09/03/2026
What does it take to build a high-performing culture and sustain it? In this episode of the Healthcare Plus Podcast, host Dan Collard talks with Mike Schafer, CEO of Spooner Health in Spooner, Wisconsin.
In 2009, the organization was in the 12th percentile for employee engagement. Within two years, it reached the 94th percentile. For the past three years, Spooner Health has maintained the 99th percentile.
Mike shares how the organization achieved this turnaround and, more importantly, how its leaders have sustained the results.
In this episode, you will learn:
- How a five-year engagement plan delivered results in two years
- Why employee-written standards of excellence remain central to Spooner Health’s culture
- How sharing both positive and uncomfortable data builds trust
- What Mike tells every new hire during orientation
- Why storytelling is an important leadership tool
- How rewiring helps strong organizations continue improving without starting over
- Why external development still matters when an organization is performing at the highest level
Mike shared this story at the inaugural Rewiring Healthcare: Foundation to Future conference, where attendees described him as one of the most humble and self-aware CEOs they had seen on stage.
This conversation is for healthcare leaders who want to build a culture that lasts.
hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag Dan Collard Mike Schafer Quint Studer Reich
With an average CEO tenure now at 3.8 years, leaders are moving between organizations faster than ever. Cultures are shifting. Leadership structures are reshaping. The ability to step into a new environment and genuinely connect, not just perform, is a skill every healthcare leader needs to develop....
