Podcast Episode Summary
Podcast: Becker’s Healthcare Podcast
Guest: Emily C. Jakacki, President of Delnor Hospital
Host: Laura Dardo
Date: September 30, 2025
Theme: Community Hospital Leadership, Growth, and Innovation at Delnor Hospital
Episode Overview
This episode features Emily C. Jakacki, who recently completed her first year as President of Northwestern Delnor Hospital, part of the Northwestern Medicine system in suburban Chicago. The discussion explores Jakacki's leadership journey, key successes at Delnor, top priorities and challenges facing community hospitals, strategies for growth and efficiency, technological innovation, and the critical role of leadership development in navigating the future of healthcare.
Introduction to Emily Jakacki and Delnor Hospital
[01:28 – 02:55]
- Background: Emily Jakacki recently celebrated one year as President of Delnor, a 159-bed community hospital in Geneva, Illinois, within the Northwestern Medicine academic health system.
- Hospital Profile:
- Functions as a community hospital but benefits from academic system resources.
- Level II trauma, Level II NICU.
- Robust surgical platform, busy cancer center, interventional radiology & cardiology.
- “A hospital that acts bigger than it is” (Jakacki, [02:52]).
Key Successes & Milestones
[03:18 – 05:37]
- Personal & Organizational Success:
- Jakacki’s proudest achievement is successfully acclimating to a new hospital and community while embracing Northwestern Medicine’s culture.
- Delnor services an expanding, diverse community (growth from rural to suburban).
- Recent History & Growth:
- Delnor merged with Central DuPage Hospital in 2013 under Cadence Health, which joined Northwestern Memorial System in 2014.
- Significant campus investment and alignment with Northwestern have positioned Delnor for sustained growth.
- Performance Highlights:
- Top performer in inpatient quality and engagement metrics.
- High workforce retention and year-over-year growth.
“They’re a top performing hospital in both inpatient quality metrics as well as engagement metrics. They have seen year over year growth and an incredible retention rate for our workforce.” — Emily Jakacki ([05:25])
Top Priorities & Issues for Delnor
[05:57 – 08:19]
- 1. Consistent High Quality and Health Outcomes:
- Maintaining top-decile performance in health outcomes.
- Motivation is not just to reach excellent results but to sustain them.
“Without strong quality performance, nothing else matters, quite frankly.” — Emily Jakacki ([06:18])
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2. Navigating Financial Headwinds:
- Illinois Medicaid program growth and anticipated federal changes present challenges.
- Executive team meets bi-weekly to synchronize outcome, engagement, and financial performance.
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3. Workforce & Clinician Wellness:
- Emphasis on employee and physician wellbeing amid industry-wide pressures.
“We just want to make sure our team is taking care of themselves along the way.” — Emily Jakacki ([08:10])
Smart Growth Strategies
[08:44 – 11:06]
- Defining ‘Smart Growth’:
- Not about being everything to everyone; focus on community needs and strengths.
- Outpatient and procedural surgical platform is a strong suit (e.g., high diagnostic imaging utilization, efficient access and parking).
- Efficiency & Access:
- Addressing capacity and throughput, considering Illinois’ certificate of need regulations.
- “How do we stay efficient? How do we continue to provide access and grow in spaces... where our community need us to?” ([09:36])
- System Integration:
- Leverage Northwestern’s broader system resources when unique or high-acuity care is required elsewhere.
Patient Access, Throughput, and Coordination
[11:06 – 13:03]
- Access & Wait Times:
- Focus on maneuvering patients to the right provider, location, or service without delay.
- Coordination between hospital, physician group partners, and ambulatory settings to avoid losing patients in the transition.
“Growth comes and looks like different things along the way. It’s not just about filling your hospital... We want to make sure our patients are getting to the right location at the right time.” — Emily Jakacki ([11:43])
- System Partnerships:
- When services aren’t available locally, patients are referred to sister sites with relevant specialization or capacity.
Technology & Innovation as Change Drivers
[13:20 – 14:47]
- Pilot Initiatives at Delnor:
- Delnor serves as a testing site for new system-wide technologies.
- Examples include:
- “Moxie,” a delivery robot assisting with specimen and pharmacy payloads.
- Drone-based delivery services for cross-site medication and supply transport.
- Telehealth is heavily leveraged, especially for hard-to-recruit specialties.
“We can move materials, move medication across sites more quickly, and make sure our people are reserved for the work that we need our people to do.” — Emily Jakacki ([13:49])
- Legacy of COVID-19:
- Virtual care options developed during the pandemic remain vital across Northwestern sites.
“Covid forced us to be better at is our virtual care options and we’re just all so glad to see that resource and tools still alive and well on all of our campuses.” ([14:42])
The Future of Healthcare Leadership
[15:07 – 17:38]
- Leadership as the Linchpin:
- Jakacki expresses passion for developing empowered leadership teams as the key to meeting future challenges.
- Leadership development is prioritized to ensure “a deep bench” and to maintain excellence.
- Team-Based Excellence:
“Healthcare is the ultimate team sport, and it takes everybody doing the best at their role to the best of their ability to get excellent results... If you don’t reserve and carve out the time to develop your leaders... top decile results just don’t happen.” — Emily Jakacki ([16:17])
- Looking Forward:
- Belief that the future will offer more tools and resources, but only strong leaders will ensure effective stewardship.
“I’m a firm believer that the future is bright... but we’ll need to have really strong leaders who can do that.” — Emily Jakacki ([17:25])
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Community & Growth:
“It’s a hospital that acts bigger than it is.” — Emily Jakacki ([02:54]) -
On Resilience:
“There is no one working in healthcare that is a stranger to challenge and curveballs.” — Emily Jakacki ([15:12]) -
On System Collaboration:
“That’s where being a part of a health system can be really valuable. If we can’t serve you at our hospital... we have a lot of great options at one of our sister sites.” — Emily Jakacki ([12:35])
Timestamps for Key Segments
| Segment | Timestamp | |--------------------------------------------------------|-------------| | Introduction to Emily Jakacki & Delnor Hospital | 01:28–02:55 | | Key Successes & Organizational Growth | 03:18–05:37 | | Top Priorities & Issues | 05:57–08:19 | | Smart Growth at Delnor | 08:44–11:06 | | Access, Throughput, and Coordination | 11:06–13:03 | | Technology & Innovation | 13:20–14:47 | | Future Leadership & Outlook | 15:07–17:38 |
Closing Thoughts
Emily C. Jakacki’s first year at Delnor Hospital has been marked by strong performance, nimbleness in adapting to a new community, and a steadfast focus on quality, financial health, and workforce wellbeing. Delnor’s pursuit of smart growth, investment in technology, and belief in team-based leadership underlines its approach to thriving in the years ahead. This episode provides a granular look at the realities and aspirations of community hospital leadership within a dynamic healthcare system.