A Closer Look: Norene Mostkoff

Photo by Duane Tinkey

Norene Mostkoff

• Age: 44

• Title: president and CEO of Hospice of Central Iowa

• Hometown: Chicago

• Past position: chief operating officer of HospiceCare Inc. in Madison, Wis.

• Family: Husband, Sam

• Education: B.S. from University of Illinois and M.B.A. from University of Wisconsin

A Closer Look: Norene Mostkoff BY SARAH BZDEGA
I understand you're getting ready to leave for Vietnam. What are you planning to do there?

I'm very excited. My husband and I and my mom are going on a vacation to Vietnam. We'll be there three and a half weeks and we've planned this vacation for over a year, although I'm kind of sorry to be leaving all the excitement going on here.

Do you travel a lot?

We do. We don't have children, and we spend most of our free time, as much as we can get away each year, traveling.

What's the most exciting place you've been to?

We went around Cape Horn in a boat. It was an unbelievable experience because when you think about it, Magellan did it in a 30-foot boat and we're in this huge boat and not many people have done it, so that was very cool. Since then, we've been to Russia, Madrid and then we were back in Buenos Aires and then China.

What brought you to Iowa?

This hospice is what brought me to Iowa - the reputation of the hospice as a free-standing community-based nonprofit with an exceptional reputation in the nation.

Were you looking to change jobs?

No, I wasn't. I don't know why I really listened to the recruiter this time. I get several calls a week from recruiters and I would listen and say, "Thank you very much, but I'm happy," but there was something about this hospice and the commitment that it had to the communities it's serving that really spoke to me.

What will you miss most about Wisconsin?

I think I'm going to miss the good friends I made there. There's a little restaurant that we like, but I'm confident we're going to find a place here. And I think I'm going to miss being in a college town in Madison, but we're very close to Ames and Drake (University) here.

What led you to hospice care?

I've mostly been in nonprofit management, and when I finished my (master's degree in business administration) - and I was the oldest one in my class getting the M.B.A., I'm very proud of that - I knew I wanted to be in nonprofit and I chose health care because it is complex and the challenges will only increase. We have in this country probably a $13 trillion unfunded mandate in Medicare and we need to figure out how we're going to take care of these folks, so I also felt health care was a place where you'd have some job security. Someone I knew very well said to me HospiceCare Inc. has a new role, and I went and met the people and just fell in love with this idea of quality of life at the end of life. It can be a very beautiful time in people's lives as they live every day to the fullest.

What were you doing before you got your M.B.A.?

I was in nonprofit management before that. I did things in education, in mobile meals, and my job before this, I worked as an administrator of a (Jewish) temple.

Are there a couple of goals you're focused on here initially?

I think initially we need to focus on being sure that everybody who needs our service is getting our service and (gets) it in a timely way. The one comment we hear over and over again is I wish we would have known about you sooner. The Medicare benefit is a six-month benefit, and people aren't getting their full benefit. I also think to be sure that we are good stewards of the community's resources.

Is there a career accomplishment you're most proud of?

I think I'm really proud of the growth of hospice in the community I just came from because I managed the growth plan and we grew about 35 percent while I was there and added 32 beds to serve our community. We did it in three years, which was a short time to see that growth.

Is there something you like to do to escape work?

I love to travel. My husband and I, we love to hike. We really like to be at home and just be together.

Is there a way you'd describe your leadership style?

I'd like to think it's fun. I think it's collaborative and I think it's about finding a shared vision.

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