Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1179082
73 PRACTICE MANAGEMENT THOUGHT LEADERSHIP 'More care for more kids': Passion for the mission drives new Driscoll Health CFO By Ayla Ellison D riscoll Health System's mis- sion is to provide care to more children in need, and that's a goal its new CFO can get behind. Douglas Myers was named senior vice president and CFO of Corpus Christi, Texas-based Driscoll Health System in August. The system in- cludes Driscoll Children's Hospital, a 189-bed tertiary care center, and a health plan that serves more than 175,000 members. Mr. Myers brings years of experience to his new role. He has served as CFO of several healthcare organizations, includ- ing Phoenix Children's Hospital and Washington, D.C.-based Children's National Health System. Most recently, Mr. Myers served as president and CEO of ABLM, a healthcare financial management consultancy firm in Phoenix. At Driscoll, Mr. Myers is responsible for all financial aspects of both the hospital and health plan. He said he's excited about the opportunity to develop and implement strategies that support the system's goal of providing care to more children. Here, Mr. Myers further discusses why he's excited about his new role and shares his top priorities. Editor's note: Responses were lightly edited for length and clarity. Question: What has you most excited about your new role as CFO of Driscoll Health System? Douglas Myers: The reason I came to Driscoll Children's Hos- pital is its vision of more care for more kids. The mission of pediatric hospitals can't be beat, providing care to children in need. I'm very proud every time I say where I work. It's not a job for our care providers; it's their passion. Our market is all of South Texas — it's about the size of the state of South Carolina — so that's a logistical challenge. The thing that most excites me is that we are embarking on several initiatives in South Texas that will be transformational to Driscoll, and help us fulfill our vision of caring for more kids. Q: What are a few of your top priorities for your first year at Driscoll Health? DM: Of course as CFO, one priority is making sure that we have the resources to meet our strategic plan and carry out our mission. So that's looking at the revenue cycle and supply chain, determining if our CDI program is maximizing results. We have a 175,000-member health plan — is it on the right trajectory? All of those types of things are priorities. The leadership of Driscoll should be very proud. Just about every area of the organization is running on all cylinders. It's probably no coincidence that the former CFO is now the CEO, so I have big shoes to fill. My highest priority is the execution of our strategy, and providing leadership to the organization to make sure the tactics in our strategic plan are being realized. Q: What is the greatest challenge facing hospital CFOs to- day? DM: I think the biggest challenge is always staying ahead of the curve. Being able to look into the future and plan out where the organization is heading and course-correct if neces- sary. It's better to be proactive than reactive. So the challenge is looking for new and diverse revenue streams, making sure you are hitting benchmarks on expenses by staying disci- plined and making hard decisions if necessary. I don't want to be the one to hit the iceberg. n get everything done that I need to, mainly be- cause I didn't mark 10 things off a list like I used to. I think it's just an adjustment. Q: What is the most rewarding part of your day? DD: Although I don't get to do it every day, the most rewarding part is when I get to travel to our hospitals or there are leadership events for the company that we host at our office. What is super rewarding is being able to share with those leaders what is important to me and the company, while also being able to hear from them about how they connect to the mission of our organization. at is the most inspiring, rewarding part for me. For example, recently we hosted 25 new hospital leaders that have been with the company for a brief period of time. ey came in for two days of orientation. I was able to talk to them for two hours about what's important to me, and they shared with me what they are doing to advance the mission of the company. It's humbling, inspiring and gives me the energy to wake up and do this every day. Q: What's the last thing you do before you leave your office? DD: Usually before I leave, I will stop by my CFO's office and ask him, "do we have enough money to pay the bills?" Mike Coggin [our CFO] has been a friend of mine for years, and our families know each other well. I usually will stop by his office because it's next to mine, check in to see how things are going and ask if there is anything I need to be aware of before heading to a dinner or to my home. Q: Do you do work at home? DD: I try not to do too much work at home. I'll sometimes take work home with me, but it usually sits in my briefcase. It's nice to know it is there in case I need to get something done, but over the years, I have found that I am not very effective at working from home. at doesn't mean I don't think about work at home, or that I don't reply to emails. But I try hard to shut it off while at home and on vacation. Q: How do you unwind at the end of the day? DD: I love sitting at home with my wife, having a glass of wine and reflecting on the day. I don›t talk much about what happened at work, but I listen to her. We will sit on our back porch, turn on music or a TV show in the background and just talk. at time with her on the back porch, catching up on the kids and relaxing help me unwind and stay balanced. I also call my parents most nights. ose things at the end of the day bring everything back together before we shut the house down, wake up and go aer it again. n