I attended the Monroe Chamber of Commerce's "Morning Meet Up" held at the Monroe Clinic Café, Tuesday, from 7 to 9 a.m.
Monroe Clinic's vice president of ministry and human resources, Jane Monahan, greeted people on behalf of the clinic and talked briefly about Monroe Clinic joining SSM Health.
Monroe Clinic is going through a lot of change with a major renovation/building project underway and some areas to the campus being rerouted due to the construction. In addition to the building project, Monroe Clinic's employees are getting used to working with SSM Health. There will be changes that deal with efficiencies that involve becoming part of a larger health care provider - as occurs with any business that becomes a partner business with a larger entity.
While a number of managers still work with and report to CEO Mike Sanders, others are working with managers at other SSM sites. Monahan said taking part in conference calls has become a change in the work schedule of many people.
Monahan said it was important to use a mute button on the phone when in a conference call. When listening to a conference call it's convenient to use the mute button to eliminate noise that could interfere with the meeting.
"If you forget to unmute your phone and say something you think is adding to the conversation, you'll find that you're just talking to yourself and nobody on the call heard what you said," Monahan said, getting a laugh from the 25 people in attendance.
There are technological problems sometimes with conference calls. Monahan said during a recent conference call the facilitator unexpectedly dropped from the call, which left all of the other people involved puzzled about moving forward.
Monroe Clinic is now partnered with other hospitals in Wisconsin including St. Mary's in Madison, Dean Clinic with nearby facilities in Baraboo and Janesville. SSM, based in St. Louis, has about 20 hospitals and nearly 50 affiliate hospitals in four states. It has more than 30,000 employees according to recent promotional material from SSM.
Monahan said the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes, who had owned Monroe Clinic and Agnesian HealthCare in Fond du Lac, were to attend a ceremony in Fond du Lac this week in which transfer of ownership of the healthcare facilities was spiritually recognized. Monahan described the event itself as reverent and interesting.
Monroe Clinic is a big part of the fabric of the community. It was nice the clinic hosted the chamber's first "Morning Meet Up."
Melissa Even, executive director of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce, said the "Morning Meet Up" program has been in the works for a while and it's a supplement to the chamber's successful "Business After 5" events. Not all interested in business in the area can attend events at 5 p.m., so a diversity of opportunities for the business community to get together is a goal met through "Morning Meet Up" events.
I enjoy chatting with folks at these events and if I have a good conversation with a couple people, I feel good about the opportunity. Tuesday I was in a conversation with past state VFW commander Michael "Gunner" Furgal of Monroe and Gloria Melvin of Brodhead. We talked about the importance of the clinic as it has been a good employer and provides essential service. Eventually our conversation switched to the influence of General Motors and Chrysler as employers in the area.
General Motors' plant in Janesville stopped production in 2008. The facility had been an employer in one way or another in the area since 1919. Chrysler in Belvidere, Illinois, continues to operate. Both businesses touched the lives of many in the Stateline region.
Melvin said some people who had worked at Janesville's General Motors plant, and took opportunities to work at other GM facilities, are reaching retirement age and rejoining families in Janesville. What a reunion that must be. One has to wonder how many retirees the Janesville-area might gain from GM employees who are ready to step away from their jobs and wish to return?
I had a good chat with Furgal, who spent more than 20 years in the Marine Corps., and is quite active in the Monroe VFW. Among his stations during his military career was Monterey, California, where the base was run under military command featuring all branches of the services. Furgal said Monterey's beautiful bay made it among the nicest places he served.
It's always nice to make a new acquaintance through the Chamber.
Keep your eye out for more Monroe Chamber of Commerce "Morning Meet Ups" for the future. If you've enjoyed attending "Business After 5" events, these local business-related meetings may be a great way to start your day. Hat's off to the chamber for organizing the event and to Monroe Clinic for hosting.
- Matt Johnson is publisher of the Monroe Times. His column is published Wednesdays.
Monroe Clinic's vice president of ministry and human resources, Jane Monahan, greeted people on behalf of the clinic and talked briefly about Monroe Clinic joining SSM Health.
Monroe Clinic is going through a lot of change with a major renovation/building project underway and some areas to the campus being rerouted due to the construction. In addition to the building project, Monroe Clinic's employees are getting used to working with SSM Health. There will be changes that deal with efficiencies that involve becoming part of a larger health care provider - as occurs with any business that becomes a partner business with a larger entity.
While a number of managers still work with and report to CEO Mike Sanders, others are working with managers at other SSM sites. Monahan said taking part in conference calls has become a change in the work schedule of many people.
Monahan said it was important to use a mute button on the phone when in a conference call. When listening to a conference call it's convenient to use the mute button to eliminate noise that could interfere with the meeting.
"If you forget to unmute your phone and say something you think is adding to the conversation, you'll find that you're just talking to yourself and nobody on the call heard what you said," Monahan said, getting a laugh from the 25 people in attendance.
There are technological problems sometimes with conference calls. Monahan said during a recent conference call the facilitator unexpectedly dropped from the call, which left all of the other people involved puzzled about moving forward.
Monroe Clinic is now partnered with other hospitals in Wisconsin including St. Mary's in Madison, Dean Clinic with nearby facilities in Baraboo and Janesville. SSM, based in St. Louis, has about 20 hospitals and nearly 50 affiliate hospitals in four states. It has more than 30,000 employees according to recent promotional material from SSM.
Monahan said the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes, who had owned Monroe Clinic and Agnesian HealthCare in Fond du Lac, were to attend a ceremony in Fond du Lac this week in which transfer of ownership of the healthcare facilities was spiritually recognized. Monahan described the event itself as reverent and interesting.
Monroe Clinic is a big part of the fabric of the community. It was nice the clinic hosted the chamber's first "Morning Meet Up."
Melissa Even, executive director of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce, said the "Morning Meet Up" program has been in the works for a while and it's a supplement to the chamber's successful "Business After 5" events. Not all interested in business in the area can attend events at 5 p.m., so a diversity of opportunities for the business community to get together is a goal met through "Morning Meet Up" events.
I enjoy chatting with folks at these events and if I have a good conversation with a couple people, I feel good about the opportunity. Tuesday I was in a conversation with past state VFW commander Michael "Gunner" Furgal of Monroe and Gloria Melvin of Brodhead. We talked about the importance of the clinic as it has been a good employer and provides essential service. Eventually our conversation switched to the influence of General Motors and Chrysler as employers in the area.
General Motors' plant in Janesville stopped production in 2008. The facility had been an employer in one way or another in the area since 1919. Chrysler in Belvidere, Illinois, continues to operate. Both businesses touched the lives of many in the Stateline region.
Melvin said some people who had worked at Janesville's General Motors plant, and took opportunities to work at other GM facilities, are reaching retirement age and rejoining families in Janesville. What a reunion that must be. One has to wonder how many retirees the Janesville-area might gain from GM employees who are ready to step away from their jobs and wish to return?
I had a good chat with Furgal, who spent more than 20 years in the Marine Corps., and is quite active in the Monroe VFW. Among his stations during his military career was Monterey, California, where the base was run under military command featuring all branches of the services. Furgal said Monterey's beautiful bay made it among the nicest places he served.
It's always nice to make a new acquaintance through the Chamber.
Keep your eye out for more Monroe Chamber of Commerce "Morning Meet Ups" for the future. If you've enjoyed attending "Business After 5" events, these local business-related meetings may be a great way to start your day. Hat's off to the chamber for organizing the event and to Monroe Clinic for hosting.
- Matt Johnson is publisher of the Monroe Times. His column is published Wednesdays.
