Children’s CEO Mike Warren talks logistics, blessings at Chamber Luncheon
Mike Warren, Chief Executive Officer of Children’s of Alabama, spoke about what it’s like to help run what he referred to as one of Birmingham’s best blessings during his talk at the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce Luncheon Tuesday, April 13.
Warren, who has been with Children’s since January 2008, shared the logistical details of what it takes to run the hospital.
“It’s an asset to the community that we hope you never have to need,” he said, “but if there is a need, thank God it is here.”
Children’s, said Warren, has been a Birmingham staple since 1911 when it first opened its doors. Today, it remains the only standalone, not-for-profit children’s hospital in the state. It is affiliated with UAB, he said, but not part of it—a detail that can be overlooked. The hospital is equipped with 380 beds and bassinettes, which makes it rank among the top 10 children’s hospital’s in the nation based on size.
A total of 5,000 employees help run the hospital, he said, a full 84 percent of them female. Each year, the hospital treats at least 30 patients from every county in the state, 60 percent of whom use Medicaid. Just about half of all the patients at Children’s are under the age of six, said Warren.
“It’s a busy place for sure,” he said, of the 15,450 annual inpatients and 675,000 outpatient visits the hospital receives. The previous night, Warren said the hospital received a total of 184 patients, a number he said meant a “slow night.”
Children’s now has its own helicopter to help assist in the roughly 425 critical care transports the hospital carries out every year via the skies.
“It’s a great blessing,” Warren said of the helicopter, “and at the same time a terrible stressor for parents whose children are on board.”
Since his arrival at Children’s Warren helped create what is known as the “Impact Fund,” a special budget created to help pay for hospital needs beyond normal expenses. To date, he said, the Impact Fund has helped the hospital purchase an acute dialysis machine for the hospital’s tiniest patients born with kidney disease, a surgical microscope which he referred to as a “Bentley” of microscopes, an epilepsy seizure monitoring machine, two Berlin Hearts and Airstrip Mobile Monitoring program, among other tools.
“These are the reasons we have an Impact Fund,” said Warren as he showed images of all the children who have benefitted from the hospital’s technological advances, “the reasons we are so fortunate to do what we do.”
Prior to joining Children’s Warren was Chairman and CEO of Energen Corporation and its two primary subsidiaries, Alagasco and Energen Resources.
According to his Children’s of Alabama online profile, Warren was born in Texas and is the oldest of six sons. His family moved to Alabama when he was in grade school. Warren attended Auburn public schools and graduated with honor from Auburn University with a BA degree. He received his law degree from Duke University.
Warren practiced law with the Birmingham firm of Bradley, Arant, Rose & White for a dozen years before joining Alabama Gas in 1983. He became President of Alagasco in 1984 and was named President and CEO of Energen in February, 1997 and Chairman in January, 1998.
Visit www.childrensal.org for more information.