Tell us about yourself.
Chuck DeBusk is the Principal of Kinetic Resolution, LLC. He has over 40 years of experience improving healthcare outcomes and processes, teaching process improvement, and Lean Six Sigma. Before starting Kinetic Resolution, Chuck spent 11 years as the Vice President of Performance & Process Improvement for UHS of Delaware, a Universal Health Services, Inc. subsidiary. He was responsible for operational process improvement for 27 Acute Care Hospitals, where he applied simulation to improve operations. He also provided corporate leadership to the Emergency Department, Surgery, Radiology, Laboratory, Rehab Services, and Pharmacy.
Since starting his consulting operation, Chuck has led the organizational change management efforts for a hospital management company’s implementation of business systems in 15 hospitals, provided Leader Standard Work for a regional three-hospital organization’s physician practice group, and Process Improvement/Lean Six Sigma education and training for a large nationwide hospital management company.
He has held leadership positions at GE Healthcare, Allina Health System, and HCA. He holds an MS in Industrial Engineering from the University of Tennessee and a BS in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from Virginia Tech.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in eastern Kentucky and West Virginia, in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. In the mountains, there is a rich history of storytelling, and growing up in that environment influenced me to want to tell my own stories.
What was your journey to getting published like?
We started writing with the idea that once we were far enough along, we would think about publishing. We should have started sooner. We looked at publishers, both large and small, and while we had an offer from a major publisher, we opted for a more niche organization. They allowed us to have much better control over our schedule, and that worked great for us. During our writing and publishing journey, both co-authors ended up in caregiver roles for our spouses, and that put a strain on our ability to have a set schedule. For me, writing and working on the publishing part was a much-needed distraction from my caregiver role and one where I could control the schedule so that I did not feel pulled in multiple directions at once. We were fortunate to have Endeavour Ink and Printed Page Studios as excellent partners in the cover design, layout, and handling of the marketing and launch details.
What’s the best piece of feedback you’ve ever received?
Write. Let the ideas flow and then edit. Don’t try to make everything perfect at the start, just get it down and then go back and polish it.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
First, try to find a mentor. My mentor provided me with some excellent advice. He said, try to write 2,000 words on 8 to 10 of your chapter ideas and publish them, even if only in LinkedIn. If you can’t do that, you are not going to be able to crank out 50,000 words for a book. I would add that if you don’t find that experience somewhat enjoyable, don’t try to write a book. Many people have said that writing is re-writing, and 2,000 words means you write 6,000 words or more. So, a 50,000-word book has 100,000 words rewritten. If it's not enjoyable, you won't last. My final advice is to take the leap and get started. Do a basic outline and begin. I’m an outline person with certain parts done by the seat of my pants. Find your own style, but it starts with writing something.
What’s a fun fact about you that your readers might not know?
I have spent time in 48 of the 50 states. I’m only missing Montana and Vermont and I hope to visit them soon.
What’s your guilty pleasure book or genre?
My guilty pleasure series is the Stone Barrington books by Stuart Woods.
What’s your favorite quote about writing?
While it is not specifically about writing, the quote that has inspired me is “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson. It is on my wall, over my computer monitor, to remind me to approach each chapter with enthusiasm or stop and find it before I proceed.
When you’re not writing, how do you like to spend your time?
In addition to writing, which is a way for me to give back to my profession, I also serve as a consultant, working with healthcare organizations to improve processes related to patient flow. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, scuba diving, and playing golf.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
My third-grade teacher, Mrs. Horn, introduced me to reading, and I have been an avid reader ever since. I don’t remember the first book she loaned me, but it captured my attention and my imagination. As a pre-teen, I loved the Hardy Boys mysteries and the Tom Swift, Jr series. Mysteries to be solved or science to be applied in solving problems likely had a significant influence on my decision to become an engineer.
What has inspired you and your writing style? How did you choose the NonFiction genre?
Early in my career, I read Eliyahu Goldratt’s book, The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement. This book caused me to realize that you could write about process improvement, a subject I loved, and it did not have to be boring or academic. I have always wanted to contribute to the field of process improvement. While I was considering a more general treatment of the subject, my co-author, Andrew Ganti, introduced me to the idea that a book on the use of computer simulation and modeling in healthcare was badly needed. So, we wrote Simulation Solutions.
How do you deal with negative reviews?
I try to find the nuggets that will help me be better and let the rest roll off.
How do you connect with your readers?
I attend and speak at conferences where I can engage with attendees, who are my readers or potential readers. Additionally, my consulting work brings me into contact with potential readers. Finally, my website invites readers to contact me to discuss the book.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am working on my next book, which will focus on process improvement essentials and the nuances of implementing and teaching robust process improvement
How do you approach writing dialogue for your characters?
As a non-fiction writer, I don’t typically write dialogue. I’m recounting events that have happened and conversations that have taken place. I try to stay as true to the actual conversations as possible, though, since they weren’t recorded, my memory may be a bit faulty at times.
If you could share one thing with your fans, what would that be?
If I could only share one thing, I would say “never stop learning.” But, as a process improvement specialist, I would also say, “there is almost always a better way.”
Chuck DeBusk’s Author Websites and Profiles
Website
Amazon Profile
Chuck DeBusk’s Social Media Links
LinkedIn
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
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