New CEO at Siskin Children’s Institute Plans to Use Business to Enhance Lives

New CEO at Siskin Children’s Institute Plans to Use Business to Enhance Lives

Chattanooga, July 14, 2024 – The new CEO of the Siskin Children’s Institute, Don Mueller, is planning on using his business acumen to make a real difference. Mueller aims to improve the lives of as many children as possible during his tenure, with a particular emphasis on children with special needs.

As a business-oriented individual, Mueller sees the importance of applying solid business principles for the betterment of healthcare services. He believes that this approach will result in improved outcomes for the children that the institute serves. His main goal is to facilitate increased access, speed up treatment processes, and improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of the institute’s operations.

Mueller is keen on solving problems and finds it especially rewarding when those problems are related to healthcare. The bigger goal for him is to expand the institute’s service regionally, extending its reach to Nashville and further into Georgia. The reason behind this expansion is the increasing demand for Siskin’s diagnostic and treatment services for children with special needs.

The Siskin Story

The Siskin Children’s Institute was founded by brothers Garrison and Mose Siskin following a life-altering injury suffered by Garrison. He pledged to dedicate his life to helping others if his leg was spared. Keeping up with that promise, the Mose & Garrison Siskin Memorial Foundation was established in 1950.

Despite the helpful endowment provided by the Siskin brothers, the institute needs more resources to cover expenses for all the children under its care. The solution to this, according to Mueller, is to stabilize hospital revenue streams and offset costs through foundational support.

Need for Fundraising and Philanthropy

Mueller also highlighted the need for community support through philanthropy and fundraising to increase the institute’s capacity to cater to more children in need.

An important part of his strategy involves seeking inputs from the community on the gaps in care for children with special needs. He is hopeful about implementing new programs based on the community’s feedback.

Mueller on Evidence-Based Care

A hallmark of the Siskin Children’s Institute is its emphasis on evidence-based care – care strategies that are scientifically proven. Mueller cautioned parents seeking treatments for their children to critically evaluate the scientific basis of proposed treatments and ensure their effectiveness before considering them as options.

A Welcome Move

The Marketing and Communications Director and interim Development Director at the Institute, Shannon York, expressed the Institute’s excitement about welcoming Mueller. According to York, Mueller’s leadership experience in children’s healthcare and his knowledge of developmental medicine and early intervention care will substantially contribute to the institute’s expansion.

Looking Forward

A recent decision of a previous board of directors to close the Early Learning Center, which Mueller said provided care for even neurotypical children, is regarded as tough, but financially necessary.

Mueller’s vision does not include bringing researchers to the institute but instead, he hopes to make research available for patients by collaborating with research institutions. In his words, “partnerships make Chattanooga a great place.”

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