point of the painting is of The Comedian on stage. He has learned his craft well. He has incorporated the teachings and mannerisms of Mudbone with the comedic art of other physical comedians, such as Jerry Lewis. But The Comedian has evolved, having quit his mainstream Vegas act and going into seclusion in Berkeley. He has come out more aware of his African-American roots and their subservient place in the American lifestyle. And he’s angry.

He tells you his stories and makes you laugh, because, after all, he is The Comedian. But he stalks the stage like a sleek African leopard. In the painting, you see both together, man and cat, as if they were one and the same. Both are proud and graceful and smooth as they stalk. They entertain you and make you laugh. Comedy is movement. It is physical. But I got the impression that the image might be of one great proud African soul, captured, caged and brought to America. This beast stalks back and forth in the cage at the zoo, entertaining the public that gawks at him. But without the barrier of the stage or the cage, the beast would like to pounce.

You then see the head of The Comedian. His face is aging over time. He clutches the microphone as if it were an extension of his own vocal cords. He needs the mike to speak, to express, to pass on the stories of Mudbone. The Comedian knows his time to entertain is growing short. Someday his hands will be physically unable to hold the mike and he will no longer be able to speak.

The Greek mask of tragedy is shown in the painting behind a car speeding out of control. But there is no mask of comedy. The Comedian knows, as all comedians do, that you cannot have comedy without tragedy. It’s the old story of “Grock the Clown.” A man tells his doctor that he is depressed and is contemplating suicide. The doctor suggests going to see a performance by “Grock the Clown,” the funniest man in the world. To which the man replies, “But Doctor, I AM Glock the Clown!”

A sinister Dickensian figure with greenish claw-like hands hovers over a hotel where silhouettes, involved in seamy activities, are shown in the windows at night. The sinister figure is a puppeteer. The puppet itself is sleek in red. Its wrists and legs are tied to cords and are manipulated by the sinister figure, like an addict’s addiction to crack cocaine. The drug controls the addict’s life like a puppet. In the beginning, the drug makes The Comedian so deliriously happy he can’t live without it. The Comedian is in pain. And after all, it’s better advice than what the doctor gave to Grock. The Comedian and all around him learn that when he takes the drug, he becomes a puppet, with and without it.

The painting is framed in wild scenes. A maniacal “Man In The Moon” is grinning fiendishly at the seamy activities of the night dwellers. Hands, looking more like grasping, clutching, covetous talons, creep out of every corner of the picture, trying to grasp a piece this poor soul’s fame, his money and his heart. The Comedian tries to his best to please. He attempts to make them laugh. He gives them everything he’s got on stage until he’s ready to collapse. And yet they still…just …got …to….have.…more.

This is what I saw in Preston Jackson’s painting.

I returned to our table, set down my plate of meatballs and cheeses and bread, nodded and smiled to Richard Jr. and his aunt as I took my wife up to look at this stunning work of art.

“Heddy, you should see this painting!”

I hope you get to see it, too.

Maybe one of you will buy it so we can get the rest of the cash to cast Preston Jackson’s statue of Richard Pryor. If you’d like to see it, contact Joy Kessler at joykessler44@gmail.com. It costs $7,500 and all proceeds go to the bronzing. True, $7, 500 isn’t cheap. But then, neither is bronzing a statue.

But if you do buy it, please donate the painting to the Peoria Riverfront Museum so the rest of us can enjoy it. That museum needs a lot more Richard Pryor in it.