Breadcrumbs to Cheesecake

Breadcrumbs to Cheesecake by James K. Elrod. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780692019764.

Breadcrumbs to Cheesecake is more than a story of bricks and mortar. Chronicling the inspiring journey of Willis-Knighton Health System over ninety years, this is the story of the people, vision and dreams that transformed a struggling inner-city hospital into a healthcare powerhouse. The successes, shortfalls and extraordinary accomplishments are presented through the experiences of the nation’s longest-tenured hospital administrator, James K. Elrod, Willis-Knighton’s chief executive for the past forty-eight years. The author details the vision, leadership and twenty-five game-changing strategies that transformed an insolvent hospital into a healthcare industry leader. Through its financial success Willis-Knighton has reaped much reward upon its community as it has become the region’s major philanthropic anchor; healthcare and well-being services for the underprivileged are funded through an annually budgeted tithe of the health system’s financial strength. Moving well beyond inpatient charity care, this level of commitment is almost unique within the realm of our nation’s hospitals. More than an entertaining read, Breadcrumbs to Cheesecake records a strategic path that illustrates how this health system continues to make history. Elrod’s account, garnered from nearly 50 years’ worth of interactions with patients, doctors and employees, is interspersed with empirical knowledge, humorous anecdotes and philosophical beliefs on leadership that are applicable to all roles of responsibility.