A feature on Dr. Luke in Beckers Hospital Review: Dr.Luke’s vision is Geisinger’s reality: Value based care has arrived at healthcare futurists panel

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Dr. Josh Luke exploded onto the health system executive conference speaking circuit with passion in 2014 and a provocative message to health system executives “Change or Die”.

This hypothesis was based on his practical experience as both a hospital administrator and family caregiver combined with his knowledge of health policy. The resistance to his message by incumbent system executives was palpable to anyone in the room at the time. As the son of a complex care patient his Mom, through his experience as a former serial hospital administrator, and before that as a post acute facility executive, Josh brings to bear the whole personal and professional perspective from the entire continuum of care with him. Josh is on a mission. You see: America spends far more than any other country on health care. Though our outcomes are below average compared to other developed countries on many key health care quality indicators. U.S. Health care spending outpaces both GDP and inflation growth to boot.

Read the whole article here

A feature on Dr. Luke in Future Sharks From Healthcare CEO to Entrepreneur: The Story of Dr. Luke’s Rise to Entrepreneurship

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Dr. Josh Luke is a healthcare futurist and former hospital CEO well known for his humorous and entertaining personal stories that entertain and engage audiences. His expertise includes sharing simple tactics on how to make health care more affordable for your family and employees, as well as how to get access to the best doctors and hospitals.

Dr. Luke started his career as a jet-setting sports marketer working with some of the most famous athletes in the world. Then, after a career change to healthcare brought on by his grandmothers disease process, he ascended to become a hospital CEO by age 32.

After ten years as a hospital CEO, a new owner arrived and Luke was out of a job, had no health insurance for his family, and his mother was subsequently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. Soon after he penned his first book and became a best-selling author.

Read the whole article here

A feature on Dr. Luke on LinkedIn Incredible Disruption

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Industry Disruption Edition:

Dr. Josh Luke was the original Healthcare Futurist. You’ll see others claim this title from time to time, but it was audiences and executives that crowned him with this title back in 2012.

Why? Because he spoke the truth. While many executives hide behind the veil of capitalism to ensure bloated salaries keep streaming in, Luke bucked the trend.

While in Canada, our healthcare is paid for by tax dollars, the reality for our neighbors south of the border is a much different story. This is why his story is one of continuous disruption. Disruption in an industry so desperate for change.

Read the whole article here.

Why Health-Wealth Is So Personal to Me By Dr. Josh Luke

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An Excerpt from the Best Selling New Release from ForbesBooks

In 1998 I was living my dream. I was a newlywed, and I was hanging out at Dodger Stadium almost nightly, as my older brother Matt had made the major leagues and I was handling baseball slugger Mark McGwire’s sports marketing efforts as he chased down Lou Gehrig’s home run record. But then, in 1999, frustration over the lack of communication between my grandmother’s caretakers and the desire to find a career path that would prove more fulfilling launched my journey to a new career in healthcare. I became a healthcare administrator with the goal of putting my own fingerprint on care delivery in America.

Read the whole article here.

As Featured in Beckers Hospital Review: In their own words: 4 healthcare influencers on the power of social media

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Social media is a powerful tool for healthcare professionals to disseminate information and connect with peers, but a number of industry leaders have taken their social media platform to the next level as influential voices on the issue of lowering healthcare costs.

Here are four of the most active leaders currently championing this issue online and their thoughts on what social media means for them.

Dr. Josh Luke, healthcare futurist and author

“As a former hospital CEO, I have championed transparency and collaboration in healthcare as a speaker for audiences both within and outside the industry for years. Some of the most rewarding moments I have experienced, however, come as a result of someone approaching me and sharing a passage from one of my books or a specific post or blog that I shared. The power of social media has brought me together with great minds from all over the world. LinkedIn and Forbes both asking me to write for them in itself is evidence of the strength of social media. It’s powerful.”

Read the whole article here.

Walmart, Amazon And Disney Declare War On Healthcare – And You Can Too, by Dr. Josh Luke

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Health and wealth. Two terms that were not so synonymous in prior generations.

But today, Americans are facing a healthcare affordability crisis both at home and at work. Recently, a few iconic companies have declared they’ve reached their tipping point on paying for healthcare for their employees. And the list is growing.

It started with Amazon, JP Morgan and Berkshire Hathaway in January 2018. Then Disney rang the bell in Florida. Now Walmart and several others have joined in. In fact, Walmart—one of the most efficient organizations in history in terms of managing costs without compromising quality—are making a bid to buy Humana.

If you can’t beat ‘em, buy ‘em.

Though no one knows for sure, it is not out of the question to suggest that Amazon and Walmart could become two of the largest providers of commercial health insurance within the next five years. Or, that might not happen at all. But it is certainly an exciting proposition for those seeking alternatives to the current high-cost insurers.

What makes these corporate declarations particularly striking is that American families have been attempting to declare their tipping point on healthcare affordability for years with little success. Hospitals and insurers have ignored families’ plea for help. Healthcare lobbies are among the nation’s strongest, so little relief has been provided. Capitalism reigns.

With the American family powerless to drive change, corporate America has come to the rescue. And despite their attempts to publicly brush off the movement, hospitals and insurers are taking notice.

Ironic, isn’t it, when a hospital pays for an advertisement with an emotional appeal to the community seeking donations for a new building or facility, yet when community members seek care at that same hospital, they are often unable to afford it?

This is the same hospital that will refuse to post its prices, even when asked directly. What other business in America requires you to commit to and receive services without knowing the price in advance? Further, what other business in America provides its customers so little recourse for negotiation or questioning the quality of service after the fact?

Current statistics show that less than 20 percent of hospitals in America post prices publicly. In the rare case that hospitals do share prices in advance, it is inevitably with a disclaimer stating that prices cannot but guaranteed and actual charges will be based on the specific items that doctors and hospital staff code during the procedure.

Translation: “These prices will change, and there’s nothing you can do.”

As hospitals begin to feel the pressure as a result of corporate advocacy on affordability issues, individuals and families can do their part by engaging in the healthcare process. Engaged Healthcare Consumers (EHCs) understand how to find significant savings both for themselves and their employers.

So how do you become an EHC?

Start by focusing on the 3 P’s: Have a Plan that focuses on Preventative care, as well as Personalized care.

Simple enough, but what does that look like in practice? Have a DNA test done to better understand which medications work best for your body, and identify high-cost drugs you might be consuming unnecessarily. Utilize technology, from Fitbits to Apple’s new Health app that allows you access to your personal health record on your phone. Seek out specialized disease-specific programs to better manage chronic diseases a family member may have. Practice local medical tourism by seeking out Centers of Excellence for all procedures.

To date there has been little evidence suggesting any link between price and quality in healthcare. In fact, those doctors who engage in the discussion about fair pricing often receive higher quality scores than their high-cost counterparts. These doctors and facilities that offer affordable pricing and higher quality are known as Centers of Excellence, often referred to as within the narrow network.

With corporate America stepping up to lead the charge against hyperinflation in American healthcare, it is crucial that individuals and families do their part to join the effort by becoming Engaged Healthcare Consumers.

Dr. Josh Luke is a former hospital CEO, acclaimed speaker, healthcare futurist, and best-selling author of Health-Wealth with ForbesBooks. Learn more at health-wealth.com.

Original article link is available here.

30 A feature on Dr. Josh Luke on LinekdIn LinkedIn Influencers Who Built A Powerhouse Personal Brand

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Dr. Josh Luke-A Forbes Best Selling Author and an International Keynote speaker speaking on topics – Entertainment, motivation & teaching companies and families how to save money saving on their personal healthcare expenses. Business meetings, faith-based events and family events. Executive leadership, education workshops as well as sales team training and motivation. He also puts out daily videos speaking on matters pertaining to healthcare.

Full Article: Here

Author: Fahad Mohammed

Health Care Affordability Begins With You (And Ends With Apple, Microsoft, Google And Amazon), by Dr. Josh Luke

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I just finished penning this article for Forbes, and there it was, a headline on LinkedIn confirming my exact point: “Apple Moving Deeper Into Healthcare.” And, just a few days later, Amazon announced a health care collaborationwith JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway.

“Bingo!” I thought: same topic, new headline. So here is the edited version.

You see, Big EMR controls health care as we know it today. Who is Big EMR? It’s a minute number of dynamic medical record companies that control more than 50% of all hospitals patient electronic medical records.

Hold on — did I just say that hospitals control patients’ records, meaning your personal records and your employees’ personal records? Yes. Absolutely, they do. Herein lies problem number one.

Hospitals control your employees’ personal medical records. Big EMR controls the hospitals. So, when your employees want their health records, how do they get access?

They have to ask permission. Herein lies problem number two.

Why doesn’t the patient own his or her own personal medical record? The answer is this: The hospital has always been the center of the health care universe — the power player. Hospitals have not ever been held accountable, as they have one of the largest lobbying organizations in the country. Hospitals have been so egregious in not being transparent, they often won’t even share prices with you in advance of your procedures or surgery. It’s reverse capitalism, and they have gotten away with it.

They actually charge a fee and make the patient wait several days, as they have to “make copies.”

So, how do we transform into a place where patients actually own their own personal medical records? I am so glad you asked.

The individual must take control of the process. But how? The hospitals have no incentive to speed up this process. In fact, the hospital business model as a whole is under pressure and at risk as a result of reimbursement changes that came along with Obamacare — and, now, Obamacare scalebacks.

But, hospital leadership behaviors have not changed — and will not. Big EMR will continue to wag the dog (the dog being the hospital, in this case). Thus, as a result, there are two things that need to happen to reverse this trend.

One, become an EHC. Yes, you — become an Engaged Healthcare Consumer, and your employees will follow. And, make sure you create a healthy culture so your employees who decide to be EHCs are surrounded with the resources and knowledge to make healthy lifestyle decisions.

You shop for houses. You shop for cars. Why don’t you shop for health care? Engage in the process, choose providers who are high quality and offer transparent pricing, and your company costs will come down — as will the costs for your employees who choose wisely and engage.

So, where do Apple, Microsoft, Google (that is, Alphabet) and Amazon come in?

There are only a few companies globally that are powerful enough to dethrone the influence Big EMR has over hospitals. And, they are all listed in the sentence above. Well, you might add Facebook as well, but my money would be on Apple, Microsoft or Amazon, as they each have a track record of putting valuable technology in the hand of the consumer. And, yes, we are consumers of health care.

Why is this? Because they are more influential than Big EMR. They put technology in your hands. They have the capability to give you ownership. They have the ability to make a power play on Big EMR by just doing what they do: delivering information

As complicated as it may seem, there is a simple formula. You become an EHC. Then, Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet and/or Amazon gives you access to your personal medical record — and Big EMR loses its power and influence over hospitals.

It’s a simple equation: You engage; Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet and Amazon provide you access. We all win. And winning means owning our own personal medical records, which is how it should have been from the start. It’s about time.

Why I Became a Healthcare Futurist & How it Can Benefit You & Your Team, by Dr. Josh Luke

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So, you want to be a healthcare futurist? For starters, what does that even mean? Here is my take on what it means and how it can benefit you. Heck, this short read may even save you a few bucks on your health care.

In 2013, I left my job as Vice President of a health system to try my hand at professional public speaking, writing and teaching at the University of Southern California. After almost ten years as a hospital CEO, I was getting consistent requests to speak at conferences. And on top of that, the event hosts were reporting that I was one of the highest rated speakers at each event. All right!

Ten years as a hospital CEO isn’t even the strongest asset I have in being an advocate for you. I am shaped more by the experiences of my mother’s disease process.

It wasn’t much later that I heard it for the first time. I was being introduced to the audience in Chicago and, as event hosts often do, they summarized my bio in their own words and for the first time I heard someone label me “a healthcare futurist.”

I’m guessing it was dopamine or some other addictive chemical my body produces that suddenly overcame me when I first heard the term, as I was admittedly flattered! Dopamine, I’m told, is the same chemical compound that leads to addiction with nicotine or alcohol, or in the case of millennials, their cell phones and social media!

But hey, forget about nicotine and social media. I was getting paid to speak and I enjoyed it.

Over the next few months of 2014, my presentation grew increasingly specific as to how I anticipated drastic changes in the healthcare delivery system. My executive experience combined with my commitment to teaching and studying healthcare policy led me to consistently communicate and collaborate with some of the top leaders nationally. I was rubbing elbows with health system executives, scholars, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, and even the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services themselves (as well as their Innovation Center).

I was approached by a hospital CEO after a presentation in New York and he asked, “so what does it mean to be a healthcare futurist and how do I become one?”

Then, my first book (Readmission Prevention: Solutions Across the Provider Continuum) was released and became the best-selling book from the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) in 2015. ACHE even designated Readmission Prevention as one of its monthly featured CEO Circle books. What an honor!

Thus, throughout 2015 I was regularly being referred to and introduced as a “leading healthcare futurist.” Then came the big question. I was approached by a hospital CEO after a presentation in New York and he asked, “so what does it mean to be a healthcare futurist and how do I become one?”

I could not help but chuckle, and responded by saying “it’s a name others gave me, but I don’t take it lightly and candidly, the more I hear it, the more responsibility I feel to stay current on policy changes and discuss with other respected leaders their anticipated impact.” He seemed content with that answer and we engaged in a lengthy conversation specific to a topic I covered in my presentation that he was previously unfamiliar with.

Immediately following that conversation I went online and researched “healthcare futurists” and found a few names like Ian Morrison and Dr. Atul Gawande were commonly referred to as healthcare futurists. As I dug deeper I found a few others who appeared to be aging speakers who had been branding themselves in this manner for years. Gawande, currently in the trenches of the hospitals daily rigour, is someone I have great respect for and value his positions!

Outside of Mr. Morrison and Dr. Gawande, many of these individuals, however, did not have an executive healthcare background at all. Thus, it seems to me that they were more entrenched in selling technology or innovative services, than in studying how changes in healthcare may impact you.

Those who have seen me speak or read my articles know I routinely emphasize how millennial culture is impacting healthcare delivery. One of my common themes is to pay attention to millennial culture as it’s proving to have a drastic impact on care delivery.

Nursing home owners think of every possible name they can to avoid using the term ‘convalescent home’.

As a proud Gen-Xer who was fortunate enough to become a hospital CEO at age 32, I am now creeping into my mid-40’s. So when I see an aging healthcare futurist, it’s natural for me to question their credibility and knowledge of the impact of millennials on delivery. Would you agree?

I can back that up by sharing that very few of the aging executives who mentored me as a young hospital CEO have demonstrated any interest in learning new trends and transforming. Their eyes are on the retirement prize.

“Dr. Luke is a champion for avoiding the institutionalization of seniors when they can be cared for at home.”

So, I decided in late 2015 to officially label myself a healthcare futurist on LinkedIn and Twitter. But before doing so, I identified what the title healthcare futurist means to me.

1.      I must understand and stay current on healthcare policy updates

2.      I must reflect on my executive experience to predict how those changes will impact providers, consumers and businesses providing healthcare to employees

3.      I must prioritize consumer (patient, caregiver and family) interests in order to stay relevant, specifically affordability & access to care

4.      Perhaps most importantly, I must rely on my instincts as a personal caretaker to ensure my positions reflect not just the provider perspective (doctors and hospitals), but also the patient’s perspective.

Would you agree? How would you define it?

Tragically, my own mother’s Alzheimer’s disease has progressed to stage seven. My wife and I serve as part of her care-taking team and we treasure every moment we get with my mom. In 2015 we founded a not-for-profit and donate proceeds each year to benefit Alzheimer’s programs.

It is my role as a son and caretaker that gives me the confidence to know that my direct and pointed positions on the need for dramatic change in healthcare delivery are not driven solely by my experience as a hospital CEO. In fact, those who hear me speak will often say “Dr. Luke is a champion for avoiding the institutionalization of seniors when they can be cared for at home.” After all, when was the last time you heard an individual say “I can’t wait for the day my doctor tells me I have to be admitted to a convalescent home?”

Never!

So why am I so provocative and poignant when I speak to business leaders? It’s personal, that’s why. And I have a message to share that can benefit you all, so I take pride in sharing for your benefit.

In fact, the quote above about not wanting to go to a nursing home provides a good example of the information I share when I speak at conferences for car dealers, architects, nurses, churches, healthcare leaders, sales teams or other executives.

Nursing home owners think of every possible name they can to avoid using the term ‘convalescent home’. In fact, they try to avoid saying ‘nursing home’ as well, instead opting for non-traditional and often misleading terms such as ‘rehab facility’ or ‘skilled rehab’ simply because they know that no one wants to ever go to a ‘nursing home’.

Do ya think? Of course they don’t. But nursing home preceptors actually teach young trainees these terms — its a calculated approach. How do I know? Well years ago I was one of these young trainees.

And what about the old semantical trick doctors use when you are in the acute hospital and can’t wait to get home? Trick? Well, it’s a manipulative play on words at a minimum when a doctor advises a patient after three days in the hospital that they are being ‘transferred’ to a skilled rehab facility as opposed to being ‘discharged’ to another facility, which is the more appropriate and accurate term.

“it’s a manipulative play on words when a doctor advises a patient that they are being ‘transferred’ to a skilled rehab facility as opposed to being ‘discharged’…”

As a patient, would you agree that the word ‘discharge’ suggests finality and closure, whereas ‘transfer’ suggests just the opposite: you’re not quite ready yet?

Imagine how you would feel if you walked into one of these convalescent homes for a tour and were greeted with a special aroma – the smell of urine from residents who are incontinent. Guess what? Incontinent and unsightly residents are often moved to the back of a nursing home or placed in a distant wing in the facility so those touring do not have to see, or smell them. These are very common tactics.

After all, if you are touring for your own parent or grandmother, no one perceives their own parent to be as sick as the elderly individuals they witness when they tour. We all have an image of our parents as younger and heathier when this natural progression begins.

So we just took a tangent mid-way through this story to illustrate a few of these well-kept secrets that may benefit you as you help your parents navigate through their golden years. The nursing home and physician anecdotes were included to provide examples of wisdom from the industry that can help you as a consumer or business owner in the future.

So you see, a healthcare futurist. Now you know what that means as well, and there is much more where that came from.

The story ends like this: there are plenty of ways for individuals to become more astute in regard to accessing healthcare, but I take it on as my role to provide you with many of these hidden gems. In 2016 I started to see several other friends and followers on LinkedIn all of a sudden have “Healthcare Futurist” next to their title, and decided once again to set myself apart and formalize a more progressive title for myself as one of the first executives who was willing to call out my peers.

So, as we enter 2017, you’re now interacting with the new me, “The Voice of American Healthcare.”

With one best-selling book and a second book written specifically to benefit the consumer (Ex-Acute: A former hospital CEO tells all on what’s wrong with American healthcare), I am willing to take on this title with the same level of self-responsibility I assumed when others started routinely referring to me as a leading national healthcare futurist. My only goal is to help you – with complete transparency and with no product or service to sell.

Straight talk. The elephant in the room. A boots-on-the-ground, real-world approach. I call it how I see it. These are all terms others have used in recent years to describe my approach to helping consumers understand and access healthcare services.

In recent years I have shared my message on 4 continents; it has reached China, Panama, Mexico and Eastern Europe as well as all over the United States. The people I meet and the countries I visit with different delivery models all enhance my perspectives.

I don’t claim to have all the answers about how healthcare will change, but I take great pride in helping you understand the likely changes that will impact you. If my stories and experiences can be shared to help entertain you and better explain these concepts, well, I will take that on. And on top of that, I enjoy it!

Ten years as a hospital CEO isn’t even the strongest asset I have in being an advocate for you. The truth is I am shaped more by my mother’s disease process. While my passion resonates in caring for and loving on my mother through her final years of life, my goal is to honor her by educating others about what I have learned by caring for her.

Let there be no doubt, though, that strongest asset is the network of professionals I interact with regularly on LinkedIn that are candid and willing to both disagree and offer competing innovative approaches on the future of healthcare. I plan to embrace this healthcare futurist thing, and now even more so as “The Voice of American Healthcare,” always focused on advocating for you.

Please “share” this story with your LinkedIn network with the message, “I define a healthcare futurist as….”

I am hopeful that you will all join me and come along for the ride. I reached out to a few of my connections for input on this story and am thankful to each who submitted input – all of the input was right on! I received so much feedback, rather than include all the input in my story, I prefer to allow each follower to “’share” their thoughts on their own! So here we go, please “share” this story with your LinkedIn network with the message, “I define a healthcare futurist as….”

Can’t wait to see your definitions!

Click here to nominate Josh Luke or another writer as one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices. Josh is the author of the book Ex-Acute: A former hospital CEO tells all on what’s wrong with American healthcare, What every American needs to know. He teaches in the Sol Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California and serves as CSO/Sr. Health Policy Strategist for Nelson Hardiman Law.

He is an advocate for Alzheimer’s care and founded the National Readmission Prevention Collaborative in 2013. Luke is also a professional speaker sharing with all businesses how changes in healthcare will impact them and their employees. Please follow Josh on LinkedIn if these topics are of interest to you and check www.JoshLuke.org for speaking appearances.

If you ain’t first, you’re last: Will Ferrell’s USC Grad Speech, by Dr. Josh Luke

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Business and Life Lessons from Ricky Bobby Himself

By Josh Luke, USC Adjunct Faculty

Wait a minute. Will Ferrell went to college?

Oh that’s right. He led the naked quad run in the hit comedic film “Old School.”

But wait, there is more. He went to the University of Southern California?

Yes. He graduated with a degree in sports management. Years later he returned to deliver the May 2017 commencement speech. And now he is an honorary doctor as well?

Do you think that had a few of my fellow faculty members on pins and needles?

Life Lesson One: Shake and Bake!

It’s fair to say that no one knew what to expect. As a faculty member at USC, although I was unable to attend the ceremony, my family and I watched it on our big screen (thanks to YouTube and Apple TV) later that evening.

Not only is Ferrell a household favorite (seeing that I have three teens), but I am an Orange County (California) native and wanted to support my OC brother, the newly crowned, Dr. Ferrell!

Although I had a tough time convincing my teenage kids to watch a graduation speech, I am pleased that they were all willing as there were some great life lessons mixed in with the humor and stories. Oh, and his closing act, a solo of Whitney Houston’s hit song, “I Will Always Love You.”

As a professional public speaker who travels the globe teaching Fortune 500 businesses how to save 20% or more annually on healthcare costs, I am always seeking out opportunities to watch other public speakers to enhance my delivery. While I am eager to put myself up against any other corporate presenter as I am confident in my ability to entertain, educate and deliver meaningful, usable content to audiences, in this case, Ferrell proved to be a tough act to follow!

Here are a few of the life lessons woven into the comedy (and singing!)!

Lesson One: Shake and Bake! This lesson is for the millennials and others just joining the work force. It’s normal to be unsure of what career you want to pursue when you are in college, and sometimes even after you graduate. In fact, this is true for the remainder of your career as well. Just have a plan at all times.

As life changes, interests and people change as well. One key skill to succeed in corporate America or as an entrepreneur, is an individual’s ability to adapt to culture, generational traits and new trends.

Fight on Trojan Graduates!

Ferrell tells the story of realizing his goal of working in sports management succumbed to his passion for comedy. In perhaps his most memorable story of the speech, he speaks of crashing his buddy’s classroom at USC in the middle of a lecture, pretending to be a janitor called to clean up vomit. It’s a classic story invoking images reminiscent of many of his hit movies.

In fact, Ferrell speaks of walking across campus a few weeks later only to be approached by the professor whose class he crashed. As Ferrell was preparing to take a licking from the professor and face appropriate discipline, he was shocked and surprised to learn that the professor was amused and thought it was brilliant. He actually invited him back to do similar impromptu visits in following semesters. Ferrell’s love for comedy emerged while studying sports marketing at USC, so he changed his plan.

Lesson Two: You have a dart in your neck. One of the most memorable lessons Ferrell learned in college came from a professor who he never had a class with. Reflect back to the story above about a professor who was not assigned to a class with Ferrell, proactively seeking him out to embrace his passions and gifts. This gesture had a significant impact on Ferrell.

Why is this important? For two reasons. As a professor at USC myself, it is a great reminder to me that I am a role model who makes an impression on all students on campus, not just those in our classroom.

As a boss, leader or influencer, we should all keep this in mind in all that we do. We are always being watched and whether you like it or not, being put on a pedestal by those who aspire to reach the same level of perceived success that we have achieved. While he did not have a dart in his neck in class that day, he dressed as a janitor and this movie line was just to good not to include!

Lesson Three: Strategery. Have a plan! Ferrell’s famous George W. Bush character on Saturday Night Live used this term regularly.

While still in college, Ferrell chose to finish his commitment to completing an education, but re-set his goals to become a comedic actor. He joined acting troops and invited his fraternity brothers and friends to his “open mic’ night performances.” After completing his degree he temporarily moved home to Orange County, just 40 miles to the south of downtown Los Angeles, and tapped into lounge’s and comedy clubs in Orange County while still having a daily presence in the entertainment capital of the world, Hollywood.

Admittedly working through nerves and confidence issues, Ferrell ultimately caught the eye of famed Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels and got his big break.

Lesson Four: Smiling’s my favorite. Ferrell gave several examples of fan letters that were critical of him when he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live. His response? He would take them as constructive criticism but answer with respectful humor. In turn those critics became fans. What a great approach!  

Lesson Five: Dear Baby Jesus. Ferrell was willing to have faith in himself and take chances, even after making it big.

After an epic run on Saturday Night Live, Ferrell left to chase his big screen dreams and acknowledged it was a struggle to get his first few scripts accepted. Within a few years however, he was a multi-millionaire but acknowledged it took almost two years to land the first film. And when he did, he gambled on two movies in which he dressed as an oversized holiday elf in Elf, and a 1970’s on-air television personality in Anchorman. Bingo.

And let us not forget, in this day of questionable media credibility and reporting…if Ron Burgundy says it, it’s the truth! Stay Classy San Diego!

Click here to nominate Josh Luke or another writer as one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices.

Dr. Josh Luke is an award winning healthcare futurist, a Forbes Book Author, a #1 Best Seller and the author of the book Ex-Acute: A former hospital CEO tells all on what’s wrong with American healthcare, What every American needs to know. He teaches in the Sol Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California and serves as CSO/Sr. Health Policy Strategist for Nelson Hardiman Law.

He served as a hospital CEO for ten years and is an advocate for Alzheimer’s care. Luke is also a professional speaker sharing with executives how changes in healthcare will impact them and their employees. Please follow Josh on LinkedIn if these topics are of interest to you and check www.JoshLuke.org for speaking appearances.