D. Scott Crabtree
President and CEO | Lambeth House
Fun Fact
My favorite advice is appropriate for current times. It’s a quote from Einstein: “Whoever is careless with truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.”
What have been some of your biggest challenges? Biggest successes?
Both major challenges I have faced in my career occurred during my time as CEO of Lambeth House: leading the organization through the challenges of Hurricane Katrina and responding to the rigors of the current pandemic. The physical destruction of Katrina left our organization with only 23 percent of its staff intact. We had to suddenly behave as a startup organization but with a full occupancy eager to return. We were successfully the first healthcare/senior living entity to reopen in Orleans Parish just 60 days after Katrina.
The second challenge, the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to face. With no playbook to guide us, we developed a plan, implemented it, and mitigated the effects of COVID-19 on our organization while simultaneously educating our industry across the country on how to prepare for the inevitable impact on their organizations. We successfully led the way in vaccine promotion as the tool to end this pandemic, but our greatest success was giving residents and staff the knowledge of how to stay healthy and strong. We often established protocols yet to be provided by CDC. Thanks to the dedication of staff and residents, our 100 percent vaccination rate was the first by a US senior living provider.
How do you maintain a balance between your personal and
professional life?
I never undervalue the importance of family while understanding the critical stewardship I have been entrusted with at Lambeth House and am blessed with a family who supports my responsibilities and obligations. The past 18 months have clearly tipped the balance to the great team and residents of Lambeth House, yet every moment outside of work goes to my family and to my physical and mental fitness. I also benefit from our brilliant COO and CFO, who encourage me to take time off—I know that when I’m away, they are highly effective leaders.
Which changes or innovations do you hope to see for your company or industry in the next five years?
Our organization and industry see the importance and value of telemedicine. Lambeth House was fortunate to complete a one-year study (2019) with Ochsner on the utilization of telehealth with residents afflicted with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Although the second phase of the study was interrupted by the pandemic, the study showed positive results. Telehealth is the future of keeping people out of hospitals who can be better served in other settings. Our country must invest in rapid implementation of telehealth for aging people.
In your experience, what are the keys to maintaining a healthy and productive company culture?
The first key is establishing a set of core values that all members of the organization agree to live by. These values are identified and adopted by everyone because they speak to the core of who they are individually and to the principles of the company. The second is to know your employees and work daily to establish and maintain the trust needed to withstand any turbulence the company might experience. The employees at Lambeth House have been my heroes—we are blessed to have a culture where trust, integrity, and respect reign.
Who have been some of the greatest influences on your career or leadership style?
My role in executive leadership began early in my career with little influence from those within the healthcare industry. Instead, one influencer was my grandmother, who taught me the values of hard work, integrity, resilience, and grit. Success doesn’t come easy—it comes with dedication and devotion. A second influencer was my stepfather, who encouraged me to be the family’s first to go to college and to excel at my career, instilling confidence and focus.
Lambeth House
150 Broadway
New Orleans
504-865-1960
LambethHouse.com
