Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dr. Buffy Lloyd Krejci, DrPH, CIC. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Dr. Buffy , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
The word risk has negative associations. And sometimes risk can be negative. Risk is always scary, but I truly believe risk is a necessary element in the pursuit of our dreams. When we “go for it” we risk safety, security, and so much more. But every successful entrepreneur has a story of risk, and I am no different.
I had a position at a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)Quality Improvement Network – Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO), one of 12 government-funded healthcare companies whose mission and purpose is to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, economy, and quality of services delivered to Medicare beneficiaries across different healthcare settings. My work there allowed me to implement data-driven solutions to improve the quality of care delivered to residents in long-term care settings – nursing homes.
I was incredibly grateful to be part of the solution, part of a worthy purpose, and for the opportunity to help an often-forgotten population. But something was missing.
Learning the staggering numbers of healthcare-acquired infections in this setting, and the harms and deaths they caused set me on a collision course – my determination to make a difference, my sense of urgency, my desire to go fast and do more would come crashing into the opposing force of the company’s slower pace, bureaucratic red tape, and administrative apathy.
I knew I could do more unrestrained by the company and its procedures, so I made the decision, took the risk to leave the high-paying, well-benefited position to begin my own consulting company.
I had the full support of my family. My husband believed in me. I know this isn’t always the case when potential entrepreneurs take risks, so I am incredibly grateful they had my back.
I left the corporate company and started Lloyd-Krejci Consulting. My background gave me the expertise to be the subject matter expert for infection prevention and control and my heart gave me the empathy and understanding my clients would need. Nursing homes have so many outsiders telling them everything they are doing wrong; they are understaffed and undertrained while the staff is doing their best to provide the best care for the residents. Issues that were detrimental to their providing the best care were only exacerbated during the pandemic.
They needed the expertise and solutions presented with compassion and understanding and that is what I set out to provide.
I eventually rebranded the company IPCWell, and we have seen remarkable growth, and have been able to help hundreds of nursing homes across the country. Today, yes, the company is thriving with employees and systems, but I am most grateful for all of the healthcare workers and residents we have been able to support.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I have been in healthcare for decades but knew the gaps in support, training, and education that existed in long-term care. When I was young, I cared for and visited my grandparents in the nursing home where I was given a glimpse into the lives of an entire population in need of dignity and respect, and a population that deserved quality care. While I held different positions in healthcare over the next decade, my company, IPCWell, focused strictly on infection prevention and control solutions, education, training, and support. Stepping into this niche aspect that held my passion allowed me to offer the specialized help I knew healthcare facilities needed. Becoming an expert in this emerging field has allowed me to conduct my work on many separate levels, such as advocating lawmakers for industry-wide policy changes, leading a Doctors Without Borders team into nursing homes with their first ever United States deployment, giving presentation in-person and online to hundreds at a time, but most importantly, visit over 350 individual facilities to give in-person, one-on-one support at the point of care. I am able to support not only the clinical staff, but every staff member in the facility, such as housekeepers, kitchen staff, and laundry room workers. A strong program of infection prevention and control means every link in the chain is strong. Being on-site to offer help presented a big challenge, as outsiders in a facility are not usually trusted. When an outsider comes in, they are looking for faults and ways to punish a nursing home. One thing we are most proud of is breaking through this barrier of mistrust, proving that we are an advocate present only to offer support and solutions to them. We understand their challenges, empathize with their struggles, and only offer practical resolutions.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Every day IPCWell’s traveling infection preventionists show remarkable resilience. The days on the road are grueling, yet they continue to show up to every facility with a big smile, an open heart, and all the support they can give. I have been on many of these types of trips, and different hotels, hours of driving, and 3-4 hours at two different facilities all in a single day, day after day, is beyond demanding. I am so proud of our team for having the drive and determination to do this work with a smile and to support this often-forgotten healthcare population.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
While offering expertise to struggling nursing homes sounds like a straightforward solution to a problem, our biggest hurdle initially was building trust with the facilities and staff. Being on-site to offer help presented a big challenge, as outsiders in a facility are looking for faults and ways to punish a nursing home, therefore not usually trusted. We are proud of breaking through this barrier of mistrust, proving that we are an advocate present only to offer support and solutions to them. While solutions are a dime a dozen, in the form of online training and information – we realize every facility is unique, with a unique set of challenges, and being able to tailor support to those challenges and even a variety of personalities, all under the umbrella of empathy, understanding, and expertise really shored up the trust and reputation we now carry.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ipcwell.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ipcwell/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IPCWELL/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ipcwell/
- Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/ipcwell
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo8OsKm-ND6hO1w1q60m_ew