Three things I learned from our ex-Marine CEO that got me through 2020.

When people said 2020 would be “The Year of the Eye,” I knew we were doomed. After all, who wants 20/20 vision? Isn’t 20/20+1 better?

I am so grateful to have 2020 behind us. 2021 is bound to be a more encouraging year. Despite 2020’s challenges, we have a lot to be thankful for, and I learned a great many lessons.

In this issue my practice’s chief executive officer, Ray Mays, gives his thoughts on what to do when COVID slows your revenue cycle (page 30). From my perspective, having a CEO who is an ex-Marine has served our company well — rather than having a bluechip recruit from an Ivy league business school who had never gone through true adversity.

I learned three lessons from my CEO that I would like to share to help you in 2021.

1. Check my own darn pulse.

When businesses were laying everyone off in March, eager to save their own money and protect only the ownership, Ray (as any good solider would) stopped the panic and calmly advised us to find a way to fight through this. He never wavered in his commitment to winning. He never flinched even with shutdowns potentially destroying our employees’ livelihoods and our company’s future.

Instead, he put together a thoughtful plan and never once has any employee in the company (doctors included) missed a paycheck, even without non-urgent surgery for 6 weeks. Sure, the ownership went without cash, but they should.

2. Keep things in perspective.

It is easy for doctors to go on trips around the world for vacations and lavish meetings in amazing locations such as Hawaii and the Caribbean. But one’s true colors come out during difficult times. I cancelled my TV service at home, all trips I had planned for my family and other unnecessary expenses in my personal life. I did not want to be the doctor who came to work unchanged from the present-day reality my staff were facing.

Also, this year allowed me to spend more time with my children and wife. Before COVID, I traveled often and was way from my family too much. We did recently add TV back at the home, and my children are no longer mad at their father.

3. Plan ahead in life.

Never has there been a time I was more thankful for cash on hand, cash in the bank and cash to float the company. This was all because of a CEO who was ready for Armageddon. He had been in a true war zone and was ready for a mass-casualty scenario. So many practices spend huge amounts of money; the doctors buy nice boats, planes, cars and homes and aren’t ready for anything to go wrong. I am thankful for a plan in place should we not get paid for 6 months.

I look forward to 2021. I hope your New Year’s resolution is to do better than 2020. If so, you will be one happy camper come December! OM

Michael Patterson, DO, is a partner at Eye Centers of Tennessee in Crossville, Tenn., and a captain in the U.S. Army Reserve. E-mail him at michaelp@ecotn.com.