Becker's Hospital Review

42 42 THOUGHT LEADERSHIP Living Like a Leader: A day with Banner Health CEO Peter Fine By Alia Paavola B etween driving growth, meeting clinical objectives and navigat- ing complex payer dynamics, there don't seem to be enough hours in the day for healthcare executives. Leaders succeed despite these challeng- es, each with their own habits, hacks, styles and methods — and Peter Fine, president and CEO of Banner Health in Phoenix, is no exception. Since Mr. Fine joined the system as CEO in November 2000, Banner Health has grown from a nearly $1.5 billion company into one of the largest nonprofit healthcare organiza- tions in the nation, with 28 hospitals, 50,000 employees and more than $8.5 billion in revenue. For this installment of Becker's Hospital Review's Living Like a Leader series, Mr. Fine offers a glimpse into how he manages his energy, team and time. Editor's Note: Responses have been edited for length and clarity. Question: What is the first thing you do when you wake up? Peter Fine: I'm an early riser. I wake up at about 5 a.m. e first thing I do is attempt to calm my mind. I typically go into my home office and meditate for a bit or read something that is more fictional than newsworthy, to calm my brain and set it up for the day. From there, I will try to get in some type of exercise in the morning, either walking or getting on my elliptical. Q: What is the first thing you do when you arrive at work? PF: I review my schedule. I would have looked at it already before getting into the office, but I check it again to ensure I understand the timing and flow of the day. I will then dive into my emails. I typically arrive at the office by 7:30 a.m., and don't have a meeting until 8:00 a.m. or 8:30 a.m., so I use the time to get caught up. Q: How much of your time is spent with direct reports? PF: I have seven direct reports, all of which reside on the same floor in the office as I do. So I'm constantly going in and out of offices and carrying on conversations. I would guess probably 20 percent of my time is spent with them. Q: How would you say your daily routine changed due to the pandemic? PF: It has changed a lot. Working remotely has required a different method of leading and communicating. How you challenge or ques- tion people seems to be different when you're doing it over a computer screen than when you're doing it in person. How people pay attention, how they think about what they're doing, how they intervene virtually versus in person is just different. Additionally, I no longer can just pop into somebody's office at 4:30 p.m. to connect. Now something has to be scheduled. We've moved from spontaneous meetings to scheduled meetings. Our board meetings are now virtual too. e effectiveness and process of carrying on a quarterly board meeting is different. We had to rein- vent how we conducted a board meeting, because a nine-plus hour meeting on a computer screen would not be easy. Q: What is the hardest part of your day? PF: e hardest part is when I have to make decisions that affect people, affect stability or add high degrees of risk. It's always those decisions that weigh on you, either because you're taking on a lot of risk or you're negatively impacting people, primarily employees. We, like other health systems in the U.S., aer losing a significant portion of our business in the course of two or three months, had to create some stability. In some cases, this affected personnel. You do what you have to do to help the company, but those decisions are the hardest part of any day. Q: What is the most rewarding part of your day? PF: When I watch leaders develop and become better leaders. When I see leaders step up, it's really fun to see. One great example is our Chief Clinical Officer Marjorie Bessel, MD. Marjie has been with the company for a long time in various roles, but in the last few years she was appointed the chief clinical officer. We did a national search to appoint someone to that role, and found that she stood up to a national search, so we hired her. She has really shown her mettle during COVID-19, as she has led the company through all of the clinical activities necessary to manage what's going on. e other rewarding aspect is when I get letters from patients about how they felt about their interaction with staff. When you get letters complimenting staff, it warms your heart because of the sincerity that's built into it. Q: What is the last thing you do before you leave your office? PF: When I leave my office, I try to make sure that anything that needs my time and attention is handled so I don't bring it home. When I drive home at night, which takes about 20 minutes, I put on music to try to calm my brain down. Q: Do you do work at home outside of business hours? PF: e only thing I will typically do at night is prepare for the next day. is might include reading a report or meeting materials for the public board I am on. I try to limit the time in the evening as much as possible so I can decompress and relieve some of the tension. Q: How do you unwind at the end of the day? PF: One way could be exercise if I didn't get in my morning routine. e second way is spending time with my dog, a beautiful yellow lab named Jasmine. She is a little over 6, and I love spending time with her. I also enjoy wine over dinner with my wife. I think it is important for any executive to be careful about how much intensity they bring home at night. When you bring too much inten- sity home, it is not good for you from a behavioral health perspective, and it's not good for your relationships. Leaders must find a balance so you can decompress. If you are "on" all the time, it's hard to be a good leader, and you risk getting burned out. n

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