Paula Kreissler, President & CEO, Wound Care Clinic – ESU, is an inspiration who has transformed the company with her leadership style developed during her 25-year career with FedEx. Her leadership dimensions include charisma, courage, dependability, flexibility, individual consideration, intellectual stimulation, integrity, judgment, and respect for others. Embracing these 24/7/365 creates a thriving culture not only at work but in the community as well.
Leadership development is central to Paula’s philosophy, specifically around the abovementioned leadership dimensions. The expectation is for ALL team members to be professional, engaged, and compassionate with the patients and their caregivers. Trust each team member individually and the team collectively to make decisions to solve problems. When team members seek out advice from Paula, her first question is, “what do you think or what would you do” This provides either 1) I think that is a great decision or 2) a coaching moment, “What do you think about this?”
Paula is the President and CEO of Wound Care Clinic – ESU, Inc. in Savannah, GA. Founded in 2005, the clinic specializes in healing chronic and acute non-healing wounds using innovative, standard therapies such as electrical stimulation and ultrasound. The critical elements of success for the organization that Paula follows include following a thorough business plan which consists of a solid marketing plan and getting feedback from others on both, seeking advice from the Small Business Development Center, and attending their workshops on legal, regulatory, and accounting requirements, connecting with local business chamber and other business networking organizations. Wound Care Clinic won the 2008 Small Business of the Year Award from the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce and received the 2007 Savannah Small Business Chamber’s Award for New and Emerging Small Businesses.
Wound Care Clinic - ESU has five core values which were developed in 2005 when it opened still speak directly to its overall mission and what they strive for:
• Respect everyone every second of every day.
• Always putting the Patient First.
• Profitably Healing every patient.
• Keeping a smile on the faces and Laughter in hearts.
• Adding value to their lives and the lives of others by always acting and speaking with Kindness
The organization’s most significant achievements include its 100 % success rate of healing all patients in their care and an excellent community reputation for helping those in need. “Some of our goals are, as a small business, it is still challenging to provide great benefits to the staff. While staff pay rates are high, it would be great to increase them even more. Regarding our patient care, it is already the best! We stay on top of new wound-care technology and products to ensure the best care,” says Paula. “Through the years, based on my experience, the clinic works best as a single location, so I have no designs on expanding. I am excited that I have provided employment for a GREAT staff, and even more importantly, thousands of patients have had their quality of life significantly improved through not only the healing of their chronic or acute wounds but also know how medical offices should be treating patients – as the individual that they are. This will continue!” Paula states, “I am past retirement age and love to travel, so more of that is on the horizon. I am working on the development of another business venture focused on engaging with organizations on the direct economic impact of poor health on the bottom line and why going upstream is the best choice. This would include the critical success factors on “how to go upstream” as well.”
Paula thanks numerous leaders and coworkers who have influenced her to become the leader she is today. The two that she always references are Fred Smith, founder of FedEx, where she worked for 25 years. His philosophy of People-Service-Profit resonated strongly, and to this day, she follows that same philosophy. In addition, former Savannah Mayor Otis Johnson, Ph.D., is a massive inspiration for Paula. He is an American social worker, educator, and politician. He currently presides over the trailblazing Racial, Ethnic, and Leadership Task Force. Paula was invited to join the inaugural team in 2020 and remains an active member of the Health Project team. PTI