Deaconess Health System is challenging University of Southern Indiana students to help the Evansville area overcome its “miserable” reputation.
Linda White, Deaconess’ top executive, is USI’s Executive-in-Residence for the current school year. In that role, she visited the campus Monday to talk to hundreds of students about leadership. She also gave a preview of a competition that will get students thinking about ways to improve Evansville’s overall health status.
The competition is tied to the fact that for the past two years the Evansville metro area has ranked near the bottom of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.
The annual index compiles information from U.S. residents who answer questions related to their physical and mental health. Question topics range from obesity, smoking and exercise habits to job satisfaction and access to health care.
Various third-party websites have picked up on the rankings, boiling them down to lists of “Happiest” and “Most Miserable” cities. The metro area’s low ranking ends up landing Evansville on the “Most Miserable” list.
“As you look at the statistics, a lot of it is related to health,” White said of the ranking.
“We’ve got to start making inroads, and not ignore it.”
The competition is this year’s version of USI’s Ideation Challenge, which asks students to form teams and come up with creative solutions to a given problem. Selected finalists make their pitch to a panel of judges, with prizes awarded to the winners.
The Deaconess challenge launches next semester, and some of the details are still being worked out.
But in general, students will be asked to think of how Deaconess can improve residents’ health status. At least five winners will earn paid internships at Deaconess.
Mohammed Khayum, dean of USI’s Romain College of Business, said this year’s Ideation Challenge is a little different. In the past, challenges have been more narrow in scope. For instance, in previous years students were asked to invent a new product that Berry Plastics or Escalade Sports might produce.
“This is a challenge that really pertains to the community at large,” Khayum said.
“It’s a broader focus.”
During her presentation, White spent most of her time talking about leadership.
Leaders are willing to tackle difficult challenges, she said, and they focus on acts of kindness and helping others. She gave several examples: a grocery-store employee who goes out of his way to make customers feel special, and young people who have accomplished personal goals despite serious illness or physical challenges.
White challenged the students to realize that potential in themselves.
“The message here today is, each and every one of you is a leader.”
In a surprise move, White also handed out several $1,000 scholarships. Students earned the scholarships on the spot by responding to questions White posed to the group.