Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1115575
75 PRACTICE MANAGEMENT THOUGHT LEADERSHIP Corner Office: BIDCO President and CEO Jeffrey Hulburt on how a heated meeting taught him a great lesson By Alia Paavola J effrey Hulburt serves as pres- ident and CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Care Organization, a value-based physician and hos- pital network and ACO based in Westwood, Mass. Mr. Hulburt began his career at BIDCO five years ago as CFO. After about a year and a half, he was ap- pointed to the chief executive role. As president and CEO, Mr. Hulburt oversees BIDCO's mission, which includes advancing the adoption of val- ue-based payment models and creating a high-value, low- er cost network in Massachusetts. Here, Mr. Hulburt answers Becker's seven Corner Office questions. Editor's note: Responses were lightly edited for length and clarity. Question: What is one thing that piqued your interest in healthcare? Jeffrey Hulburt: For me, my interest began when I was 11 or 12. I remember going to my general practitioner, as they were called back then, in the suburb where I lived. His of- fice was in a home. He saw patients on the first floor and lived on the second. I realized, with that office setup, that he spent his entire day trying to help people, and I decided that was something I really wanted to do too. People would come to him with health-related problems, and he would solve them. From that office visit, I knew that if I wanted to pursue a medical career, I needed to take science and math classes. Luckily for me, I found a lot of those classes interesting. Chemistry and physics were my specialty because they required a lot of problem-solving. I guess you could say problem-solving became one of the major components of healthcare that I was drawn to at an early age. Q: Given that BIDCO is headquartered in Westwood, what do you enjoy most about that city and Massachu- setts as a whole? JH: I've lived in Massachusetts my entire life. It's my home, and while I've traveled to different places, I still really enjoy being in this area. I love that we have four seasons that are very distinct from each other. Now, as I get older, the winter season is quickly becoming my least favorite, but I really do enjoy that sense of change four times a year. Westwood is a bit of a commute from where I live, but that lets me discuss the other beautiful thing about this area. Within an hour, I can be in the mountains or stepping onto a beach near the ocean. In fact, within a couple of hours, I could even be in six different states. So, there's the diversity of change that we can always get without having to travel too far. To me, overall, Massachusetts just feels like home. Q: If you could eliminate one of the healthcare indus- try's problems overnight, which would it be? JH: There are so many challenges in healthcare. However, because of my past and present experiences, I have to say I would like to erase the debate over whether healthcare is a right. I firmly believe that every citizen should have access to the care that they need. necessary care steps for a patient's journey and as tight a com- munication system so we produce the safest, highest quality, best outcomes at the most affordable rate possible. Q: What traits do you think emerging healthcare lead- ers need most? LS: Healthcare leaders today need to understand how to work across a very complex system and in a highly matrixed environ- ment. They must have very strong influence and change-agent skills. I think they also need to be less afraid to fail and make mis- takes. I'm not talking about patient mistakes, but administrative missteps by the virtue of trying and innovating. These days con- sumers compare their healthcare experience not just to healthcare, but to every other part of their lives. They are now comparing how we do against Amazon and every other convenience they have grown to expect. Healthcare leaders have got to be able to broaden the thinking of our clinicians and our teams to be able to adapt to the changing consumer expectations. Q: If you could pass along one piece of advice to anoth- er health system COO, what would it be? LS: Start with your team. Make sure you have the right leaders in the right roles. You must have the right people in the right team to be able to deliver any change. I believe that having a strong team starts with a mindset of collaboration and integration. I also say that I'd rather have the right people than the right structure at times. n